Chapter Text
“What the fuck did you just say?” His fist shot forward, slamming into the man’s face before they could react. He grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking them up from where they were sprawled on the floor. “Go on. Say that shit to my face, motherfucker.”
Mo Guanshan is a delinquent. He was a menace to the school campus, and feared for being hot headed. He was such an inconvenience to the school that they even bribed his mother a fat sum just to get rid of him.
But his mother has dreams for his son — and she believes that whatever this was, it was just a phase he soon will grow out of.
Because at home, Mo Guanshan was a different person — he is genuine, caring, and aware of their reality.
They weren’t well off, they struggled a lot in keeping things on tab and paid. They’re in debt for more than their annual income combined — and his mother believed that his actions were just the weight of all the stress and pressure at home and pleaded to the board herself to give his son one final chance to prove himself.
“I thought you’re finally done acting rebel? What the hell are you doing here, beating someone to a pulp?”
Mo Guanshan’s grip loosened as his eyes flicked towards the doorway.
Student Council President, He Tian. He had a good reputation, clean good records, loaded family and had this effortless charm that gets what he wants. Mo Guanshan hated everything about him.
Meanwhile, Guanshan was mentally begging every god he could think of to get that man away from him.
“Thought you were finally gonna get off my back?” he muttered, glaring.
“You’re not holding up your end of the bargain,” He Tian said coldly, pulling the bleeding student to his feet. “Don’t forget — I’ve got the upper hand here.”
“Oh really?” Guanshan scoffed. “Guess what, I don’t give a single fuck about who’s got what.”
He stalked over to the sink, turning on the tap and scrubbing the blood off from his hands.
“Tell that particle of cosmic trash that if he’s gonna run his mouth about me, he better make sure I never hear a damn word of it.”
“Sure,” He Tian replied, already walking toward the door. “Tell the redhead that the next time I catch him pulling this shit, his mom’s getting called into the office — and it won’t be for anything good. Know your place in the food chain. You’re definitely not at the top.”
The door clicked shut behind him.
Guanshan’s jaw clenched. He gripped the sink and stared at his own reflection, eyes tired and wild all at once.
“What the hell am I even doing?” he muttered.
His fist reeled back to punch the mirror—but stopped midair. He remembered he didn’t have the money to pay for another repair.
After class, Guanshan worked two jobs just to keep up. Barely passing his subjects, barely keeping himself afloat.
His first shift was at the local supermarket. The pay? ¥30.00. Not even enough to scrape together dinner.
And his second job is…. well…
“Good evening, Master!” Guanshan says cheerfully, voice higher, too polite, too fake.
He worked at a maid café.
Yes. In a uniform, complete with a wig and blush on his cheeks, Mo Guanshan — the school’s resident delinquent — served overpriced cakes to salarymen twice his age.
And in this cafe, he’s addressed as Momo.
The café had closed for the night. Guanshan sat silently in front of the vanity, tugging off his wig and reaching for a cotton pad soaked in makeup remover. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting a cold glow over the room.
“Must be tough, juggling school and this place,” Meiying, a co-worker of his said from across the room, her smile half-hearted, eyes already tired.
Guanshan glanced at her through the mirror, pausing for a beat before dabbing the cotton over his cheek.
“Not really,” he muttered. “What’s tough is hiding this from school — or from anyone who even goes there.”
“Why'd you take on this job anyway? It's not like you're supporting a 4 member family.”
He paused again, as if trying to remind himself. His hand stilled over his cheek. “The pay’s decent. The staff’s nice. Safe environment. Not a lot of jobs can say the same.”
She leaned back on the counter. “Still though, not many people would agree to crossdress for a paycheck. You’re the first guy to actually go through with it.”
“Desperate times, desperate measures.”
“And all this… it’s for your mom?”
Guanshan gave a small, tired smile. “Yeah. All for her.”
He was the only male employee ever to wear the maid uniform at the café. And, to be fair, with the makeup and wig on, he did look androgynously pretty.
To clarify, he doesn't swings that way (As far as he's aware of) — not that he had a problem with it. He had not given it much thought either.
It was just a job.
That’s all it was.
Just a job.
“Boss!” Buzz Cut called out, jogging to catch up with Guanshan across the courtyard.
“Do we have to beat anyone up today?”
Guanshan lazily scanned the area. His eyes landed on some guy eating alone under a tree.
“There’s one—”
“Ahem,” a sharp cough cut him off. Someone had stepped up beside him. “Manners, Redhead.”
He Tian.
Guanshan’s glare could have frozen a wildfire. “…Never mind.”
