"Ge, wake up." Zach shook Xander who still didn't budge in his sleep. "Geee, wake up." He checked the time on his new watch, anxious to arrive late at class.

It was six in the morning, an hour before school would start. Zach had donned his uniform ahead after preparing breakfast. He knew that Xander couldn't rise early if he were snoring in his slumber.

Feeling helpless at his brother's situation, Zach tickled Xander's toes. "Xander, there's a cockroach on your foot! Ah!"

At the word 'cockroach', added with the crawling sensation on his lower limb, Xander squirmed like a live tentacle on a hot plate. His feet thrashed around the bed before he sat erect. The whole double-decker vibrated upon his head's impact on the metal frame. "Ohhh! Fuck!" His heart was still racing as he rubbed his head and grimaced.

"Gege, sorry. You need to wake up. We will be late at class." Zach blew Xander's injured head, like what Mama Chen did every time he had a boo-boo.

Xander sighed. "It's okay." He heaved his buttocks to the bed's corner, and his feet touched the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm just too tired." He stood and walked toward the dining table.

The smell of omelet, garnished with tomatoes, onions, and sliced hotdogs, drifted into him. His nose hair wiggled in excitement, as the steam of the newly-cooked rice caused him to salivate. With his stomach rumbling, he sat down, ready to eat. After all, eggs and hotdogs were his little brother's specialties.

Zach approached the table and occupied a seat. "Ge, wash your hands first."

Groaning, Xander rose from his chair and followed what his brother had said.

Zach took a platter of rice and served it on Xander's plate, filling half of it. "What happened yesterday, Ge? Is Leuther okay?"

Xander patted his hands dry. "How did you know I was with Leuther?"

"Uhmmm. Ythan had told me about what happened to Ming and his friends." Zach looked at his plate. "Did... Did you really do it?"

Xander sat back and gazed at his brother. "If I did it, will you think badly of me?"

Zach met his brother's eyes. "O-Of course not. I always look up to you since we were kids." He let out a deep breath. "I'm just thinking about how wrong they've been that you reached to that point."

Zach never remembered Xander on a fight while growing up. The polarity of his brother's charm and intimidating aura served as a barrier to prevent melee combat. But he knew that once Xander's defenses broke apart—blood would rain on everyone's parade.

Feeling pleasantly warm in his chest, Xander smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "Thank you for always believing in me, Didi." He transferred a slice of Omelet onto his plate and the last one onto Zach's. "Leuther was screaming. That's how grave the situation was."

"Did you call the police then? In what hospital did you bring Leuther?"

Xander shook his head, and just like an invisible bullet pierced into his brain, it suddenly doomed into him, Why didn't Leuther want to go to the hospital? He blinked a few times. "I just took him at his mansion. The injury wasn't that bad for him to be in the infirmary, I guess."

"Uhmmm." Zach swept a gaze to his brother. "Okay." He nodded and put the matter into rest. "By the way, Ge." He pursed his lips as he faced the chopsticks in his hands.

"Hmmm?" Xander hummed while stuffing his empty, but solid stomach with the food.

"C-can you come with me later?"

"Where?"

"At my training."

"Training?" Xander furrowed his eyebrows.

"Ythan will teach me how to handle eggs." Zach drank his milk.

Xander choked. His nose forced out a grain of rice as he repeatedly coughed.

"Ge? What happened? Here. Here. Drink this."

Xander grabbed the glass of water and chugged on the liquid down into his throat. "What did you say?"

"I asked Ythan to train me... and he agreed." Zach patted his brother's back.

"Why didn't you tell me ahead?" Anger and pain trapped Xander's voice. "Why Ythan? What training? I can train you myself. Why does it—"

"Ge." Zach held his brother's hand. "You've always been with me through thick and thin." His gaze penetrated through Xander's heart. "I-I'm afraid if I'll ask your help..." The warmth of Xander's hand emanated to Zach's. "You'll just end up pampering me more."

Xander hushed and exhaled deeply. He knew Zach was right. But who wouldn't end up cosseting his little brother? Zach was his precious didi. Anyone who wouldn't love him should either be a freaking psychopath or a nonexistent human being.

His grip to Zach tightened. "I'll accompany you. You sure that you really want this? And what training are we talking abou"—

Zach hugged his brother. "Thank you, Ge." He burrowed his face to Xander's neck. "I'm really afraid that you'll leave me. I'm really, really afraid."

As Xander felt his shirt soaked with Zach's tears, he rubbed his brother's back and said, "I won't leave you, Zach. Not until you rewrite the stars."

Zach released the hug and looked down. He wiped his tears using the muscle shirt Xander was wearing.

"You go ahead in the classroom, okay? I'll clean the table first and take a bath." Smiling, Xander tousled his brother's hair.

