During the summer vacation after the college entrance exams, Xu Yuan joined a car-upgrade group for the first time to compete on the rankings, and found a wonderful group of friends. They forged deep bonds during the competition and quickly turned the group into one for close friends and family once it was over.
By chance, Xu Yuan learned that "Yan," a teacher in the group, lived in the same S City as him. They arranged to meet in person and go together to a large fan convention for their fandom, held in early October.
As a group moderator, "Yan" had organized the car upgrades during the competition, and he had also built the bot the group used. In Xu Yuan's eyes, he was a technical genius: imposing, meticulous, and serious. Nervous, Xu Yuan resolved to prepare carefully.
But when the two met for the first time at the convention, Xu Yuan reverently took the freebie he'd prepared with care out of his ita bag and placed it in "Yan's" hand, only to find the other man strangely silent.
Just as he started worrying, like a Japanese fangirl, that his freebie might have touched on one of the other man's sore spots, "Yan" rummaged in his bag, pulled out a stick of mint candy, and offered it to him.
Huh? Xu Yuan took it, bewildered, and saw the other man's slightly embarrassed expression.
Was "Yan" really nothing like the person he'd imagined?
When Yan Ze stayed up late competing on the rankings, he would habitually keep a stick of mint candy on hand, along with his Monster Energy. He'd pop a mint into his mouth, then quickly take a sip of ice water. It was an extremely effective way to stay alert.
When he first met Xu Yuan at the convention, he was busy competing on the rankings and hadn't prepared any merchandise. The only thing in his bag that could even remotely pass as a gift was an unopened stick of mint candy. After much hesitation, he gave it to Xu Yuan as a freebie.
Later, he discovered that Xu Yuan himself was even more invigorating than the mint candy.
Yan Ze x Xu Yuan. A love story about two Project Sekai fans. Mutual pining, with the top falling for the bottom first, and a little healing on the side.
A story specially for Project Sekai fans. This probably counts as fanfiction (?). The story revolves entirely around Project Sekai and covers ranking competitions, character development, and collecting merch. No terminology is explained in the text.
Please note:
1. The Chinese server in this story is an entirely fictional server. All game rankings, group chats, and drama mentioned are fictional and have no real-world counterparts. There is no intention to steal anyone's brand or cause offense. (I'll do my best to avoid mentioning rankings that could identify anyone.) Any other elements based on or inspired by real things will be noted in the author's comments. Any overlap in usernames is purely accidental.
2. The story contains no discussion of pairings between characters in Project Sekai. If characters in the story express opinions about in-game pairings or have their own pairings, those views and preferences do not represent the author's.
3. The bottom cross-dresses. Later on, he also wears regular clothes in addition to cosplay outfits.
4. Both leads have only ever been with each other.
Theme: Embrace life
