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There are many simple pleasures that Chen Linong takes outside of the fast-paced environment of school and basketball. He likes feeling like he’s enjoying the entirety of the space around him, and achieves that in various ways. He likes fooling around with his rabbits in a grass field on a nice day, and playing the guitar to flood the silence of his room with the sweet rhythms of Li Ronghao, and recently, he’s been employed at a coffee shop. Linong is immensely enjoying working through the steady stream of people during the early hours of his shift, most of whom compliment his smile and sunny demeanor even on the earliest of mornings. His friends think that the job is fitting for him, and often come in before their classes to say hello, as if they won't be meeting later in the day to play basketball for hours on end. Linong enjoys the environment he’s created for himself and although organic chemistry is kicking him in the ass, it's a good life.
It’s a dim, cloudy Thursday morning when a few rambunctious customers enter the shop. There are seven in total, one of which he recognizes as his dear friend Cai Xukun’s boyfriend, Zhu Zhengting, so he concludes that the rest of them must be the kids he talks so often about. Four out of the seven of them seem to be still appreciating the weightlessness of their dreams, while Zhengting instructs the two most conscious ones (Zeren and Wenjun, he hears Zhengting say) to escort them into a booth and await further notice. Linong hasn’t really interacted with this group of people, even though he sees Zhengting about once a week. They’re more of a fashion and academically inclined group of people, and while Linong isn’t a disaster at clothes shopping and studies to the best of his ability, the chance to meet hasn’t really arisen.
Zhengting smiles apologetically at him, for the remarkable amount of racket that’s starting up considering the sleep-deprived faces their group is sporting. Linong smiles back and greets him, making small talk before taking the monstrous coffee order that Zhengting has recorded in his notes app. He’s taking drinks to Linong’s group of friends too, Zhengting explains, and apparently, Wenjun and Chengcheng simply cannot function without at least 2 cups of caffeine jacked up on copious amounts of sugar.
There's only a couple other people in the place that morning, and Linong’s boss, Xu Kaihao, is an easygoing guy. Linong makes and delivers their orders while the seven of them watch and talk with him, complaining about classes and clashing color statements, lamenting the fact that Zhengting made them wake up so early today. Apparently, they’re going to do a beach photo shoot and wanted to get there before the crowds arrived. Linong glances outside skeptically, noting the increasingly dark hue the sky is taking on and the gust of wind that looked just about ready to topple the tree across the street. Zhengting follows his line of sight and grimaces, and Linong can’t exactly tell if it’s because of his ruined plans or because Chengcheng and Xinchun have now fully found their energy and are tackling each other in the narrow width of the booth, kicking Zhengting in the process.
Two of the posse have yet to deviate from their slumbering states, and while they may have been awake while stumbling into the shop approximately 20 minutes ago, they definitely aren’t anymore. Zhengting tells him in fond exasperation that their names are Justin and Quanzhe, aka two idiots who decided to stay up incredibly late last night doing who knows what. Both of them have rather cute faces, Linong notices.
As the sky starts pouring down rain and an increasing number of umbrellas are seen passing the cafe, Justin and Quanzhe gradually wake up and start causing even more ruckus. Justin, upon seeing Linong, starts to aggressively spew out bad pickup lines, which Linong finds absolutely hilarious. Justin’s six friends do not agree with him and look at Linong confusedly after he laughs at each line Justin directs at him. Chengcheng tells Linong to stop giving Justin an ego boost.
As 10am approaches, they start to flint in and out along with Linong’s group of friends, who were promised drinks and would not turn that down, despite the weather. Wenjun and Xinchun leave for classes first, Zhangjing and Yanjun visiting for a couple hours before leaving just as Xukun runs in to sit beside Zhengting, Ziyi and Xiao Gui following in behind him. Quanzhe and Zhengting leave not long after, and Xiao Gui gets dragged out by Xinjie at about the same time. Xukun and Ziyi then rush to get to a class both of them forgot they had, and Yanchen arrives just at the end of Linong’s shift at 3pm to sweep Zeren away. Thursday’s are the rare day Linong doesn’t have any classes lined up, and the weather has cancelled any basketball fun for the day. He decides to take a muffin and a brownie to the only person left sitting in the booth, who has gotten out his laptop and was tapping his fingers against the empty glass beside him.
