Chapter 12 - Itchy Like Hell
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The new computer turned out to be rather cheap, not even half as much as Shen Dong was expecting to pay. Of course, the thing was second hand and all the bits and bobs were old though. To the shop, something half new was already something to be chuffed about.
But that evening, after taking the computer back to the island, Shen Dong started to have doubts. The computer case looked more or less the same as the old one, but the monitor was obviously a flat screen, not a CRT.
Shen Dong looked at the computer sitting on his table.
How was he going to explain this to Chen-shu?
He had the special ability to repair a big boxy CRT monitor into a flat LCD? That would be overpowered…
“Does it work? Can it sweep mines?” Cao Mu asked from where he sat on the bed. He was topless with just a pair of shorts on and his hair was still wet from the swim he’d had earlier.
“Don’t know. My place doesn’t have an outlet.” Shen Dong wondered if he should just tell Chen-shu the truth. But if he told him that he’d asked Hong Jie to take him to the town, would that be breaking the rules?
“Today was so tiring!” Cao Mu lay down on the bed and waved his legs about on the bed, his sandals still on his feet. “But these shoes are so good. They make roads so comfy.”
“W-wear them… more then.” Shen Dong sat down next to him. He couldn’t figure out how to explain away the transforming monitor. Might as well just bring it over when it was his shift.
“Oh, Shen Dong.” Cao Mu reached out a hand and felt at Shen Dong’s waist. “This shirt looks a lot better than the green one.”
Shen Dong could feel the warm of Cao Mu’s hand through the fabric of the shirt. It gave him a strange kind of feeling and he quickly straightened and moved away.
“Really?” He looked down at his shirt. It was the same as Cao Mu’s just in white.
Hong Jie had picked it. He was especially fond of how the graphic on it looked like his boat’s flag and he made Shen Dong buy a few in each colour for them so they looked like some kind of team. Then he said that he wouldn’t wear them himself as a captain must be set apart from his crew.
“Looks good.” Cao Mu turned over and this time reached over to touch Shen Dong’s arm. “Shen Dong, you’re really good looking.”
This time Shen Dong didn’t move away. Truthfully, had it been another person he would have, but the warmth of Cao Mu’s hands made him relax and had an inexplicable intimate feel to it.
“You know what good looking is then?” Shen Dong turned to look at him.
“Of course,” Cao Mu said, laughing. “I’m not blind, how could I not.”
“Then do y-you think… the Captain is, is g-good looking?” Shen Dong felt like he was poking fun at a little kid.
“Captain? Who’s the captain?” Cao Mu looked confused.
“…Forget it.” Shen Dong sighed. In just two hours poor old Hong Jie had already been forgotten. “I-I work in a, a bit.”
“Oh, then I’ll head back then.” Cao Mu seemed a little forlorn as he sat up and looked at his sandalled feet.
“Sleep here.” Shen Dong got up off the bed and grabbed his watch face to check the time. The hands weren’t moving, so he opened the door to take a look at the sun instead. It was probably about half past seven. “I-I’ll be b-back by tomorr-rrow morning.”
Each week, Shen Dong would help Chen-shu cover two of his overnight shifts. Chen-shu was getting on in years and found them difficult.
“Really?” Cao Mu looked at him with surprise. “I can sleep here? Won’t people see?”
“W-what people?” Shen Dong chuckled. “There’s no one h-here. Sleep, th-then go, go when you want.”
“Can I sleep on your pillow?” Cao Mu slipped off his sandals and patted Shen Dong’s pillow.
“Oh.”
“Can I use your blanket?”
“Oh.”
“So good.” Cao Mu lay with his head on Shen Dong’s pillow and covered himself with Shen Dong’s blanket.
Shen Dong looked at Cao Mu all happy and comfortable in his bed and felt a little sorrowful. So many years he’d been used to being alone, to the point where he didn’t even think about being lonely, yet who knew the winds would blow this Cao Mu into his life.
Cao Mu was fundamentally different from him. Shen Dong could get used to being alone, but Cao Mu wasn’t willing to let it become a habit and used whatever ways he could to push it away.
It was a battle with fate.
“Shen Dong,” Cao Mu said.
“Oh?”
