Being Neighbors with the Aloof Teacher

The tail end of August, the height of summer. "Xiao Yu, this is our school's auditorium for the arts festival showcase." Yu Chen, an assistant lecturer from the music academy, followed Principal Zhang into Yangcheng High School’s auditorium. The air inside was stifling, hard to breathe. The frail young man's chest heaved violently as he coughed lightly behind his hand. "Today is the last day of summer vacation—the students won’t be back until tomorrow. The arts festival is at the end of September, giving us just a short month to prepare. We’ll need to trouble you, Professor Yu, to put in extra effort..." Principal Zhang’s unhurried explanation of the school’s arrangements carried on. Only a few overhead lights were on in the auditorium, casting dim shadows. A heavy thud suddenly echoed from behind the stage. The young man’s thick lashes trembled as his eyes snapped up. This was Yu Chen’s first encounter with Gu Zixuan. The boy wore a white T-shirt and gray shorts, his chest glistening with sweat that nearly soaked through the fabric, outlining firm, muscular curves. "Sorry, Principal. Just here to grab something." He offered Principal Zhang an apologetic half-bow before his gaze shifted to Yu Chen. The boy grinned at him, flashing a pair of bright white canines. --- "Teacher, I like you." In a dim, narrow hallway, Gu Zixuan raised his arm, blocking the young man’s path to the neighboring room and cornering him against the wall. "Gu Zixuan, I'm your teacher." The young man’s breathing grew uneven, a flush of anger tinting his pale cheeks. The boy had no shortage of twisted logic: "You’re on loan from the music academy—you don’t count as my teacher. Besides, we’re not even at school now." Yu Chen’s glare sharpened. "You just called me ‘teacher’ a second ago." "Oh, my mistake." Gu Zixuan smirked, leaning in to inhale the faint medicinal scent clinging to the young man, deliberately brushing against his fair earlobe. "Then I won’t call you ‘teacher.’ What should I call you, hm... Chenchen? How about Chenchen?"