The Return of the Little Sandwich Bandit
Gong Jun has a quiet but happy life.He lives in a small mountain town, an idyllic place of misty mornings and cherry blossom showers, where he runs his own sandwich shop. He's got many friends and no known foes. A loving boyfriend, who Gong Jun's been seeing for years. He's got his habits and a comfortable routine, but one day, somebody steals a sandwich from Gong Jun's shop.He needs your help.Join Gong Jun on his adventure to find the little sandwich bandit! Interacting with 6 different townspeople, look for clues and complete challenges to figure out the thief's identity. If you fail the first time, don't worry. Find all 6 endings to the story and complete the hexagon.Are you ready?
Usually, Gong Jun loves Fridays at work.He closes the shop a little earlier, the customers are all happier because of the approaching weekend, and it’s date night, so Gong Jun rushes home a little hastier.Not today, though. Today, he’s feeling grumpy.He likes to have a little break before the lunch crowd comes, a couple of minutes where it’s just him sitting in the empty restaurant and enjoying a quick meal. He always prepares it in advance, one of the first sandwiches that he makes in the morning—so that he doesn’t have to think about it when the break comes, so that he doesn’t have to work when he’s meant to rest.Not today, though. Today, somebody has stolen his sandwich.It was a simple thing, a crusty baguette with ham, butter, and cheese. Gong Jun's planned to eat it with a cup of coffee and the thought of it got him through the morning rush. When he closes the restaurant for his break and opens the fridge, however, there is nothing left of the sandwich but crumbs.Those, and a note.Find me if you can.
么么哒, The Sandwich BanditGong Jun goes to make himself a replacement—he’s really not in the mood for a BLT today, but it’s fine—and stops just short of grabbing a knife. No, he thinks. This won’t do.
He needs to find the thief.This Friday, Gong Jun hangs his apron up before noon and leaves the restaurant even quicker than usual. He’s fuelled by hunger and anger in equal proportion, and he knows he has limited time—he and Zhehan have agreed to have dinner at 6.He starts walking down the street, many people greeting him with bewildered waves, like seeing Gong Jun out and about at this hour spells trouble of some sort. He also feels strange about it. The town is buzzing with a different energy than he’s used to, people still returning home from the market, others drinking wine or tea in the sunshine, all the dogs hiding in the shade.When the road suddenly branches out into three, Gong Jun stops in his tracks. The thief could be anywhere, and he doesn’t know where to start.
Zhou Ye’s family lives in a house by the riverside, but he’s less than half of the way there when he spots her sitting on a patch of grass, cloud gazing. She startles when she sees him approach, but quickly schools her expression into that of delight.“Jun-ge!” she says, practically pulling at his legs to get him to sit down. “Long time no see! Are you busy?”Gong Jun smiles at her, folding out his robes under himself and sitting down a few inches away, where the grass is shaded by a large cherry tree. “Yes, actually. I’m looking for someone.”“Ah? Are you looking for Zhang-ge?” she asks, and points her finger up towards the sky, all of a sudden, like she’s just gotten an important idea. “I got a really fun book at the market today! Well, Wenyuan got it for me, but it’s all mine now.”“I wanted to ask if you—”“Look, it’s a book about soulmates.” Zhou Ye sticks the book under his nose, so close that Gong Jun couldn't work out the characters even if he wanted to. “It asks you some questions about your partner and if you can answer, it calculates your soulmate score.”“That sounds—”“Exciting, right?”Gong Jun tries to protest once more. He enjoys Zhou Ye’s company, usually, but right now he is wasting precious time that could be spent looking for the sandwich miscreant. Zhou Ye beats him to the punch again, however.“Say, do you know when Zhang-ge was born?” she asks, looking at him with curiosity from above the book’s pages.Gong Jun huffs.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have time for this,” he says, standing up and brushing off stray pieces of grass. He doesn’t want to be rude, so he adds: “I hope you and Wenyuan had a high score.”“95 out of 100!” Zhou Ye says, with a proud grin.“Congratulations,” he says, keeps himself from rolling his eyes. God only knows he’d be equally excited to get a score that high with Zhehan, and he’s got a good few years on Zhou Ye. “You haven’t seen anyone suspicious around, have you?”“Suspicious?” Zhou Ye’s eyebrows shoot up.“I had a thief in the shop today,” Gong Jun explains.“I didn’t see a thief around, no,” Zhou Ye says, but her voice turns contemplative. “But I saw Wang Ruolin looking a little suspicious earlier. He was walking around muttering to himself.”That doesn’t really help Gong Jun, but he supposes it’s better than nothing. Wang Ruolin is known as the town gossip, so if there’s anybody who could help him find a clue, he’s the man.He thanks Zhou Ye and sets on his way.
“That’s correct!” Zhou Ye says, clapping her hands in excitement. “That’s ten points towards your score.”“That was too easy.” Gong Jun shrugs.“Fine, here’s the next one,” Zhou Ye says. “Where did you and Zhang-ge first meet?”Gong Jun rolls his eyes.
“Yes, that’s right!” Zhou Ye says, growing even more excited. “I don’t think you can beat me and Wenyuan, but you’re doing well so far, ge.”“I’ve been with Zhehan for years,” Gong Jun says, like it’s self-explanatory. “You’d need a really hard question to trip me up.”“Okay then. How many times did you ask Zhang-ge out only for him to dismiss it because he didn’t realise that’s what you were doing?” Zhou Ye asks, too amused for her own good.
“Correct again!” Zhou Ye says, smiling cheekily. “Honestly, Jun-ge, if you'd asked him out eight times and he still wouldn't have caught on, you’d be better off without him.”“That question is definitely not in the book,” Gong Jun says. “And how do you even know the answer, anyway?”“We were all there,” Zhou Ye says, rolling her eyes. “Thank god he asked you out himself in the end. You’re so good for each other, I’m sure you’ll get at least a 70 on the quiz. And it makes sense that Zhehan has planned this whole scavenger hunt for you. I hope Wenyuan will—”“Scavenger hunt?”Zhou Ye blinks. She claps her hands across her mouth with a loud crack, obviously having said more than she was supposed to. Gong Jun jumps up from the ground, suddenly full of adrenaline. He thanks Zhou Ye before he breaks into a run, a little needless, a lot ungraceful.That little gremlin, he thinks. A scavenger hunt?He needs to find Zhehan.
“Ah, I only remember the three times…”“That’s not a question from the book!” Gong Jun says, accusatory.Zhou Ye doesn’t try to refute him, but she stands her ground. “You didn’t ask him out eight times, Jun-ge. We would’ve known.”“How do you even know I asked him out three times?”“We were all there,” Zhou Ye says, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, I think we should stop the questionnaire before you get too sad. If you can’t even answer the third question…”Gong Jun stands up from the ground and avoids looking at Zhou Ye. He doesn’t want to see her gloating.“You haven’t seen anyone suspicious around, have you?”“Suspicious?” Zhou Ye’s eyebrows shoot up.“I had a thief in the shop today,” Gong Jun explains.“I didn’t see a thief around, no,” Zhou Ye says, but her voice turns contemplative. “But I saw Huang Youming looking a little desperate. Maybe somebody stole his sandwich, too? You should go ask.”That doesn’t really help Gong Jun, but he supposes it’s better than nothing. He doesn’t want to keep playing this game, or listen to Zhou Ye gush about how she and Wenyuan are obviously meant to be. He and Zhehan are, too, and a stupid quiz can’t change that.He thanks Zhou Ye and sets on his way.