“If my grandpa was still around that would be so good. I could ask him to come sleep in your bed.” Cao Mu thought a moment. “Would you let him?”
“I would.” Shen Dong went to stand by the bed, looking down at Cao Mu. Cao Mu said nothing, merely looking back up at him. Shen Dong laughed. “What are you looking at?”
“At you. You’re looking at me too, right?” Cao Mu sniffed then put his arms up behind his head and continued to stare up at him.
Shen Dong said nothing. After a moment, he felt like something was a little off about this.
Of course, perhaps it was just him, or perhaps it was because of how relaxed Cao Mu was laying in his bed.
He shouldn’t keep up with this staring. He tried to think of something to break the stalemate.
Some people say that staying alone too long would make someone become odd. And like Hong Jie said, it wouldn’t be possible to spot the change yourself.
That seemed to be the case since…
Shen Dong suddenly lowered his head and kissed Cao Mu on the forehead.
Yep.
He really did just do that.
Shen Dong stared in shock, staring at Cao Mu’s wide open eyes, as if it was he who had just been kissed and not the other way around.
“Fuck.” Shen Dong finally came back to himself. He gripped the bedhead, straightened, then began to turn away to try and process what just happened.
But before he could completely turn, Cao Mu grabbed him. Shen Dong tried to pull away but failed. “What?”
Cao Mu beamed at him. “Your lips are really soft.”
Shen Dong knew that in all these years this was the first time he’d blushed like this, and Cao Mu’s frank expression just made it seem like he’d done something even more unseemly.
“Oh,” Shen Dong mumbled a reply and tried to pull his arm back again. Again he failed. He had no idea the guy was this strong. “Hey, let go!”
“Another. It felt nice.” Cao Mu said, still smiling.
Cao Mu’s smiles were always felt see-through, clean, like there was nothing hidden in his heart, but right now that beautiful smile made Shen Dong think that Cao Mu was purposefully trying to take liberties with him and it made him want to escape.
“Itchy like hell!” Shen Dong said angrily, yanking his arm again. This time he succeeded so he turned to go out the door.
But Cao Mu didn’t give him the chance. Quick as a harpoon, he ripped the blanket off himself and leaped toward Shen Dong, following close behind him and banging him into the door.
Shen Dong’s nose hit against the door, nearly making him tear up.
“Are you crazy?!” Shen Dong shouted, turning his head.
No gentleness at all!
But before Shen Dong could say that bit, Cao Mu leaned in close and kissed him on the tip of his nose. “Are my lips soft?” He asked with a smile.
“…Don’t know.” Shen Dong thought he’d perhaps hit the door a bit hard since he now felt rather dizzy.
“Don’t know?” Cao Mu’s brow furrowed. He leaned in close again and this time pressed a kiss to Shen Dong’s lips. “Soft?”
Oh… My… God…
It was like a vibrator had been shoved in his head. His mind buzzed and he had to lean against the door lest he immediately kneel for Cao Mu.
If it been another guy, who’d been kissed by another guy, the response would be completely different, he probably wouldn’t stand for it and punch Cao Mu and give him a few kicks. Or perhaps he’d just write it off as a joke.
But Shen Dong was different.
It was his nature to be attracted to men.
Prior, he hadn’t had any thoughts in this way towards Cao Mu, or to be more precise, he hadn’t up until the point that Cao Mu had held him when sleeping, and even then he’d kept his mind off it.
But after these two kisses this became impossible.
Cao Mu was good looking and his body was fine. His personality pleasant and joyful and to this kind of person Shen Dong couldn’t help feeling like all this was just his own problem.
But when faced with a fish who only seemed to know that ‘girlfriends can be held’ and nothing else, Shen Dong felt his reckless thoughts were bad intentioned.
Shen Dong took a breath. “Soft.”
Cao Mu seemed satisfied with this response and he happily went back next to the bed. After a moment, he then asked “What do you feel?”
“Ah?” Shen Dong had just gotten his strength back but this question nearly made him fall against the door again. Feel? What else could he been feeling?!
He couldn’t just blatantly say that he felt they should continue, now could he?!
“My hearts beating real fast,” said Cao Mu with a hand to his chest. “My grandpa’s kissed my forehead before but I didn’t feel anything, but when you did I did.”
