#prince of tennis zhou zhi

[drama--universe]

Off the field

Requested by anonymous: hey, I recently started reading your prince of tennis imagines and they are absolutely amazing. If you have time, I was wondering if you could write another Zhou Zhi x reader one. I don't exactly have a plot idea but if it can be based around the match he has in the end where he temporarily gets blind, that would be great. Thank you

Pairing: Zhou Zhi x reader

Word Count: 1.0k words

"Shouldn't you be stretching or something?" You asked your boyfriend, who was draped over your back with his arms tightly wrapped around your waist. He looked up from your phone screen before shrugging slightly. You rolled your eyes, leaning back against him and throwing your head back to lean on his shoulder.

"Get going, seriously. I'll be in the stands like always." You kissed his cheek with a smile on your face. He smiled before kissing you as well, lips lingering on yours for a few seconds after before he sighed.

"Let's win then." He kissed your forehead before gently pushing you forward and getting up. You shut off your phone and turned to face Zhou Zhi as he packed his bag.

"Don't get hurt, if you do I swear." You pointed a finger at him accusingly, to which he only scoffed before throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"I never get hurt, you know that." "Just be careful." You said and he nodded before walking off with a happy smile. You looked at him before getting up, making your way over to the stands to find your friends.

The whole stadium grew quiet as Zhou Zhi's hand shot to the back of his head, the ball itself bouncing off in the distance. You jumped up from your seat, ready to lunge at your boyfriend's opponent if it wasn't for your friend. Watching as Zhou Zhi rose back to his feet, blinking rapidly as he shook his head softly. You had no doubt that he was dizzy from the hit, maybe even a shaky vision to accompany the likely pounding headache. He tilted his head softly before turning around to face his opponent again, seemingly staring into nothingness. The ball went to him, ready in his hand as everyone awaited his next move. The ball bounced on the ground once, twice before flying in the air while Zhou Zhi swung his racket back. Then he missed, the ball bouncing on the ground before rolling away. Nonetheless, the match continued as his opponent hit the ball to Zhou Zhi's and it raced past him. This happened again and again until one moment. You noticed that Zhou Zhi's eyes slowly closed before he ran at the ball, hitting it to the other side without any hesitation. His eyes remained closed as he ran behind the ball. He didn't miss, not a single time as his points started to rise above his opponent's. As the match point approached, you slowly rose from your seat out of anticipation. The final score sent everyone on your side into loud cheers while Zhou Zhi's team rushed to his side. You quickly followed, running to the stairs and almost plummeting down them before you reached your boyfriend's side.

"What did I say?!" You almost screamed as you kneeled before him, taking his face into your hands as you looked into his eyes. His pupils were slightly dilated before returning to normal, to which he only gave a smile to you. You let go of him before flicking his forehead with an annoyed sigh.

"I'm fine, don't worry." He placed his hands on your shoulders, pulling you closer and softly kissing your forehead. You scoffed, standing up and looking at the rest of the team. Your face hit up slightly from embarrassment before you pointed at Siyang.

"Don't let him play for at least a month now." With that you made your way back to your seat, ignoring the instant protest from Zhou Zhi. The match continued with the last players, but your eyes mostly remained on Zhou Zhi throughout the game. He kept blinking rapidly, rubbing his temples and pulling at his hair ever so often. You'd probably take him over to the hospital later on to check if he was badly injured or not. Before you knew it, your friend signaled you that the match was over while the tennis team all cheered.

"They won?" You asked, turning to your right, your friends staring at you in shock.

"Yes, where have you been?" "She was too busy staring at her little boyfriend." You turned to smack one your friend softly, glaring at her before turning back to the field. Zhou Zhi was smiling brightly, eyes connecting to yours before turning back to his team.

The stands started to become empty, most fans had long left to catch their busses or trains, and yet you remained. Waiting patiently for your boyfriend to finish his talk with his coach, which had being going for 10 minutes now. Not long, but enough to make you wait for awhile. You assumed she was scolding him, his head slightly tilted down with his hands folded before him. With a pat on his shoulder, coach Na made her way off the field and Zhou Zhi immediatley looked your way. You chuckled as you made your way over to him, quickly linking your arm to his.

"We're going to the hospital." You spoke and he groaned loudly, but didn't protest any further than that. His hand naturally found yours as you walked, linking your fingers before pausing as his phone pinged. Pulling it out, he read the text that had come in before sighing loudly and looking at you again with an annoyed stare. He lifted his phone so you could screen, which sent you in a burst of laughter.