“We met at Ma-jie’s house,” Gong Jun says. “At her birthday party.”“Wrong!” Zhou Ye says, a little too loud, a little too excited to catch him out. “You’ve met before that.”“Surely I know when I first met my own boyfriend.”“Nuh-uh, Zhang-ge told me the story many times,” Zhou Ye says. “He said you were very clumsy but adorable, and that he didn’t want to approach you because he was scared you’d stab him with the sword.”“If he didn’t approach me that hardly counts as—”“That’s where you first met.” Zhou Ye shrugs. “I don’t make the rules.”Truth be told, Gong Jun’s mostly irritated by his own inability to answer the question correctly. That’s not what he tells Zhou Ye, though, as he stands up, brushes his robes off, and hurries back towards the town. He doesn’t have time for games like these, after all—he’s got a sandwich to avenge.He walks down a dusty road leading towards the town market when—
“That’s not correct,” Zhou Ye says, a little surprised, a little horrified.“How do you know?” Gong Jun asks, a lot more horrified but trying to hide it.“I helped you make that cake for Zhang-ge last time, remember?” she says. “That was in May.”Gong Jun just stops himself short of gasping. Of course Zhehan’s birthday is in May, how could he forget that. He can’t face Zhou Ye, suddenly, and turns to stare up at the clouds like they could absolve him of this sin.“You haven’t seen anyone suspicious around today, have you?” he asks after a long while. Figures it’s only fair to try. “I had a thief in the shop today.”Zhou Ye lets out a horrified gasp. “Somebody broke into the shop?!”“Well, not exactly,” Gong Jun says. Nobody forced their way in—there were no signs of struggle or vandalism, no broken windows or locks picked apart.“So somebody unlocked the door?” Zhou Ye asks, following his trail of thought. “Somebody who has the key?”“That’s impossible,” Gong Jun says. “Nobody has a key to the shop except me and—”Zhehan. Zhehan has a key to the shop. Zhehan, who he trusts, and whose birthday he suddenly couldn’t remember.Gong Jun doesn’t know if he should continue feeling horrified, offended, or embarrassed, but he thanks Zhou Ye and leaves, almost tripping over the grass in his hurry. He knows who he needs to talk to.
Gong Jun starts walking towards the school, thinking he might find the culprit there. The children shouldn’t leave the school grounds during the morning break, but he knows how it is, that rule is meant to be broken.On the way there, he passes a funny looking tree that almost looks like a boy and then backtracks, whipping his head around to see Sun Xilun hiding behind a spindly birch.“What are you doing?”The boy, who’s hunched over looking at a piece of paper, jumps.“Jun-ge!” he shouts, shoulders up to his ears.Gong Jun immediately gets suspicious.“Why are you hiding here?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “Did you steal something?”“What? No! No, I’m just—”The boy crumbles under Gong Jun’s imploring gaze and spills the whole story in a matter of seconds. There’s a play that Xilun’s class is putting on and he’s been asked to be part of the choir. The rehearsal is in an hour and Xilun’s forgotten to prepare for it and—though he doesn’t confess this part—he’s very stressed about having to perform in front of a crowd.When Gong Jun tells him his side of the story, though, the boy gets a little mischievous.“I think I know who stole your sandwich,” the boy says, all false bravado.“Who?”“I’ll tell you if you help me.”Gong Jun considers this. He likes singing, and performing, and surely he could give the boy some useful tips. But he’s not sure if the boy can actually help him, and how long it’ll take to awaken the boy’s confidence.
“I’m sorry, didi, I really don’t have the time,” Gong Jun says, doing his best to look apologetic. “I’m sure you’ll do great. Just go and enjoy it.”Xilun turns his head away like he’s been slapped by Gong Jun’s rejection, and he walks a few steps back, plastering his back to the birch tree. It’s still too thin to do a good job of hiding him, but Xilun seems intent on staying there, moping.“Fine. I don’t want to keep you, Jun-ge,” he says, staring up towards the tree’s crown.Gong Jun winces. “I can come help you after I find the thief, hm? If you can help me—”“I don’t think so.”“But you said you knew who the thief was!”“I did say that, didn’t I?” Xilun says under his breath, more like he’s berating himself for being silly than addressing Gong Jun. He ends up shrugging. “I don’t know who stole your sandwich, but I know who can help you.”“Who?” Gong Jun leans towards him, practically vibrating with restlessness.“Li Daikun,” Xilun says. “He lives next to your shop, doesn’t he? Maybe he saw something.”Gong Jun tilts his head as he considers the idea and hums. That’s not a bad suggestion, he concedes. Turning on his heels and basically flying back towards town, he settles for a quick goodbye and wishes Xilun good luck on his play. The boy rolls his eyes and Gong Jun pretends he didn’t see. Teenagers, eh.
Gong Jun spots Li Daikun the moment he turns into his street, the man sitting on a little bench in front of his house and reading. Gong Jun moves until he’s towering above him, casting a long shadow over Li Daikun’s book and making him look up. His greeting is uncharacteristically nice, after what’s transpired with Xilun.“Did something happen at work, ge?” Li Daikun asks, once they’ve been exchanging pleasantries for three minutes too long. “You’re never around at this time.”“I had a break-in today,” Gong Jun says. He’s happy for the opening, too impatient to skirt around the subject any longer. “Somebody stole one of my sandwiches.”“Oh?” Li Daikun raises an eyebrow.“I’m trying to find the thief,” Gong Jun elaborates, just in case Li Daikun further questions his work ethic. “Have you been out here all morning?”“Most of it, yeah.”“Did you see something?”“Perhaps.” Li Daikun slams his book closed and straightens on the bench, rubs a considering hand over his non-existent stubble.“Really? That’s—”“Remember that bet we made? About Han-ge asking you out?”
Gong Jun feels his cheeks burn.Of course he remembers the bet, he’s spent ample time agonizing over its subject. Back then, he was heartsick and convinced that Zhehan would never ask him out. Li Daikun bet 150y against Gong Jun in the matter, claiming that Zhehan would confess within the year’s end.“Eh, yes,” Gong Jun says, avoiding his gaze. “I’m sorry about that.”Li Daikun shrugs. There’s something ominous in the curl of his smile. “You were too preoccupied being in love,” he says, pronouncing the last words like they're scratching his tongue while rolling off it. “It’s all good, you can just pay me back now.”The implication seems clear, pay up or scatter. Gong Jun reaches for the money in his pocket but hesitates.