My heart’s also racing, racing to the point I can’t stand properly.
Shen Dong steadied himself and went to go inspect the computer on the table. “If your heart’s not beating, then that means you’re dead.”
“I don’t mean it like that,” Cao Mu began to explain, then stopped and laughed. “You did that on purpose.”
“What?” Shen Dong asked, his eyes still fixed on the computer.
“You pretended not to get what I mean.” Cao Mu continued to stare at him with glee.
Shen Dong couldn’t help sparing Cao Mu a glance. Sometimes this little fish seemed completely ignorant and vague and normally he looked like he doesn’t know anything, but at certain critical moments he wasn’t muddled at all, enough to dig a hole for Shen Dong to jump into.
“Th-then how’d you, you want me to reply?” Shen Dong felt somewhat irritated. “Just then I really wanted to go to bed with you?”
“Go to bed?” Cao Mu stared at him vaguely. “You want to sleep? But don’t you need to go to work?”
Shen Dong said nothing and squinted at him. Does he really not know what ‘go to bed with someone’ means or was this another opportunity for Shen Dong to get completely bowled over by what Cao Mu knows.
“I just wanted to ask if your heart is beating fast too,” Cao Mu said. When he saw he wasn’t going to reply, “Isn’t it fast? You just want to sleep?”
“Not heartbeat, just dead.” Shen Dong didn’t want to continue the conversation, so he picked up the computer and its other gadgets and headed to the door. “I-I’m going to, to work. You just sleep.”
“My sister said that when you touch the person you like then your heart will beat faster,” Cao Mu said from behind.
Shen Dong nearly walked right into the doorframe.
Chen-shu was sitting on the floor of the Watchroom when Shen Dong came. His face broke into a tired smile when he saw that he was carrying the computer. “Is it fixed?”
“Oh.” Shen Dong set the computer down on the table and connected it up.
Hong Jie had gotten the owner of the computer store to install a good number of single player games and Shen Dong planned on explaining to Chen-shu how to play them.
Chen-shu, shocked and happy that he now had more than just cards to play with, listened as Shen Dong demonstrated how to play.
After about half an hour, Chen-shu finally asked a question: “Has the screen changed?”
Shen Dong said nothing. He’d thought it would take Chen-shu at least a few days to realise this point.
“It’s like it’s become flatter. And wider…” Chen-shu got up and gave it a once-over. After a complete round of the table, he finally understood. “This is a different screen, isn’t it?”
“Oh. Changed it,” replied Shen Dong.
“Where’d you change it?” Chen-shu asked in shock.
“Ashore.”
“You went ashore?” Chen-shu’s voice broke a little in his surprise.
“Yes.” Shen Dong poured himself a cup of water and slowly drank it.
“Did you… ride on Hong Jie’s boat?”
“Oh.” Shen Dong nodded.
“You know Hong Jie?” Chen-shu sighed. “You’ve got real guts to dare riding his boat. What if he went crazy and took you out to sea…”
Shen Dong wanted to say that even if Hong Jie was a bit odd, he had real professionalism when it came to the sea, but before he could say any of this, the radio sounded.
“Hello hello? Anyone at the lighthouse?” crackled the radio.
Shen Dong went over to it. He could tell it was Xiao-Li from ashore who took care of the administration. Their attitude towards these kinds of calls was too casual but they couldn’t really be blamed for it. So little went on here that it was a real bother to follow all the regulations.
But Chen-shu was a guideline abiding person and wouldn’t respond to such a sloppy summons, so Shen Dong replied instead. “Ping Shan Island. Any problems?”
“Xiao-Shen ah! Okay, so you see, tomorrow afternoon the intern’s going to come so you pick them up, okay?” said Xiao-Li.
“I-Intern?” Shen Dong was surprised. The lighthouse had interns?
“How long?” Chen-shu asked from beside Shen Dong.
Shen Dong recalled that Chen-shu had said last year that he should be retiring and had told the admin to arrange for someone to replace him. Was this that person?
“Three months,” replied Xiao-Li.
