Chichang: Friendship is golden

"...make yourself comfortable," said Chichang. "Ever since I was young, I knew that painting was the only thing I wanted to do. It was a compulsion, in a way. If you don't believe me, check this out."

Chichang got up, and went over to his dorm's cupboard. From it, he pulled out a large, black folder. He unzipped it, and revealed a stack of what were obviously exquisite art pieces. He put one sheet out onto the table in front of them. William reached out his hand to pick of the shard of glass. To his disdain, he could not do it - for it was nothing but a painting.

"Wow," he gasped, "you weren't lying."

It was clear that Chichang was trying his utmost to remain modest, yet he could not help but let a slightly proud smirk escape.

"Why didn't you go to art school? Are you actually interested in Chinese History and Ornithology, more than following your talent?"

"I don't know, William. I really don't. How much more of my past are you willing to take in?"

"I've got all the time in the world, it's okay. I'll just get us some tea."

When William came back from the kitchen carrying two steaming cups - his balance perfect from his waitering days - Chichang was sitting at his desk, and quickly closed his laptop when he saw William. He indicated at the other chair, for him to sit on.

"So... I was applying for art school, at the end of last August. I wanted to have first priority for a place, and I'd begun to create a portfolio two years prior. And, well, at the same time, I met this amazing girl. Soraja." He flinched at the mention of her name. Then he opened up his laptop to reveal a picture of two people - a girl with the blondest hair and the whitest skin that William had ever seen, and a boy who looked exactly like Chichang, but with slightly shorter hair - with dazzling smiles of genuine happiness.

"She was from Sweden," Chichang added. "Her father was a famous architect, and moved the family to Taiwan, whilst he renovated our city."

"She has nice bone structure," commented William, then looked down quickly.

"Yeah? Well. Bone structure isn't much good when you're boyfriend's trying to get into a prestigious university, is it?" Chichang sounded bitter.

"How so?" asked William, who still hadn't latched onto the fact that they were about to go into sensitive territory, having never had any contact with the world of relationships himself.

"I was creating my portfolio and... I was spending far too much time with her. I know that now, in retrospect. As I did so, the quality of my work declined. My father told me that I wasn't good enough for art school. This made me so angry, because I knew I was capable, it was all I lived for, apart from Soraja. And at the time, I really thought I was putting my all into it. But that... man told me that I was hopeless, that I was wasting my time. I hated it, I felt lost, art was like my guiding light." Chichang gulped.

Luckily, William had realised by this time that his friend was struggling to tell him everything, so he did not attempt to force him to continue. But clearly, Chichang trusted him enough.

"I started to take it out on Soraja."

William was utterly taken aback. This seemingly pleasant boy, a violent woman-beater? He was lost for words.

"You know... I stole her father's money. Whenever I spent the night there, and the house was dark. He just left it laying around. And then Soraja would get blamed. I know it's terrible, but I've put it behind me now. All I ask is that you don't judge me."

"Okay, Chichang," he replied, with a deep breath. His main thought was one of relief, that he was glad Chichang had not been hitting his girlfriend. "But what happened? Did you get found out?"

"I had to confess eventually She was so hysterical that... that she freaking took an overdose, William. And now she's living back in Linköping. Far away from here, which is the best thing for everyone. I am so thankful that she recovered, but I don't dare contact her again. For one thing, her father would absolutely massacre me."

William bit his lip, and was unsure whether to put his arm around Chichang or not, in order to comfort him. He decided against it. Instead, he swore in Chinese, Japanese, and English. Then he proceeded to say one thing:

"If you don't mind me asking, what has all that got to do with the fact you're here?"

He knew, a few seconds afterwards, that that sentence must have sounded quite rude and hurtful, and he felt immediately remorseful.

However, Chichang appeared unfazed. "Well... after that debacle, and when I was at my lowest, I looked at my portfolio work and I could see that it really was mediocre since I had been with Soraja. I had failed myself, and my father too. Thus, I decided to erase that part of myself, and to spite him - "

"So, you took Chinese History with Ornithology? The most ridiculous course in the world?" asked William, grinning.

"Yeah. Exactly right!"

They both broke into progressive sniggers, spilling their tea in the process.

Of course William had already told Chichang of his life - at least, all he knew of it - and so they were both at an optimum level of friendship. William's happiness of finding someone with whom he could share both laughter and tears, was immense.