“Fine,” Gong Jun says, only a tad irritated as he hands over the smoothened banknotes. “Happy, now?”Li Daikun counts the money out in visible satisfaction, humming. “Thank you, ge. I always knew you were a man of your word.”Gong Jun nods, glad to have that cleared up. “So, what can you tell me about this thief—”“Han-ge also owes me some money, you know,” Li Daikun cuts him off. “Just around the same time we made our bet, he pledged 300y on how you’d never go out with him.”Gong Jun grits his teeth, feeling his cheeks warm again. He knows immediately where this is going, and can't stand the calculating and amused glint in Li Daikun’s eyes. He’s enjoying every second of Gong Jun’s torture.“What’s that got to do with me?”“Zhehan says he doesn’t remember, but I’ve got witnesses. Since you two are basically a package deal now—”Gong Jun mentally curses Zhehan for ever making such a stupid debt. He’s got another 500y in his wallet, and he’s impatient to get his clue and move on, but there are limits to his philanthropy.
“I’ll talk to Zhehan,” Gong Jun says, but he folds his arms over his chest, frowning. “But now’s really not the time. The thief could be anywhere by now, maybe even—”Li Daikun sighs. He leans back on the bench, opens his book again and, for a while, Gong Jun thinks he’s going to be completely ignored. As he slowly turns the page, Li Daikun says: “I didn’t really see anyone suspicious, but you should go talk to Zhou Ye.”“Zhou Ye?” Gong Jun asks.“Yeah, she and her boyfriend skipped school today,” Li Daikun says. He sounds very approving. “I saw them milling around nearby, checking out the market stalls.”Gong Jun nods. It’s not the clue he’s been hoping for, but he knows he’s not going to get anything else out of Daikun, not when the man turns sideways on the bench to push his book out of Gong Jun’s shadow.
He thanks him and gets on his way.
With another long-suffering sigh, Gong Jun hands him his hard-earned money. “If Zhehan makes another stupid bet, please leave me out of it.”Li Daikun laughs, pocketing the money with obvious satisfaction. He sets the book down on the bench and smiles at Gong Jun, mock-sheepish. “Thank you, ge. The money will be spent wisely.”“It better be,” Gong Jun says. “Now can you tell me if you saw anyone—”“I saw somebody leaving through the back door, just around nine,” Li Daikun says. Unhurried, unbothered, holding Gong Jun’s gaze as he hangs on to every word. “You were just out here dealing with the bread delivery.”That’s true, Gong Jun did come out of the shop when he spotted the bakery cart driving through the street, and he spent a few minutes chatting with the owner about his rheumatism. There was nothing amiss in the shop when he went back, but it’s likely that the sandwich might’ve already been gone at that time.“How did they get in?” he muses out loud.Li Daikun smirks. “Well, it didn’t look like a break in. The person just went in and out, like they had a key.”“That’s impossible,” Gong Jun says. “Nobody has a key to the shop except me and—”Zhehan. Zhehan has a key to the shop.Gong Jun thanks Li Daikun and leaves, stirring up a cloud of dust in his hurry. He knows who he needs to talk to.
“I was robbed,” Gong Jun says, folding his arms over his chest and frowning down at Li Daikun with exaggerated distress, “and you won’t help me unless I pay you?”Li Daikun grins, holding out his hands in a gesture of resignation.“It’s only fair, ge,” he says. “Having to watch you and Zhehan circle around each other for months, I think it’s the least you can do—”Gong Jun harrumphs and turns around mid-sentence, stalking off in the opposite direction. Yes, he made that bet and he will honour it—at some appropriate time in the future. But there are matters of greater urgency now, like his stolen sandwich, and he won’t listen to Li Daikun talking about his and Zhehan’s relationship in that tone, no sir.He turns back towards the town centre, determined to find a different clue, when—
“Fine, I’ll help you.”It soon becomes clear to Gong Jun why Xilun’s so stressed about the performance.His singing is not horrible, but it’s obvious he’s not enjoying it whatsoever. Even once Gong Jun helps him find a better pitch, his tone is flat and lifeless, and he keeps stepping from one foot to another, a helpless ball of nerves.After the fifth time Xilun performs the song like he’s a vocally-challenged little sparrow looking for its mother, Gong Jun holds back a sigh.“I think your rehearsal’s about to start.”“Oh no!” Xilun’s eyes widen as he reflexively jumps back behind the tree. “Jun-ge, I’m not ready!”Gong Jun’s not sure what to tell him.
“Don’t say that! You’re doing much better already,” Gong Jun says, smiling with so much fake enthusiasm it makes his cheeks hurt. “It’s a little rough around the edges—but I can tell you’re a natural!”Xilun looks at him with his brows furrowed, but the longer Gong Jun goes on with his praise, the more the boy seems to relax.“Thank you, Jun-ge,” he says. “I hope you’re right.”“Of course I am!” The moment Gong Jun sees some of the tension leave the boy’s shoulders, he pounces: “So, what were you saying about the sandwich thief?”“Oh. I don’t know if it helps you, really,” Xilun starts, scratching the skin behind his ear, “but I saw Han-ge walking around town today, eating a sandwich.”Gong Jun rolls his eyes. He does his best not to feel disappointed. “I made him a sandwich to take to work. He was probably just feeling restless—”“Well, it looked exactly like the sandwich you described,” Xilun says, shrugging.Before Gong Jun has a chance to ask anything else, the boy gives his shoulder a thankful squeeze and launches off towards the school. Gong Jun stares at him as his thoughts click into place.Yes, he packed Zhehan a sandwich that morning, but it was very different from the one that got stolen. They had some leftover focaccia from yesterday and he stuffed it with roast turkey, dried tomatoes, and his own homemade tapenade. If Xilun saw Zhehan eating a different sandwich—
It’s too early for Zhehan to be home, and Gong Jun spends two hours alternating between pacing up and down the house and cleaning it. He’s just in the middle of mopping the kitchen floor when he hears Zhehan’s key turn in the lock. He rushes to greet him, trying to act as normal as possible.“Hi,” Gong Jun says, leaning in for a quick kiss. He helps Zhehan with the bag he’s carrying, heavy with groceries and a jug of wine.“You got home early?” Zhehan asks, trailing after him into the kitchen and looking around at the sparkling interior, a little awed. “Did something happen?”It’s an easy opening, but Gong Jun doesn’t jump at it. He unloads the groceries onto the kitchen counter, asks Zhehan mindless questions about his day, and avoids the topic of his own work with steadfast precision. He makes a pot of tea and sits across the table from Zhehan, refilling his cup whenever the silence begins to stretch.“I missed you,” he says, nudging Zhehan’s foot with his own.Zhehan laughs, warm. “You saw me a couple hours ago!”“A couple hours too many.”Gong Jun continues the sweet talk and pours Zhehan more tea until he sees him start to relax. Then, he decides to strike.
“I had a thief in the shop today,” Gong Jun says, and watches Zhehan pause with the cup halfway to his mouth. “Somebody stole my sandwich.”“Right under your nose?” Zhehan asks, eyes widening in surprise.“Right behind my back,” Gong Jun says. “They stole my sandwich. The one I made for lunch.”The tells are small—just the corner of Zhehan’s mouth twitching, a moment of blinking in rapid succession—but Gong Jun knows right away. He stands up, facing away from Zhehan and producing the little note he found in the fridge. Looking at it again, the handwriting is familiar. Obvious.A scavenger hunt, very well. Zhehan probably thought he was being sneaky, but he was definitely waiting for Gong Jun to catch on. There would be no point to it, otherwise.