Justin looks up gratefully and quirks a smile as Linong sets down the goodies and he nods as Linong requests to sit across from him. His pickup lines have run dry but the lingering enthusiasm is hard to forget. Rain is still pouring down outside, and Linong decides to also take out a notebook and computer, but the sentiment of productivity doesn’t last for long, and hours later finds Justin and Linong chatting and getting familiar, before each of them get called back to their respective living spaces by impatient roommates wanting dinner.
Linong likes the new friends he’s made that day.
It’s a Wednesday morning during a week long break that Linong meets them again. It’s only Quanzhe, Xinchun, Wenjun and Justin though, the rest of them aren’t back from vacation. He’s lying on a picnic blanket on one of the few grass spaces of the campus, scrolling through his phone, when Quanzhe’s familiar voice carries over. He sits up and makes eye contact with Xinchun, who starts frantically waving, and beckons them over to sit with him, because company in the form of enthusiastic college aged children is always welcome.
They’ve come prepared with snacks and drinks of all sorts, happily sharing with Linong, and spend the morning fooling around and taking artsy pictures of their outfits. Justin, the photographer of the day, makes even Linong’s plain T-shirt and jeans look trendy, and his casual look is heightened by the last minute additions of Quanzhe’s flannel and Xinchun’s aggressive teasing of his hair. Justin constantly reassures him that his face and body makes any and all pictures taken look good, and directs one too many flirty smirks his way, causing his face to heat up. By the time it is agreed upon that picture time is over, Linong feels a bit faint. Wenjun sits back and enjoys the chaos, his defense being that he studies pre-med and has nothing to do with the situation. Linong pouts at him because it's most definitely just an excuse to not be prodded and adjusted like a doll.
Lunchtime arrives, and Justin and Linong are the ones left behind in the quest to obtain midday sustenance. They lay on the grass for a bit before Justin pulls out some pens and a sketchbook. He commands Linong to stay still, so he does. It helps that the position he is in gives a perfect view of Justin’s little facial expressions as the pen flies across the paper. Justin refuses to show Linong the finished project, but he knows it's wonderful anyways.
After their picnic excursion, Linong and Justin split off from the rest of the group and spend the rest of the day hanging out in various locations on campus. In this free flowing environment, Linong laughs himself silly at Justin’s jokes and Justin smiles so much that his cheeks seem to be stuck in that position.
That night, Justin asks for his contact info, the only step that feels natural after an entire day spent together. Justin tells Linong that he’ll make sure to contact him lots, and even though Linong’s not the best texter, he promises Justin and himself that he’ll try to do the same.
Soon they’re texting about their days and calling about random occurrences and going out of the way to see each other between classes and meeting up just the two of them. Justin is a beautiful storm that Linong’s been caught in. Justin is witty and sweet and courageous and sometimes a bit shy and Linong takes every piece of information about him and treasures it.
Linong admits to himself pretty quickly that he likes Justin.
He doesn’t dilly dally and stress himself out over it like some people *cough* Xukun did. He calls Justin at 6pm on a Friday night, asks him if he would like to go to the beach during the weekend, just the two of them. On a proper date. He surmises that the excessive cheering in the background means yes.
A beach date is a beach date. The first thing Justin does is crash into him with a hug, which Linong responds to with a little whoop and his signature smile. He’s brought snacks and a blanket and for the majority of the afternoon, it is sunny and wonderful. Justin is eager to show off his surfing skills and Linong finds dunking Justin into the water a joyful pastime.
But then just like the first day they met, the clouds start to darken and an ominous cool breeze goes over the land, giving little warning before Linong and Justin both feel droplets on their skin. Quickly, Justin points at the lighthouse, just as the first sound of thunder almost tears Linong’s soul from his body. They run inside the lighthouse laughing and with spirits high, because it is not a ruined date just because of a little (a lot of) rain, at least they can suffer together. They put on shirts and shoes to keep warm and lean against the wall, carefully putting slightly dampened towels on the floor to sit side by side, listening and watching the storm and peaceful silence.
Justin lets out a sudden huff of laughter and leans his head against Linong’s shoulder, wiggling his arm until it rests into his side. Linong smiles to himself and shifts minisculy closer to Justin, if there was much space in between them to begin with.
Linong closes his eyes and simply experiences the sounds of the rain and rolls of thunder, experiences the chill of the cement and the storm and the contrasting warmth of Justin pressed up against his side.
It’s nice.