"You got me banned from the tennis field." He said and you let go of him, still laughing your ass off as you held your stomach. With a raised hand, you tried to get him to stay quiet while you tried to control your laughter and to no avail. Zhou Zhi was quick to chase after you, so you took the opportunity to run off while still laughing.

"Tell Siyang to let me on the field!"

[lazykatie]

Game, Set, Love: A Yu Qing Romance - Chapter 1

Qi Lin paced back and forth as she was waiting for her cousin to arrive at the Persimmon Tennis Park. She was put to a halt when she heard her ringtone and quickly answered, "Meimei, where are you now?"

"Jiejie I just got off the train. Can you come and fetch me? I don't seem to find the tennis court,"

Qi Lin slightly chuckles and answers, "Sure, give me a minute and I'll find you. Just stay where you are, don't go anywhere."

Qi Lin hangs up the phone and starts to jog in the direction of the train station. She then spots Qi Ying from afar and is about to call her when a short boy approaches her. The boy seemed to be asking about the directions since Qi Ying was pointing somewhere.

Huh? She said that she doesn't know the way. What is she doing now?

She sees the boy now going left. She just shrugs it off and proceeds to walk towards Qi Ying. She notices that Qi Ying is still staring longingly at the direction where the boy went. Qi Lin suddenly squeezes both of Qi Ying's arms to put her out of her trance as she says, "Seems like Meimei has a lot on her mind."

"Jiejie! When did you get here?" Qi Ying responded while wrapping her older cousin in a hug.

"Just got here," she said with a pause as she patted her head. Qi Ying then lets go of her cousin.

Qi Lin then says, "Now let's go see the match, or else Mom will be looking for us." She pulls Qi Ying in the right direction of where the match is being held.

"Ehhh, Jiejie isn't it that way?" Qi Ying pulls back and points to the left.

"Silly Ying, it's this way. Is that why you pointed that boy in that direction?" Qi Ying's eyes widen at her older cousin's statement. She then breaks off from her cousin's hold and rushes in the direction she had told the boy.

"Meimei! Where are you going? Mom's going to look for us if we don't go now!" Qi Ying does not respond, so all Qi Lin can do is follow her younger cousin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After 5 minutes, she realized that despite Qi Ying's size, she's a really fast runner and is easy to lose.

Whew, I need a drink. Qi Ying would be hearing a lot from me when I see her.

Searching for a vending machine, Qi Lin spotted Qi Ying with the same boy. She approached them, pinching Qi Ying's cheeks, "Qi- Ying! Why did you just run off?! You know you don't know this place well, and yet you had the audacity to run off like that!"

"Ehhhh," Qi Ying reacted.

"Jiejie, I was only trying to find him because I accidentally gave him the wrong directions," she said having trouble speaking while being pinched on the cheeks.

Qi Lin sighs, drops the pinching, and replies, "Fine, but you owe me a drink." Qi Ying nods as she tries to scan and buys 3 drinks for them when her phone says that she doesn't have any balance left.

Qi Lin exhales heavily and pulls out some money putting it in the vending machine.

She turns to the boy and asks, "What would you like?" The boy just points at the grape Fanta and Qi Lin pushes the button for the grape Fanta and orange Fanta. The can drops and Qi Lin points to Qi Ying to get them and offer one to the boy.

Qi Ying understood the message, grabbed the can, and said "Here you go. I apologize for what happened to your match."

The boy just takes it, nods, and goes on his way when he bumps into another boy who just starts yelling at him and starts challenging him to a match.

Now, that would be interesting. I wish I was still the same as before.

Qi Ying and Qi Lin found themselves following the boys to a vacant tennis court, when Qi Lin heard her phone ringing again.

Oh no, Mom's gonna kill me now.

"Heyyyyy Mom," She shakily answers. The other line's sound suddenly burst through her ears.

"I told you to fetch your cousin, what happened to bring her here?"

"Uhmm well, I encountered some setbacks. We're at a vacant tennis court right now." She anxiously answers her mother.

"I'm going there right now." her mom answers and drops the call. Qi Lin then hears the boy who's officiating the game saying 1-0 and asks them to change court.

Well, that was fast.

She can hear the officiator tell the other players to not tell them that they were from Yu Qing Tennis Club. Qi Ying then whispers, "They're my seniors?"