“I know you stole the sandwich, Zhehan,” Gong Jun says. He doesn’t turn around right away, takes in the silence. He thinks he can hear Zhehan take a breath, but he’s not sure if it’s shocked or pleased or—“Took you long enough,” Zhehan says. “I thought you’d storm into my work. Warned my boss and all.”“Don’t get all cocky just because you got caught,” Gong Jun says. He finally faces Zhehan and finds him grinning, a stupid goofy smile that has his cheeks bulging and eyes squeezing into tiny crescents. He’s weak against that expression, so he folds his arms over his chest, in an even weaker gesture of defence.“Okay, okay, I confess, inspector,” Zhehan says, rolling his eyes. He looks about a second away from cracking up. Gong Jun wants to both kiss him and smack him. “But let me show you something, before you arrest me.”Zhehan reaches into the sleeve of his robe, pulling out something small and sparkly. At first, Gong Jun thinks it’s a coin, but upon a second glance, he can see that it’s a—“Will you marry this little sandwich bandit?” Zhehan asks, dropping down on one knee in front of Gong Jun, almost knocking the table sideways. It’s his weak knee, and Zhehan winces. Gong Jun shelves the shock of the proposal and hurries to catch his arms, tugging him up.“Be careful, you idiot,” he hisses, but he completely crumbles under Zhehan’s gaze, when it’s pointed straight at him—not as happy-go-lucky anymore, but warm. Loving. Hopeful.Things click into place, suddenly. The whole stupid scavenger hunt of the proposal, a number of obstacles for Gong Jun to handle, to find Zhehan waiting for him on the other end. It’s so stupid and romantic, he throws himself over Zhehan’s shoulders, hugging him.“Couldn’t you have asked me like a normal person?”“Is that a yes?”“What if I never solved it?”“Junjun, please—”“Of course I’ll marry you,” Gong Jun says, squeezing Zhehan hard enough that his grip’s bound to bruise. He suspects Zhehan won’t mind. A bruise for the occasion, a commemoration and punishment for making Gong Jun run around like a crazed buffalo.He lets go so that he can kiss Zhehan, because the annoyance is really all just an act, a way to give himself time. But he doesn’t think he’ll regain his composure, not with Zhehan continuing to look at him like that, like he’s hung the moon. Gong Jun rushes in for the kiss, knocking their foreheads together.“Please don’t do anything like this at the wedding.”“I won’t.”“Promise me.”Zhehan nods. It’s a little weaker than the vow that Gong Jun's had in mind, but then he’s stacking the ring onto Gong Jun’s finger, and there’s very little protest left in him. He melts into Zhehan’s arms, a pile of happy goo.In the end, the search was all worth it.
Gong Jun’s not stupid, he knows what this is all about. A scavenger hunt leading him to the thief, a series of loops leading him to Zhehan, to prove that he knows him. He’s not being presumptuous, thinking it’s an elaborate engagement. No, he just really does know him.He decides to have a little fun with it, though.“Do you want chicken with rice for dinner?” he asks, and starts moving the groceries across the kitchen counter. “Or noodles? Something spicy?”“I’m fine with whatever,” Zhehan says. He stands up to join Gong Jun at the counter, a little mum. Watches as Gong Jun starts gathering the ingredients and readying his pots and pans. When he can’t hold his curiosity back any longer, he asks: “So, did you find the thief in the end?”“No, it could’ve been anyone,” Gong Jun shrugs. “It was just a sandwich. I just made another one.”It’s a lie, and Zhehan knows this, but he can’t exactly say that without exposing himself. Gong Jun starts deboning the chicken with satisfaction.“What if it happens again? Aren’t you worried?”Gong Jun shakes his head, unbothered. “What’s the worst that can happen? The thief will steal a few more sandwiches?”“What if they do something worse next time?” Zhehan asks. His voice catches a little, like he’s fighting with the question. “What if they—harm you?”“Everyone knows I have a loyal protective boyfriend that would take revenge,” Gong Jun says, sticking his elbows out a little too aggressively. He glances behind his shoulder, looking at Zhehan from under his lashes. “Wouldn’t you, dage?”Zhehan clears his throat. He doesn’t try to broach the topic again.He doesn’t help Gong Jun with the cooking—not for a lack of trying—but sets the table and gets them some wine. They chat about other important things—Zhehan’s work, his mom, Gong Jun’s work, his parents—and some unimportant ones—who’ll wash the bedsheets, where to buy some freshwater snails, what’s the best way to spot a ripe watermelon—and then they drink and go for a walk.By the time they come back and retreat to bed, Zhehan looks like he’s half-forgotten the whole sandwich ordeal. Not Gong Jun, though.He keeps quiet about it all through the weekend and waits for Monday to come. Wakes up earlier than usual and makes Zhehan his customary work sandwich, packages it in two napkins and slips in an extra piece of paper, ties red string around it in a pretty little bow. Zhehan’s too sleepy to notice the embellishment when he kisses Gong Jun goodbye on the doorstep, but that’s fine, Gong Jun can wait.Dear Sandwich Bandit, will you marry me?, the note reads, and he knows that Zhehan will come find him, will rush through the streets like a man possessed, and Gong Jun will be waiting.
It’s too early for Zhehan to be home, and Gong Jun spends two hours alternating between pacing up and down the house and cleaning it. He’s just in the middle of mopping the kitchen floor when he hears Zhehan’s key turn in the lock. He rushes to greet him, trying to act as normal as possible.“Hi,” Gong Jun says, leaning in for a quick kiss. He helps Zhehan with the bag he’s carrying, heavy with groceries and a jug of wine.“You got home early?” Zhehan asks, trailing after him into the kitchen and looking around at the sparkling interior, a little awed. “Did something happen?”It’s an easy opening, but Gong Jun doesn’t jump at it. He unloads the groceries onto the kitchen counter, asks Zhehan mindless questions about his day, and avoids the topic of his own work with steadfast precision. He makes a pot of tea and sits across the table from Zhehan, refilling his cup whenever the silence begins to stretch.“I missed you,” he says, nudging Zhehan’s foot with his own.Zhehan laughs, warm. “You saw me a couple hours ago!”“A couple hours too many.”Gong Jun continues the sweet talk and pours Zhehan more tea until he sees him start to relax. Then, he decides to strike.
