"There appears to be a horrible misunderstanding, Miss. Braginski."
Iryna fidgeted with her hands and sighed.
The principal explained the situation to the Russian female and apologized for the inconvenience.
Ivan was led into the office room in no time, his head kept down so that his bangs could shield his disoriented complexion.
"Do take a seat, Ivan."
The Russian boy reluctantly sat down on the chair next to his sister's and buried his face into his scarf. He had been given back the garment by the gym teacher at the door.
"We understand that it is challenging to adapt to a new environment and integrate into a completely different community than your previous one," the principal started. "Ivan, Mr. Adnan here wants to apologize for forcing you to take off your cardigan and scarf earlier this afternoon. Apparently, he does not know that you're very sensitive to exposing your scars to others. We are sincerely sorry for frightening you."
"Sorry, boy," the Turkish gym teacher nodded heartily. "I should've looked into the matter more cautiously next time. I've settled the class already. Alfred is getting his detention. There should be no more commotion next time and you can keep wearing your scarf during the lesson."
Ivan frowned a little but remained speechless, feeling his sister's hand pat his back lightly.
"It is we who have to apologize for causing you so much trouble since Ivan's been here. He is…very introverted and reclusive as you can see. My brother doesn't fit in very well here. I'm wholly grateful for all the assistance and support your staff have been providing him all this time."
"No worries, Miss. Braginski," the principal shook his head solemnly. "We're willing to help out as much as possible. We do wish is for our students to enjoy thoroughly a fruitful school life here. We're striving to cultivate a heart-warming, interactive learning atmosphere. Something has been concerning us though. Ivan, we do honestly want to know if there's something wrong between you and the rest of the class….like…are they bothering you?"
Ivan stiffened, his eyes wandering fretfully across the ground. There was no way he would concede that he had been segregated from the crowd ever since he arrived at this school. The fact that his isolation and inability to blend in the class was now being discussed bugged him a lot.
"Ivan dear? Is everything alright?" Iryna asked, perturbed as she bent down to gaze at her anti-social brother. He would have concealed everything for all she knew. He never wished to burden her and yet she was more than pleased if he would just share his daily problem with her.
"It's…okay….da. I'm fine," Ivan murmured, knowing how invalid his statement sounded. The principal was not convinced. He took a deep breath and sighed.
"As you know, our school is a prestigious one around this neighborhood. We do not tolerate any sort of misbehavior, including any issues relevant to bullying, teasing and pranks. If there's anything serious going on, do inform us immediately, Ivan. If your classmates are giving you a hard time, please tell us. We'll always offer you help, okay?"
"Da…" Ivan nodded, a bit placated that the meeting was going to be over.
As they walked out of the office room in silence and past his classroom, Ivan caught sight of a whining American staying behind alongside two of his mischievous friends. Ivan chuckled inwardly. The day couldn't have been better. He had thought he would be scolded by the principal but well…it seemed that they were all caring about him. What pleasured him more was the fact that he had met a friend!
The engine sprang into life as Iryna twirled the key in the hole. She shot Ivan a pacifying smile before she started driving them off the parking lot. All this time, Ivan couldn't help glancing towards the school's rooftop, wondering if Yao had left yet. To his ecstasy, the boy he was craving to see was standing near the railing and waving at him. Even in distance, he could make out Yao's gorgeous skeleton and lithe silhouette. Ivan smiled and waved back as the car began to skid across the road.
"Ivan?" Iryna glimpsed her brother.
"Yes?"
"Who're you waving at? A friend of yours?"
"Da." Ivan smiled gleefully and fiddled with his fingers.
"Oh really? I'm so glad you've finally made a friend!" Iryna smiled elatedly. "Tell me about it, Vanya."
"I told you not to call me that," Ivan pouted and stared out of the window.
"Haha, can't really control myself sometimes. After all, mom used to call you with that cute nickname."
"His name is Jao," Ivan said out of the blue, his eyes still roaming over the streets. "And he's a Chinese."
"Did you meet him today? I thought it would've been that boy called Alfred."
"Nyet!" Ivan yelped instantly. "I don't like that American. He's very annoying."
"You two should really make up to each other. Apologize to him tomorrow, Ivan. You've been rather rude too."
"Nyet. I'm not talking to that dork."
"Come on," Iryna sighed. "You've got to be nice to your classmates."
"Well, they aren't nice to me."
"That's because you've always been keeping everything to yourself. If you don't speak up and socialize with people more, they will never get to understand the person you are."
