I take back what I said about having no regrets today.
Wang Feng thought as he stood outside his locked dorm room, punished by Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, not allowed to enter.
Wang Feng stood in front of the locked dorm room door, hearing the rumbling voices from inside.
"One week! Don't even think about coming in!" shouted Wang Dong from behind the door, his voice louder than usual.
"We waited at the arena for hours! You didn't even show up!" added Huo Yuhao, who was usually calm but now sounded genuinely upset.
Wang Feng sighed. They were really angry.
He knocked softly on the door. "I'm sorry. There was an emergency with Senior Ma—"
"Senior Ma, Senior Ma! That's all you ever think about!" Wang Dong cut him off, his voice almost shrill.
"You didn't even care about our final match..." Huo Yuhao added, his tone suddenly softer—almost... hurt.
Wang Feng frowned. Something was off. Huo Yuhao wasn't the type to get upset so easily. And why did Wang Dong's voice sound so—
No. Don't overthink it.
He rubbed his face. "I'm really sorry. I'll—"
"Just go!" Wang Dong interrupted. "We don't want to see you right now!"
Silence.
Then, from inside the room, came the sound of soft whispers—like two people close together. Wang Feng furrowed his brows. Had they gotten closer lately?
But his thoughts were quickly diverted by the image of Ma Xiaotao from that morning—her flushed face, the nervous look in her eyes when she realized what had happened between them.
No, I don't regret it.
But...
He looked at the locked door, then lowered his head.
Why do I feel guilty?
As Wang Feng walked away, Huo Yuhao turned to Wang Dong.
"You were too harsh," he whispered.
Wang Dong crossed his arms. "I was not! He really—"
"Your voice almost sounded like a girl," Huo Yuhao warned, his eyes gleaming sharply.
Wang Dong immediately covered his mouth, his cheeks flushing. "...Oops."
Wang Dong sighed, then looked at the door. "But... I was angry too. He spent the whole day with Senior Ma..."
Huo Yuhao nodded slowly, his expression conflicted. "What if we tell him we're girls? If this keeps up, Wang Feng might start dating Ma Xiaotao."
Wang Feng was walking away from the dorm room with heavy steps. The faint murmuring voices of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong still reached his ears, making them burn.
"What if we tell him we're girls?"
He stopped dead in his tracks.
...What?
His heart pounded. That was Huo Yuhao's voice, but—
No way. Let me make sure.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to hear more clearly, but the voices had already faded into unintelligible whispers.
Wang Dong pinched Wang Dong's arm. "What are you saying?!" he hissed in panic.
Huo Yuhao rubbed his sore arm. "I was just thinking out loud! We can't keep this up—"
"Not now," Wang Dong cut him off, glancing at the door. "He might still be outside."
Huo Yuhao sighed. "But look at him! He's suddenly getting close to Ma Xiaotao after we—"
"Shut up." Wang Dong clamped a hand over Huo Yuhao's mouth, cheeks reddening. "We... we have to find another way."
Huo Yuhao sighed again, then lowered his voice to a serious whisper. "Wang Dong, think carefully. Wang Feng still thinks we're guys. If this keeps going, how are we supposed to compete with Ma Xiaotao?"
His eyes gleamed with worry, fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of his shirt. "I'm scared... that he'll drift even further away from us."
Wang Dong closed his eyes, his breaths short. "But we can't be reckless. If our identities are exposed—"
"I know the risk!" Huo Yuhao interrupted, his voice trembling. "But look—he chose Senior Ma over our match today. What about tomorrow? Or the next day? I don't want to wait until it's too late."
He stepped closer, grabbing Wang Dong's arm. "We have to act. Slowly, but surely."
Wang Feng was still frozen in place outside the door, heart pounding. Did they really say 'girls' just now?
Before he could think further, Huo Yuhao's voice suddenly rose from inside the room.
"Feng! Come in!"
Wang Feng frowned. First, they say I can't enter, now they're calling me in?
Hesitantly, he knocked. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, idiot! Get in before we change our minds!" Wang Dong shouted back, his voice still annoyed but softer now.
As the door opened, Wang Feng was greeted by an unexpected scene:
Huo Yuhao sat on the bed, cheeks flushed red, while Wang Dong stood beside him, hands on hips—in a pose that suddenly looked very... feminine?
"We... we forgive you," Huo Yuhao said, avoiding eye contact.
Wang Dong quickly added, "But don't let it happen again! Our match was important!"
Wang Feng noticed how Wang Dong bit his lower lip—a gesture that, strangely, made his chest tighten. Why am I just now realizing how... cute they both are?
"Feng? Are you okay?" Huo Yuhao raised his hand, almost touching his shoulder before pulling it back.
Wang Feng flinched. "Yeah! I... I'll be more considerate next time."
"Anyway..." Wang Feng cleared his throat, trying to lighten the mood. "Why did you suddenly let me in?"
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance—brief, subtle, nearly imperceptible. But Wang Feng caught it.
"Well..." Huo Yuhao began softly, "We didn't want things to get awkward. And… even if we were mad, you're still our friend."
"But that doesn't mean you can keep making us worry," Wang Dong chimed in quickly. "Especially over some other girl."
Other girl.
Those words made Wang Feng's chest tighten. Suddenly, Ma Xiaotao's image resurfaced in his mind, but now mingled with Huo Yuhao's blushing face and Wang Dong's adorably pouting expression.
"Actually..." Wang Feng looked between them, his inner voice growing louder. "You two... seem different today."
Wang Dong jumped up. "What do you mean?! We're the same as always!"
Huo Yuhao stammered too. "Y-Yeah! Nothing's changed!"
But their reactions only made Wang Feng more suspicious. "You're definitely hiding something."
Wang Dong leaned in, pointing at his face. "Look! Anything weird about this face?!"
Wang Feng looked closer, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. You're... too pretty to be a guy."
Wang Dong froze. Huo Yuhao nearly dropped the pillow he was hugging.
Silence blanketed the room.
"...Why would you suddenly say that?" Wang Dong whispered. "Don't tell me... you like boys?"
Wang Feng raised an eyebrow, not answering right away. But his gaze locked onto both of them. "So what if I do?"
Wang Dong panicked. "Y-You can't! Just no!"
"I didn't say I like boys." Wang Feng shrugged, narrowing his eyes. "But I think... I might like people who hide things and still manage to look cute when they're angry."
Huo Yuhao quickly turned, his cheeks blushing. "What do you mean by that..."
Wang Feng stared at them intently, then gave a small smile. "You two... should be more careful if you don't want your secret getting out."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged glances again, panic and nervousness mixing.
Wang Feng just chuckled softly and walked toward his bed.
"Tomorrow... make sure you don't kick me out again," he said casually. "Because I'm starting to enjoy living with two 'cute guys'."
Wang Dong let out a small squeak. "D-Don't say stuff like that, you idiot!"
But this time, there was no anger in his voice. Only sweet nervousness—and, quietly, a little hope.