Qi Lin then responds to Qi Ying's whispers, "Then they must be my classmates or juniors."

Qi Lin freezes up when another voice responds from the back. "So, you guys found Lu Xia."

"Lu Xia? Like THE Little Lu Xia that I used to play with when I was younger?" Qi Lin asks, shocked by the new information that she just learned.

"Yes, that Lu Xia," her mother responds.

"I thought he was living abroad?" she counters.

"Well, he just got back - around the same time we arrived." her mother answers.

Wow, he's quite different from the Lu Xia that I know. He's not that cheery anymore.

Qi Lin was snapped out of her train of thought when she heard her Mom telling Qi Ying to not enter the court during a match. She then looks at her mom, "Mom, aren't you going to do anything?"

"Just believe in him. He knows what he's doing." She answers.

The match continues with Lu Xia serving and constantly hitting his opponent's face through his Twist Serve.

His opponent gives up and Lu Xia ends the match by serving the ball and saying to his opponent, "You need to work harder." All Qi Lin can do is chuckle at his antics as Lu Xia approaches them.

Coach Qi says to Lu Xia, "You really are your father's son."

He just nods at this statement, while Coach Qi tries to introduce the two girls, "So this is my daughter, Qi Lin, do you still remember her?"

He then shakes his head yes and says "Jiejie Lin, you look different from what I remember."

Qi Lin counters with a teasing tone, "You too, where is the Little Lu Xia that's so bubbly and wanting to catch up to me?"

Coach Qi then continues, "And this is my niece, Qi Ying, you're in the same grade level as her." Lu Xia only nods again, while Qi Ying shyly waves hi. Lu Xia waved back and Qi Ying blushed at his action.

Qi Lin can't help but chuckle and whisper to herself, these two are going to be so cute together. Maybe we'll just need a little push here and there in the future.

----- To be continued -----

Up Next: Chapter 2

cross-posted from wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/359772976-game-set-love-a-yu-qing-romance

[reereezoku]

Oh hell no.

[storge]

It’s too late Lu Xia.

[savagetimi]

[rikkaidaily]

Bitch you better RUN.

[mackdaddyofthecravate]

Mu Siyang you're as tall as a tree

I would like to climb that

Yours, Zhou Zhi

[sandreeen]

February 29: Happy birthday Zhuo Zhi (Fuji Syusuke)! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

[kakushigo]

Does anyone have a list of pairs for Prince of Tennis 2019?

I know (? means unsure of):

Imperial Pair- Mu Siyang/Ji Jingwu

Perfect Pair- Mu Siyang/Zhuo Zhi 

Pillar Pair- Mu Siyang/Lu Xia

Kindness Pair- Zhuo Zhi/He Xinglong

Dream Pair: Zhuo Zhi/Tang Jiale

Rival Pair- Qiao Chen/Zhang Baiyang

Golden Pair- Chi Dayong/Tang Jiale

Emerald Pair- Yan Zhiming/Zhang Baiyang

Ponta Pair- Lu Xia/Qi Ying

Thrill pair- Lu Xia/Zhuo Zhi

Silver Pair-  Feng Zhiyuan/Hu Liangliang

Alpha Pair- Bai Shiting/Tian Zilong

Sensual Pair - Lu Xia/Bai Shiting

Sadist Pair - Zhuo Zhi/Bai Shiting 

Sadist Trio Pair - Lu Xia/Zhuo Zhi/Bai Shiting 

Cap Pair - Lu Xia/Tian Zilong

Mood Pair- Qiao Chen/Tang Jiale

Haiguang Troika - Tian Zilong/Liu Lian/Bai Shiting

Royal Pair - Lu Xia/Ji Jingwu

Data Pair - Yan Zhiming/Liu Lian

Childhood Friends Pair- He Xinglong/Ya Jiuxin

The Power Triangle: Mu Siyang/Lu Xia/Zhuo Zhi

New to Chinapuri

Gremlin Pair- Ji Jingwu/Zhuo Zhi

Perfectly Imperial- Ji Jingwu/Mu Siyang/Zhuo Zhi

Passion Pair - Lu Xia/He Xinglong

Height Difference Pair/Delta H Pair- Mu Siyang/Qing Yi

[jungbanhap]

I think my favourite thing to do since watching Chinapuri/ Prince of Tennis Match Tennis Juniors is watch the outtakes

[lazykatie]

Game, Set, Love: A Yu Qing Romance - Chapter 11

Qi Lin rocked her feet back and forth as she waited for the nurse to call her name. The rhythmic motion was calming, a small way to remove the boredom from waiting. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the quiet hum of the hospital.