“Eh? Boss?” Buzz Cut blinked.
But Guanshan had already picked up the pace, brushing past him and hoping — really hoping — he wouldn’t run into He Tian again.
And yet, weirdly, he kept showing up.
In the canteen.
In the hallway.
In the fucking restroom.
And then — just when he thought it couldn’t get worse — the P.E. shower room.
“Hey, Redhead,” He Tian greeted casually, strolling in with a towel slung low around his waist. Guanshan, already under the shower in just his boxers, jumped.
“Fuck—! Oh, It’s just you.” He rolled his eyes. “God. The school’s huge, why the hell are you here?”
“Maybe because we’re in the same P.E. class?”
“Bullshit. Aren’t you a year above me?”
“I was supposed to,” He Tian said, hanging his towel on the rod. “But I decided to take it slow instead. You know, enjoy it like a normal person would.”
“That’s stupid,” Guanshan muttered. “You could’ve done more with your time.”
“Aw,” He Tian smirked. “Does my life suddenly interest you?”
He stepped into the shower next to Guanshan. And Guanshan — completely not on purpose — glanced at him.
He noticed how perfectly sculpted his features were. Jaw sharp enough to slice paper. Hair somehow always falling in the right place. Lean, toned, annoyingly symmetrical body. He quickly looked away before his eyes dropped any lower.
“Babe, eyes are up here.”
“Shut the fuck up-I wasn't looking anywhere!” Guanshan turned bright red.
He twisted the tap off, water still dripping, and snatched his towel.
"Didn't say you were," He Tian teased with a pout. “Leaving already?”
“Yeah, so you can jack off in peace.”
“So considerate of you,” He Tian grinned. “But I could still do it with you here. Watching.”
Guanshan’s jaw dropped in horror. His face twisted into something not distinguishable by words.
“The fuck is wrong with you? Perverted chicken dick.”
He Tian laughed. “Chicken dick? Is that what you saw?”
“Oh my god, you fucking piss me off!” Guanshan shouted, storming off. “Do people even know you’re this disgusting?!”
“Nope. I’m as well-behaved as a golden retriever,” He said with a shit-eating grin. “But you bring out the worst in me. Teachers keep pushing you on me. I hate it, by the way.”
“Good! Because I don't like that you keep pestering me like a leech either.” He Tian stared at him like he was a substandard germ.
“You’re a goddamn deadweight. To the school. And honestly? Even to your family.”
Guanshan froze mid-step. “…What did you just say?”
“Oh?” He Tian tilted his head. “Did I hit a nerve?”
Guanshan turned around, teeth clenched.
“You can call me a burden to the school all you want. I don’t give a damn,” he growled, marching up to him. He Tian had shut off the water, standing there, still dripping.
“But don’t ever talk about my family. You don’t know shit about what I do for them. So until you do? Shut your fucking mouth and stay out of my business.”
They stared each other down. The silence was suffocating.
Then Guanshan spit on He Tian’s chest, looked him up and down with disgust, and stormed off.
He Tian said nothing. Just watched him leave, eyes unreadable.
For the rest of the day, Guanshan didn’t see He Tian.
Not in the hallway.
Not in class.
Not even in the places he had once accidentally popped up.
And somehow… that silence felt like world peace.
The day ended rather quickly and Guanshan pushed through both his shifts with barely contained frustration. He was still seething from earlier — from him. From the way He Tian knew exactly what to say to flip every single switch inside him.
He was entrusted to close the cafe for the day. He grabbed the trash bags with a groan, stomping out into the alley behind the shop.
“Stupid fucking chicken dick,” he muttered, dragging the bags behind him. “Stupid fucking job. Stupid fucking life.”
He kicked a loose can out of the way, growling under his breath. “If I see that smug face again, I swear to God, I’m gonna slap the soul out of him.”
The alley was quiet, lit only by the flickering streetlamp overhead. He paused at the bin, arms sagging, breath heavy with exhaustion and pent-up rage. He happened to catch his reflection in a broken mirror on the bin. With a loud grunt, he ripped off his wig and flung it to the ground.
“Fuck this wig—”
“Wow.”
His heart stopped.
Guanshan whipped his head toward the voice — wide-eyed, breath caught mid-throat.
Standing a few feet away, as if he’d materialized out of thin air, was He Tian.
Both of them stared at each other, equally frozen. No one dared to speak first.
He Tian’s eyes dropped to the maid outfit, then to the wig on the ground, then back up to Guanshan’s bare, stunned face. His mouth twitched in confusion.
Guanshan swallowed hard as he realized what he’s got himself into.
Fuck. Me.