Extra 10: The Inside Jokes

It was a normal day, the kind where the hours dragged on slowly, and the classroom buzzed with the usual low murmurs of students talking, the soft scratch of pens against paper, and the occasional cough. But for Shen Yu, none of that mattered. His attention wasn't on the lesson, or even on the notes in front of him. No, it was on the quiet, shared moments between him and Lu Zhixuan.

Every so often, their eyes would meet across the room, a subtle shift in the air, a brief flicker of connection that no one else seemed to notice. It was in those moments that Shen Yu's heart would skip a beat. The exchange wasn't verbal—nothing so overt—but it was enough. Enough for them to share a smile, a knowing look, a silent joke that no one else could possibly understand.

"Zhao Rui," the teacher called, snapping Shen Yu back to attention. "Care to answer the question?"

He blinked, realizing he had been zoning out. All eyes were on him, but the sudden warmth in his cheeks wasn't from embarrassment—it was from the silent exchange he had just shared with Lu Zhixuan.

"I... uh, sorry. Could you repeat the question?" Shen Yu mumbled, flustered.

The teacher, having no patience for Shen Yu's dazed state, sighed and moved on. Shen Yu felt the weight of the awkward silence, but as his gaze drifted back to his desk, he saw it—Lu Zhixuan's subtle grin, the one that was both teasing and affectionate, the one that only Shen Yu knew meant something.

Shen Yu couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. That grin was a silent acknowledgment of everything they shared—every secret, every private joke, every look that no one else would ever understand.

Later that afternoon, as the class shifted from one subject to the next, Shen Yu found himself once again trying to focus on the lesson. But it was hopeless. His mind kept drifting back to those small moments he shared with Lu Zhixuan. Every so often, he would glance up, only to find Lu Zhixuan already looking at him. Their eyes would meet, and for a split second, the world outside of them would disappear.

It wasn't just the way they exchanged glances. No, it was the small, nearly invisible moments that made Shen Yu's heart race. Sometimes it was a half-smile from Lu Zhixuan when the teacher wasn't paying attention, or a quick glance and a raised eyebrow after Shen Yu had said something totally nonsensical in class. There were times when they would exchange whispered words in the middle of a conversation, knowing that no one else could hear, their voices low and hushed, yet somehow, their words would carry the weight of a thousand unspoken things.

One particular moment stuck with Shen Yu. It had been in the middle of a lecture about history, a subject that Shen Yu wasn't exactly passionate about. He had zoned out for a moment, his mind wandering to a more interesting topic—Lu Zhixuan. As if on cue, he felt a soft nudge against his elbow. It was Lu Zhixuan, of course, leaning in with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"I bet you didn't know that Napoleon was a really good cook," he whispered, barely audible.

Shen Yu blinked in surprise, glancing at him. "What?" he asked, not sure if he'd heard him correctly.

Lu Zhixuan grinned, leaning even closer, his voice barely a breath. "He was known for making amazing chicken stew. Bet you didn't know that."

Shen Yu stared at him for a second, unsure whether to laugh or scold him for distracting him during class. But before he could say anything, he saw that look in Lu Zhixuan's eyes. That look, the one that always made Shen Yu feel like there was a secret, just between them.

Shen Yu grinned, resisting the urge to chuckle. "Well, I guess I learned something new today," he muttered.

And just like that, the inside joke was born. No one else would ever understand that exchange, that tiny, absurd moment about Napoleon and chicken stew, but to Shen Yu, it meant everything. It was the kind of silly thing that would keep him smiling long after the class ended, a private joke that no one else could touch.

After school, as they walked out together, their bags slung over their shoulders, Shen Yu couldn't resist bringing it up. "So, Napoleon's really a chef, huh?" he teased, nudging Lu Zhixuan playfully.

Lu Zhixuan turned to him, his expression completely deadpan. "What can I say? History is full of surprises."

Shen Yu rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. "Right. Next, you'll tell me that Cleopatra was a fashion icon."

"You mean she wasn't?" Lu Zhixuan replied with mock seriousness. "I heard her eyeliner game was on point."

Shen Yu laughed, the sound light and carefree. No one else could make history class feel like a comedy show, but Lu Zhixuan had a way of turning even the most mundane things into moments that belonged only to them.

As they walked side by side, their shoulders brushing every so often, Shen Yu realized something. It wasn't just the big gestures or grand declarations of affection that made him feel special. It was these moments—the inside jokes, the quiet glances, the shared smiles—that made everything feel right.

In those fleeting, unspoken exchanges, Shen Yu felt more connected to Lu Zhixuan than he ever had before. There was no need for words to explain their bond. All it took was a shared look, a subtle grin, a whispered joke—and everything between them made perfect sense.

And for the first time in a long while, Shen Yu realized that he didn't need anyone else to understand what they had. As long as Lu Zhixuan was there, every glance, every inside joke, and every whispered word was enough. It was their language, their secret, their world—and Shen Yu was content to live in it.