Ethan couldn't stop worrying.
If he used a bandage to cover the bite mark, it would be no different from openly admitting to the entire Harmony High that it was indeed a hickey.
But if he just left the bruised mark exposed like that, the students would definitely start gossiping about who the "culprit" behind that so-called hickey might be.
In the end, Ethan decided to just leave his neck bare and head to school as he was. Let people think whatever they want. His reputation at Harmony wasn't exactly spotless anyway, there was nothing left to lose.
As expected, the moment Ethan showed up in the cafeteria at lunchtime, he was met with a flood of curious stares. No one even bothered to hide their interest in the red mark on his neck.
It seemed Andrew the Detective had managed to spread rumors somehow, though thankfully, Ethan was sure that he wasn't using the school's online newspaper for his antics anymore.
Luckily, the 'Take Care of the Girls for Vietnamese Women's Day' event was still the center of attention. Everyone was too busy flirting and taking care of each other to waste time gossiping about Ethan.
Gradually, the bite mark Autumn had left on Ethan's neck began to fade. Now it was just a faint pink hue that had to look really closely to even notice it.
When Ethan ran his fingers over the bite, he could feel it had a slightly raised texture, though he still couldn't quite make out the exact shape.
Sometimes, he still felt sharp stabs of pain at the bite mark, especially when he passed through crowded places like the cafeteria.
Still, Ethan figured daytime was better than nighttime.
Because the nightmares were getting worse.
So much so that he was terrified of falling asleep. Every night, he stayed up working on the paper flowers until exhaustion finally knocked him out.
By the end of Wednesday, Ethan had finished about 50% of the flowers.
He snapped a picture and posted it in the 11D boys' Telegram group chat and got flooded with heart and like emojis in response.
Even Royce, who had just recovered enough, managed to send a heart.
During the Thursday lunch break, class president Lucas Vu and secretary Simon Tran showered Ethan with even more praise.
"I bet you can draw too, right, Ethan?"
Lucas guessed.
"A little bit."
"Anyone who says 'a little bit' is usually really good."
"Well, I used to love drawing, but my parents wanted me to pursue programming instead. Being an artist is tough enough, now most of the work is being taken over by AI anyway."
Ethan gazed out the classroom window, trying to hide the sadness in his eyes from Lucas and Simon.
"What a shame. But you could still join the Art Club."
"We have an Art Club?"
"And a Music Club too."
Suddenly, Lucas's eyes widened, he seemed to remember something important.
"Speaking of the Music Club, I just remembered the performance we registered for Royce… You know how sick he's been, right? Any idea when he's coming back?"
"He caught dengue fever. I'm not really sure when he'll be discharged," Ethan replied smoothly.
Lately, lying came to him way too naturally.
Lucas sighed heavily.
"Scary stuff. Dengue's been flaring up all over Harmony Town since August, and now it's already October and still not over."
Then Lucas dropped his voice into a whisper, forcing Ethan and Simon to lean in closer.
"I heard… there've been almost a dozen deaths in town. Some people are saying it's a new virus strain, no vaccine for it yet."
Lucas then suddenly clutched his head in despair.
"Oh no, what about Royce's performance for the festival? Ethan, you have to step in and perform for him!"
"Ew, pole dancing? No way!"
Ethan grimaced and quickly refused. He had to fight hard to push away the horrifying mental image of himself spinning and twirling around a pole.
"Relax, I was joking. A bunch of guys - at least 1.75 meters tall - from different classes will perform a dance cover of 'Kiss You, Bite You' by the band Crimson Veil."
"Crimson Veil…? Never heard of them. K-pop? J-pop?"
"Nope, Ethan. They're a V-pop group. They just shot to fame this summer after appearing on the music reality show 'Boyfriend Wanna Be'. The girls at our school are crazy about them."
"I've never even heard of that show…"
Seeing Ethan's blank expression, Lucas explained further:
"The show 'Boyfriend Wanna Be' follows the same format as 'Boyfriend Say Hi' and 'Call me by Fire'. But this one targets a very specific audience, girls aged 14 to 19."
"I've never watched any of those shows either."
"I'm seriously concerned about your social knowledge, Ethan!"
Lucas and Simon both burst out laughing.
Ethan chuckled along too, but suddenly winced as a sharp pain flared up at the bite mark on his neck.
And strangely enough, he felt an overwhelming sense of danger approaching.
His heartbeat quickened.
(Run. Hide. Now.)
His instincts screamed at him to run. Without thinking, Ethan immediately obeyed.
He slipped out of his seat and ducked low, practically crawling across the classroom floor.
Lucas blinked in confusion. He was about to call out to Ethan when Simon nudged him hard.
Following Simon's gaze, Lucas turned toward the classroom door.
Standing there was none other than the Femme Fatale trio.
Every boy left in 11D froze, completely captivated by their presence.
Heads held high, noses twitching ever so slightly, Ruby, Anya, and Yara glided across the classroom with a predatory grace, heading straight toward Lucas and Simon's table.
Lucas darted a glance at Simon.
Without exchanging a word, both boys sprang up to block the girls' path.
The remaining boys in the classroom quickly gathered around, too curious to miss this rare chance to stand close to the dazzling trio.
"Whoa, where are the 'princesses' headed today?"
Lucas asked playfully.
"Where's Ethan?"
Ruby barked bluntly.
"He went to grab lunch, right, Simon?"
Simon simply nodded rapidly, backing up Lucas's lie.
"Hmph. Can't trust guys for anything."
Ruby snapped, her nose twitching like a predator on the hunt.
"You're just wasting your time looking."
Lucas added, still standing firmly in their way.
"Move."
Anya and Yara said in perfect unison, voices sharp.
Meanwhile, Ethan scurried between rows of desks, inching closer and closer to the second door at the back of the classroom.
Now that he knew what the Femme Fatale girls really were, he had no desire to confront them, especially not without Autumn or Royce around.
Ruby, Anya, and Yara easily pushed past Lucas and Simon. The other curious boys quickly dispersed under their cold glares.
By the time the Femme Fatale trio reached Ethan's desk, he had already slipped safely out of 11D.
Ethan didn't dare head toward the cafeteria. His neck would sting sharply whenever he neared crowded places like that.
He made a mental note to call Autumn tonight and ask her about the bite mark situation.
Letting his body guide him, avoiding any place where the bite would ache, Ethan eventually found himself standing before a door labeled:
Library
It was the only place where the throbbing pain on his neck finally subsided, almost as if the bite had never been there at all.