"It doesn't matter, da. I've got a comrade already."
"So, about this Yao, is he your classmate?" Iryna asked curiously, somewhat thankful that her awfully meek, solitary brother had finally made an acquaintance.
"Nyet…he said he's my senior. I only met him today…"
"Still a promising start. Don't lose this precious friend of yours, Ivan."
"Da, I won't," Ivan grinned back. "I'm going to find him at school tomorrow. He's pretty cute too."
"Ah, a Chinese boy, should have expected that. They do have a very fascinating culture, I think. It's good you've met someone special and intriguing."
"Thank you, sis."
"You know you can tell me anything if you're facing a problem. I'll always be there to help out," Iryna said affectionately and stroked her brother's hair. "We're a family after all, right?"
"Da," Ivan smiled brightly. All the melancholy whirling in his mind vanished at once.
That day when he returned home, he didn't cut himself anymore.
The next day, Ivan darted to the rooftop right after the bell of recess rang. Before reaching there though, he bumped into his foe.
"Woah, dude, watch out!" Alfred cried in alert, holding out his hands in defense.
"Stop making a fuss and watch where you're going, git!" The blond next to him accused like a mentor, nodding apologetically at Ivan.
"Oh, it's you," Alfred snorted immediately knowing the one he had crashed into was Ivan. "Why do I get to see you all the time?"
"Da. I should say the same about you," Ivan replied with the same level of repulsion.
"Seriously, what the bloody hell is wrong between you two?" Arthur scowled, his eyes tracing from his best friend to this new transferred student.
"Nah, some sort of mild conflict."
"You must be the one who started it, I guess?" Arthur shook his head in disapproval. "You must've forgotten what I've told you before."
"Fine, it's my bad, okay?" Alfred turned to Ivan and pouted. "Shouldn't have pulled off your scarf yesterday, dude. Sorry about that."
Ivan gasped in surprise. To know that the usually narcissistic, oblivious American was willing to lower himself gave him quite a shock.
"Da. I apologize for my rudeness too," Ivan nodded, which also baffled the American.
"Woah…it's…" Alfred scratched his head awkwardly, somewhat flattered. "It's no problem, dude! Didn't know you could actually speak. You're always so quiet."
"I refrain from speaking unnecessary," Ivan replied composedly.
"So, I'm guessing we're even?"
"Da." Ivan shrugged and walked past the two blonds. There was something more significant he had to tend to.
As he plodded upstairs, he could hear vaguely from far distance the two's conversation.
" Told you to stop being hostile towards others, wanker!"
" Ouch! Stop mangling my ear, Artie!"
A smile emerged on his face as Ivan reached the rooftop. There, perching on top of the greenhouse was the beautiful Chinese boy.
"您好! Looking good, aren't you?" Yao tittered as he gestured for the Russian to join him in the sunbath.
"P-Privet~" Ivan greeted subserviently and climbed up the ladder. Wrapping his scarf tighter around the neck, he flumped down next to the Asian.
"So relaxing aru. I like lying in the sun," Yao claimed. "It always calms my nerves."
"You…You got here pretty early, da?"
"There's one thing called skipping class," Yao chuckled at Ivan's innocence. "I don't like gym anyway."
"Me neither."
"What?" Yao sat up immediately and gawked down at the Russian. "Do they laugh at you too?"
"Huh?"
"You know…since I'm kinda a shorty…and I look quite feminine, I always get teased wearing my gym shirts." The Chinese croaked.
"You do look like a girl. I thought you were one before I heard your voice…" Ivan admitted bluntly. Yao laughed.
"You're quite bold, aren't you?"
"Sorry…"
"It's no big deal. I've got these remarks for years. I'm accustomed to them. I just don't like jogging that much and Mr. Adnan can be quite infuriating sometimes."
"I know," Ivan echoed.
"So, care to tell me more about yourself, little friend?" Yao smiled. Ivan thought it was the most dazzling thing ever.
He unraveled himself to Yao, of course. He told him a variety of things about himself he had never told anyone before. For some reason, Yao's presence quelled and consoled him a lot. He felt secure revealing his inferiority in front of him.
In return, Ivan learnt a bit more of the Chinese boy too. He knew how he was born and raised in a reputable family, hence explaining his admission to this school. His family was appallingly strict and conservative, with his father being unreasonably stern towards his kids. His mother, in much contrast, was more considerate. He had two younger sisters and a stepbrother whom his father conceived with a Japanese woman in a love affair. Yao's mother was surprisingly tolerant and forgiving towards her husband's adultery. When the Japanese woman perished in a car accident, the family took in the kid. Yao treated him like his own brother.