As she continued to rock her feet, she found herself recalling the day where her 'everything' ended.

FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The finals of the women's 18 and under tennis tournament were tense. The score was tied at 2-2, with the current set in her favor 5-4, Ad-40. Each swing sent jolts of pain through Qi Lin's wrist, but she pushed through, determined to end the rally that seemed to stretch on forever.

Due to the fact that her wrist is already in a rather poor condition to begin with, she planned to end everything fast. However, fate had other plans for her and drove Qi Lin down to the road of impatience and desperation.

Despite the searing pain in her wrist with each swing, Qi Lin resolved to use her latest technique—a risky move she had yet to fully master. Desperation fueled her determination, pushing her to take the chance. Setting her racket in a low position, she took a deep breath, focusing her attention on the ball.

She swung her racket from low to high position, the ball brushing underneath her racket. The ball flew just barely above the net but it was not the only thing that flew—her racket did too. Her racket landed near the net while the ball landed on her opponent's side before bouncing back towards her court without being hit by her opponent.

Qi Lin fell on her knees, sobbing crying her heart out, not being able to believe that she did it! The whole arena cheered as she stood up to pick her racket. She grabbed it but her joy was replaced with pain as she screeched and—

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Miss Qi Lin," the nurse called her the nth time.

Startled out of her reverie, Qi Lin blinked rapidly, readjusting to the present moment. She straightened up in her seat, momentarily disoriented before realizing where she was. Pushing aside the memories of that intense match, she turned towards the nurse with a faint smile.

"Yes, that's me," Qi Lin replied, her voice soft yet composed despite the lingering emotions from her recollection.

The nurse gestured for her to follow and led her into Dr. Wang's office.

"Ah, Qi Lin, come in," Dr. Wang greeted her with a warm smile. He was a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a reassuring demeanor. "How have you been?"

"I've been alright, Dr. Wang. My wrist is still stiff, but it's manageable," Qi Lin replied, taking a seat and rubbing her wrist absently.

"Good to hear," Dr. Wang said, nodding. "Let's take a look."

He examined her wrist carefully, testing its range of motion and strength. Qi Lin winced slightly as he pressed on a tender spot, but overall, the examination was more comfortable than it had been in months.

"Your wrist is healing well," Dr. Wang said finally, removing his gloves. "The stiffness is normal, and it should continue to improve with therapy. How's your daily routine been? Have you started training for tennis again?"

Qi Lin shakes her head no. "I haven't. I try to avoid putting too much pressure on it."

"That's good, but you can already start it small with your tennis training. Remember, gradual strengthening is key. I'd like for you to continue with your physical therapy exercises, and we'll add a few new ones to help with the stiffness," Dr. Wang advised, showing her the new exercises on a pamphlet.

After the appointment, Qi Lin left Dr. Wang's office, feeling relieved yet pensive about her recovery. As she walked down the corridor, lost in thought while reading the pamphlet, she turned a corner and collided with someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Qi Lin exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to steady herself and the person she had bumped into.

The familiar voice brought Qi Lin back to the present. "Qi Lin? What are you doing here?" Siyang asked, his concern evident as he steadied her.

"Captain?" She called out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," Qi Lin said, feeling a mix of embarrassment and surprise as she straightened herself.

"It's alright, no harm done," Siyang replied, his face remaining neutral yet sounding reassuring. "Are you okay?"

Qi Lin nodded quickly. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit lost in thought," she admitted.

Siyang's eyes wandered to Qi Lin's hand—specifically the pamphlet. Why does she have that—

"You've had an injury?" He asked, looking directly into her eyes while Qi Lin avoided it.

"Uhm..." She fidgets and slightly crumples the pamphlet.

"Can we take this to somewhere more secluded?"

Siyang nodded. "Where should we go?"

Qi Lin scratched her head in embarrassment as she said, "I was hoping you would know some place."

"I know some places but it's almost lunch time. Have you eaten?"

Qi Lin's stomach grumbled as if it was answering for her. "As you've heard from my stomach, I haven't."

The edges of Siyang's lips pulled slightly upwards like he was smiling, but with the Captain's stoic face, it was hard to tell.

