"I glanced at Hao'an. His white uniform shirt clung to his body—completely see-through—and showed off some serious muscle. Wait... this nerd has an athlete's body? I didn't expect that. His skin was pale, and I could see the veins on his hands. And... abs? He actually had a six-pack."
One Week Ago...
Limin and I usually take the same bus home after school.
But that day, I stayed back a bit longer to finish up some homework.
The sky was already turning dark, and it had started drizzling.
I walked toward the school gate and saw, from a distance, Limin just getting on the bus and sitting down. The bus began to move.
I panicked and shouted her name while sprinting like a hundred-meter dash champion toward the bus!
Limin turned to look out the window. She saw me—but it was too late.
I was outside the gate in the rain, and the bus drove away right before my eyes.
The driver didn't even hear me yelling "Stop!"
I told myself, Maybe Limin's nearsighted and couldn't see me clearly through the rain...
Just then, someone jogged up behind me. It was the school patrol guy, Chen Hao'an.
He lives in the same residential complex as me. We don't really know each other, but we see each other all the time before and after school.
He asked, "Missed your bus?"
"Yeah... that was the last one," I replied.
Chen: "What now? Got someone to pick you up?"
Me: "Nope, it's fine. I'll just walk to home"
Without another word, he took the books from my hands and stuffed them into his backpack.
Chen Hao'an: "Your books will get soaked. Come on, I'll walk to home. I saw that bus leave too."
Great~Just what I needed. Awkward silence and an unfamiliar guy I barely know walking me home.
I didn't know a thing about Chen Hao'an besides what Limin's told me. To me, he's just that nerd who lives in books and always follows the rules.
But the rain got heavier. Five minutes... ten minutes... fifteen minutes passed. Our neighborhood isn't that far from school, but why did it feel like torture today?
Maybe it was because Chen Hao'an was there.
The drizzle turned into a thunderstorm. I was terrified. Rain got in my lashes, my eyes were half-shut, and I was drenched head to toe.
My clothes were soaked, and I was sure my backpack and homework were ruined.
I glanced at Hao'an. His white uniform shirt clung to his body—completely see-through—and showed off some serious muscle.
Wait... No way~~this nerd has an athlete's body? I didn't expect that. His skin was pale, and I could see the veins on his hands. And... abs? He actually had a six-pack.
Luckily, I always bring a hoodie to school. Otherwise, my white school shirt would be completely see-through in front of this stranger. Kill me now.
We didn't talk much, but I caught him glancing at me now and then.
Oh no! What if something's showing? My skirt? My shirt? Or worse... my pink underwear? I should've worn white ones today! What am I thinking?!
He suddenly asked, "Are you afraid of thunder?"
"Only if it hits me," I replied.
He laughed. "Who isn't scared if lightning strikes them?"
"God of thunder," I muttered.
"…Huh?" he blinked.
And just like that, I killed the conversation again.
I've had this curse since middle school—I ruin every conversation.
But hey, if I'm not embarrassed, it's the other person who'll feel awkward, right?
We walked for almost forty minutes.
By the time we reached my apartment building, we were both soaked. Just as we got there, my mom came home and saw us.
She knew who Chen Hao'an was—school genius, from a genius family. His parents were high-achieving alumni and even did a lot for society. A perfect poster family.
So when she saw me with him, her face lit up.
Ignoring my dripping wet self, she dragged him inside. "Hao'an! Oh no, you're soaked! Quick, come in and dry off before you catch a cold!"
Then she turned to me with a scowl. "Go change and make dinner. Why are you out so late?!"
Hao'an looked stunned as she pulled him inside. I was about to step in when she threw me a towel and yelled, "Dry off first! Don't get the floor wet!"
She gave Hao'an slippers and even handed him clean clothes—my brother's. While he took a shower, she ordered me into the kitchen.
I was starving from that walk, but now I was too mad to eat. Still, I didn't say a word and just cooked dinner.
When Hao'an finished, he handed me a towel and said, "Tell your mom thank you for me. I've gotta go before my parents get worried. Make sure you shower too, or you'll catch a cold. And… sleep early. Bye."
I took the towel and opened the door for him.
Then it hit me—my homework! It was in my soaked bag. How was I going to hand it in tomorrow? I already got detention today!
But... wait. Some of the homework was in his bag, wasn't it?
The Next Day at School
Limin looked confused when she saw me.
"You didn't get on the bus yesterday?" she asked.
"I didn't see you when I got on. Did you leave earlier?" Limin Said
Me: "I was late. I ran, but the bus was already leaving."
I didn't want to talk about last night. It was too embarrassing.
"Then how did you get home?" she pressed.
Just then, Chen Hao'an appeared next to me. "You forgot your homework," he said, handing it over. "Also, a few answers were wrong, so I corrected them for you."
Wait—what? He kept my homework?
I checked—completely dry.
His leather backpack must've been waterproof.
"Thank you!" I grinned. "You saved me!"
Behind me, Limin's face darkened like storm clouds. I didn't notice. I was too happy talking to Hao'an. He didn't even glance at her.
Back to the Present...
I was eating ice cream with Sen Lei'an.
"So... his big heroic act was saving your homework from the rain?" he asked, squinting at me.
"What else did you think happened?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
Sen Lei'an "You brought another guy home behind my back!" he gasped in mock betrayal.
"And how many girls have you brought home behind my back?" I fired back.
He widened his eyes like he'd been struck.
Truth is, Sen Lei'an had been the school bad boy since forever.
Girls practically threw themselves at him. Having a bad-boy boyfriend was like a security badge in high school.
I suddenly wondered—was Limin upset because I didn't tell her about walking home with Hao'an? But if I had told her, she might've misunderstood.
Limin's fragile like that. She cries silently when she's hurt.
Sen Lei'an muttered, "You should be careful with that bestie of yours. I've met a lot of girls, and I'm telling you, she's no angel. Think about it—does she even have any other friends besides you?"
Now that he mentioned it... since middle school, Limin had no close friends besides me. The others were all people I introduced her to. She always tried to talk to other girls, but they never really welcomed her.
That's why I always stood by her.
I thought the others were just excluding her. I believed she was kind and positive.
"She's always been true to me," I said stubbornly.
Sen Lei'an just shrugged like he didn't care anymore.
After we finished our ice cream, we walked home together, like we used to when we were kids.
I asked, "Why were you always looking for me back then?"
"When did I look for you?" he replied, acting all innocent.
"Every time I disappeared."
"I was just... passing by. Didn't expect to find some long-haired ghost crouching near the river. I thought I was hunting a ghost—turns out it was just you scaring them away with your face."
"HEY!" I shouted, chasing after him.