I Told You, We're Just Friends with Benefits!

Song Nian had a childhood friend named Jiang Hansheng.

When they were little, Song Nian's parents were busy with work, so they often left him in his childhood friend's family's care.

When Song Nian was sick, his childhood friend took care of him. When he had no appetite, his childhood friend fed him. When he filled out his yearbook, his childhood friend made him write Jiang Hansheng's name after every “best friend.”

After growing up inseparable for more than ten years, it was only natural that Song Nian fell in love with Jiang Hansheng.

-

But Song Nian didn't dare let Jiang Hansheng find out, because Jiang Hansheng hated gay people.

Jiang Hansheng was handsome, excelled in his studies, and stood 190 centimeters tall with a six-pack. He became a campus celebrity as soon as he started college, with countless men and women secretly crushing on him.

After turning down yet another man's confession, Jiang Hansheng put an arm around Song Nian and walked away with a cold expression.

A friend asked curiously, “Jiang Hansheng, why do you hate gay people so much? They haven't done anything to you.”

Jiang Hansheng replied with deep-seated prejudice, “I just don't like gays. Most of them are so horny, always looking to hook up. They're so promiscuous. That's not true love at all.”

His prejudice was so severe that he wouldn't even be friends with gay people. He believed that “people who share a bed end up alike,” and was afraid that being friends with a gay person would turn him gay, making him into the very thing he hated most.

His friend was speechless. “Then what do you call sticking to Song Nian every day? Are you trying to be weird on purpose?”

Jiang Hansheng flew into a rage. “It's different with Song Nian! We're purely platonic friends! We're nothing like those filthy gay people!”

Song Nian's heart was shattered. His first love had ended before it even began.

-

After a party one night, Song Nian walked his drunk childhood friend back to his dorm.

Looking at his childhood friend's handsome face, flushed pink and no longer wearing his usual cool, composed expression, Song Nian couldn't resist giving him a kiss. He planned to put an end to his first love once and for all.

But his childhood friend, whom he'd thought was too drunk to notice, suddenly opened his eyes and stared at him in shock.

Song Nian immediately went pale, then forced himself to stay calm as he offered an explanation that was half true and half a lie.

The truth was: “I'm sorry I hid this from you for so long. I'm gay.”

The lie was: “But don't worry, I have a crush on someone.”

Afraid his childhood friend would come to hate him completely, Song Nian lied and said he had a crush on a handsome, popular guy who only liked experienced partners and didn't want to date someone inexperienced. So he'd taken advantage of Jiang Hansheng being drunk to secretly practice kissing.

Jiang Hansheng was silent for a long time. For the first time, he fled from the precious person he'd taken care of for over a decade.

-

Song Nian thought his decade-long friendship with Jiang Hansheng had been ruined beyond repair. He started going to all kinds of social events to keep busy, so he wouldn't have time to feel heartbroken and miserable, and could hold on to the last shred of his dignity.

Song Nian agreed to model for a friend in the fine arts department, who happily treated him to dinner. They had no idea someone had taken a photo of their date and posted it on the campus forum, where it became a hit thread: [Breaking! A new ship has appeared! Come ship them now!]

That very night, Jiang Hansheng cornered Song Nian outside his dorm.

His usually indulgent, doting childhood friend looked furious as he demanded, “Is that guy with glasses your playboy crush?”

Song Nian was stunned, then shook his head.

Jiang Hansheng's expression softened a little. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and made a difficult decision. “If you just need to practice kissing, I'll practice with you.”

His childhood friend's voice was cold and fierce, full of possessiveness. “Don't go looking for anyone else.”

Song Nian froze and asked him, “Aren't you the one who hates gay people most?”

Jiang Hansheng kept his handsome face stern and declared, “It's just a kiss. That doesn't make us gay. We're still purely platonic friends.”

-

Later, as Jiang Hansheng kept kissing him, he ended up losing his heart.

After a kiss, Jiang Hansheng hinted sourly, “I'm pretty good at kissing now, too. Why not get a new crush? A blank page belongs with another blank page. A newspaper isn't good enough for you.”

Song Nian's breathing was slightly uneven as he glanced at him. “I'm not changing.”

His childhood friend's face soured like a rag soaked in vinegar. “Then what are we now?”

Song Nian closed his eyes, apparently taking revenge for how heartbroken he'd been back then, and stubbornly said, “Purely platonic friends.”

Jiang Hansheng flew into a rage. “Nian Nian, say that again. What are we?”

Song Nian hooked an arm around his neck and kissed him first, his eyes warm and smiling. “Didn't you say it yourself? We're lip buddies.”

Jiang Hansheng was furious and very turned on.

Later, when Jiang Hansheng heard people talking about homophobia, he frowned. “So what if someone's gay?”

Then he turned around, wrapped his arms around Song Nian, and refused to let go, clinging to him as he whined, “You turned me into a horny gay man. You have to take responsibility for me, baby.”

Song Nian turned his head away in disgust. “...Get off me. I'm homophobic!”

*This should be a very short, sweet little story~*

Theme: Unrequited love is also a form of romance, when the object of your affection is your imagination