"I have pre-ordered some peking duck before going here. We just need to pick it before going." He said, walking towards the elevator with Qi Lin at the back following him.

"Mind telling what place you have in mind?" Qi Lin asked but Siyang just kept his mouth locked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wow!"

There wasn't much to be mesmerized by—the bridge where Siyang usually fished offered a simple, serene view. But Qi Lin's amazement was all about the food.

"This is really good, Siyang," she said, savoring the last bite. "Thanks for the meal!"

"No problem."

Qi Lin leaned back against the bridge support, savoring the lingering taste of the meal and the tranquility of the setting. The gentle rustle of leaves and the distant sound of water added to the peaceful ambiance. She glanced at Siyang, who was already watching her with a thoughtful expression.

Siyang cleared his throat before asking, "So, about the pamphlet..."

Qi Lin took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before saying, "I guess, I can't avoid it any longer."

She turned her eyes away from Siyang, straightening her posture as if preparing herself to drop the bomb on him.

Alright, Qi Lin. It's already in the past. YOU CAN DO THIS!

"You don't need to talk about it if you're not comfortable."

"No, I can do this." Qi Lin reassured Siyang but it was mostly to reassure herself.

"I had a wrist injury about seven months ago," Qi Lin began, her voice wavering slightly. She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon as she gathered her thoughts. Siyang remained silent, his attentive gaze encouraging her to continue.

"I got it when I was playing tennis. It was an important match for me. I eventually won the match but as you can see," she gestured to her left wrist, "It came with a price." She said, trying to put on a smile but failed.

"After the match, my injury—the pain—got in the way of my everyday life. The doctors suggested that I should go with the surgery to lessen the pain and at least bring it back to normal."

She paused, staring into the sky saying, "But I know that it'll never be the same."

Siyang instinctively reached out his hand towards her when Qi Lin suddenly turned to him with a tear in her eye. He retracted his hand and shuffled, finding his handkerchief.

"It's fine, Captain. I'm alright." She smiled as the tears fell down.

All Siyang could do was give her the handkerchief so she could wipe her tears.

He waited for her to regain her composure before uttering a word. "You did well, Qi Lin."

"Thanks," She said with a sniff.

The two sat in silence when Qi Lin had a realization.

"How about you, Captain? What were you doing at the hospital?"

Without hesitation, Siyang answered, "I also have an injury."

"Oh" Qi Lin reacted. "May I ask what happened?"

"It was 2 years ago. A senior hit my elbow with a racket. It's not that painful but the doctor said it was not stable." He said, looking at his left elbow.

Qi Lin stared at his elbow before looking at her wrist. An unexpected chuckle escaped her lips, surprising even herself. Siyang's head tilted in curiosity, his serious demeanor momentarily softened.

Qi Lin realized her actions as she turned red. "I'm ... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ... I didn't mean to laugh at you," she said, covering her face with her hands.

She breathed in and out as she let herself cool down before continuing, "I just thought that we are so alike."

"It seems like we're living parallel lives," Qi Lin remarked, her voice tinged with a mixture of irony and sadness. Siyang's gaze lingered on her, understanding and empathy reflected in his eyes.

----- To be continued -----

Previous: Chapter 10

Up Next: Chapter 12

cross-posted from wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/359772976-game-set-love-a-yu-qing-romance

[hhhhhhhappycow]

Yan and Zhou Zhi are the saltiest duo, I love them

[storge]

How could you let Zhuo Yu be hurt like this?

[ccoccae]

━━━━━━━━━━━━[20:21]━━━━━━━━━━━━

"For the love of Godㅡ Ugh!" You groan, slamming your face on the notebooks spread across your desk. You seriously only have three more problems to solve, but your brain has had enough from doing your homework all day, so you wouldn't have to do any of them during the break.

Boyfriend!Zhou Zhi, stands up from your bed and made his way to your desk, sliding his phone into his back pocket.

He came over during lunch to find you by your study table and he has been laying on your bed in his phone, waiting for you to ask for his help ㅡ which you never did by the way.

"Ugh," you groan again, having some strength to lift your head and place your chin on your palm, trying to understand the problem. You scribble an answer.

"Wrong, ____." Zhi tells you softly as he watch from over your shoulder. "Try again."

You huff, rethinking your formula before writing another impulsive answer.

Zhi chuckles, "Wrong again." he said.

Pursing your lips and exhaling through your nose, you straightened yourself on your chair, head not resting on your palm anymore as you try to focus. A sudden feeling of proving yourself sparked in you.

