Chapter 17: Please take care of me
The next day, I decided to observe the situation first.
…The truth is, I had no idea where to start. Even if I decided to compete for the Witch of Calamity, I needed to know who they were first.
My intelligence on this matter was severely lacking.
In the past, no matter what happened, Lan would immediately inform me of the situation and help me understand it quickly. Now that Lan was gone, my intelligence network was practically non-existent.
This wasn’t something that could be solved immediately, so getting anxious was useless.
I could only inconvenience Lan a little longer.
But my tasks remained the same: I needed to re-establish contact with the other Witches of Calamity. Shirley had already hinted strongly that I should just go for it, so I didn’t need to hold back anymore. I’d just go all out!
Today, no matter what, I had to get closer to them!
Lianbing, Xueqing, and Xuan’er were all in the same class as me. As for Li Nai, I didn’t know her current situation, so I’d have to deal with that later.
“Juncheng An, what are you thinking about? We’ll be late if you don’t hurry.”
“Huh? Oh, you haven’t left yet?”
After breakfast, I had been sitting in a chair, lost in thought.
Xinran and Keling usually left before me, so I thought Xinran had already gone.
Speaking of which, I still wasn’t used to Xinran calling me by my name like this… Even before she stopped calling me “Brother,” she never used my name; she’d just used “Hey” or “That person.”
Calling me by my full name made it seem like we weren’t siblings but friends, and not even particularly close friends.
“I forgot to grab my bento.”
“Since I usually only make them for you and Keling, I eat at the cafeteria myself and never bring a bento box, so I forgot.”
“You didn’t have to come back specifically for it. I was thinking of bringing it to you.”
“Oh, if I had known, I would have made it even more elaborate.”
Actually, I had some leftovers from dinner last night, and I mentioned that they could be used for tomorrow’s bento.
So, I decided to make today’s bento.
“What about Keling? Did she leave?”
“No, she’s still waiting for me at the door.”
“Then let’s go together.”
…Mm.
Picking up my school bag, I walked out of the house with Xinran. I found Keling peeking suspiciously by the floor-to-ceiling window in the hall. However, from her angle, she couldn’t see into the kitchen, so she hadn’t noticed that we were already out.
…She’s still worried, isn’t she? Hehehe… Ah, why am I smiling like Lianbing?
No, no. That kind of smile is too sinister. It’s pleasing to the eye when a girl smiles like that, but it’s too demonic when I do it.
After composing my expression, I tiptoed behind Keling, coughed twice, and patted her on the shoulder.
*Ahem…*
Keling was startled. Her ponytail seemed to stand on end, and she almost jumped. If I hadn’t been standing so close, she might have headbutted me.
“D-Don’t get me wrong! I was just waiting for Xinran-jie, definitely not for you!”
“Haha, I understand, I understand.”
“What’s with that smug look! It’s so disgusting! Who told you to smile!”
“Wow, I’m not even allowed to smile anymore? You’re too harsh on me, aren’t you?”
“Stop joking! You’re not even allowed to breathe!”
That would be asking me to die… Even though I’m a otaku, I’m not that fat, and I haven’t reached the point where even breathing is a sin.
“Yes, yes, yes.”
In the end, I still used the “three consecutive um’s” method, deflecting the topic with a perfunctory tone.
If I don’t find some excuse for myself, my heart will be shattered…
This way, the three siblings going to school together is finally achieved. Our relationships are slowly being repaired, which is what I wanted to see.
As we neared the school entrance, I noticed a crowd of people looking our way. They were probably wondering why there were ten extra guys around the An sisters today.
It’s true that Xinran and Keling are quite eye-catching. As their brother, I’m proud of you.
We split up at the staircase, and I walked into Class 3-3 alone. As usual, I received everyone’s attention. It was the same when I was in the hallway just now. Both students from my grade and lower grades were looking at me. What was going on?
Logically, someone as famous as Lianbing should be the one receiving this kind of treatment. Why were all eyes on me, an unknown nobody?
I really hate being stared at… It feels like there are caterpillars crawling all over my body, making me nervous and uncomfortable.
So, I quickly sat down at my seat. Lianbing greeted me as usual.
“Good morning, Juncheng-kun.”
“Oh, morning.”
“You’re walking with your sisters today?”
…Nothing, I just found it a little strange.
“Yes, even I find it a bit strange. After all, our relationship as siblings was quite poor.”
Lianbing said, looking out the window with a meaningful smile.
“Oh? Is that really the case?”
“What else could it be?”
Keling hated me to the point of yelling at the sight of me. Xinran was a little better, but she treated me like a stranger.
How should I put it? It’s like a pet dog that you kept at home. After a business trip where you haven’t seen it for a while, you come home and find it’s not affectionate towards you anymore.
It’s disheartening.
“Hehehe, Juncheng-kun, it’s not my place to talk about your family matters… No… it’s possible that…”
“I heard from Shirley that you wanted to lick me, right?”
What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden!
Although the outcome wasn’t wrong, saying it directly was very misleading! Look, Ayang’s eyes are glued to us!