"Your family is so complicated…"
"Well, I bet everyone's family is more or less this complicated, to some extent."
"I don't have a family," Ivan blurted out.
"I'm sorry," Yao purred with a sympathetic look.
"It's okay. My parents died when I was very small. My sister's been taking care of me since. We got adopted by relatives a couple of times but my foster parents were all very…"
"Very…what?"
Ivan frowned bitterly and showed the scar around his neck to Yao.
"No…this…this is horrendous aru!"
"It's lucky we got to elude that terrible home. The orphanage eventually took us in and we grew up there. When big sister graduated from her college, she got a decent job so we moved here. You can say that we can finally live on our own."
"She sure is a charming lady aru. At least, you have someone kind around you."
"Don't your family care about you too, Jao?"
"They…" Yao faltered and sighed, staring up at the sky. "We're not that intimate. I think it's going to rain soon aru, which reminds me, I ought to water my peonies." The Chinese boy steered away from the topic swiftly and climbed down the ladder.
"Wait, Jao, the bell's going to ring soon," Ivan yelled after the Asian but followed him nonetheless.
"You can go back to your homeroom first, Yi-wan," Yao smiled understandingly. "I still need to do some planting."
"Well, I'll stay here and help out then," Ivan offered and was immediately enchanted by the polychromic garden shimmering before his eyes. No one in the world would have taken better care of the greenhouse then Yao. It came almost as a paradise to Ivan. The place was filled with an assortment of scintillating blooms. Every single color on the color continuum was present and Ivan even caught sight of his favourite kind of flowers.
"Sunflowers!" Ivan exclaimed as he scooted towards a corner with a few sunflowers growing in the pot. "This is like a dream, Jao!"
"向日葵," Yao muttered softly.
"Eh?"
"We call these向日葵 in Chinese. So…you like them?"
"I love them, da! A whole lot!" Ivan nodded his head vigorously, almost hugging the pot.
"Haha, you're so cute, Yi-wan," Yao giggled. "You know, we're kind of running out of space here. I've grown too many things. I think if we clear off some corners, we can grow more of these. But first, we have to buy some seeds."
"R-Really?"
"Yes. We can grow more and you can bring some home! They look good as ornaments. And they always cheer you up!"
"This is the best!" Ivan bounced exuberantly and pulled the Chinese boy into a bear hug.
"W-Wait…Yi-wan…you're choking me!" Yao huffed as he struggled against the towering Caucasian.
"S-Sorry, Jao," Ivan laughed sheepishly.
"Is alright aru. Just remember not to crush me, big boy." Yao teased, fondling the other's chubby cheeks playfully.
"I…I'll find you again at lunch, da?" Ivan blushed. It felt odd to be caressed by another guy but well, since it was Yao, he permitted the teasing. The Asian was too angelic and tempting.
"Sure! I'll be waiting here." Yao let go of the Russian and retrieved his spade, ready for his gardening time.
"Se-See you later."
Although Ivan had said that calmly, his heart couldn't stop racing. He was too naive to even recognize that this inevitable feeling bubbling up in his heart was the beginning of what would be called love.
Ivan returned to the rooftop at lunch as promised. In fact, he visited there every single day whenever possible. Every time, Yao would be there waiting for him and it always delighted the Russian to see that someone actually grew unnerved when he went missing.
Yao was an enticing person. He always had an array of tales ready to tell Ivan.
The boy was also an honour student, or so Ivan had been told. There was nothing Yao couldn't solve and he had become a greater learning partner than ever. Whatever obstacle there was, the Chinese boy would usually tackle it with no ado. And this fact alone amazed Ivan utterly.
He grew extremely, if not excessively, fond of Yao. It was also because of the fact that Yao was his savior. If he hadn't prevented him from jumping off the roof that day, Ivan knew well he would have long been drop dead. There would never be such a twist of events. He was relieved that the principal's words were somehow true. No one bothered him anymore. Even Alfred and Gilbert had gotten so much more disciplined and obedient under their teachers' surveillance. Ivan was finally able to get along with his classmates fairly well, often with much help and tips from Yao.
"First step to making more friends- smile naturally," Yao taught him. "Not the kind of feigned smile. They will know when you're pretending to be friendly. It always turns out creepy and drives people away instead of attracting them." The Chinese boy showed his friend his own example of a natural smile. Ivan watched indulgently, his senses swept away as he reveled in Yao's generous affection.
