The War Begins...
Have you ever hated someone so much it turned into a part-time job?
That's how Lin Yuxuan felt about his math teacher.
The man seemed to loathe him with a passion, and it wasn't subtle.
Even when Yuxuan laughed with the rest of the class, he'd somehow be the only one singled out.
Not that he minded, he felt like the feeling was mutual.
Sometimes he imagined the teacher dying in some outrageous way.
Not something survivable like a car crash, no, something more final.
A bolt of lightning maybe, or an electric shock from a live wire hidden in a pool.
Just one wrong step and zap the end.
And then, just like always, reality interrupted his thoughts.
Mr. Chen Liang's voice cut through his daydream, asking him for the answer to question two, part one.
Yuxuan didn't even get the chance to breathe before a heavy textbook landed with a loud bang on his desk.
He jumped, blinking up at the very devil he was just cursing in his head.
He responded with a confused "Yes, sir?" blinking fast.
The look Mr. Chen gave him was sharp enough to peel dried paint off the wall.
It was the kind of glare that made Yuxuan feel like his soul had already been sentenced.
Mr. Chen didn't shout.
Instead, he exhaled slowly and ran a hand down his face, as if calming himself.
Then came the order from the teacher: he was told to leave the classroom.
Yuxuan raised an eyebrow and reminded him again that his name was Lin Yuxuan, not whatever other student he'd confused him with.
With mock politeness, he smiled, stood, and adjusted his uniform before heading toward the door.
And of course, fate added insult to his injury.
His foot caught the edge of the doorway, and he landed flat on his knees.
His school-issued shirt, that he'd no intentions of tucking it in flew all the way to his back, all the buttons on the shirt scattered on the floor.
The room broke into laughter.
But Mr. Chen must have silenced them with a look, because the laughter died fast.
Yuxuan picked himself up and tried to walk away with dignity, but then came the voice of Chen Liang's favorite student,
a boy who practically worshiped him he was snickering about Yuxuan's bright blue "Elsa" boxers.
At that moment, Yuxuan swore he hated both of them equally.
The following day...
Yuxuan found himself way too close to Mr. Chen's armpit after a clumsy fall during chemistry practicals.
Trying to save face, he pulled back and mumbled something absurd about smelling a dead rat.
Of course, Mr. Chen wasn't amused.
He brushed the comment off and told him coldly to return to class.
Yuxuan tried again, this time to correct his name but the teacher cut him off.
Chen Liang raised one long, elegant finger in front of Yuxuan's face, beginning a lecture. Yuxuan couldn't help noticing how perfect his hands were, fingers slightly translucent, nails clean and shaped, fingertips slightly red. It was ridiculous.
Just when he was about to space out again, the teacher said his name sharply.
When Yuxuan hesitated, Chen told him to look him in the eyes. He resisted, wasn't that against the school rules? but eventually obeyed.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, Yuxuan's breath caught.
But then the words came from the teachers mouth,they were harsh and cold.
Mr. Chen reminded him that they were not friends, would never be friends, and that he should keep his "stupidity and energy" to himself.
Yuxuan's heart twisted painfully.
Then came the final blow of the : his test score. Six out of a hundred. Mr. Chen didn't even flinch when saying it. Yuxuan turned to leave, holding back tears.
But the teacher called out again, telling him next time to clean his knees and button well his shirt before entering the classroom.
Mortified, Yuxuan felt his cold skin through the opened buttons and realized his shirt had opened up again.
He shamelessly tired his shirt while looking at the teacher with blank eyes before going to his seat.
Nuo Xi ,Tuxuan's deskmate leaned in and tried to whisper something about the class group, but Yuxuan didn't quite get it.
Then, out of nowhere, Chen Liang accused him of showing up to class high and warned that stoned students were not welcome in his room.
Yuxuan frowned deeply and tried to protest, insisting he didn't smoke anything, but Mr. Chen's jaw clenched. He cut Yuxuan off, stating that only "Yes, Mr. Chen" or "No, Mr. Chen" were acceptable responses from him. Anything else was wasting time.
The insults didn't stop there, Mr. Chen told him to wipe his nose, claiming his dry mucus was disgusting.
Yuxuan sat back down, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had thought after the teacher had embarrassed him at the door before entering the class was enough but he was wrong.
A chorus of "eww" erupted in the class when Yuxuan wiped his nose and found a dry smear there.
Trying to salvage his dignity, he explained that it wasn't mucus,
it was just yogurt from his breakfast.
Mr. Chen shot him a familiar "don't-push-it" look, and Yuxuan immediately shut up and sat back down.
His deskmate whispered that the teacher had only asked him to create a group chat, and it shouldn't have been that deep.
Yuxuan muttered about how simple instructions didn't need to come with a full-blown verbal assault.
But then, Mr. Chen's voice echoed again, asking if Yuxuan wanted to share his commentary with the whole class.
The bell rang, saving him from responding. Yuxuan gathered his things quickly and left, his friend helping him carry his books.
Outside, his best friend Zian waited by the gate. When he saw Yuxuan's stormy face, he guessed it right, the math class had been his last period.
Yuxuan immediately started venting, explaining how Mr. Chen had called him the dumbest student in the entire school.
Zian, was ever a calm and slightly stoned young man, he just chuckled. He was handsome light-skinned, tattooed, with perfect waves in his hair and lips that made Yuxuan's knees go weak.
When they got at yuxuan's home they bid there bye as usual.
After three kisses, one on each cheek and one on the forehead Zian waved him off.
Yuxuan sighed, watching him leave.
If only he knew how much Yuxuan wanted more than just those kisses.
The week continued the same, the class that Yuxuan hated the most was math's class of course.
Fridays meant no regular classes, just practicals. Yuxuan wore big glasses, a loose shirt, and plastic slippers. He looked ridiculous but felt comfortable.
Mrs. Ma, the swimming teacher, called out to him warmly. She was the only one who never judged him.
After nearly four hours of swimming, he lay down exhausted.
Mrs. Ma crouched beside him, kissed his forehead, and told him good things come to those who wait.
When he returned to class, everything felt…off. Quiet. Too quiet.
Nuo Xi shoved him toward his desk, whispering something to himurgently.
Their classmates, Sang Lan, Yue Yue, and Yan Zi sat watching in silence.
Apparently, Mr. Chen had stormed in the class earlier on looking for the class group admin, who turns out to be Yuxuan, and was furious when he found out he was missing. He had wanted to let Yuan tell the class that they'll be doing a math test the following day but when he found out Yuxuan was missing in the class he got mad for no apparent reason.
Then, without warning, the man himself entered and told the class to clear their desks for a surprise test.
Groans followed, but no one dared protest out loud.
Mr. Chen handed out the papers, dropping a stack at the front of Yuxuan's row without even looking at him.
Yuxuan had no idea how to answer anything.
After thirty minutes of staring, he glanced up and saw teacher Chen watching him. He panicked at his gaze, he scribbled nonsense on the paper because his head was already muddled.
When he finally remembered how to prove a trigonometry identity, it was too late, his paper was already being collected.