The rules at 28th Middle School are seriously annoying. If you're late to first period, you're not allowed onto campus at all.
The security guard hid inside his little office and just shrugged helplessly at us.
Under these circumstances, a lot of students simply wander off to an internet café, or just skip school entirely.
But I can't ditch class with Xiao Qin next to me.
Especially when she's looking at me like she wants to run away together.
I rapped my knuckles on the guardroom window.
Bam, bam, bam.
The guard slid open a tiny glass panel and said apologetically, "Sorry, I just got this job, and it wasn't easy to get. Can you two wait outside for just one period?"
I put on an even more pitiful look and pointed at Xiao Qin, who was standing behind me with her head down. "I'm fine, but this classmate has a weak constitution!"
Since the guard was pretty young, Xiao Qin seemed scared to talk to him.
He stuck his head out a little to look her over. The longer he stared, the more Xiao Qin curled in on herself, like she was trying to disappear.
"If that's the case…" he muttered, wavering.
"It's freezing this morning," I said, pushing while the iron was hot. "If she gets sick, her parents are coming straight here. And anyway, it's not a big deal to let us in. Your predecessor did it all the time. But if you let students wander around outside and one of them gets hit by a car, it's the school that's responsible."
I didn't lie — something exactly like that actually happened before.
Finally, the guard scratched his head, sighed, and buzzed us through the gate.
I thanked him as Xiao Qin followed nervously behind me.
Even if the guard lets you in, you're not completely safe. The main gate is only the first barrier — the real gatekeepers are the staff blocking the school building. They make sure late students don't burst into class and cause chaos.
Sure enough, Mr. Zhi Zhou was standing like an immovable wall in front of the school building. After taking down our names and class, he sentenced us to stand on the track as punishment. "Stand," in theory. In practice, you can jog, read vocabulary, or if you're bold enough, lie down and sleep right in front of everyone.
Unfortunately, the only ones being punished this morning were Xiao Qin and me. Boring. It would've been nice if someone had left a basketball lying around.
Honestly, it was freezing.
"Xiao Qin," I said, "didn't you set up that story about having a weak body since childhood? If you go beg Teacher Zhi Zhou, he'll probably let you wait it out in the nurse's office."
Xiao Qin looked up.
"By the way, his surname is Song," I added. "He's old-fashioned, but he's not unreasonable. If you ask, he'll let you in."
She gave me a surprisingly grateful expression.
"No," she said softly. "I want to stand with Haruya."
I can't deal with you.
After a while, the backpack started digging into my shoulders. Meanwhile, Xiao Qin pulled out a stack of towels from her bag, spread them on the ground, and set her Hello Kitty backpack on top like it was a royal cushion.
"Ahhh, my back is so sore! This feels much better!" She stretched dramatically.
"Haruya, you can put your bag on top of mine. You like being on top, right?" she added with a smirk full of bad intentions.
I ignored her and shoved my hands into my pockets.
If I keep ignoring her, surely she'll get bored, right?
At least then I won't feel guilty for not physically shoving her away.
But Xiao Qin really can't handle the cold. To warm up, she started bouncing around on the track. Not like an athlete—more like a hyperactive girl doing some cutesy warm-up routine.
Eventually she started hopping around me.
"Hahaha~ Haruya is the sun, and I'm the little star that orbits him~" she sang, using a tune from some kids' cartoon.
Do you really know nothing about astronomy?
"Hey," I snapped, "the sun and stars don't orbit each other! They're both fixed stars!"(Unless it's a binary system, but she wouldn't understand that either.)
"But, but," she said, blushing, "wouldn't it be too proud of me to call myself the moon?"
"Huh?"
"Compared to Haruya, I'm just a tiny star in the sky. Even if the sun never shines on me, I'm satisfied just seeing it every day."
She was laughing, but her eyes had a fleeting loneliness in them — like she really had been watching me from far away for years.
…Why did I feel a little touched?
But also — your physics is awful. Those "tiny" stars you see from far away are often hundreds of times bigger than the sun.
Mr. Song frowned and watched us through the glass door. He couldn't hear us, but judging from Xiao Qin spinning around me like a satellite, he could definitely guess our relationship.