"Ermmmm!" Yao gasped as the Russian suddenly bound their lips together. "What-What are you doing aru!"
"S-Sorry…it was…" Ivan panicked, his face reddening upon realizing his terrible mistake. He feared immediately that the other boy would lash out but Yao remained rather poised. "Aiyah, just…don't do that again all of a sudden…even if you're on your impulse…it startled me aru…are you…like…gay for real?"
"Huh?" Ivan frowned in confusion.
"Gay as you like guys?"
"I don't know," the Russian shrugged. Honestly, he had never given it much consideration. His sexual orientation had never come to his question until...well...until he met Yao.
"It's okay. Like, I swing both ways."
"You mean…"
"I mean there isn't fundamentality in love. You act according to how you feel. It doesn't really matter what gender the other one is. I have to keep this from my family though. My dad is strongly opposed to homosexuality, like he expects me to inherit the family business and guarantee descendants to the Wang's household. But well, I'm not that interested in girls. I hardly meet any by the way. If he's sent me to a co-educational school in the first place, maybe there would be more chance that I could hang out with some girls aru."
"Nyet. Don't…" Ivan murmured. "I'd…prefer you being my friend only…"
"You're weird," Yao commented but laughed. "I like you too, Yi-wan. Maybe we're possible. I don't know. We'll have to see in the future aru."
"I…I won't give up readily da," Ivan said determinedly. "Cause…Jao deserves the best. I will try my hardest to meet the criteria..."
"Enough, Yi-wan." Yao shushed him with a smile. "I feel simply blessed that you're willing to be my friend. I don't have many to begin with. I don't mix well with my classmates."
"Are they…mean to you?"
"Um…it's just that…" Yao wavered and gazed down at the ground. "Just that I find those Westerners…very frivolous and cheeky…"
"What do you think of me then?"
"You're…different…You feel different. I don't know. Maybe it's empathy because I used to be like you," Yao admitted. "Couldn't really get along with others…but unlike you, I used to be…um…very haughty and full of myself…got despised and belittled for that. Never really got many acquaintances and well…you can say I'm a bit of a loner but that doesn't really bother me much."
"But Jao, you're always so merry and energetic…I never thought you would've…" Ivan paused as he glimpsed the Chinese's boy's wrist. It was meticulously hidden under his long sleeves despite the scotching weather.
"Yi-wan…have you heard that the saddest people are always the ones who try their hardest to…make others happy?"
"Jao…"
"It's because they know how it feels to be totally worthless and forlorn…and they don't want this to happen to anyone around them, especially those they actually care about." Yao hummed gloomily.
"But I think you look the prettiest when you're smiling for real," Ivan said, reaching out his hand to ruffle the other's hair. "And Jao is the kindest person I've ever met…"
"Really?"
"Da. I don't lie."
"You're such a big child but that's something I like about you. Please don't hurt yourself anymore, Yi-wan. Don't repeat the same mistake I've once made." Yao grinned, "You can always do better aru. And I'll be here for you."
"We're the best team, da?"
"Well, if you say so." Yao laughed, returning the hug to the larger boy.
Jiggling the panda keychain, Ivan promenaded along the isles in search for sunflower seeds. The tiny trinket was exclusively handmade for him. The Chinese boy had bragged about some adorable, fluffy creatures called pandas that originated from his birthplace, going as far as to boast about having taken care of one as a pet when he was a kid. Ivan always enjoyed Yao's sharing. The Asian also gave him plenty of small gifts consisting of snacks, Chinese needlework and exquisite handicrafts- an act that often rendered Ivan rather guilty. As a way to show his gratitude, the Russian decided to purchase a few bags of seeds and fertilizers to aid Yao's gardening.
Days had rolled on and gradually turned into months since their first encounter. Never had Ivan missed a school day of meeting Yao on the rooftop. The feeling he developed for the Chinese boy strengthened alongside their bonds. The only thing that pestered Ivan though was the fact that Yao never reciprocated to his confession explicitly and refused to go on a date with him. They texted each other occasionally outside class but Yao often claimed to be busy. His contact with others was frequently prohibited during test weeks and restricted to a couple of hours before curfew on normal days. Ivan found the way Yao's father fostered his children extremely outrageous, of course, but couldn't do much to alter the situation. The sole place they could spend the majority of their time together was the school's rooftop…and the greenhouse Yao sometimes valued more than his own life.