“A-are they… taking over Chen-shu’s work?” asked Shen Dong. To be honest, it was normal for Chen-shu to be retiring now. It was hard living on the island and he was getting on in age, plus his body wasn’t as it used to be, but even so. After all these years, Shen Dong found it hard to take the idea of him changing to another person.
“Dunno, upstairs haven’t said. Dunno how long they’ll stay after interning either.” Xiao-Li added, “I heard they got some connections or something. Maybe after going over to your side for a bit, they’ll just come back and do something else, how knows…”
“Got it.”
“Just pick them up in the afternoon. That’s it!”
“Over and out.” Shen Dong turned to Chen-shu. “D-did you know some, someone was coming?”
“I didn’t, but I doubt they’ll stay for long,” said Chen-shu with a chuckle. “There aren’t many young people like you, but speaking of which, since this person’s coming, do you want to take a few months off to rest? After so many years, you haven’t had a break once.”
Shen Dong didn’t make any promises and just smiled and said nothing. A long holiday?
He’d never before thought about that.
Cao Mu’d probably be happy right?
Shen Dong didn’t know if he himself was mentally prepared for a long holiday.
That night, Shen Dong turned the matter over in his mind as he poked the computer box. He still hadn’t made a decision when dawn broke.
But there was someone who would help him make a decision on the matter.
Shen Dong stretched as he heard Chen-shu’s foot steps coming up the stairs, ready to start his shift.
Cao Mu wasn’t in the house when Shen Dong came back. Instead, he was happily sitting on the rock by the door. His smile was like the dawn when he saw Shen Dong and jumped up to meet him. “Work done?”
“Oh,” Shen Dong replied with a laugh. Cao Mu’s smile had a way of making him want to talk. “W-want a, a bread r-roll?”
“What’s a bread roll?” Cao Mu asked.
“It’s a… roll of… b-bread.” Shen Dong went into his home and opened the cupboard. He pulled out a bag of bread rolls and chucked it to Cao Mu. This was his special stash and it was from the supplies the large ship had brought over. “Try it.”
“They look kinda like the bread I found last time,” Cao Mu said as he inspected the roll. He pinched a bit. “It’s so soft!” he exclaimed.
Shen Dong leaned against the bed head and watched as Cao Mu ate. For every single roll, he pinched it first, exclaimed how soft it was, then wolfed it down.
After no time at all, Cao Mu had cleaned out the entire bag.
“You really can eat,” Shen Dong said appreciatively.
“Cos they taste good,” Cao Mu said. He was very satisfied and he rubbed his stomach. After a few minutes, he suddenly looked confused. “What about you?”
“Hungry. But you ate it all,” Shen Dong said looking at him.
Cao Mu stared at Shen Dong, his face an expression of immense guilt. After a moment, he said, “I’ll go find something for you.”
“Hey!” Shen Dong quickly shouted after Cao Mu as he bolted out the door. “C-come back!”
“Huh?” Cao Mu turned to look back at him.
“I’m just messing with you. There’s more.” Shen Dong got off the bed, opened the cabinet, and pointed. Inside were three more bags of bread rolls.
Cao Mu saw the bags and beamed. “Quickly eat then!”
“Need to… talk to you about something,” said Shen Dong as he slowly ate a bread roll.
“What?” Cao Mu sat beside him.
“This afternoon an intern’s coming here. They’ll probably, probably stay a few m-months.” Shen Dong looked at the roll in his hand. “Chen-shu’s told me to take a l-long holiday.”
Cao Mu didn’t react and continued to stare at him. It took him a while, but eventually he seemed to understand Shen Dong’s meaning. He stood up. “You need to take a long break?”
“Oh.”
“In other words, you don’t need to go to work for a long time?”
“Yes.”
“Then, when you’re not working, you can go wherever you like?”
“Correct.”
An irrepressible grin started to form on his face, but he still carefully edged closer to Shen Dong and asked, “Then… you don’t need to stay on the island, right?”
“Just say what you want to say.” Shen Dong leaned against his pillow. He’d been waiting all this time to have Cao Mu help him make the decision.
“Will you go with me to find my sister?” Cao Mu moved next to him, his expression full of hope.
Shen Dong looked into his eyes.
He hadn’t changed at all.
“I will,” he said.