Zach nodded and left the room. The milk and Xander's reassurance were enough to energize him for the morning's affair.

After thirty minutes, Xander walked into the classroom. The students were more well-behaved compared before. Though Ythan had suppressed the news of the 'incident' which had happened yesterday, rumors about Xander and Leuther, exiting the campus bathed with blood, spread within their class section.

Leuther was already on his seat—silently gazing at the still clouds gracing the heavens. Hearing a loud thump beside him, he jolted and looked at Xander. His cheeks blushed as he twiddled the pen.

"You okay?" Xander broke the silence between them. He peered at Leuther's injured clavicle and leg.

Leuther faced the window again. Using his hand, he covered his sight from the scorching sun. He tapped his fingers on the air, the slivers of sunlight flickering in his eyes.

When he was a child, he had believed that the sun would explode anytime. Then, it would give birth to a rising phoenix.

"I am and will always strive to be," he replied to Xander.

Before Xander could say anything, Professor Yuan came in and started the discussion. The two seatmates never uttered a word to each other throughout the class—they became the outliers among the talkative crowd.

As soon as the bell rang, signifying the adjournment of the day's lecture, Leuther left the room without a word. He hustled straight into the dormitory.

"Zach, I'll meet you at the bleacher in the field. I'll have to talk with Renzo first." Ythan remained seated, as Zach nervously stood.

"O-okay. I-I'll bring my brother with me."

Ythan nodded. He understood that Zach was not yet ready to fully let go of his shell. What Ythan could do was to only wait for the right time. After all, patience was his absolute virtue.

Upon Zach's farewell, Renzo dropped a folder onto Ythan's armchair. "Here you go, Young Master." He snickered.

"Are you a hundred percent sure this time?"

"Yes, of course. If I was 99.99% sure back then, I found the missing 0.01% and included it in the details."

Ythan scanned the documents and flipped over to the last page. When his vision caught the word 'running', he quickly took a pen and replaced it with 'cycling'.

"Why did you change it? Do you doubt my plans?" Renzo mocked a cry.

"Zach has asthma."

"Huh? I didn't read that in the info you handed me over."

"I just knew it now."

"How?" Renzo gave Ythan a quizzical look.

"By his breathing pattern." Ythan neatly tore the last page and put it in his bag.

"Ythan... You're a fucking God." Renzo shook his head in disbelief. "If I haven't known you since childhood, I'll be thinking that you just want Zach's buttocks to be perkier. Hehe."

Ythan smacked Renzo's head with the folder.

"By the way, have Leuther talked to you about anything when you both reached your room last night?" Renzo scratched his head to relieve the pain.

"Méi yǒu," Ythan said no.

"I see. He's acting strange after the incident. I've never seen him like this before." Renzo rubbed his chin.

I'm wondering about that too. Ythan looked at Xander's silhouette, together with Zach's in the far hallway. What have you done, Xander Chen?

Sitting on the steel bleacher in the lush field, Zach was twiddling his thumbs. The athletes' soccer practice had just concluded. A stream of students surged into the school grounds, wishing to relax after the second day of class. As an international school, people of different races mixing was a normal occurrence: scholars with kinky hairs and chinky eyes, dwarfs and giants, yellows, whites, browns, and blacks walked side by side. Despite the lively view, none of them could appease Zach's mixed emotions.

"Didi! Didi!" Sabrina waved at Zach from the cafeteria and jogged toward her little brother. She gave him the plastic of soft drinks she had bought together with a straw. "I brought your favorite."

Zach anxiously sipped a drink. His lips trembled as he thought of how the training would go. He just asked Ythan to teach him how to spin an egg. How would it even make him stronger and tougher? And the most mind-boggling question, how and why did Ythan agree? I-I must explain everything to him first.

"Earth to didi." Sabrina snapped her fingers.

"Jiejie?" Zach returned to the physical realm.

"I said, where's Xander?"

"Oh, sorry. He said he's going to the canteen for some snacks."

"My gosh. Why didn't you say earlier?" Sabrina hurriedly stood. "I'll go now. See you soon, Didi." She kissed Zach's forehead, adjusted her shoulder bag, and turned away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Xander raised his chin. "Go back there and sit."

"Xander, I still have work, okay? Don't go bitchi—"

"I said sit down." Xander's voice rocketed.

Sabrina faked a grin and plunged her butt onto the bleacher. She faced Zach, mouthing the words 'this is all your fault' while glaring.

"Explain," Xander directed his sister. He then gave Zach the Youtiao for his little brother to eat.

"Seriously? Xander, you know I'm a year older than you. You don't have the right—"

"I said, explain." Xander's voice was calm; scarily calm. "Explain everything since we met you at Ythan's car."

