Work Text:
He's beyond exhausted.
Jingyi sighs, feeling his eyes droop. He wishes he could slump against his desk and just take a nap. It wouldn't help, honestly, and he's not allowed to. His parents will kill him if he doesn't get this work finished, and he's not allowed to half ass it either. If he gets a B on the assignment then his grade will slip to a B in the class and his parents do not allow anything below an A-.
It's exhausting, though. He feels so… burnt out. Like there's nothing left fueling his little fire. He's tired. He's falling behind. He's sad. He wants to cry. He wants to even die, just a little bit.
It hurts.
He turns back to his assignment and then-
He's jerked awake by a rough hand on his shoulder.
“A-Yi, did you finish?”
He looks over and sees his mom. Her eyebrows are furrowed, eyes a bit cold. Her hand is a bit too tight on his shoulder but he doesn't say anything, just tries to process the question.
“Almost,” he lies smoothly, turning back to look at his computer. “I'll finish it before school, A-niang, sorry for worrying you.”
She squeezes his shoulder. “Good boy. Don't forget your guqin practice after school,” she leaves after that, the sound of her heels agitating his ears.
He sighs, pulling out his phone.
Juniorsssss
A-Ling: dont forget
A-Qing: its almost like youve bene reminding us for 2 qeeks now
A-Zhen: be nice a-qing!!!!!
ill b there <3
A-Yi: sry i cant make it :[
A-Ling: HUH?
JINGYI! THIS WAS UR IDEA
A-Yi: i cant
im sorry
A-Yuan: is everything okay a-yi?
A-Yi: ye
moms getting after me about an assignment
A-Yuan: …
the one due next week?
A-Yi: it doesnt matter when its due
she just wants it done
A-Ling: im stealing you :|
A-Yi: u know i cant do that
cheer up young mistress yall still will have fun
A-Qing: not w/o you!!!!
A-Zhen: once u finish it we'll come get u and we can hang out at uncle chengs place
A-Yi: this might take me all day-
dpnt miss the event for me-
A-Qing: remember the rules??? all of us or non of us!!!!
A-Yi: fine
but if i cant make it u guys r doing that w/o me
A-Zhen: fine!!!
Jingyi sighs. He's tired, he's burnt out, and it's going to take too long for him to finish this assignment that he doesn't even need to yet. He's upset that he's missing that concert, and that his friends refuse to go without him and waste all the money their parents spent on them, but…
He loves his friends so much .