It’s too early for Zhehan to be home, and Gong Jun spends two hours alternating between pacing up and down the house and cleaning it. He’s just in the middle of mopping the kitchen floor when he hears Zhehan’s key turn in the lock. He rushes to greet him, trying to act as normal as possible.“Hi,” Gong Jun says, leaning in for a quick kiss. He helps Zhehan with the bag he’s carrying, heavy with groceries and a jug of wine.“You got home early?” Zhehan asks, trailing after him into the kitchen and looking around at the sparkling interior, a little awed. “Did something happen?”It’s an easy opening, but Gong Jun doesn’t jump at it. He unloads the groceries onto the kitchen counter, asks Zhehan mindless questions about his day, and avoids the topic of his own work with steadfast precision. He makes a pot of tea and sits across the table from Zhehan, refilling his cup whenever the silence begins to stretch.“I missed you,” he says, nudging Zhehan’s foot with his own.Zhehan laughs, warm. “You saw me a couple hours ago!”“A couple hours too many.”Gong Jun continues the sweet talk and pours Zhehan more tea until he sees him start to relax. Then, he decides to strike.
“I had a thief in the shop today,” Gong Jun says, and watches Zhehan pause with the cup halfway to his mouth. “Somebody stole my sandwich.”“Right under your nose?” Zhehan asks, eyes widening in surprise.“Right behind my back,” Gong Jun says. “They stole my sandwich. The one I made for lunch.”He doesn’t wait for Zhehan’s answer, producing the little note he found in the fridge, the one that—now that he thinks about it—has suspiciously familiar handwriting. He lays it out in front of Zhehan, stretching out the crumpled edges.“You wouldn’t know anything about this, right?”“Me?” Zhehan asks. He laughs at the suggestion, a little too loud. “I was at work, how could I—”“Somebody saw you in town,” Gong Jun says. “Apparently, you were eating a sandwich.”“Ah, that,” Zhehan smiles, scratching at his neck. “That was the one you made me, dummy. I took a little break and went to stretch my legs.”“Really?” Gong Jun narrows his eyes, smiling sweetly. “They described it a little differently. I know I made you a turkey focaccia, but this person distinctly remembers that you were eating a baguette.”Instead of another loud laugh, Zhehan turns sheepish. “I was really hungry today.”“So you stole—”“So I ate your sandwich in the morning and then asked Xiaoyu to go buy me another one.”“Huh.”Gong Jun blinks a few times, confused. It’s true that he saw Xiaoyu at the shop today, and he’d sold the man two sandwiches and a jug of cold elderberry water. When he'd asked Xiaoyu who the other sandwich was for, he joked he just had a big appetite. Knowing the man, Gong Jun accepted it without much suspicion.Now, though…
“Zhehan, why are you like this?” Gong Jun asks, pretending to rub an agonised hand over his face. “You work too hard. I told you. If you go on like this, you won’t—”“Hey, that’s not true,” Zhehan protests. He makes a grab for Gong Jun’s hand, grinning when he finally manages to fight it off his face and lay it out on the table between them.It doesn’t comfort Gong Jun much. “You start work too early, and finish too late, and you don’t take enough breaks. It’s no wonder you’re hungry. You don’t even have time to come buy your own sandwich—”“I took a break to eat it.”“Don’t interrupt me,” Gong Jun says, squeezing his hand in warning. “Did you eat anything else besides those sandwiches?”Zhehan hesitates, his forehead wrinkled as he struggles to retrieve a satisfying answer. “I had some coffee?”“Coffee isn’t food!” Gong Jun says, lips set into a thin line. “You can’t live on sandwiches alone. Do you know how unhealthy that is?”At the same time, Gong Jun’s stomach gives a loud rumble. He coughs in a useless attempt to hide it. The last thing he wants is for Zhehan to realise that he himself has eaten nothing since his breakfast, the hunt for the bandit becoming a priority beyond the baser needs of his body.Zhehan seems to realise, anyway. Instead of teasing, he untangles their fingers and gives the back of Gong Jun’s hand an encouraging tap. “Well, it’s a Friday,” he says with a cheeky smile.“And?”“Date night,” Zhehan sing songs, and has the audacity to slap Gong Jun’s palm before he stands up. “Hurry up and stop moping or I’ll start cooking without you.”Terrified at the prospect, Gong Jun fights Zhehan to be the first one at the kitchen counter. He fails, but hip bumps Zhehan out of the way, relegating him to vegetable washing duty. Zhehan salutes him and does an okay job of it, then goes behind Gong Jun’s back and does a horrible job of cutting the vegetables.Gong Jun doesn’t have it in himself to scold him.
They get distracted a few times while cooking dinner, but nothing gets burnt. Zhehan’s bought some good wine—a part of Gong Jun winces at the expense, but he doesn’t say anything, knows that Zhehan was happy to spend his money on it—and they drink way too many cups before the sun even sets.Wine always makes Gong Jun floppy and playful and he serenades Zhehan with a horrible rendition of a song he recently learned from a customer, while Zhehan listens and tries to work out the proper melodies.
They take a walk around town, huddle close in the autumn breeze, and Zhehan teases him about the whole ordeal before they make their way back home.“That stolen sandwich really threw you for a loop, huh?” he asks.“It was a really good sandwich,” Gong Jun says, sighing, and leans his bodyweight onto Zhehan as he struggles to unlock the door in the dark.“I’m sorry you didn’t find the culprit,” Zhehan says, once they’re inside.Gong Jun shushes him with a kiss. A long one, a proper distraction, pushing Zhehan’s back against the wall and crowding into him. Such that, by the time they break apart, Zhehan probably doesn’t remember what they’ve been talking about.Gong Jun smirks, looking at him from under his eyelashes.“Tomorrow’s another day.”
“I had a thief in the shop today,” Gong Jun says, and watches Zhehan pause with the cup halfway to his mouth. “Somebody stole my sandwich.”“Right under your nose?” Zhehan asks, eyes widening in surprise.“Right behind my back,” Gong Jun says. “They stole my sandwich. The one I made for lunch.”He doesn’t wait for Zhehan’s answer, producing the little note he found in the fridge, the one that—now that he thinks about it—has suspiciously familiar handwriting. He lays it out in front of Zhehan, stretching out the crumpled edges.“You wouldn’t know anything about this, right?”“Me?” Zhehan asks. He laughs at the suggestion, a little too loud. “I was at work, how could I—”“And, you know what? There were no traces of anyone breaking in.”“Oh?” Zhehan asks, grabbing a cup of tea and forcing it down his throat. His smile is still too sweet, melting at the edges.“Almost like somebody just waited until I was distracted and then used a key to get inside,” Gong Jun says, feeling the excitement rise in his chest. “Strange, considering you’re the only other person who has a copy.”Zhehan lets out a little chuckle. “Junjun, I—”“Surely, you wouldn’t have happened to misplace the key. You know how much the shop means to me,” Gong Jun cuts him off, then continues…
Zhehan might claim that Xiaoyu bought a second baguette for him, but Gong Jun knows better than that.“Hmm, now that you mention it, I remember that I sold him two sandwiches,” he says, meeting Zhehan’s eyes in a clear challenge. “But they were quite different from my sandwich. Paté. Pickles. Two handfuls of cilantro.”When Zhehan’s gaze slides downwards, Gong Jun resists the urge to laugh. “And you know, there were no traces of anyone breaking in.”“Oh?” Zhehan asks, grabbing a cup of tea and forcing it down his throat. His smile is too sweet, melting at the edges.“Almost like somebody just waited until I was distracted and then used a key to get inside,” Gong Jun says, feeling the excitement rising in his chest. “Strange, considering you’re the only other person who has a copy.”Zhehan lets out a little chuckle. “Junjun, I—”“Surely, you wouldn’t have happened to misplace the key. You know how much the shop means to me,” Gong Jun cuts him off, then continues…
“Okay, you got me, I confess,” Zhehan bursts out, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. He’s smiling, eyes crinkled into two tiny crescents, his snaggletooth just catching the skin of his bottom lip. He knows what works on Gong Jun, and he’s willing to use it. “I thought it would be fun.”Gong Jun feigns outrage. “Stealing my sandwich? Is your idea of fun?”“Yes,” Zhehan says, with a shrug that’s way too cheerful. “You’ve been a little stressed lately, so I thought—this would be a little adventure.”“I was scared,” Gong Jun says, tries to make it sound convincing and fails. He opts for a more compelling argument. “I was hungry.”Zhehan’s eyes soften.He stands up, walks around the table and leans down to wind his arms around Gong Jun’s torso, press his head into the crook of his neck. Gong Jun can feel his smile. It makes him feel even more indignant.
