Hihi ^^ . This is my 3rd fic ~ Xiang is HongKong, Wan is Taiwan and Viet is Vietnam ~ This one is kinda.. I don't know. I've never written something so.. Uh.. Weird before o_o

"You're late, please take your seat." The teacher said as Xiang entered the classroom. Her small beady eyes followed Xiang to the back of the classroom where he took a seat beside Viet. She pushed up her thick, red-rimmed glasses. "Doesn't mean that if you're the top student in class, you are entitled to special rights, like coming late and being pardoned. Stay back today to clean up the classroom."

Xiang bent down to tie his shoelaces. He then saw a paper ball roll in front of him. Looking around to see who threw it, he saw Wan at the other corner of the room, pointing to the paper ball on the floor. He opened it and read it.

"Why were you late? You're hardly late."

Xiang scrunched up the paper and placed it on his table. Turning to Wan, he mouthed "I'll tell you later."

Wan pouted a little. "Stupid Xiang." She thought. "All of you have done badly..." Wan looked up at the teacher, her dress a sickening shade of green. She was lecturing the class on their exam results. Wan did average, as usual, and Xiang.. Well, Xiang did the best in class for all the subjects. Her eyes drifted to where Xiang was seated, and saw him sneaking a glance at Viet, whose head was laid on the table. Hmphh. Wan placed her chin on her hand and pouted more. Xiang's birthday's in three days..

The belle rung, signalling break time. After thanking the teacher, Wan stayed at her seat and expected Xiang to come over to find her, like he usually did, but he didn't. She turned and saw Xiang patting Viet on the back, and followed her out of the classroom. Viet was looking down as she rushed out of the classroom. Wan knitted her eyebrows and went after them. Turning corner after corner, they exited the building and went to the bench behind the building, where hardly anyone would pass. Wan hid in a corner as she saw Viet, her head buried in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably while Xiang placed a hand on her shoulder. Xiang said something, and Viet looked up. Xiang was talking to her, comforting her, Wan thought. Then Viet laid her head on his shoulder and tears silently slid down her cheeks as Xiang looked around. Xiang started coughing then, but his coughing was stifled almost immediately. Wan let out a gasp, and covered her mouth straight away, in case Xiang heard her.

Xiang had a weak heart and body, he was always coughing and sick. He could suffer from a heart attack anytime, anywhere without any notice. His wish on his birthday every year was the same: to be able to live one more year, till his next birthday. Many, many girls have confessed their love to him, but was rejected. Xiang was fairly good-looking, above average for sure, according to Wan. At this point of time, Wan felt someone staring at her. Turning back to peek, she noticed that Xiang was staring at her direction. She ran away, hoping that Xiang hadn't seen her.

Back in class, Wan day-dreamed the whole day, until the final bell rung and pulled her out of her trance. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she looked up and saw Xiang smiling down at her, one of those rare smiles of his. She stood up and asked him why he was late.

"Because I woke up late. I didn't write back because our teacher always had her eyes on you." He replied, leaving the classroom as some girls volunteered to clean the classroom for him.

"I saw you spying on us." Xiang said as he walked Wan home.

"Guilty of doing something indecent?" Wan questioned.

"No.. Why do you sound like that?" Xiang asked, wondering why Wan's tone had a touch of irritation.

"Like what? Don't change the subject, Xiang." Wan said, turning to Xiang and looking at him right in the eye. "Are you dating Viet?"

"No." Xiang replied, staring at her. "Why?"

"Nothing." Wan smiled.

"She failed one of her exams, and she worked really hard. That's all." Xiang explained.

Wan looked at the clock as the teacher droned on and on about Mathematical theories and such.

Why isn't Xiang here yet? Is he sick again?

She tapped her pen on the table, and waited for Xiang to come through the door.

Even after waiting the whole day, Xiang didn't turn up.

Viet hurried over to Wan after the final bell rung.

"Wan, is Xiang okay?" She asked, her tone filled with worry. "I figured maybe you would know, since you are the closest to him.."

"I don't know, I'm visiting him after this. Would you like to come?" Wan invited Viet, who seemed as if she really needed to know whether Xiang was okay.

"C-Can I?" Viet asked, her face flushed red.

"Sure you can." Wan smiled. Xiang, Viet obviously likes you.

Upon arrival at Xiang's house, Wan stood in front of the metal door, and knocked once. There was no answer, so she knocked again. On the third knock, she heard faint coughing. The door slowly opened, and Xiang poked out his head.

"Hi Xiang~ We've come to vist!" Wan smiled.

Xiang opened the door and invited them in with a nod. After hours of just sitting and talking, Viet said that she had to go home as it was getting late. Xiang walked her to the door, and asked if she was able to go home by herself. Viet smiled and said she knew, then she left.

"Xiang, I bet you can sense that she likes you, don't you?" Wan inquired.

"Wan, why'd you do that?" Xiang sat down on the nearest chair he could find as he started coughing.

"Do what?"

"You'd make Viet think that I like her or something, but I don't." Xiang said in between coughs.

Wan was slightly irritated by this, "Why do you say that? Do you think I'm a bad person or something, Xiang? We've been best friends since we were five years old, and you think of me as that kind of person?" She rushed out of his house and slammed the door behind her.

Was I overboard? I mean, Xiang should be irritable and cranky and stuff... People who are sick are usually like that... But that's not the point, he told me that this is misleading to Viet.. Okay.. Xiang doesn't like to hurt girls.. Wan thought to herself on the way home. Yeah, so... I'm in the wrong.. Tomorrow's his birthday too..

Xiang sat on his bed, thinking about everything that happened. If Viet had feelings for him, he had to make sure she wasn't hurt. Because... Because, Xiang had feelings for somebody else..
I must apologise to Wan tomorrow.