Ugh, Zhi was right. You've been using the wrong formula twice.

Wow ____, where was your brain?

You write an answer, that you are more confident of, and you hear Zhi snicker kinda disappointed you figured it out too fast for his liking, "There you go. Wasn't that hard right?"

You sigh, "Quite the opposite actually."

"You were quick in figuring out the wrongs." Zhi said softly and a tint of red made its way to the apples of your cheeks.

"Next equation?" Zhi chants, holding himself up with his hands on the edge of your desk, arms caving around you. You could feel his back behind your chair and his distinct cologne made its way to your nose.

[talktothesun]

The most unrealistic thing in the Prince of Tennis Netflix show isn’t the different tennis moves. It’s that the players would play matches while it’s raining/on a wet court.

[therainroguefanfiction]

Frightful October ’21 🎃 #06 ~ My Pen! (Zhi Zhuo)

Genre: Friendship, fluff, comedy, supernatural

Word Count: 2,677

Pairing: Reader x Zhuo Zhi

World: TV, Prince of Tennis ~ Match! Tennis Juniors ~

Table of Contents

───── ⋆⋅🎃⋅⋆ ─────

You looked through the large window by the table you sat at, smiling at the nature outside. The trees were bright, their leaves varying in color between red, orange, and brown. Many had already fallen to the ground, turning soft as the rain pelted them. The sky was dark despite being only five in the afternoon, making the day appear a soft grey. It had been raining a lot lately, making it difficult for Yu Qing to practice properly. It wasn't a downpour so they could technically practice outside, but combining the rain with the chilly wind made for a dangerous combination and the players couldn't afford to get sick.

A hand rested on your shoulder, tugging you from your thoughts. You jumped in surprise, head whipping around to look at the offender, who was smirking at your fright. "You scared the crap out of me."

Zhou Zhi smirked as he sat down across from you. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." But the amused glint in his eye said he didn't regret the fact that he had. "How are you feeling?"

You frowned, putting your hand over your stomach which was still hurting. You've been suffering from a stomach bug the past few days but it wasn't bad enough that your parents would allow you to skip school. In a way, you were grateful for that because your friends made recovery a lot easier.

"I still feel sick and I can't really eat anything."

His smirk fell at this. "You can't recover if you don't eat, YN. You have to force yourself, even if it's something small."

His concern made your heart flutter. "I ate an egg this morning and I promise I'll try to eat some soup when I get home, mamma bird."

The nickname made him chuckle and he nodded his head in approval. "Good."

The glass doors were pushed open as Jiale, Chen, Lu Xia, and Baiyang entered the restaurant. Zhi raised his hand to get their attention and they headed over, easily filling up the table. On the left side, Chen sat by the window with Lu Xia beside him and then you at the end. On the right was Jiale by the window, then Baiyang and Zhi at the end.

"I wish it would stop raining," Jiale pouted, shaking his head to rid himself of the tiny drops clinging to his hair. "It's so dreary outside!"

"I think it's beautiful," you commented, grinning at him when he sent you a disbelieving look. "The rain is peaceful and calming."

"You can only say that because you're not an athlete," Chen retorted, shaking his finger. "So you see it differently than we do."

"I suppose."

Zhi hummed, thoughtfully, watching the rain pelt the window before sliding across the glass. "I can see both sides. It's frustrating that we can't practice outside, but the rain certainly makes for beautiful pictures."

"Right!" you agreed with a nod. "Though my pics usually end up terrible."

"I can teach you, if you'd like."

You fought against the heat trying to overtake your cheeks. "I... wouldn't want to impose on you. I know you're super busy."

He leaned forward, enjoying how embarrassed he could make you. "You could never impose on me, Y/N."

Baiyang suddenly stood up, approaching the counter without a word to the rest of the group.

"Do you think he'll order for us, too?" Jiale wondered, hopefully.

"Not a chance," you laughed.

In response, the boys jumped up and rushed after him, cutting him in line despite his protests. You were left alone with Zhi again, aware that he was watching you curiously. It's not like you didn't enjoy the attention from him, but his gaze was intense and always left you feeling as if he could see right down to your soul. Every tiny little movement, every breath you took, every thought - you were sure he noticed it all and it made you scared to move. What if you unconsciously did something that disgusted him?

