Work Text:
On hind sight, it was all the store’s fault. Who asked them to put his favourite rock music section just opposite the classical music one?
Wei Ying cast another quick glance around, pretending to browse the shelves. This was his fourth visit to the music store in a week. Which was ridiculous even by his standards. And futile by the looks of it because he was yet to accidentally bump into the handsome stranger he had met here a week back.
He had been in a hurry that day. He had planned to go in, grab the latest album of his favourite rock band, pay and leave. In and out in hardly a couple of minutes. But then he had stopped.
He had to stop. Because the person who had walked into the store at the precise moment he looked up had quite literally stolen his breath away.
The guy was tall. And beautiful—perfect nose, perfect lips, perfect face. But what really caught Wei Ying off guard was his eyes. Especially when said eyes locked on to his. They were the colour of whiskey—golden and intoxicating.
Wei Ying cringed thinking how he had panicked. He had winked at a literal stranger, grinning like a fool and then fled, without even buying the cassette.
Wei Ying sighed. Figures. He never had much luck in these things anyways. He flipped through a few newly arrived cassettes, wondering if he was really wasting his time here.
The bell tinkled. Wei Ying looked up.
And sucked in a quick breath.
There stood the stranger, looking around, as if searching for something. He stopped when their eyes met.
Wei Ying felt butterflies in his stomach.
Good lord, he looked even more handsome than last time. It was hard not to stare, especially since the big cello case he was carrying kept drawing his attention.
So he was a cellist. As if he couldn't get any more perfect.
The stranger slowly approached, giving Wei Ying a mini panic attack. Oh no, oh no no no! If handsome guy were to ask him anything, he would surely be tongue tied. But at the last moment, the former turned and headed for the classical section. Of course, what was he even thinking? Why would the guy approach him?
Wei Ying watched him casually browse through the cassettes, occasionally adjusting the strap of the cello case with long slender fingers.
If only he could casually strike up a conversation...
His phone rang, startling him. A scowling Jiang Cheng glared at him from the screen display.
‘Hello?’
‘WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? We are freezing our ass off waiting for you.’
Wei Ying had to remove the phone away from his face to prevent damage to his eardrums.
‘Uh... I’ll be late probably. You guys go ahead.’
‘Where are you?’
‘In a music shop.’
‘What the hell are you doing in a music shop? You don’t even—’
‘Fine,' sighed Wei Ying, cutting through his brother’s tirade. ‘Gimme five minutes. I’ll meet you near the canteen.’
So much for striking up a conversation. Wei Ying grabbed the album he had forgotten to buy the other day and headed towards the checkout.
There was just one person before him at the cashier’s. He waited patiently, humming a tune he had heard once coming from the music room in their college. It was hauntingly sweet and very catchy.
‘How do you know that song?’
Wei Ying nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden question. He had no idea when Mr. Cellist had come and stood behind him. He turned to look at his slightly frowning face.
‘What?’ he asked, still recovering from the scare.
‘The song you were humming just now. How do you know it?’
‘I-I don’t know. I just heard it once in passing and I guess I liked it.’
‘Where?’ the guy pinned him with a stare.
‘Our college.’
The guy gave a stiff nod in satisfaction and relapsed into silence immediately.
Wei Ying could not believe his luck! That was definitely a conversation, even though it resembled an interrogation more than the former. He tried to appear unaffected, casually fishing around for his wallet. Then he seriously began patting around his pockets. There was nothing there.
His wallet was gone!
Drat it! This was the second time that he would be walking out the door empty-handed. Wei Ying couldn’t believe his bad luck. He apologized to the cashier and was about to walk away when Mr. Cellist stepped forward.
‘Charge both the cassettes on my card,' he calmly told the cashier, placing his Beethoven on the counter.
Wei Ying felt his face turn red. ‘No you don’t have to. It’s fine!’ he stammered. He was embarrassed and vexed, to say the least. Of all the places to lose his wallet, it had to be right in front of his crush.
Ten minutes later, Wei Ying burst through the canteen door, waving a brand new CD album and wearing a huge grin.
‘A-Cheng, I’m gonna buy you a whole pack of the best beer!’
‘Why Brother Wei, you seem to be in a rather good mood!’ cried Nie Huaisang, scooting over to make a seat for the new arrival.
Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. ‘What did I do?’’
‘Remember you took my wallet to buy a present for Miss Wen?’
‘Shut up,' snapped Jiang Cheng, amidst oooooohs and aaaaahhhs from Huaisang.
‘Well, today I forgot to check if you had put it back. And guess what?’ Wei Ying waved his phone in front of their faces. ‘I got someone’s number.’
Huaisang covered his mouth in excitement. ‘Whiskey eye?’
‘Whiskey eye.’
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. ‘Do you realise that you don’t make any sense at all? A story has to have a beginning, a middle and an end. You skipped all the steps and went straight to the end credits.’
Wei Ying grabbed a beer, grinning. ‘The story hasn’t even started, brother. This is just the character intro. And just for the record,' he paused, taking a long sip. ‘I might be taking music classes from next week.’