Chapter Text
Nobody gets to run forever.
Lu Guang spreads out his arms as the wind blows in his hair. The train speeds up. Somehow, they haven’t noticed him, and now he stands on the top of the world.
It’s freeing, euphoric. The air tastes delicious despite it being the same as everywhere. He gulps it down like it’ll disappear. It feels good, but something in his chest tells him it shouldn’t.
Maybe because the only thoughts in his mind stem from a desire to be knocked off by the wind. To fall as the train brakes. To be crushed under the heavy metal. But wouldn’t that hurt?
He doesn’t move. He follows his plan completely. When they get closer to turns, later, to the station, he gets down and holds tight to stay on. Because he’s too scared to do it on purpose, or maybe because he doesn’t want to, he does everything that should keep him alive.
Only one mistake apart from losing his life, but he won’t make it on purpose. In his hesitation, all he gets to do is hope that maybe fate will push him in the right direction:
off.
“And what do you suggest we do! It’s easy for you to say, but-”
“Maybe because I’m not the one who gave it to him!”
“You talk like it’s a disease-”
“For the trouble it-”
Cheng Xiaoshi closes the front door, his stomach cramping. He rubs it, his throat feels the same.
It's his fault, isn’t it? It started just a week ago. He did what he was told. He joined his hand with his mother while staring at a grainy picture his father held up, and kept his eyes closed. Then he brought his hand together. But when he opened his eyes, his mother didn’t seem happy with him at all.
They said he did a good job. She told him it was nothing. But since then, they always yell when they think Cheng Xiaoshi isn’t listening, and he knows it's his fault.
He doesn’t know what he did wrong. They won’t even tell him that.
Holding back tears, he goes to knock on Qiao Ling’s door, hoping her and uncle Qiao would open. They don’t.
He remembers then. He brought her shopping for the day.
He feels his eyes well up with tears, grit his teeth, and started running. No matter where. He just doesn’t want any of the neighbors to see him, but he can’t hold it in any longer.
Lu Guang prefers to ride like this in late mornings; before lunch break for workers, but after they’d all gotten to work. Nobody waits at the station, usually, at least no more than could be counted on one hand.
So nobody sees him.
He’s glad to see that’s the case today too. The station seems empty. Two people get out. Nobody gets in. He discreetly comes down, legs shaking but still somewhat supporting him. So few feelings he can enjoy on his own; he has to take advantage of this time.
But when he raises his head, he sees a boy with black hair, tears in his eyes and snot all over his face.
Ew.
What an ugly crier.
He would ignore him, but the boy keeps staring straight at him. He hiccups. And then pointing at him, mouth gaping open, he seems about to yell.
About to tell the adults around what he was doing.
Lu Guang firmly presses a finger to his lips as he rushes over. The vertigo and stunned state the speed and air leaves him in makes the task difficult, but the boy gets the message. He covers his face with both hands.
At least… Looks like he stopped crying.
Lu Guang firmly plants himself in front of him, and tells him.
“You can’t say anything.”
The boy hiccups again, then lets his hands drop.
“But you were-”
“It’s a secret. I need you to keep it for me. Because I… I have powers! There’s a secret mission to accomplish. Adults can’t know about it.”
He puts every ounce of emotion he can find in his heart in that single sentence. The gravity of the situation. It’s true that it matters to him. Lu Guang can’t afford to lose his one place to be free.
The other boy, unfortunately, makes a face.
“You’re lying. I’m not stupid.”
Hah. Well, the train is leaving and the adults are already leaving, so it’s Lu Guang’s win for now.
But what if the boy tells a controller? Someone at the station? He wouldn’t, would he?
He can’t take the risk.
“I’ll prove it to you,” Lu Guang says, taking out the flipphone he was given to call for pickup from his pocket. He shoves it in the other boy’s hand, closes his thumb over the camera trigger, and pressed his own thumb over the boy’s this way. The picture is taken. He closes the phone and ignores the defiant look he gets in return. “Keep my secret and come back tomorrow. I’m omniscient. You can ask me any question about what you did yesterday, and I’ll tell you.”
“What does omniscient mean?”
Lu Guang grits his teeth, annoyed. The migraine that eased thanks to the adrenaline is coming back.
“It means I know everything. You’ll see. Tomorrow, okay?”
“And what if you can’t answer?”
“Then I’ll do whatever you want. But if I can, then you have to keep my secret. Forever.”
“If you’re not here tomorrow, I’ll tell everyone because you lied to me,” the other says. He holds out his arm for a handshake. Lu Guang quickly withdraws his.
Ew.
The next day, the boy isn’t covered in tears and snot. It’s an improvement. Lu Guang would consider shaking his hand now.
He knows he’s going to be sick. It’s one more picture than the too many he’s already had to check, and will check by night. The migraine is still offset by the thrill. It won’t be for long.
His first question is easy. “What’s my name?”
“Cheng Xiaoshi,” Lu Guang replied. The boy looks shocked, incredulous. Then it morphs into excitement.
“What I had for dinner?”
“Do I have a pet?”
“Where do I live?”
“What are my plushies like?”
"I play what game most?
The questions come out rapid-fire, and Lu Guang answers each of them correctly until Cheng Xiaoshi has stars in his eyes and beams like…
Like what, exactly? Lu Guang tries to remember. Old memories feel too distant, but he’s seen so many lives, so many pictures. Why do children smile in them? Birthday cakes?
“And what’s your name?”