Ah — he's writing something on the late register. Great. Probably docking our class points for violating the "No impure interactions between male and female students" rule.
What does the class's reputation have to do with me? My classmates don't even like me. Only the class leader, Shu Sha, would care.
We were only allowed into the building after first period ended at 8:50.
As Class 3 was about to start their break, they saw the two of us walking in with backpacks. Instantly, they knew we'd been late.
Loud Mouth swooped in and slapped my arm.
"Look at you two! So lovey-dovey you forgot the time!"
Ow! That actually hurt more than punches from street punks. Go join judo already.
The class leader, Shu Sha, noticed Xiao Qin glued to my side and did not look pleased about Loud Mouth's teasing.
Thankfully, the next couple of classes passed peacefully.
I thought Xiao Qin would act exactly like yesterday and harass me nonstop, so I was already brainstorming countermeasures. But surprisingly, she paid close attention in class — especially in English and math.
During English reading, her pronunciation was clear and smooth, like spring water running over pebbles.
During math, though, her face twisted like she was chewing on a lemon.
What's wrong? Is there really a subject you suck at? Do you need to bite your nails just to think through factorization?
When she caught me staring at her chewing her nails, she quickly put her hands down, cheeks pink.
One more class until lunch. It looked like Xiao Qin went to the bathroom with Loud Mouth and company.
I sat down and touched the package of H-manga in my bag. Why do I feel like I'm smuggling illegal substances?
"Haruya—"
I didn't realize the class leader was behind me until she spoke.
I jumped and instinctively shielded my bag.
But Shu Sha didn't care about that. She put a hand on her hip and asked coldly, "The two of you came in late together… Did the hotel you stayed at forget to give you a morning wake-up call?"
Once I understood why she came over, I pushed my bag aside, crossed my arms, and gave her a sideways glare.
"Hey, hey. We're classmates, but if you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me for reporting you for slander."
She looked relieved.
"Hmph, I was just testing you. Looks like you didn't do anything to Xiao Qin."
"You really like minding other people's business, don't you?"
"As class leader, it's my job to protect my classmates. I can't let them get permanent emotional scars while they're growing up…"
"Hey," I interrupted, pointing at myself, "aren't I also a classmate? What if I get a scar?"
"How could I classify you as a classmate!" she snapped.
"I thought you were just a slacker who didn't like studying and picked fights. I didn't realize you were someone with such disgusting desires toward female classmates. If I were the principal, I'd expel you immediately."
"Tch. Save that for after you become principal! Besides, Xiao Qin's the one who said she likes me. I don't have any desires for her."
"Hah! More lies. There's no girl who would take the initiative to like you. You must've used some kind of dirty trick."
Her confidence pissed me off, igniting my fighting spirit.
I propped a leg on the desk, leaned back, and put on my best delinquent expression.
"Oh? Even if I did use despicable tricks, and even if I do have disgusting desires toward all the girls in class, what are you going to do?"
The moment I said that, Shu Sha froze and took half a step back, arms folding protectively over her chest.
Her eyes said: Does that include me too?
She quickly regained her composure.
"I'm warning you," she growled, "my ancestors were hunters."
…And?
"My family has a hunting rifle that's been passed down."
She paused, then added with chilling seriousness:
"And I know how to use it."
Her eyes were sharp — wild, beast-like. She definitely wasn't joking.
You've got a hunting rifle at home? Are you people trying to become societal threats? Hurry up and turn that thing in! What is this, an American school-shooter starter kit? Are you gonna eliminate the pervert you think is preying on female classmates? Are you willing to kill in the name of justice?
Under her gaze, our auras clashed violently, sparks practically flying.
Justice Devil vs. Iron-Blooded Lone Wolf.
We were evenly matched, our imaginary spiritual pressure swirling around us. My red aura surged stubbornly against her white one. It coiled like a dragon, turning into a blade repeatedly battering her defensive wall.
Her forehead began to sweat.
How's that, oh mighty class leader? You're not strong enough, right?
One more push and you'll—
Riiiiing~~~
The class bell shattered our mental showdown, and Shu Sha retreated bitterly to her seat.
I kicked back with both feet on the desk, feeling triumphant.
…Let's just hope she doesn't actually bring that hunting rifle for revenge.