“I was ready to spend the whole day looking for—”“You've found the sandwich bandit,” Zhehan says. He leaves a sticky kiss under Gong Jun’s ear. “Good job.”Gong Jun groans.In the end, though, it’s very hard to stay mad at Zhehan. Not when he spends another ten minutes canoodling Gong Jun like he’s a difficult child, then jumps away the moment he succeeds, rolling the sleeves of his robes up.“What are you doing?” Gong Jun asks, turning around slowly, still dazed by the sudden loss of Zhehan’s weight across his back.“What does it look like I’m doing?” Zhehan asks. He picks up a knife and wields it with way too much vigour, the blade of it glinting in the setting afternoon sun. “Making you a sandwich, of course.”Gong Jun groans again.“Wasn’t it enough to be a sandwich bandit?” he asks, standing up only for Zhehan to push him back down onto his seat, the knife dangerously close to Gong Jun’s elbow. “Do you have to become a sandwich murderer, too?”“Just you wait,” Zhehan says, winking. “I’ll make you a sandwich so good you’ll want to hire me.”In the end, it’s a terrible sandwich. Zhehan puts too much butter on it, too early, and it ends up soggy by the time he fries the bacon—extricates bits of it from where they got burnt onto the pan—and adds enough cheese to drown out the taste of anything else in it. The bread, too, is about three days old and something Gong Jun’s been saving to make into breadcrumbs. He doesn’t have the acting chops to reward Zhehan’s effort by saying the sandwich is good, but he eats half of it.Zhehan, in turn, rewards him by finishing the rest.
“Aiyah, you’re thinking too hard about this, bao,” Zhehan says, standing up. “It was probably just a prank. Probably one of the kids.”
“Nobody else has the keys to—”“Maybe you left the doors open a bit. It was really warm this morning, wasn’t it?” Zhehan walks around the table and stops behind Gong Jun, winding his hands around his torso. He leans down, pressing his head into the crook of Gong Jun’s neck. “Or you got too distracted thinking about tonight, and you didn’t notice.”“The shop is tiny. There’s no way I wouldn’t…”Gong Jun cuts himself off when Zhehan starts leaving a trail of kisses down his neck, his warm breath making Gong Jun’s skin break out in goosebumps.He whines, indignant. “Zhehan.”“I was distracted, too,” Zhehan says, a murmur pressed into the soft space behind Gong Jun’s ear. “It’s been a while since you wore these robes. They make you look so broad and strong and—”Gong Jun gasps for breath, feeling like his head is spinning. One moment, there was a Zhehan plastered across his back, the next he is sitting in an unfamiliar room, shooting up from an unfamiliar bed, his surroundings dark and quiet and eerie.Only when his eyes adjust to the shadows does Gong Jun start to make out the hotel room. There’s his suitcase in the corner, and the big painting with a waterfall landscape, and he’s not alone in the bed. Zhehan’s sleeping next to him.He’s lying on his stomach, arm thrown over Gong Jun’s lap, and he doesn’t look like the Zhehan in his dream—that one had long hair, blue robes, and looked a bit too thin, like he came straight from their filming days. This is his Zhehan, though.The one who nudged him in the ribs the previous night, just after they left the stage, and dropped down on his bad knee in a stupid gesture.The one that spent the whole previous days agonising over his silly speech, avoiding Gong Jun to the point where Gong Jun himself felt like something had gone wrong.The one that—when Gong Jun moves to lie down and brings Zhehan’s arm back over his waist—has a hexagonal ring glinting on his finger.His Zhehan, indeed.
“I don’t think we can do much more,” Gong Jun says, trying to sound sympathetic.The boy pales and sets his mouth into a thin line, like he’s about to cry. Gong Jun regrets his words immediately, but it’s too late.“I knew it,” Xilun says. “I can’t do this!”Suddenly, he launches off, running in the opposite direction from the school, his robes flopping behind him like chicken feathers.“Hey!” Gong Jun yells, a little too late. “You promised you’d help me find the…”He trails off, the boy far too gone to hear his sigh.It’s fine, he tells himself. It’s still early and Xilun probably wouldn’t have helped him, anyway. He’s a teenager, too preoccupied with his own silly problems to understand the full breadth of Gong Jun’s frustration.
He turns back towards the town centre, determined to find a different clue, when—
—there’s a bang. Someone is speaking. Many people, many voices, all vying to be the loudest. It makes Gong Jun’s head throb, and there’s a different pain shooting up his back, too. A hand rubs over the spot where it’s coming from, gentle.
Gong Jun opens his eyes.Five different faces stare down at him, all in various shades of concern. Zhehan’s is the closest. He’s supporting Gong Jun against his chest, hands just below his shoulder blades and tentative over the bruising skin.“What happened?” Gong Jun asks with a rasp.Everyone seems relieved.“Oh, Gong-laoshi, you gave us a scare!”“You completely blacked out!”“I thought we’d have to call the ambulance!”The shouts only make his headache worse. Gong Jun winces and Zhehan seems to notice, shushes the rest of the onlookers with a determined glare. It softens when he turns back to Gong Jun.“You fell off the stage,” he says.“What stage?”“You don’t remember?”He doesn’t, and then he does, all at once—the concert, the games, singing Tianwen with Zhehan, waving at the audience, slipping on the backstage platform just as they were leaving—and he hides his face in Zhehan’s robes, embarrassed.“So that was just a dream,” he murmurs into the folds. "There was no Sandwich Bandit."“Huh?”“Nothing.”He stays in Zhehan’s hold for a moment longer, until the crowd fussing over him thins out and Zhehan makes sure he’s feeling fine. He still insists that Gong Jun should see a doctor, but Gong Jun keeps repeating that he’s fine, it’s just a few bruises.“Fine, but I’ll keep an eye on you,” Zhehan acquiesces, helping him stand up.Gong Jun doesn’t try to protest, it’s meaningless and goes against his baser instincts. Instead, he squeezes Zhehan’s hand tighter and drags him towards the changing rooms.Maybe the Gong Jun in his dream never found the Sandwich Bandit, but the real Gong Jun found his a long time ago.