Sabrina drew a long breath before pouring everything out. She explained her new job description, how Renzo became her team leader, how she, Renzo, and Ythan were supposed to drive straight into the school when Renzo's watch suddenly alarmed and ended up rescuing Leuther. She left no detail to spare for Xander and Zach.

Xander listened to his sister's explanation. He tried to find loopholes in Sabrina's statements but found himself feeling bad and guilty. Sabrina couldn't dare lie to her family.

"Then why are you acting like a thief hurrying to escape? If things are these simple, why didn't you tell us ahead?" Xander crossed his arms.

"Well, aside from having no time." Sabrina rolled her eyes. "You know I hate dramas."

"So you're saying I'm dramatic?"

The two blood-related siblings bantered to their hearts' contents. They never failed to show Zach how their conversation went every time they talked with each other.

Zach was slouching when he saw the young master approaching.

Ythan's uniform was halfway open, revealing a close-fitting shirt that covered his compact abdomen. The contrast between the black tank top and Ythan's white upper pectoral muscles created an oozing sexiness in Zach's eyes.

Ythan sauntered toward the bleacher and halted in front of Zach. Feeling the heat brought by the soon-to-end summer, he took his backpack and jacket off with his big and smooth hands.

At the sight of Ythan's broad shoulders, together with his tight triceps, Zach had an out-of-body experience. His mind was thrown into the gutter. Remembering Ythan's dark-chocolate scent, the feeling of his hands tracing Ythan's outlined muscles, and the sight of Ythan's naked upper body—this scene was his last straw.

His nose bled.

"Zach?" Ythan knitted his eyebrows.

"Didi!" Xander and Sabrina said at the same time. They rushed toward Zach's aid.

Zach thought snot had dripped from his nose. He wiped it with his index finger and discovered that it was blood. "Oh. Don't worry. I'm okay."

Before he could get his handkerchief, Xander already tilted his chin, while Sabrina cleaned the red liquid off his nose with a tissue.

"Xander, the field is hot at 4 P.M. You and Didi should already go back to the dorm." Sabrina repeatedly pinched Zach's nose with gentleness—a first aid she had learned on treating epistaxis.

"Zach, take a rest first." Ready to depart, Ythan tucked the neatly-folded jacket under his arms.

"No. No. I'm really fine." Zach urged his words. "It's just that..."

Ythan, Xander, and Sabrina waited for Zach to finish his sentence. But when they beheld Zach chewing his lower lip, eyes reflecting the color of the clear skies, their hearts melted into puddles.

"Sabrina, your work for the day is done. Why are you still here?" Renzo appeared behind Ythan.

Hearing the most annoying voice Buddha ever created, Sabrina straightened up. "Exactly, Mr. Collins. My work is done, so it's natural for me to be with my brothers." She smiled. "Why are Mr. Collins and Ythan here?"

Ythan acquired the paper from his bag and extended it to Zach.

Before Zach could obtain it, Xander snatched the sheet and read it.

1.) Simultaneously spinning the egg on a finger without cracking it for 3 minutes.

2.) Solving a 3x3x3 Rubik's cube within 4 seconds.

3.) Running for 1 hour. (Cycling)

4.) Basic Exercises:

· 50 basic squats a day

· 3-minute plank a day

· 70 push-ups a day

5.) Swimming : )

"What is this? Are you showing off your talents and skills to my brother?" Xander said while Sabrina and Zach also scanned the paper.

"You can solve the Rubik's cube for 4 seconds?" Sabrina laughed looking at Ythan. "I'll be willing to be your slave if you can—"

"Jiejie..." Zach interrupted. "This..." He glanced at Ythan who smiled at him. "This is my training routine."

"WHAT?!" Xander and Sabrina shouted.

Before Zach could explain, they heard a loud bark from afar.

Carrying Little D, Leuther wrapped his arms around the puppy. He ambled toward the group wearing a floral, long-sleeves shirt, paired with skinny jeans. Such look was very exquisite—especially in Xander's eyes.

"Your puppy came barking and knocking on my door. Thought it's looking for you." As Leuther placed Little D down, the dog scampered toward Zach and jumped onto his lap.

Zach petted his Little D who was jiggling his tongue.

Hachi? No. I told Harris to send the puppy away in a far place. Ythan's face distorted.

As soon as Little D saw Ythan, his previous owner, he leaped from Zach's lap and sniffed Ythan in circles. He glanced up to the young master with his gleaming blue eyes and whimpered in longing.

Zach picked up Little D. "He knows you, Ythan... How?"

A/N:

[1] Youtiao ­- Also known as Chinese fried churros, Chinese doughnut, You Char Kway (in , , and ), and fried breadstick. It is a long golden-brown, strip of eaten in and (by a variety of other names) in other and cuisines.

Aaand I'm back! Yahoo!

How do you think Ythan will handle such situation?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. *wink* *wink*

Don't forget to vote and comment. See you around. Bai-bai!