Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)

"Did you go to my school today?" Mu Yuze asked with his head hung low, making it difficult for He Juan to discern his expression clearly. "My homeroom teacher... did she call you?"

As expected of Mu Yuze, He Juan had only asked one unusual question and he could already guess the crux of the problem accurately. Look at how bright he was – it was simply impossible for him to fail his class right? The more He Juan thought about it, the more certain he was. Mu Yuze must have his own reason for doing so. He put his spoon down gently and sighed, "You clearly know that your homeroom teacher will call me, your guardian, after you are absent from school three days in a row, so why are you still doing this, Mu Yuze? Or... are you just waiting for this exact moment? Do you have something you’re not happy with and that’s why you are trying to let me know through this method?"

However, Mu Yuze merely shook his head in response.

Exasperated, He Juan took out the folded papers from his pocket and spread them in front of Mu Yuze. He tapped on the paper and asked, "Then why didn’t you ever answer the questions seriously? Your teacher told me that you have no problem keeping up with class, so don’t tell me that you don’t know how to answer it." He let a bit of sternness bleed into his voice, causing Mu Yuze’s shoulders to grow tense.

Had he ever used such a stern tone on Mu Yuze? He guessed not. It was not like he wanted to do this either, especially after seeing how Mu Yuze subtly shrunk into himself as though frightened. Alas, He Juan was really angry now. What Mu Yuze was playing with right now was not only his score, but also his future! If he kept getting red marks and failing his class, how would that look in his record? How was he supposed to get into a good high school and university in the future?!

Yes, He Juan was loaded. He could just fork out a sum of money for Mu Yuze to get into an elite school and the problem would be solved. Even so, this was not the way he wanted to spoil Mu Yuze! He did not want Mu Yuze to grow up into a vain person who thought that money was the solution to everything!

"Answer me," He Juan continued to press when the boy kept mum, his tone getting dangerously low. "Answer me, Mu Yuze. Use your words. Let’s talk it out right here and now. If there’s something you are unhappy with, tell me. I have told you before, haven’t I? I’d prefer you to talk and get angry rather than bottling it all inside. Even if you’re in a rebellious phase right now, this is not—"

"...I can’t."

"—the way you should do... wait, what?" He Juan abruptly halted mid-sentence once he registered that Mu Yuze had spoken, albeit very softly. "What did you just say?"

"I can’t—!" He raised his head sharply, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes with tears pooling on the corner. He hissed out through gritted teeth, "I can’t, I can’t, I can’t! I really can’t do it! But you will not believe me, will you? Even now, you think that I am doing it on purpose!" His voice got higher and higher until it cracked in the end. A lone tear slid down his pale cheek, followed by another, then another.

He abruptly shot up to his feet, sending the chair toppling to the floor. Then, he grabbed the paper on the table and shoved it in front of He Juan’s face, who was currently so shocked that he could not react. "You’re asking me why I didn’t answer the question seriously? Fine, then let me tell you. I have been nothing but serious! These words here... these few answers I scribbled down... they’re the result of me staring at the paper for the whole duration! Are you satisfied?!!" His furious roar ricocheted off the walls before knocking right into He Juan’s heart like a heavy gong. His thin figure was trembling violently, fat droplets of tears rolling down his cheeks in an unstoppable stream. His emotions which he had been bottling for days – years – finally exploded under He Juan’s demanding questions.

"W–Wait, Mu Yuze." He Juan was extremely flustered upon seeing Mu Yuze’s tears that he completely lost his momentum. "Calm down—"

"How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?!" He hollered out loud, cutting He Juan’s words off. "Isn’t this what you are asking for?! I am just doing what you told me to do!" The deep anguish, fury and shame that spilled out of those beautiful black-blue eyes was akin to invisible chains that seized He Juan’s heart in a deathly grip, almost rendering him breathless. The fact that Mu Yuze had cursed for the first time did not even register in his mind for he was too distracted by the violent vortex of emotions that the boy displayed.

For a moment, only thick silence reigned in the air. Mu Yuze’s harsh breathing echoed amidst the space akin to an injured cub backed into a corner, stubbornly glaring at the enemy that intruded upon its safe territory.

"Now you know it." After the outburst he had earlier, now his tone suddenly was flat, almost lifeless. However it became all the more terrifying because his tears had not stopped falling. He Juan felt them like potent acid dripping onto his skin, eroding his flesh and bones in a shuddering wave of agony. "Now you know that I’m an idiot who can’t even read at my age. A fool who is going to fail his class twice," he spat out each word with venom before closing his eyes and taking in a shaky inhale. "You must be disappointed in me."

"No..." He Juan whispered as he shook his head.

No, Mu Yuze was wrong. He Juan had never been disappointed in him. Not even once. He only wanted an explanation, he only needed to know what was bothering the boy so that they could seek a solution together. Never once had he expected that Mu Yuze would react so strongly like this. He Juan distantly noted that something was off with Mu Yuze’s words but right now, he could not think past anything beyond the tears on Mu Yuze’s face.

He should not... tears should not spill out of those beautiful eyes, should not wet that delicate face...

Before He Juan knew it, he was already moving to circle the table and pulled Mu Yuze into his embrace. The boy merely allowed him to, his gaze blank and vacant as if he was bracing himself for the impending doom. As if he truly believed that he would soon be stripped of the warmth and safety that had been sheltering him and be thrown back into the hellish place where he belonged. And oh, it hurt him so damn much to see Mu Yuze like this. What have you done, He Juan?

’Please’, he wanted to say. ’Please don’t look at me like that. I’m willing to do anything so... don’t look like I’m going to abandon you.’

He Juan wrapped his arms tighter around the boy, one arm around the shoulder while the other caressing the boy’s soft hair. He could feel how rigid Mu Yuze’s body was, could perceive the tremble that wrecked his thin frame, could feel the warm tears seeping into his clothes from where Mu Yuze was burying his face into his chest.

He let out a rueful sigh, "Silly boy..."