Chapter Text
There was something particularly evil about having to run in the rain. Qiu hated it worse than scorching heat. The muddy track smooshed under his weight, boots fighting the suction of the ground. He felt the blisters forming over the preexisting callouses, wet socks rubbing him with each stride. The water rolled down the edges of his hat’s brim, obscuring his vision of those struggling around him.
Normally he thrived on any physical exertion but not in a storm. Today’s mandatory three mile run felt wrong. Something about today already felt off. There was a foreboding atmosphere around the day. Qiu had good instincts and he’d learned over the years to lean in and listen closely.
Advertisements would make Mui Military Academy out to be the best formal education a promising young man could have. Physical, mental, spiritual, blah blah. It was a place to bring together the best of the best regardless of background, for anyone worthy of graduating with noble prestige. A gift he should be thankful to be a part of.
In reality, the student body broke down into three camps: special forces destined psychopaths, general level nepotism babies automatically promised officer ranks upon graduation, and rich civilian brats being punished by negligent parents. And then there was Qiu.
Anyone here already tagged as a killer had an off gleam; tough but unpredictable. Not Qiu’s speed. Legacy kids cared more about academics and optics than any practical skills like physical fitness or tactical experience. The officer badge protected them from any possible bullet holes, a luxury Qiu wouldn’t be able to cash in on. The third group, lucky for them, were usually only temporary residents. The punk assholes were here for a moment and gone the next. Only a few fucked up hard enough to actually be forced to stay and graduate from here and safe to say they were all interesting pieces of work.
Qiu smirked to himself as he passed someone fallen in the mud. Understandably these school dynamics meant there was a wide range of physical ability among his classmates. By Qiu’s judgment, most were a long way off from finishing today’s morning exercise. He’d lost sight of the few friends he could claim thanks to the storm. He was pretty sure he’d lapped Tan Jiu a half a mile back. Xian he hadn’t seen today at all. That left the other two early birds who hit the dirt before him. As Qiu slowed to a stop, huffing slightly as his heart rate returned to normal, he noticed a small group huddled against the yard’s fence. It was odd enough to pull him over, taking in the scene rather than head over to breakfast. As expected Moss and GD had beat him in finishing the morning slog. Both had their attention captured by something. His skin prickled with an unease not related to the cold wet uniform clinging to his skin.
“What are we looking at?” Two students directly in front of him jumped, not noticing his silent approach and moved out of his view of the apparent show.
“New kid.” The intimidating brunette responded next to him. Often short with his words, GD was a token Special Forces. Obedient to higher command, physically intimidating even to Qiu, and one mysterious fucker. Qiu had learned to accept those aspects of him years ago. It was a fair trade for a loyal tight lipped roommate. He was one of the few people here Qiu was glad to have met, especially early on.
Moss spoke up next, filling in some of the gaps GD hadn’t communicated. Attention fixed on a car across the way, Moss said, “Whoever they are, he must be one important prick.” Social deduction and strategic thinking weren’t Qiu’s thing. Compared to his situation, everyone seemed ‘important’ or ‘somebody’. He left the political bullshit to Moss. The kid was always investigating, always connecting the dots, and planning the group’s next move.
“And?” Qiu squinted against the awful weather. He couldn’t see anything obviously unique. A single black car was parked outside of the Academy’s main entrance. The administration building stood alone from the rest of the school buildings. The old brick building presented the historic decorum most parents expected to see upon dropping off their precious offspring. The old fashioned car next to the ancient exterior blended in well with the setting. Mirroring the students in the yard, a group of faculty waited in the rain for the mysterious guest. Umbrellas blocked his view of who all was in attendance besides Han Xin.
Qiu would know him anywhere.
“And? Who the hell is this kid? When was the last time you heard of someone getting a personal welcome from the head of the school? That’s a new custom Rolls-Royce.”
Qiu scoffed, “The hell do you know about cars?”
“More than you dickhead.”
Well, he had him there. Qiu turned his attention back to the spectacle in front of them. Truly he didn’t understand why there was so much fanfare for one new jackass. He’d seen all types of people come and go from here. It wasn’t weird to see fancy cars. Most of the guys in their class were connected to money or, if nothing else, powerful people. Those few who weren’t connected were either questionable maniacs like GD or well… just him. Why would Han show up for one more cookie cutter asshole? Clearly, everyone sensed something he wasn’t picking up on.
It seemed everyone was holding their breath, waiting for someone to finally get their ass out of the car, waiting in the freezing rain. Qiu’s patience was wearing thin. His uniform was soaked through, and they had a full day of class ahead of them. At this point he was more concerned with a hot shower than whoever the fuck was hiding out in Daddy’s ride.
“Well, have fun. I’m out of-“
Suddenly, the front car doors popped open in unison. Black umbrellas sprung wide obscuring the dark shapes moving in different directions around the car. One man raised the trunk’s lid, grabbing bags, as the driver rounded to open the backdoor. Qiu held his breath, curious to see whoever emerged from the mysterious ride.
The boy who exited seemed to glide out of the car. His limbs were long, graceful, making his actions smooth like a cat’s. Qiu couldn’t see his face clearly from here but he noticed the jet black hair and pale skin. His body was concealed by a fitted dense overcoat. Any other details were blocked by the kid’s driver trying to shield him from the rain with an umbrella. Without acknowledging the growing flock of gawking students, he strode forward and through the group of adults into the building.
The whole scene took maybe a minute. So quick that it frustrated him how strong his sudden reaction was. Qiu wasn’t sure what drew him in but he felt a part of him stir. Alright, he was officially interested in the new kid, but he was pretty sure it wasn't in the same way as his friends.
“Two butlers. Told you.”
“Like you can talk. You’re a rich dickhead too.” Tan Jiu had apparently caught up both in the miles and the gang’s assumptions of the new arrival.
A new round of bickering started around him but Qiu couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. That forbidden queasy sensation ached in his stomach. He adjusted the black shirt sticking to his wet skin. He had to get out of here, out of this conversation, out of this day.
“Where you going, dude?”
Qiu headed off back towards the track, away from the dorms. “Running!”
“Again?”
He didn’t explain. Feet blisters be damned, Qiu only knew one way to burn this feeling off. He would deal with the consequences later.