However, at this point, I was used to Lianbing saying things that could be misunderstood without regard for the situation.
So, I didn’t clear my throat or play dumb. I just admitted it directly.
“Yes, that’s right…”
Before I could say “but,” Lianbing nodded and said,
“Then let’s not delay. Let’s do it now.”
Without another word, Lianbing stood up and leaned forward. Her beautiful face instantly came close, and I could even see her eyelashes clearly.
I felt a soft touch… on my hand.
Why do you ask it was my hand?
That’s because… I blocked it with my hand.
A beautiful girl tries to kiss me, and I block it with my hand. It looks like a waste and incredibly foolish, doesn’t it?
But there was a reason why I did this.
Because the last person who did this, Yinhua, nothing happened to her.
I don’t think Lianbing’s Destiny Mark would be on her tongue like mine. Since it’s not on her tongue, there’s no need for a kiss.
The surrounding classmates were all watching us, probably for gossip. The classroom was as quiet as if it had eaten a mouse.
Lianbing slowly straightened up, her gaze as calm as stagnant water. Even her signature smile had disappeared.
However, to my surprise, I expected Lianbing to erupt with killing intent, but she didn’t get angry. Instead, she looked heartbroken and said dejectedly,
“Juncheng-kun—you hurt my pride by doing that, do you understand? You not only rejected my confession but also my kiss. Should I die for you?”
Just as I was about to explain, the classroom door creaked open, and our homeroom teacher, Teacher Xiaozhen, entered.
“Everyone, quiet down! …Quiet. Hmm? Why are you all so quiet today? Teacher Xiaozhen is very pleased!”
No one spoke. Lianbing returned to her seat, and I had no choice but to do the same.
As I turned, I happened to catch Xueqing’s gaze. Having taken care of Xueqing for a long time, I could detect a hint of joy in her eyes. Was she happy because I rejected Lianbing’s kiss?
“Well then, let’s get straight to the point! Today, a transfer student will be joining our class!”
A transfer student?
We’re already in our third year, and they’re transferring… It’s not unheard of. Because the difficulty of the college entrance exams varies by region, some students who aren’t top-tier scholars might transfer to improve their grades.
But transferring to our class is a bit intriguing.
Because Class 3-3 is the Anomalies’ class. In other words, this transfer student’s background is probably anything but ordinary.
“A transfer student! Oh! Is it finally here! I knew it, how could a school drama not have this plotline? Is it a beautiful girl! Is my heroine finally coming…” …Although, even if she’s female, the protagonist isn’t you. Juncheng might be…
“Juncheng, go to hell!”
Huh? Why is this related to me?
Teacher Xiaozhen also looked at me with a worried expression, holding her cheek and said. “forbidden…”
“Juncheng-kun, although dating isn’t forbidden at Gunshui High School, shouldn’t you be mindful of interacting with the opposite sex too much?” she called out from outside the classroom.
Reminded by me, Teacher Xiaozhen also remembered that the most important thing now was to introduce the transfer student and quickly said,
“Ah! That’s right! Come in, Ji Tong, and some other girls
The one walking in was a boy. Mengfa and two other boys let out sighs of disappointment. On the contrary,
made exclamations, even soft screams. ~Hk xiao k’c This appearance alone could instantly kill 99.
The boy walking in looked thin, but he was… incredibly handsome. Unbelievable, this
99% of boys. I guess this is what they call truly handsome.
His hair and eyes were black, but unnaturally so, a pure black.
He had a natural smile on his face and looked easy to get along with.
“My name is Ji Zhibai. Although the time is short, I hope we can get along well.”
“Then, Ji-kun, you will… There’s a seat next to Ji-kun, so you can sit there first…”
Lianbing directly interrupted Teacher Xiaozhen, saying. Is it okay?
“Excuse me, Teacher Xiaozhen, I don’t want to sit next to this transfer student. Could you please ask him to go to another…”
“…..”
Teacher Xiaozhen and none of us expected Lianbing to be so uncooperative. The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
Is Lianbing upset because I blocked her earlier and wants to vent?
But she shouldn’t take it out on a transfer student… This isn’t like her.
Fortunately, the transfer student smiled and eased the situation. “…Move to another seat, then.
“Ahaha, it’s okay, Teacher. Since this classmate doesn’t want me to sit next to her, I’ll sit in the front…”
Isn’t there an empty seat there too?’
That referred to the seat next to me. of Ji.
However, as far as I know, that seat isn’t empty. The person who replaced Li Nai is called ‘Lou Ling.’ So I’ve never seen
I heard that she’s not in good health, so she basically doesn’t come to class. Even if she does, she stays in the infirmary, according to Lou Ling.
“…That’s not Lou’s seat… Well, you can sit there for now. I’ll later…”
The boy named Ji Zhibai nodded with a smile and walked towards me.
After sitting down, he extended his hand to me and said.
“Please take care of me, An-kun.”
“…Likewise.”
I shook his hand, and he gave me a friendly smile.
Wait a minute, even if he heard my name outside the door, did I mention my surname?
This guy knows me!
