Jian woke up the next day with a bright smile on his face. He quickly shot up and gazed to his side; his grandpa had already gotten up and was sitting at the end of the bed, folding clothes.
"Good morning, Grandpa."
"You're up early. Wait, I made porridge for you. Eat up before you leave. You're getting too thin..." the old man hurried to the small table where they cooked their food.
"Grandpa~" Jian hugged him from behind.
The old man, flustered, didn't know where to place his hands. "W-what is it?"
"Nothing... I just love you so much."
The old man's face broke out into a bright smile. "Grandpa knows, little child. Now get ready. I don't want you going to school all snot-faced."
Jian wiped the drool from his face with a blush. "Either way, I'm going to get all sweaty because of practice. I'll just wash my face. I'll take a bath there."
"No!" his grandpa suddenly shouted, making him freeze up.
"Why not?"
The old man gazed at him up and down. "It's too dangerous. Just take a bath here and go to practice. I don't want you using those public bathrooms. Got it?"
"Okay..."
He had never used the school's public showers before. Some students preferred to shower after their outdoor classes, but since he had never gotten himself involved in anything sports-related, he had never gone there. Today, he was planning on checking if the shower there was cleaner than here. After all, this place had a shared bathroom, used by seven men. It was not always the cleanest.
Jian sighed. 'I guess I'm going to have to adjust to this bathroom...' He quickly put on a pair of slippers and dashed out of the room with his clean clothes.
Right out the door, he almost ran into a sweaty chest.
Jian quickly paused and took a few steps back vigilantly.
A bulky man stood there, scratching his head. "Ah, kid, you're awake. Your name is Jian, right?"
"Right..." Jian gazed at the man's smiling face, untrustfully. He had never met this man before.
"Oh, I live right opposite you. Just wanted to introduce myself."
"Hmm... Good morning," Jian slightly nodded his way and walked towards the bathroom.
The man followed behind him. Strangely, his gaze always seemed to follow Jian's every movement.
Jian hung his clothes on the hanger and gazed at the man once again.
He was still looking!
The strange man smirked. "Looks like you're going for a shower. Why don't Uncle join you?"
That sounded creepy in so many ways.
"Hmm, no," Jian walked out of there with his clothes in his hand. 'I guess I'm not getting my shower after all...'
His grandpa seemed preoccupied with the porridge to notice him enter the room with the same clothes on.
Jian quickly changed into his school uniform and grabbed his bag. "Is the porridge ready?"
"You took a shower already?" the old man looked at him, startled.
"Y-yes..." Jian grinned. "Why? Don't I look clean?"
"No... You just went a minute ago."
"Nooo, I went about ten minutes ago. I took a very quick shower." He smiled widely. "I'm all clean, Grandpa. Hmm~ the porridge smells so good."
"Come eat," the old man poured him a huge bowl with a side of pickled vegetables.
Jian happily chowed down his food and left for school.
"Oh, Jian, you're going to school early. Study well. Become an engineer so that you can be our boss," the security guard shouted at him from the gate.
"Definitely," he smiled and waved. "Oh, Uncle... that keychain you gave me broke. I'm so sorry... it was an accident."
The man looked confused for a second. "What keychain? Oh, that keychain. It wasn't from me. Some handsome guy gave it to me to give to you."
"Huh..." Jian stood frozen. "Was he this tall?" He held up his hand higher than his head. "Had long hair and striking, beautiful eyes?"
"Yeah! That man looked like he walked out of a runway, for God's sake. How can God make anyone that beautiful?"
Jian's mind had already gone blank. 'He... he gave that to me... Oh...'
"Thanks, Uncle..." Preoccupied, he slowly walked to school.
Unknown to him, a pair of eyes followed his every move.