I’m floating~
The sky was a soft, warm yellow.
I sat on a fluffy cloud, my lower body sinking into its softness, yet something gently supported me from below.
I felt no pressure at all—as if I could lie back and float on it.
Hmm… it felt just like soaking in a hot spring.
Though I’ve never been in one before, the comforting warmth enveloped my entire body perfectly, with not the slightest chill leaking in.
Steam drifted lazily across my vision.
When I narrowed my eyes, the sunlight bent through it in halos, making everything blur.
So cozy… I just want to stay like this forever…
Ding-ling-ling~
The alarm rang suddenly, crashing into this dreamscape like an intruder.
I heard the jarring sound through a haze, and the world before me began to distort and stretch away, eventually disappearing from sight.
I was awake.
Rubbing the tears from the corners of my eyes, my sharp hearing picked up on the alarm still ringing loudly in the infirmary.
I blinked at my surroundings in a daze, then felt a small sense of relief—there were only two people in this ward: me and Gu Fan.
We wouldn’t be disturbing anyone, and no one else would interrupt us either.
“Ah—my bad, my bad. I forgot to turn the alarm volume down. Did it scare you?”
Gu Fan had probably dozed off too.
It took him a while to react before silencing the alarm he’d set earlier.
I shook my head and softly said, “It’s fine,” then looked at the digital clock across from the bed.
Hmm… it’s already this late?
The students should have all gone back by now, right?
I wonder if the school nurse is still around.
I turned toward the window, where the white curtains fluttered gently.
A deep crimson sunset hung low on the horizon, signaling the arrival of night.
Come to think of it, didn’t I just nap the whole afternoon without even filing a leave request?
Ugh.
I really am a pig—eat, then sleep.
What a useless mess.
Berating myself out of habit, I quickly began searching for my teacher’s contact to send a makeup message.
Gu Fan happened to glance up and catch sight of my phone screen.
“No need to text them. I already informed your teacher.”
“Huh? Ah—thanks, and sorry, I just slept way too deeply.”
“It’s okay. I overslept too. Let’s just call this skipping class for a day. No need to feel guilty about it.”
Gu Fan laughed after saying that.
Skipping class might be a bad thing for most students, but for us… it was a convenient excuse to escape reality and steal a moment of rest.
After chatting idly for a bit, Gu Fan looked at the digital clock—then suddenly stood up with a sharp motion.
“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head back, or we’ll miss the last bus.”
At his words, I reluctantly got off the bed.
I hadn’t moved much all day, and my legs felt like jelly.
“Can you walk?”
“Of course! Don’t underestimate me. It’s just a little menstruation—no way it’s gonna take me down.”
“Hmm, then I’ll walk slower. You better keep up.”
Gu Fan chuckled softly and pulled open the door.
Before leaving the nurse’s office, we stopped by the front to thank the school nurse, who was happily munching on her newly delivered takeout.
She was so kind that she even insisted on giving me a pack of sanitary pads, telling me to go change one immediately in the restroom.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I asked Gu Fan to wait outside the women’s bathroom.
Only after I’d finished changing did I come out, a little bashful.
Well… I’ll chalk it up as life experience. I need to get used to this.
Because I was walking at a snail’s pace, Gu Fan slowed down too, turning into a leisurely grandpa on a stroll.
He patiently stayed just ahead, glancing back every now and then to check on me.
There weren’t many students left on campus.
Worried that Gu Fan might miss the last bus because of me, I tried to pick up the pace.
“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Worst case, we can just grab a cab. Once I upgrade to a new motorbike in a while, it’ll be way easier.”
Gu Fan noticed I was forcing myself to walk faster and quickly stopped me.
But what caught my attention most… was the second half of what he said.
“What… Gu Fan won’t be taking the bus with me anymore?”
I widened my eyes in disbelief, staring at Gu Fan’s back.
No, no, no, no, no!
I won’t allow something like that to happen.
I’d worked so hard to earn this little bit of time together—how could I let it slip away just like that?
My lips parted—I wanted to say something to stop him, but too many excuses rushed to my throat all at once, and none of them made it out.
I didn’t know which one would be best to say.
“Who knows. Maybe one day I’ll be too lazy to ride the bike. After school, I’ll just give you a lift home instead. That way you can even save on bus fare.”
Gu Fan was looking straight ahead, not turning around—so he had no idea just how dramatically my expression had shifted behind him.
He merely stated his thoughts calmly, then flashed me that dazzling smile of his, the kind that always makes my heart skip wildly.
“Ah… that sounds nice. Hehe…”
I probably made a weird little laugh, but it didn’t matter anymore.
Just imagining myself sitting on the back of Gu Fan’s motorcycle, arms wrapped around his waist, my cheek pressed against his back—it made it impossible for me to stop grinning like an idiot.
No no no—this is bad.
I must look completely unsightly right now. Totally unladylike.
I quickly fixed my expression and, just like that, my steps felt lighter.
By the time we reached the bus stop, we’d caught the very last bus of the day.
After scanning our student cards to pay, we took our usual seats in the second-to-last row—Gu Fan on the aisle side, me by the window.
Alright, now comes our usual chat time—the part that happens every day like clockwork.
I started racking my brain for some conversation topics.
Replaying the events of the day in my head, I came up with a few promising leads.
“Gu Fan, could you walk me home today? I’m not feeling too well.”
Yesterday he only passed by my place, but maybe today I could use the excuse of menstrual discomfort to lure him home with me.
Someone as kind as Gu Fan surely wouldn’t have the heart to say no to a teary-eyed catgirl begging for help, right?
I blinked slowly, perfectly timed tears glistening at the corners of my eyes without falling.
I rubbed my belly and looked up at Gu Fan with the most pitiful gaze I could muster.
Gu Fan didn’t seem suspicious at all.
He nodded without hesitation and gave me a confident, reassuring smile.
“No problem. Leave it to me.”
Before our stop arrived, I sent a message to my boss asking for sick leave.
She replied instantly with an ‘OK’ sticker—one of those flaming cat paw ones.
When the electronic voice announced our stop, we patiently waited for the other passengers to get off first.
Then… Gu Fan gently placed a hand on my shoulder, guiding me down the steps of the bus.
“Mm!”
“What’s wrong? Are you really feeling that unwell? Should I just carry you home?”
“Uhh—no, no! That’s okay!”
It was so sudden—when he pulled me into his arms, for a moment I thought I was dreaming.
My heart thudded wildly in my chest, and my legs turned weak again, completely uncooperative.
I let Gu Fan support me as we walked along the sidewalk.
I thought he’d realize that my request earlier was just an excuse… but to my surprise, he actually took it seriously.
I wanted to tease him for being too earnest, but then again, I was the one who lied to him in the first place.
So I obediently kept my mouth shut.
When we arrived at my front door, I fumbled out the keys and unlocked it.
Gu Fan, visiting my home for the first time, glanced around the entryway.
Then, he gently guided me to lean against the wall.
Ahhh—wait, wait, wait—is this a wall slam?!
“Uh…? What are you doing?”
My eyes blinked up at him, confusion blooming into startled tremors.
Gu Fan calmly crouched down, his fingers gliding to my ankles.
With a smooth motion, he slipped off my canvas shoes, revealing the white socks beneath.