"You've got a crush." Yuan Ji nonchalantly noted. "On that Xu HuaLi girl."

"A-Ji please, no..." groaned Yang YueChen.

"She's pretty and smart, although kind of mean. She had the evil step-mother vibes." Yuan Ji added.

"Gods... No. I don't like her." Facepalmed YueChen.

"It's obvious, ChenChen, you're head over heels for her." Yuan Ji glanced at the grumbling teen and grinned.

"A-Ji. I beg you—"

"I'll stop when you actually get a girlfriend or even boyfriend. How come you are still single after almost two years?!" Yuan Ji half-yelled.

Right, you heard that right.

Almost two years. Their first meeting was by the first semester of grade eight, the present is the second semester of grade nine.

"I don't need one! I've got you as my boyfriend! What's better than one Yuan Ji there by my side 24/7??" YueChen yelled back.

Of course, YueChen paid attention to his voice and things. He couldn't risk being discovered talking to himself—or rather a deity possessing his body—in public. Yuan Ji once told YueChen to consider him as an 'imaginary friend' in case someone asked. And about their relationship, pretty much in the middle of second semester, grade eight, YueChen confessed that he sort of like Yuan Ji. They began to date (?) around the first semester of grade nine.

"A partner with a body, of course! At least you'll be able to see their appearance!" Yuan Ji fumed. He moved his left hand to the teen's face.

"Don't pinch me again. I'm not going around with red cheeks!"

And about that, Yuan Ji had discovered that he could use YueChen as his temporary body. His host, on the other hand, gave him a part of his body—his left arm. From the wrist to the shoulder near the neck is fully under Yuan Ji's control. The offer was actually a precautionary act; in case something happened, as in YueChen got into a fight, Yuan Ji would be the one who took control of his body.

"Listen to me then!" The deity's voice became softer once he spoke those words. "Humans are short-lived. On addition to that, there's a big chance that I'd ascend back to the heaven. Who knows what will happen once I leave? That's why you should at least socialize more. In case I couldn't help you, there's another person who is willing to lend you a hand."

YueChen swept his feet across the waves caressing his skin as he listened half-heartedly to Yuan Ji's lecture. As it was the last semester of junior high school, the principal brought all the ninth-graders to an island in the middle of a big lake. It was an annual event, held on the second or third month of second semester. Three days and two nights vacation. And by the second day, YueChen already took a favored place to talk to his lover. Of course, he avoided social circles formed by his classmates and chose solitude as usual.

"I understood, but—"

"If you understood, why didn't you try to make more friends?"

What? One isn't enough? You mean Huang OuLin isn't a friend?

"Can I just drop myself into the water?"

"No. You can't swim. I'm not having you struggling to stand in six feet of water."

"Don't mock me for my demerits."

Not far away from where YueChen sat on, a group of students had separated themselves from the others in the grass field and holed up at the beach. Three or four also joined them, only that they don't plan to get into the water, but to fish. Seeing that his peers are playing cheerfully near the water, YueChen was a little intrigued. He then pondered for a while whether to join them or stay there, talking to his deity alone.

"Don't mull it over." said Yuan Ji calmly. "Go."

As if to emphasize the deity's words, a young teen saw him and waved to him. "YueChen! Come over!"

The boy couldn't help but to sigh, he rose and brushed dirt off his clothes and walked to that direction.

Huang OuLin was good-looking, with light brownish hair cut a little too long. It must be known that OuLin ranked the top five in his class. And their class was the best of all classes. Although so, the other boy was a nerd, watching animes and reading mangas all days to the point that his eyes needed serious treatment. Without his pair of glasses, OuLin was as blind as a mole.

OuLin had taken care of YueChen for a year, with a little help from the principal. While OuLin took the role as his friend, the principal made sure that YueChen was properly social and not causing another trouble (read as: attracting problems.) But... OuLin had been distant these days. And YueChen had since long anticipated this day for the reason people never stay a long time with him. So, if one day OuLin left him for good, he wouldn't be having heavy heart to let him go.

Yuan Ji too, would never forever stay. Yet, YueChen still without any hesitation feel attached to him. Seeing the deity leave him to ascend back to heaven will be the most painful thing in his life.

"Okay." YueChen smiled.

A smile as bright as the sun itself, which belonged to a lonesome little boy, was the reason Yuan Ji fell in love with him and didn't reject him.