Chapter Text
“Haha, it feels like Hu Tao’s birthday takes the longest to come.” Xingqiu stated that warm summer night, they were walking down the street and the sun had already descended.
It was a nice sight, and Hu Tao enjoyed it as she walked down to the Subway Station with her friends.
“Yeah well it is in the middle of the Summer, and the school year takes way to long to end.” Yanfei shrugged, she was Hu Tao’s best friend but didn’t attend the same school as her unfortunately. Luckily she got to spend her birthday with all her available friends this year.
“Heh, it’s weird, Tao’s eighteen and she hasn’t even gotten her first kiss.” Chongyun giggled and decided that on her birthday it would be his turn to tease her because she always teased him.
“Is that a necessary thing Yun? Have you even had your first kiss yet?” Yanfei pointed out.
“Exactly, like don’t come at me if you’re a hypocrite,” Hu Tao crossed her hands and then hopped down the stairs of the Subway.
“I’m not a hypocrite! All I’m saying is that, Tao should get her first kiss so no one else has to be scared to get theirs. If Hu Tao gets her first kiss, then it means there is hope for some of us.” Chongyun told them both.
“Honestly that’s a good idea, it’d be splendid on your birthday for you to get your first kiss, as an eighteen year old. It’s seen as lucky to get your first kiss when you’re eighteen. This could be something you could brag about with your generation.” Xingqiu was in deep thought for no reason.
“What? I’ll be like, ‘And that’s how I met your father, kissing him on the first day of me being eighteen,’” Hu Tao impersonated a deep womanly voice.
“Precisely.” Xingqiu nodded.
“You guys are serious about this?” Hu Tao blinked at the three of them.
She burst out laughing, “Who am I gonna kiss anyway? One of you guys? Not in a million years!” Hu Tao found it really funny from what they were insisting.
“That guy.” Xingqiu pointed at a sleeping boy with his headphones on. He had forrest green hair with blueish strands, some red eyeliner, a puffy jacket over his hoodie, jeans and some branded shoes.
“I bet she won’t do it.” Chongyun crossed his arms and closed his eyes, “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Yanfei added.
“I’ll give you three hundred mora if you do it,” Xingqiu pulled out the currency from his pocket almost immediately and shoved it in her face. He knew Hu Tao was desperate for money despite her part time job at the Funeral Parlor.
“A-are you serious?” Hu Tao’s eyes dropped to the multiple coins cupped in Qiu’s hands. Xingqiu nodded and grinned at her.
“Are you going to chicken out?” Chongyun suggested. “I knew she wasn’t going to do it,” Xingqiu began to put the money back but then stopped when Hu Tao turned around.
“Oh shut up! Look! Imma do it!” Hu Tao pointed at her chest and smiled.
“She’s going to make a fool of herself…but it’d be fun to see.” Yanfei whispered as they all approached, slowly, over to the boy.
Xingqiu, Chongyun and Yanfei stopped before they reached the sleeping boy, while Hu Tao crept closer to him.
‘I am eighteen now, I take risks,’ she said to herself in her head.
“Wait you’re actually going to do it? I was just joking Tao.” Xingqiu told her, “What type of joke is that?” Yanfei looked at him.
Standing above him, she could see all his features, his pale face, his long eyelashes, a purple birth mark on his forehead, his wispy badly cut hair and his fingernails that were painted black.
Just like Hu Tao’s.
‘We have matching nails? Is that what people would call it?…ugh what am I thinking, am I really going to do this? Wait. Think of the three hundred mora! I need to do this! For the three hundred mora!’ She was determined, although this wasn’t exactly how she wanted her ideal kiss.
‘Should I wake him up?’ She stretched out her hand to his shoulder, ‘he has a really broad but small build-’ before she could tap him, a subway drove past all five of them.
VROOM!
It made the pretty stranger’s eyes flutter open, his golden eyes look up at Hu Tao and his cheeks flush with embarrassment but also confusion.
Hu Tao decided to take the chance before it was too late, “Um…can I kiss you?”.
.
.
.
“…” Hu Tao was washing the dishes after her eventful 18 year old birthday outing. She couldn’t believe what she tried to do.
Although it was funny, on the other hand it was embarrassing, of course no stranger would ever agree to kiss someone they hardly knew.
She remembered the guy being upset and pushing her away. “What the heck?!” That was his response, and then he told her to get away from him, and rejected her offer,“Of course not! You weirdo!”.
Hu Tao found herself turning off the tap, “The guy seemed pretty annoyed. I mean he missed the opportunity to kiss these beautiful lips, but that’s his own problem I guess.” Hu Tao wiped her hands and collapsed on the couch. She unpacked her pig tails and kicked off her socks, turned on the TV and just stared at whatever they aired.
“…he was very cute looking, but he bites like a dog. And what’s worse is that I lost that three hundred mora. Now I have to pay that rich bit- I mean, Xingqiu back.” She murmured and pulled blanket over her head.
“Whatever, I’m going for my next shift to the Parlour tomorrow anyway so it doesn’t really matter.” Hu Tao snuggled up to the couch.
To abrupt her alone time, there was a knock on the door. Hu Tao didn’t get many visitors except for her friends or long lost relatives, other than that she lived alone.
Looking through the peephole, it was an unfamiliar tall man. He also looked old but also young at the same time, it was strange to look at. And his eyes, they looked familiar. But Hu Tao had to note that it was about ten in the night, and she was kind of tired after all she did that day so she couldn’t really remember who.
Opening the door, she greeted him with a bow and a hello, “Good evening Ms. My name is Zhongli, my family moved in from across yours, I thought you might like to know. Although it is late, so I hope you have a good sleep.” The man introduced himself.
“Oh. Well that’s cool to know! I haven’t had new neighbours in a while,” Hu Tao scratched her hair.
“How old are you, may I ask?” Zhongli wondered.
“I actually turned 18 just today, my last year of school begins after this summer.” She informed the man.
“Delightful, my son is you’re age mate. He doesn’t socialise much, and he’s really quiet, but I’m hoping the two of you can be friends. Happy birthday by the way.” Zhongli bowed and told her.
“Of course we can be friends, and thank you,” Hu Tao smiled and replied.
Zhongli turned around, “No problem. I might see you elsewhere, I am planning to apply as a Funeral Consultant in the Parlor near here.” He gave a little wave, and Hu Tao told him that she worked there too.
“Gracious news, I am looking forward to meeting you again Tao.” Zhongli then entered his apartment, a room away from hers.
Hu Tao trudged back into her apartment. It was kind of cold.
No one except her new neighbour had actually wished her a happy birthday yet, unfortunately. All her friends had said, ‘It’s your birthday today,’ ‘You’re eighteen now,’ and etc, but no one had said Happy Birthday. She didn’t mind, they often joked about forgetting it anyway.
But in some way the man who had appeared on her front door step, sounded like her Grandfather. A soft but free voice, one that gave cuddles and warm hugs when he spoke. The Happy Birthday he said to her made her…well extremely happy.
Obviously his son was probably gonna be as nice as him, even if he was not so sociable, Hu Tao doubted it would be hard to befriend him.
She made her way to the kitchen and pulled out one of the cupcakes she had bought from a local store, it was decorated with candles saying the numbers, ‘18’ so Tao got a lighter and lit up the candles.
“Happy birthday to me,” she whispered and then blew out the candles.
She’d wished for many things, things she could never tell anyone, or else they wouldn’t come true of course!