Gong Jun heads towards his and Zhehan’s house, frowning. He feels a little hopeless, not sure where to pick up the thread of the investigation.Maybe he’s not smart enough to find the thief on his own, and he ought to consider a different approach. He could make another sandwich and use it as a lure. Or put up some of those WANTED posters, looking for the bandit. At the very least, he could go talk to the gossips at the market and see if they’ve heard anything.He’s spared from the dilemma when he sees Huang Youming, waving at him from outside his house.“Gong Jun! Just the man I need!” he yells, practically latching onto Gong Jun’s shoulders and dragging him inside. “I’ve got a bit of a—situation—on my hands.”He pulls Gong Jun into the kitchen and only lets go once they’re standing next to the table, to motion at the three dozens of colourful cupcakes that are spread all over it, like a strange tapestry made of desserts.“What happened?” Gong Jun asks, looking at the cupcakes with some trepidation.Huang Youming sighs.Apparently, it’s his and his girlfriend’s third anniversary this week, and he’s decided to surprise her with lots of presents. New robes, a pair of chickens, and a whole three boxes of cupcakes from a bakery several towns over. The only problem is—“They sent me all these flavours, but I have no idea what they are,” Huang Youming says, pointing at the cupcakes like they’ve personally insulted him. “I’m pretty sure some of these have vanilla and coconut, but Yiyi doesn’t like vanilla or coconut.”“Why didn’t you check before you ordered?”Huang Youming waves a hand in the air, like the suggestion is silly. “I just wanted some cupcakes. I didn’t realise I’d get this—mayhem.”Gong Jun tilts his head, surveying the spread. He’s pretty sure he could pick out the vanilla and coconut cupcakes based on the visuals alone, but then, he’s got a bigger fish to fry. A bandit to catch. A sandwich to take revenge for.
He can spare some of his time, Gong Jun surrenders. He runs a sandwich shop, after all. This shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes.He picks up the cupcake with a sponge base and whipped cream first, gingerly sniffing at it. Then the chocolate sponge with the yellow frosting, the white one that looks like a puffy cloud, the one with rabbit ears drawn on with royal icing. One by one, he sorts out the cupcakes into two groups: those that definitely contain vanilla or coconut, and those that don’t.Only one pair of cupcakes remains in the end—what looks like a snickerdoodle base with cream cheese on top.“I think those have vanilla,” Huang Youming says, speaking for the first time since Gong Jun’s started.Gong Jun carefully lifts one of the cupcakes.
“I think you’re right,” Gong Jun says, putting it back on the table.Huang Youming hums. He grabs one of the cupcakes with too much force, bringing it up to his face. Some of the frosting slides down his thumb and lands on the floor. Shrugging, Huang Youming takes a bite of the cupcake and he hums. “Yeah, there’s definitely vanilla.”He stuffs the rest of the cupcake into his mouth and wipes his hands off on the front of his robes, unabashed. He claps Gong Jun on the shoulder with one sticky hand.“Thank you, Junjun. I knew I could count on you.”“No problem,” Gong Jun says. “Yiyi’s really lucky to have you. I’m sure she’ll love the surprise.”“Ah, well, we’d do everything for the ones we love, wouldn’t we?” Huang Youming says, winking at Gong Jun. “I’m pretty sure Zhehan would do the same for you. I heard him planning some elaborate surprise for you the other day. Something about sandwiches—”“What?”Gong Jun stiffens. He can feel the blood drain from his face as the realisation hits.“Yeah, he was talking to Zhou Ye,” Huang Youming continues. He’s already eating the second snickerdoodle cupcake, speaking with his mouth full. “Some sort of scavenger hunt, I think?”“Oh.”“Crap!” Huang Youming shouts suddenly, and starts choking on a crumb. “I think I’ve just spoiled the surprise.”Gong Jun smiles at him with as much sweetness as he can muster. Seeing as he’s already cursing Zhehan in his mind for being an absolute gremlin, it’s not a very good show. It doesn’t matter. Gong Jun’s already got one foot out the door and too many scattered thoughts to order. He leaves with a hasty goodbye and hurries towards home.
“There’s no vanilla in this one,” Gong Jun says, putting it back on the table.Huang Youming doesn’t look convinced.“Are you sure?” he asks, grabbing the cupcake with too much force. Some of the frosting slides down his thumb and lands on the floor. Shrugging, Huang Youming takes a bite of the cupcake and grins. “Yeah, there’s definitely vanilla.”Gong Jun’s about to apologise, but Huang Youming stuffs the rest of the cupcake into his mouth and claps his hands together.“Well, now you’ve made even more work for me because I don’t think I can trust your judgement at all,” Huang Youming says, and starts rearranging all the cupcakes back into the middle of the table. “So thank you for trying, Jun-ge, but not really.”“I’m a little distracted,” Gong Jun says, unsure of how to react. “The shop got robbed today. I’m trying to find the thief.”“Oh?”Huang Youming doesn't bother looking up, leaning down towards the table and looking over the cupcakes like staring at them might make them start talking, even list off their ingredients.“You didn’t see anyone suspicious around?”“Do you think I had the time?”No, Gong Jun thinks. The chances that Huang Youming’s had anything else on his mind since his cupcakes arrived seem pretty slim. He takes it in stride and bids his goodbye, tries not to feel annoyed when Huang Youming doesn’t as much as wave in a goodbye.Back on the street, he sees a few children running around in the nearby field, and he’s struck by a sudden idea.
Gong Jun wiggles his shoulders from underneath Huang Youming’s grip, apologetic but stern. “I’m sorry, dage, but I don’t have the time right now.”Huang Youming scoffs. “What could be more important than helping this poor friend?”“I got robbed today,” Gong Jun says.“That’s horrible,” Huang Youming says, but he sounds like Gong Jun’s just informed him that there would be snow in December. “How low can someone fall, to waste time stealing sandwiches.”“Have you seen anyone suspicious around?” Gong Jun asks, though he knows it’s a useless question before he even asks it.“Do you think I had the time to sit around people-watching?” Huang Youming asks, pointing his chin towards the cupcakes with considerable aggression.“No, but—”“I don’t meddle in other people’s business,” Huang Yoming says. “Wang Ruolin, on the other hand.”Oh, how did Gong Jun not think about him sooner! If there’s anyone who loves to poke his fingers into other people’s business, it’s Wang Ruolin! He doesn’t look at Huang Youming as he shouts out a quick apology and rushes out of the house, having got the necessary second wind to find the sneaky little bandit.