You tried to ignore the feeling, your eyes scanning the room to observe the other patrons. There were more people huddled inside due to the rain, not ordering anything as they waited for the rain to pass. No one really stood out to you, at first, until your eyes landed on a handsome man standing beside the door. Something felt off about him and you felt goosebumps rising across your skin. After years of life, you had learned to always trust your gut and your gut did not like this man.

Or maybe it was just the bug that had your instincts all out of whack. What was so wrong about him? He seemed like just any, average businessman. He was tall, with dark hair slicked to the side with hair gel. A dark blue suit covered his body with a black trench coat on top to help block out the rain.

Zhi followed your line of sight and founded himself frowning. He did so hate it when you looked at other men, especially handsome ones. While the two of you were not dating, it was clear that there was attraction between the two of you on both sides. He loved to tease you, to see if you would confess to him but there were times, like now, when he questioned himself. Was the fun worth it if you never confessed and decided to move on to someone else?

You watched as a teenage boy entered the restaurant, meeting eyes with the mysterious man as he passed by, settling down at the table in the corner. The man waited a moment before pushing away from the wall and approaching the teen, settling down across from him and facing in your direction. Something seemed wrong about this.

"Y/N," Zhi called, trying to get your attention back on himself. "Do you still need help with your homework?"

"Oh, yes. Please." You smiled at him, reaching for your bag that sat between you and your chair, pulling out the workbook and your favorite pen.

"Show me what you don't understand and I'll explain." He leaned forward on the table, looking at you expectantly.

"Um, well..." You gave him a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of your neck. "All of it?"

He covered his mouth as he chuckled, nodding his head in understanding. He switched seats, sitting down beside you, so close that his arm pressed against your own. "We'll start from the top, then." He started to explain the problem and, at first, you were able to follow along with ease, but you found yourself glancing over at the mysterious man.

He reached into his coat, pulling out what looked like a piece of rolled up parchment which he started to unfurl across the table. It lasted only a second, but his eyes flickered to an inky blackness from one corner to the other.

"Holy shit..." you breathed out softly, finally realizing why this man felt so off to you. 'He's a demon...'

"What's wrong?" Jiale questioned as he reclaimed his seat, the others following close behind. "Is Zhou Zhi boring you to death with his tutoring?"

"N-No, not at all!" You replied hurriedly, waving your hand back and forth. "He's a good tutor. I actually understand the material when he's explaining it. It's just..."

"Just what?" Chen asked through a mouthful of burger.

What would they think if you told them that a demon was sitting just three tables away, possibly making a deal for the soul of an unsuspecting teenage boy? You knew you wouldn't receive a good response for that story and you highly doubted they would even believe you. Hell, you weren't even completely sure that you believed it and you had just seen it! You bit your lip, twirling the pen nervously. It had lasted only a second... maybe you had imagined it.

"Y/N?" Zhi rested his hand over your own, a worried look on his face. "What's wrong?"

You shook your head and offered him a smile, enjoying the warmth of his skin against yours. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Are you feeling worse? If you are, you need to go home and get some rest."

"No, I'm fine. I promise."

The genius wasn't convinced but knew how stubborn you could be so he decided to just let it go and monitor you closely. He continued to explain the next problem but you definitely weren't paying attention now. You just couldn't let this go and you didn't understand why. On the off chance that this man truly was a demon, what could you do about? You were no Winchester by any stretch of the imagination, even though you had watched nine out of the fifteen seasons of Supernatural.

You glanced at the red tray that sat between you and Lu Xia. Tiny packs of salt sat in the corner closest to you and you wondered if it would be effective, but you doubted that there was enough to make a difference. What if you scribbled an anti-possession symbol on your hand? No, that would just open up the others to possession and they didn't even know what he was.

'I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't even know if he is a demon.' You covered your mouth and turned your head away from the group, making a slight cough to cover your whisper. "Cristo."

The man's head snapped up, eyes pitch black as they stared right at you.

'Shit, he really is a demon!'

The man said something to the boy without moving his eyes from you. He stood up and blinked, his eyes returning to normal as he approached your table. Zhi felt your body tense up and frowned, following your gaze to the man.

"You've gone really pale," Lu Xia noted, looking over at you with a blank expression. This caught the attention of the other boys, but they didn't have time to comment on it because the man was now standing at the end of the table, right beside you.

"Sorry to bother," he spoke up, his voice smooth like silk. "I'm conducting some business with a client and my pen stopped working. Won't you allow me to borrow yours?"