Ivan turned around the corner deftly, not realizing another person was approaching right towards him. The two bumped into and collided with each other rather forcefully. Ivan toppled backwards and the brunette he had accidentally crashed into nearly fell on his butt on the floor.
"Ouch…" the boy grumbled as all the contents in his hands went spilling across the ground.
Petrified by the voice, Ivan gaped at his past companion, not knowing if he ought to elude the scene or stay on the spot.
When Toris finally got back up, he also glanced at Ivan in sheer astonishment, shuddering slightly due to mild fear.
"P-Privet…Toris." Ivan mustered his courage to greet. "It's…er…long time no see, da?"
"Yes, Ivan…" Toris stuttered, dodging effectively from the other boy's intense stare.
Second step to building good relationships with others- be yourself, admit your own shortcomings and be as forgivable, generous as possible aru.
Yao's voice swarmed in Ivan's head as he struggled to break the prolonged silence between him and Toris. In the end, he grabbed the other's arm and pulled him out of the store. They two settled down on a bench on the sidewalk.
"I-Ivan…why you bring me out…here?" Toris quivered uncomfortably, scooting as far away from the Russian as he could and inwardly praying for his boyfriend Feliks to come back from the fashion boutique.
"Toris, we need to talk. I mean, I want to tell you somethinga."
"What…is it then?"
"I'm sorry." Ivan apologized and looked at the Lithuanian earnestly.
"Huh?"
"You heard me…I said I'm sorry da…for spraining your wrist last time."
"Well…that was…two years ago. I never held a grudge against you, Ivan. Just…let that issue go already." Toris sighed, rubbing his pants edgily.
"So you forgive me?"
"Yes, yes. I was never mad at you anyway. I should've introduced you to Raivis and Eduard at that time instead of leaving you alone. The fault is mine."
"Nyet. I guess we both did something wrong," Ivan stated. "I just thought I owed you a profound apology, comrade. Either way, you don't have to look so scared when you see me from now on because I don't plan on hurting you in any way."
"Then why did you follow me into this school?" Toris asked. Ivan shook his head and stood up from the bench.
"I wasn't stalking you. I came here because my sister got a promotion at work."
"Really?"
"Da. I won't bother you anymore."
"W-Wait," Toris said abruptly. "Ivan…"
"Yes?"
"Are you interested in joining the Arts Club?" Toris smiled. "Our club is still recruiting members. I remember that you love painting a lot. Just wondering if this appeals to you by any chance."
"I'm okay with that but…I'm already in a club."
"Which one?"
"The Gardening Club."
"The Gardening Club?" Toris frowned and pondered hard for a moment, trying to recall the existence of this rare club. "Is there one?"
"Da. It got dismissed some years ago and now we only have two members. We're pretty occupied with the greenhouse… but…if I have extra time, I might drop by the arts room," Ivan said proudly. Although Yao had never made him an official committee member of the club, he regarded himself his greatest working partner. If he had to choose between Yao and something else, he would always pick the former one.
"Well then, see you, comrade." Ivan bid Toris a farewell and scurried back to the store to continue running his errands.
"Wow, so you're, like, sitting here like an idiot this whole time?" Feliks grumbled, hands on his hip as he stood before Toris with mountains of shopping bags.
"What?" Toris snapped out of his trance and gazed up at his Polish boyfriend. He almost fainted at the massive quantity of Felik's bought commodities.
"Oh no…not again…did you…did you pay with my credit card again?!" Toris whined, shaking his head in dismay.
"As if it's enough to afford this. Anyway, we're, like, going home. My legs, like, hurt a lot after shopping for, like, six hours." Feliks dumped the bags sluggishly in front of Toris and stretched his arms. After fixing his ridiculously conspicuous shirt (or dress as it was long enough to be one), he started trudging away and motioning for the other boy to follow suit.
"W-Wait! How am I supposed to carry all these, Feliks!"
"I'll, like, carry some for you," Feliks chuckled cunningly and took two bags, leaving the rest to his submissive boyfriend.
"W-Wait up!" Toris could barely catch up with his partner's pace before blurting out the question. "Feliks, I want to ask you something!"
"Yea?"
"Is there actually a Gardening Club in our school?"
Feliks shrugged, not even bothering to stop and look at his boyfriend.
"Not that I've heard of."
"That's exactly what I think!"
"What the hell is wrong with you, Toris? HURRY UP! I'm, like, super hungry!" The Polish snarled, dragging the poor Lithuanian across the street.
Sometimes, just sometimes, Toris reckoned that his lover could be more daunting than the Russian.