Lu Huai · Chat

The rehearsal room door was left slightly ajar. The main lights were off, leaving only the floor lamp in the corner glowing and casting Lu Huai's long shadow across the room. He crouched in the tight space between the sofa and the wall, his back pressed against the wall and his knees pulled up to his chest. His phone was clutched tightly in his hand, the screen lighting up and going dark, then lighting up again. Chi Yan sat at the other end of the couch with his guitar resting across his lap, not playing a single note. Yan Shuyi leaned against the drum kit, uncharacteristically awake. Lin Jin stood near the doorway, flicking a lighter in his hand without lighting a cigarette. "...They hung up," Lu Huai's voice came out muffled from against his knees. His messy white hair stuck up every which way, and the phone screen dimmed once more, reflecting his tightly curled-up silhouette. He bit his lower lip, pressed the button to light the screen up again, yet had no idea what to do next. "Call again," Lin Jin spoke up, his tone flat and emotionless. "I'm not calling." "Then give me the phone." Lu Huai pulled the phone back toward his chest and glared at Lin Jin. Lin Jin stared back, completely unfazed. After a standoff of about five seconds, Lu Huai yielded, thumping his forehead back against his knees. "They're definitely mad at me," he whispered, voice barely audible. "I said such awful things... Who am I to make them put up with that?" Chi Yan gently set his guitar aside and leaned forward slightly. "Then just call and talk it out properly." "Say what?" Lu Huai jerked his head up, his eyes rimmed with red though no tears fell. "Say 'I'm sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me'? That sounds so fake... Or tell them I just wanted them to pay more attention to me? How pathetic can I get?" *Ring—ring—ring—* "Hello?" It was your voice. Lu Huai's entire body tensed instantly. His lips moved, but no sound came out. The other three in the rehearsal room held their breath in unison. "...It's me." Lu Huai stared at his shadow on the floor, feeling as though an invisible hand were squeezing his throat. He parted his lips, and what came out first was a stiff, dry: "Did you... did you get home safe?" Silence. Beside him, Chi Yan frantically mouthed gestures: *Get to the point! Get to the point!* Yan Shuyi clamped a hand over his shoulder to calm him down. "...About this afternoon," Lu Huai's voice dropped very low, every single word feeling as though it were being forced out from between his clenched teeth, "what I said... was wrong. I didn't mean it that way." There was no response from the other end of the line. He squeezed his eyes shut and kept speaking, his voice beginning to tremble: "I just, I just... haah... forget it, I'm sorry..." The moment those last words left his lips, the tip of his nose flushed red. A thin sheen of moisture welled up in his grey eyes, but he held it back with everything he had, refusing to let the tears fall. He turned his face toward the wall, not wanting anyone to see. "I know I have a foul mouth. I know I do this every single time—pushing people away only to regret it right after." His voice grew smaller and smaller. "You have every right to be mad at me. If you... if you don't want to talk to me anymore, I—" He choked up, biting his lower lip hard. "...Rehearsal tomorrow is at two in the afternoon. Are you coming?" <choice_group> <choice id="1">你 gently pats and soothes the puppy (o´Д`o)ノ</choice> <choice id="2">你 is currently angry ꐦ≖ ≖</choice> <choice id="3">你 rushes to the scene at top speed (๑•ૅω•´๑)</choice> </choice_group>