Though it was phrased like a question, you knew it was a demand. He didn't need the damn pen, it was a power move to let you know what you were dealing with. The words echoed in your mind repeatedly and it felt as if he were inside your head, trying to take control of you. Your hand was shaking because it wanted so desperately to comply and hand over the pen but you refused to let him win, your fingers holding it tightly.

You narrowed your eyes at it. It took everything in you to refuse and even then, you could only manage a shaky, "No."

He looked surprised that his power didn't seem to affect you, but he wasn't one to give up without a fight. He offered you a charming smile. "Oh, come now. I only need it for a moment and I promise to take good care of it."

You were aware of the boys watching the exchange, unsure of how to respond.

The man's power was increasing, getting stronger inside your head. You took a deep breath, trying to clear your mind. "I said... no."

He was getting annoyed now, his charming façade slipping. "Don't be a selfish brat. Give it to me." He reached for the pen and you shot up, the chair scraping against the floor before it fell back with a loud thump. This gained the attention of the other patrons, all looking on to see what was happening, but you didn't even notice them.

"I will not give you my pen, you demon! I would gladly fight and die for this pen. Are you willing to do the same?" You questioned with a glare, not giving him even a moment to consider it. "I didn't think so. No, get away before I go all Winchester on your ass!"

His eye twitched in annoyance and he started forward to teach you a lesson, but he was well aware of all the eyes on him. Demon or not, it wasn't a wise decision to cause a scene in front of so many witnesses. Demons were becoming few and far between and it would be disastrous to show his existence now. He took a step back, forcing a smile. "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think? Fine, I got the message. I do apologize for bothering you."

You were breathing heavily by the time he finally walked away. The haze on your mind was starting to lift, leaving a headache behind in its wake.

Zhi stood up to put the chair back upright before gently prompting you to sit back down, which you did with a huff. He reclaimed his own seat, watching you closely.

"Holy crap..." Chen broke the silence, staring at you with wide eyes. "I've never seen you act so aggressively before!"

You gave your friends a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of your neck. "I'm sorry... I guess I'm just in a bad mood because of my stomach..."

Jiale leaned forward with a hum, his eyes shifting to the pen still clutched in your hand. "That pen must be really special to you."

You slowly opened your hand, seeing the pen's indent in your skin from how tightly you had held it. Looking at filled you with warmth each time even though it didn't look like anything special. It looked like any old run of the mill ballpoint pen, but it was definitely special to you. "It is... very special."

"But why?" Lu Xia questioned, surprising you that he was interested.

You looked at your friends, your eyes finally locking with Zhi's and your cheeks started to warm up. He glanced at the pen for a moment before looking back at you with realization in his eyes and a smile on his lips. He had remembered.

You cleared your throat, looking away from him. "Well... when I first came to Yu Qing, I was struggling to adjust and I was generally pretty stressed out. One day, this older student approached me and asked if I was okay, if I needed help with anything. He was probably just doing his student as my upperclassman, but... he was so kind to me and he was breathtakingly beautiful. I couldn't believe he was even talking to me. I definitely -"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Baiyang interrupted with a furrowed brow.

Chen scoffed, spraying bits of chewed burger onto Jiale who made a disgusted face. "Keep up, idiot. It's obvious that that guy gave Y/N the pen."

"Who are you calling an idiot, you idiot?" Baiyang growled, glaring daggers at the brunette.

"You're the only idiot here, idiot."

"Do you wanna fight, idiot?"

"I'll destroy you no problem, idiot."

The two boys were standing now, leaning toward one another. Their bodies formed a triangle of space between them which Jiale ducked down to peer through at you. "So, who is this beautiful guy?"

That got them to stop arguing and they looked at you expectantly.

"Um..." You glanced at Zhi, biting your lip. Could you admit it out loud? I mean, you basically had already when you described the encounter. You knew that Zhi remembered it.

He reached for your hand under the table, linking his fingers through your own as he offered a smile to his teammates. "Let's not push. If Y/N doesn't want us to know, we shouldn't push the subject."

"That's boring," Jiale pouted, popping a fry into his mouth. "I was looking forward to playing matchmaker."

He hummed. "Something tells me there's no need for that."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

But he didn't reply, he just met your eyes and smiled, giving your hand a squeeze before leaning closer, his lips brushing against your ear. "Breathtakingly beautiful, huh?"

Your cheeks burned and he chuckled.

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