“Oh right, you just got here.” Henry Cooper smiled.

The new life and new environment were both unsettling, but Henry Cooper still brought him some comfort. Amidst all the unknown and unfamiliar, at least there was one familiar person by his side.

Brian Carter barely slept the whole night, chatting with Henry Cooper, but he couldn’t remember what they talked about. Anyway, it was just like when the two of them used to sit by the sports field and chat—rambling about anything and everything. What they talked about didn’t matter; what mattered was having someone to talk to like this.

They only dozed off for a bit near dawn, and were woken up around eight by the honking of a big truck downstairs.

“Damn, isn’t this the city?” Henry Cooper hugged his blanket. “How can a big truck get all the way to the hotel entrance?”

“No idea.” Brian Carter kept his eyes closed.

“There’s breakfast. Should I have it delivered now?” Henry Cooper asked him.

“Whatever,” Brian Carter said. “Did you fall asleep?”

“Maybe I did,” Henry Cooper said with a laugh. “Any plans for today?”

“Let’s go check out the school later,” Brian Carter said. “Then see if there’s anything fun to do around here, but in the middle of winter, even if there is, we probably can’t do it.”

“No worries, I’m someone who values spiritual enjoyment,” Henry Cooper said. “I came to see you. Just seeing you is enough.”

“How about I take a nap later, and you just grab a chair and sit next to me and watch?” Brian Carter said.

“Hey,” Henry Cooper leaned over and stared at him for a while. “Have you barely talked these past couple of days?”

“What?” Brian Carter yawned.

“You’re talking more this time than before. Have you been holding it in?” Henry Cooper asked.

“…Maybe.” Brian Carter thought about it. It was true—nothing to say, and no one to say it to.

The school he was transferring to wasn’t too far from Li Bao’s place on the map, but as for what kind of school it was, Brian Carter hadn’t looked it up and wasn’t interested in finding out.

Transferring in high school was a huge hassle. Ever since his mom and dad started tirelessly handling the paperwork, he’d basically lost interest in everything. He couldn’t even muster up the energy to get into a fight.

It was like something had been drained from his body. He was like a puddle of mud, just looking for a suitable hollow to flop into.

After checking the route, Henry Cooper dragged him to take the bus.

“You know, what you see on the bus is the truest character of a city,” Henry Cooper said.

“Mm.” Brian Carter glanced at him.

“Doesn’t that sound especially philosophical?” Henry Cooper asked, a bit smug.

“Mm.” Brian Carter kept looking at him.

Henry Cooper stared back at him for a while. “Oh, that was something you said.”

Brian Carter shook his hand.

There weren’t many people on the bus. Getting around in a small city was clearly much easier—no crowding, no hair in your face, no trouble getting on, and no getting pushed off.

“This is way more comfortable than the buses back home,” Henry Cooper said with satisfaction as they got off, checking his phone’s map. “No. 4 High School, just go forward another 500 meters and turn at the intersection.”

“They probably won’t let us in.” Brian Carter tugged at his collar.

“Then we’ll just look around outside, walk around the area. This’ll be your main stomping ground from now on.” Henry Cooper pointed his phone at him and snapped a photo.

“What are you doing?” Brian Carter glanced at him.

“Taking a picture,” Henry Cooper said. “Yu Xin knew I was coming and begged me, crying and kneeling, to get a close-up of you for her. I think it’s pretty hard to turn down a girl…”

“She paid you, didn’t she?” Brian Carter said.

“She did.” Henry Cooper nodded solemnly.

Brian Carter couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at him. “Shameless.”

“You two are really over? I thought she was pretty nice.” Henry Cooper took a couple more photos of him.

“It’s just not interesting.” Brian Carter said.

“Is it because she’s a girl, so it’s not interesting?” Henry Cooper kept his phone pointed at him like he was conducting an interview.

Brian Carter glanced at him and said nothing.

“I think, if you’re going to get a girlfriend, you should stick with girls. Dating guys is too much trouble, the environment’s still not great,” Henry Cooper put away his phone. “Don’t get fooled by all those fujoshi online. Once they step into the real world, they’re gone.”

“You haven’t talked much lately either, have you?” Brian Carter said.

“Ever since the holidays started and I haven’t seen you, I haven’t really talked to anyone,” Henry Cooper scratched his chest. “I’ve been holding it in so long I went from an A to a B cup.”

“I’ll get you a bra before you go back,” Brian Carter said.

“We’re here,” Henry Cooper pointed ahead. “No. 4 High School… the entrance is pretty big, bigger than ours.”

The school gate was open. As they walked in, the guard glanced at them but didn’t say anything.

“No one’s stopping us?” Henry Cooper said.

“You’re actually upset no one’s stopping you?” Brian Carter shot him a sidelong look. “Are you for real?”

“Let’s walk around.” Henry Cooper stretched his arms and yawned.

“It’s… pretty big,” Brian Carter looked around.

“Of course. Only our school is squeezed into the city center, land is so expensive, there’s no way to expand,” Henry Cooper said. “This school’s great, the sports field must be huge… want to check out the courts?”

“Yeah.” Brian Carter replied.