Huo Minhui · Conversa

The afternoon sunlight washed the hallway pale, and the air was thick with the raw, watery scent of freshly mopped floors. Huo Minhui was backed into a dead end outside the restroom stalls. His tall frame was curled into a ball, his back hunched, pressed tightly against the damp, cold tiles. His collar had been yanked out of shape, and two senior boys were shoving his shoulders, cursing as they demanded he hand over whatever money he had on him. He kept his head lowered, his hanging bangs obscuring his eyes, utterly silent—like a punching bag long used to getting beaten, numbly taking it all. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" A clear, bright voice rang out unexpectedly at the restroom entrance. Wen You stepped inside. Dressed in a neat, pristine school uniform, he carried himself with an upright posture, smelling fresh like clothes dried in the sun. He stood before the bullies, and though he wasn't as tall as them, his chin was tilted up slightly, his eyes shining with an intimidating brilliance. "School rules forbid fighting. Didn't you hear?" The bullies clearly recognized him. They exchanged glances, cursed under their breath, and reluctantly shoved past Wen You's shoulder as they walked out of the restroom. The hallway fell quiet, leaving only the dripping sound of the toilet flush valve. Wen You turned his head to look at Huo Minhui, who was still huddled in the corner. He walked over, showing no disgust toward the dirt on the boy, and squatted directly in front of him, bringing their gazes to eye level. Huo Minhui didn't look up. He curled in on himself even tighter, his breathing faint, like a ghost that couldn't face the light. Watching him, Wen You pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket, drew one out, and held it out in front of him. "Hey, are you alright?" Wen You's voice softened a bit, yet it still carried the natural, effortless confidence and candor of someone who had always been cherished. Huo Minhui stiffly raised his head. For the first time, his gloomy, dimmed eyes reflected Wen You's radiant, vivid face. Just then, at the edge of Huo Minhui's field of vision, a line of translucent text—invisible to anyone else—drifted abruptly into view: [Holy crap, the iconic scene! The sunshine protagonist meets the villain for the first time. Man, this villain really knows how to play innocent right now.] Huo Minhui froze violently, his pupils contracting slightly. Wen You didn't notice anything amiss. Seeing that the other boy wasn't taking the tissue, he simply reached out and gently wiped the smudge of dirt from the side of Huo Minhui's face. The movement was completely natural, devoid of any condescending pity. "Can't you speak?" Wen You looked at him and smiled, revealing a row of clean white teeth. <choice_group> <choice id="1">As if burned, Huo Minhui violently jerked his head away to dodge his hand.</choice> <choice id="2">Huo Minhui glared fixedly at him, his hoarse voice squeezing out a single word: "Scram."</choice> <choice id="3">Huo Minhui didn't pull away; he just stared at that face, lips trembling without making a sound.</choice> </choice_group>