Finding Wang Ruolin isn’t hard at all—he’s walking up and down the main street, talking to himself in a hushed voice, almost like he’s reciting a poem. Gong Jun approaches him carefully, feeling like the man is so lost in his own thoughts that his approach might frighten him. When Wang Ruolin spots him, however, he accosts him with a cheerful leer.“Gong Jun! Perfect! You can help me!”“I need your help,” Gong Jun says, a little desperate. “My shop’s been robbed. Somebody stole my sandwich today and—”“Ohoho, I wonder who that could be,” Wang Ruolin says, in a manner that suggests he very much does know the identity of the thief.Gong Jun blocks his path. “Did you see anyone suspicious?”“I think so.” Wang Ruolin nods, and he grabs Gong Jun by the shoulder, conspiratory. “But I need your help first, okay? It’s very important.”“I’m looking for a thief. What could be more—”“I’m in love,” Wang Ruolin says, with an affected little sigh. For a second, Gong Jun thinks he’s about to swoon and gets ready to catch him, but Wang Ruolin collects his wits back to continue. “With a beautiful elegant lady that I’ve been exchanging letters with for almost a month.”“That’s—great?” Gong Jun tries.“No, it’s horrible!” Wang Ruolin says, feigning agony, close to yelling. “I want to confess to her but I can’t find a way. It’s like no words can do justice to what I’m feeling. Every time I sit down to write her the confession, I end up tearing it apart.”Gong Jun pats him on the back, simultaneously trying to move a few steps back. Wang Ruolin doesn’t let him.“You’re in love, right?” Wang Ruolin asks.“Yes,” Gong Jun says, and he knows he’ll end up regretting it. He can’t lie about his feelings for Zhehan, though.“So help me, please! I need some inspiration!” Wang Ruolin wails again. His voice draws the attention of a couple passer-bys, who turn to stare at them with visible apprehension. “What would you say to your man, if you had to declare your love?”Gong Jun turns to stare at the ground, thinking. He opens his mouth a few times, closes it, and finds that this is really much harder than he’d expected. At last, he thinks he’s found the right answer.“I’d tell him that…”
“...there is nobody that I’m more compatible with,” Gong Jun says. “He’s the only one for me.”Wang Ruolin seems to think about it for a couple of seconds, humming and scratching at his jaw. Finally, he voices his verdict. “That’s a good start, I guess.”“I don’t think you need more—”“What was it that you needed, huh? Something about a robbery?”Gong Jun recounts the incident from the morning. Wang Ruolin listens, still stroking his chin, like he’s threading his fingers through an imaginary beard.“Well, I saw Zhehan walking around earlier with a sandwich,” Wang Ruolin says, meeting Gong Jun’s gaze with put-upon seriousness. “It looked like the one that went missing.”Gong Jun lifts an eyebrow. He packed Zhehan a sandwich that morning, but it was very different from the one that got stolen. They had some leftover focaccia from yesterday and he stuffed it with roast turkey, dried tomatoes, and his own homemade tapenade. If Wang Ruolin saw Zhehan eating a different sandwich—“And besides, doesn’t Zhehan have a key to the shop?” Wang Ruolin asks, one of his eyes bulging slightly more than the other. “Maybe he snuck in while you were dealing with your deliveries, then took the sandwich for a stroll.”“Why would he do that?” Gong Jun asks, helpless.“Oh, I don’t know,” Wang Ruolin says. He winks. “Seems like something you should ask him.”Kooky as the guy is, Gong Jun has to admit he’s got a point. He thanks him, wishes him luck with his love letter, and heads back home. He knows who he needs to talk to, now.
“...he’s my best friend and I’m very lucky to have him,” Gong Jun says.
Wang Ruolin gives him an unimpressed glare, finally taking a few steps back.“A friend? Really?” he asks, sneering. “Aren’t you guys practically married?”“But we were friends, first, and that’s why I really—”“That’s a horrible anwer, Gong Jun.” Wang Ruolin rolls his eyes and starts walking down the road, expecting Gong Jun to follow him. “Do you expect me to friendzone myself? Do you think my chances are that low? I’m offended, my boy.”Gong Jun doesn’t follow him. He doesn’t really want to. Wang Ruolin is stupid if he thinks that there’s anything wrong with his answer—he and Zhehan are best friends, first and foremost, and Gong Jun won’t have the man questioning that.He gets lost in his indignation, thinking up passionate rebuttals that he could’ve used to convince Wang Ruolin of his point, but then—
Gong Jun gasps for breath, feeling like his head is spinning. One moment, he was walking down the busy road, fuming about Wang Ruolin's guts, the next he is sitting in an unfamiliar room, shooting up from an unfamiliar bed, his surroundings dark and quiet and eerie.Only when his eyes adjust to the shadows does Gong Jun start to make out the hotel room. There’s his suitcase in the corner, and the big painting with a waterfall landscape, and he’s not alone in the bed. Zhehan’s sleeping next to him.He’s lying on his stomach, arm thrown over Gong Jun’s lap, and it's not the Zhehan from his dream. This is the real Zhehan. Gong Jun's Zhehan.The one who nudged him in the ribs the previous night, just after they left the stage, and dropped down on his bad knee in a stupid gesture.The one that spent the whole previous days agonising over his silly speech, avoiding Gong Jun to the point where Gong Jun himself felt like something had gone wrong.The one that—when Gong Jun moves to lie down and brings Zhehan’s arm back over his waist—has a hexagonal ring glinting on his finger.His Zhehan, indeed.
“...I’m very lucky to have him in my life and I hope he can stay in it forever,” Gong Jun says. By the time he’s finished talking, he can feel his own throat closing up, overwhelmed with the emotions. To his relief, Wang Ruolin seems to be undergoing the same process.“That is—” he starts and cuts himself off, brushing something away from his eye. “Really, that’s beautiful. Can you say it again so I can write it down?”Gong Jun sighs. He takes a step back, impatient. “I don’t have the time. I told you what happened.”“The thief, you mean?” Wang Ruolin asks.“Yes.”“Well, it’s easy. Think about it.”Gong Jun does. After a minute passes with no miraculous revelations, Wang Ruolin takes pity on him.“Who has a key to your heart—pardon me—shop?” he asks. “Who eats all your sandwiches like they’re the goddamn ambrosia? Who’s been dropping hints left and right about making a scavenger hunt to ask you—”“Zhehan?” Gong Jun asks, feeling like the ground has dropped out from under him.Wang Ruolin huffs in satisfaction. “Bingo!”Gong Jun doesn’t even bother thanking the man. He’s too rattled, too many thoughts running in too many opposite directions. His feet walk without his input, dragging him towards his house, and he’s grateful. Everything that Wang Ruolin has told him makes sense, all of the clues fit together.He knows who he needs to talk to.
The Return of the Little Sandwich Bandit is a Choose Your Own Adventure-style story with 6 different endings.Taking place in the Word of Honor Concert world, it follows Gong Jun as he interacts with 6 different cast members, on his quest to find a stolen sandwich.The premise is loosely based on a tidbit from Gong Jun's 18/08/2020 vlog, where he says that he wants to eat a sandwich prepared by his co-worker after work, then casually mentions that the sandwich might no longer be in his hotel room fridge by the time Gong Jun gets there.There are 6 different endings to the story,
which could be summed up as:
Post-Concert Blackout
Post-Concert Snuggles
Tomorrow's Another Day
A Sandwich for a Sandwich
Proposal 1
Proposal 2