The next day was uneventful, nothing happened, but everything was as usual, the teacher continuing on and on about theories, the usual chatter of the class... And the usual smile on Viet's face as Xiang answered questions she had to ask.

She walked around the store, looking for something Xiang might like as his present. Looking around, she saw something that caught her eye - a Panda soft toy sitting at the corner of a shelf, unnoticed. She smiled, Xiang would like this for sure. When she paid for it at the cashier, she saw Xiang standing outside the entrance of the store, leaning against the wall. Xiang saw her, and he smiled.

"I'm sorry for doing that yesterday, Wan. I didn't think of you as a bad person." Xiang said as Wan approached him.

Wan threw the paper bag which contained the Panda at Xiang, who caught it.

He opened it slightly, then looked up. "Thank you for remembering my birthday, Wan."

Xiang offered to walk her home, and on they were both quiet on the way home. Wan didn't know how to apologise, despite all the things she had done, Xiang didn't blame her, and it made her feel worse.

"X-Xiang... I'm sorry, it's not your fault.. I know you don't like to hurt people.. So-"

"It's okay, Wan." Xiang smiled. "So I figured something out, if Viet had feelings for me and the only way to make sure she wouldn't be hurt is to ask her to go out with me, no? B-but it's just to make her happy.. not that I have feelings for her or anything.. I know this is like playing with her feelings, but I don't want to hurt her.."

Wan flared up upon hearing this. "Go out with her? Did you just say you would go out with her?"

"Yes.. I was just thinking about it." Xiang was appalled at her sudden explosion.

"Then go out with her then." Wan said hotly.

"Please understand Wan... I.. Actually Wan... I.. I like you. I have feelings for you, Wan." Xiang confessed.

Wan's eyes widened. What was this feeling? She was shocked. Anyone could say that to her. Anyone. But she didn't expect Xiang to say it. Not Xiang. She ran away.

"Wan!" Xiang ran after her, but stopped abruptly when he started coughing. Wan didn't stop, she continued running on and on, tears flowing out of her eyes.

Riing... riing...

"Hello?" Wan answered the phone, drying off her hair. It was in the middle of the night.

"I-is.. Is this Wan?" A woman's voice asked.

"Yes, this is me. May I ask what's the matter?"

"Could.. C-Could you help report sick f-for Xiang tomorrow?" The woman's voice said, in between sobs. "I'm hi-his cousin just calling to tell you this... He.. Well... He had a heart attack.. and.. he.. he's in the hospital.." The voice trailed off. "Your name was stuck onto his wall, along with your phone number.. So I thought you were closest to him... He's unconscious, and.. He might not make it through the night.. He was carrying a p-panda at that time.. "

Wan dropped the towel in her hand. Had she heard it correctly? Xiang had a.. Heart attack? And... He was carrying his panda.. The panda she got him..

"S-sure.." Wan said and hung up, trying her best to contain her emotions, but she couldn't. Her hand trembled as she sat down on her table. She curled up into a ball and buried her head in her knees as she cried, and cried. Nonono... I shouldn't have run away from him.. I shouldn't.. I was just shocked when he told me. I couldn't accept it then.. But... I.. I like Xiang too. And now.. Now, he might not even make it through the night.

Without thinking, Wan dashed out of the house immediately.

After inquiring which room Xiang was in, Wan rushed there immediately.

Tubes were stuck to his arms... He was even on a respirator. There it was - the panda. It was below his hand, and it was tightly held there.

"Xiang.. Xiang..." Wan repeated his name over and over, thinking that maybe it would wake him up. "Xiang! Don't die on me.. You can't die on me!" Wan sat beside his bed, and held his other hand in hers. She held his hand to her face, and cried. "Xiang.. You-you promised that when we grew up we would watch the sunset.. and the sunrise.. and that you'd be with me, remember? We even hooked our pinkies together... We even joked that we might end up liking each other, remember? You can't die yet.. You've made so many promises to me! Why'd you make those promises if you can't keep it? Xiang.. Xiang.. Wake up, Xiang!" Wan was crying so hard that she could hardly speak, but she continued. "You won't leave me behind, you would never leave me behind, you said so, Xiang! You were the one who said you would never leave me behind no matter what happened, so what are you doing now? Just laying there like that... You know how much it hurts to see all the tubes in you? I want-I want to see your smiling face..." She was tired, she couldn't take this anymore. "Xiang.. You have to make it through the night.. You just have to.. You said you liked me right? You said you had feelings for me right? I haven't given you a reply yet, so you can't just die now... Don't you want my reply? Don't you want it? How do you call yourself a man anyway... Just leaving the girl you like crying over you like this.. Just leaving her behind.." Wan continued on and on, letting out all the hurt. "I was jealous when you treated Viet so well okay.. I-I was jealous Xiang.. You can't just leave me feeling like this.. You can't die after receiving the present I got you... We haven't sung your birthday song together like how we used to... Yes, I'd sing it to you now, Xiang..."

Wan cleared her throat.

Happy.. Birthday to you...
Happy Birth..day to you..
Happy Birthday to.. Xiang..
Happy.. Birth..day.. to.. you..

She sang, in between sobs. "Happy Birthday, Xiang...I love you.." And she fell asleep on the bed, exhausted.

xxx

Wan woke up to the feeling of something tickling her face. She opened her eyes and saw a Panda soft toy in front of her face. She sat up and was greeted immediately.

"Good morning, Wan."

"X-Xiang!"

"I couldn't leave you behind.. I heard every-single-thing-you-said." Xiang smiled.

"Now, you have to fulfill your promises." Wan smiled, then gently kissed Xiang, on the lips.


~ Hope you liked it ^^