That question is different. Lu Guang holds his tongue.
“That’s none of your business.”
“But it is! I discovered your secret. That makes me your a… ac…” Cheng Xiaoshi trips on the word and frowns. Accomplice, Lu Guang fills in mentally. But instead, the boy loudly declares himself his “partner.”
Lu Guang sighs. Always prioritise the expression of meaning over exact words. A principle of speaking foreign languages as an early learner.
Cheng Xiaoshi seems not to struggle as much as he does with the concept. He needs the perfect word for everything, or he can’t talk.
“You’re not my accomplice. You just happened to see me-”
“Ah, accomplice!” Cheng Xiaoshi interrupts cheerfully. “That’s it, I’m your accomplice. So tell me your name, I want to be on the mission too! No adults allowed, right?”
And there it is. The odd emotion Lu Guang has been sensing under his voice. Was this why he was crying? The word “adults” out of his mouth…
“Are you having trouble with adults?”
“Well…” he pouts, then smiles again, launching forward to take Lu Guang’s hands. Too close, too much. He lifts pleading, all too innocent eyes at him. “I’ll tell you if you tell me your name.”
Lu Guang pushes him off. Too close, too much, too-
But Cheng Xiaoshi’s hands were so… warm. Is that what touch used to feel like? Why people in the pictures, they like it? Is this…
He swallows nervously, steadies himself.
“I’m Lu Guang. Will you come back tomorrow?”
“Will you make me your accomplice?”
“Yes. If you come back, then…” The phone rings and Lu Guang hastily gets it out of his pocket. He turns to Cheng Xiaoshi one last time before he goes. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. But I…”
“You have to go back to your mission, right? I’ll wait for you!”
Lu Guang’s shoulders drop as he picks up the phone and starts running.
Relief.
Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t know if he believes that Lu Guang has a mission.
But Lu Guang has the prettiest voice and the coolest powers. He has the prettiest hair, and the coolest aura.
So it doesn’t matter to him. He’s even smart, and the way he talks makes him want to listen. Even if he often can’t do this in class, and sometimes even with Qiao Ling. And everything is much easier with Qiao Ling.
His parents still act strange. But they stopped yelling. And right now, he doesn’t care, because all he can think about is the boy he met at the train tracks.
He’s brave, even if it’s dangerous. But he’s probably fine, right? Because he has powers.
He leaves earlier so he can make sure the station is empty. As his accomplice, he will make sure nobody notices Lu Guang. Maybe he uses the train to enter from another place? Is it a secret teleport?
No. No, that’s stupid.
But Lu Guang has powers, which means it isn’t… impossible. Is it really stupid to think that teleportation could exist?
Either way, nobody notices him. Lu Guang joins him first, and Cheng Xiaoshi feels excitement well up inside him.
He will definitely make friends with him. People usually like him, so it’ll be no problem.
“So. Adults,” Lu Guang asks.
He deflates.
But he promised. So he has to explain.
“My parents are yelling a lot. Fighting. I don’t know why, but it’s my fault.”
“But… you aren’t getting yelled at?”
“No, they don’t yell at me,” he explains.
Lu Guang looks weird, but he nods anyway.
“So what’s your mission?”
He looks weirder now.
“I can’t tell you everything, but…”
The train departs, and they stay quiet until the noise disappears. Then, Lu Guang stares at the tracks, and smiles.
Is it the first time?
“Come. I’ll show you something to cheer you up.”
Cheng Xiaoshi hesitates, but he follows him as he descends onto the tracks. The white-haired boy stands up on the metal, both arms extended for balance, and smiles at him again.
“Don’t touch it with your hands, it might still be hot. You have good shoes, right?”
He does, so he climbs up after him. They start walking on it, nobody there to watch them. It’s a little exciting but a little scary. Lu Guang seems relaxed.
“My mission is to find people. To find them… To find what they have, what they want, what they lose, what they need. And then, people with more power than me, they… save the world with it, you know?”
Cheng Xiaoshi wants to answer, but in his hurry to catch up, he trips and starts falling. Lu Guang says his name like he’s worried—are they already friends, then?—and rushes to catch him.
His hands are so cold…
Lu Guang doesn’t have enough strength. Not a good foothold.
They both fall.
Cheng Xiaoshi groans, but everything about him feels alright. Lu Guang used him as a pillow, so he’s alright too, right?
But he has the most adorable, kitten-like angry look on his face and it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen. He starts laughing. Lu Guang smiles, just a little. Because of him. Thanks to him.
They are friends now. He’s certain of it, it’s official!
Lu Guang decides they should get off the tracks, so they do. Finally, Cheng Xiaoshi asks the question that was burning on his tongue. “Why would walking there cheer me up, though?”
Walking anywhere with a friend makes him happy. But that’s not what Lu Guang meant earlier, right?
The boy looks back at him, weird again. Like he doesn’t understand how it isn’t obvious.
“Well… if you walk there. And you’re really unlucky. Then you could get run over by a train,” he answers. Then he tilts his head to the left. It’s kitten-ish again, but it’s also different. He doesn’t like it.
“Wouldn’t that thought cheer anyone up?”
Something heavy and uncomfortable sinks into Cheng Xiaoshi’s stomach. He doesn’t know the feeling. He wants to say something. He doesn’t know what either.
Suddenly it’s like everything is off. He wants to leave, and he doesn’t understand why.
But that thought, it doesn’t cheer him up at all.