Chapter 11: Gu Fan, Let’s Run Away Together

“Hey, hey, Gu Fan, hurry and copy this down, the teacher’s moving on to the next topic.”

“Ah, okay.”

Prompted by my deskmate, I pulled my drifting attention back and started scribbling down notes so I wouldn’t fall behind.

After entering high school, I’d tried to seriously focus in class according to my current mindset—but occasionally, I still had the lazy thought of procrastinating until senior year, like in middle school, and only then desperately cramming.

Thinking back on those nightmare-like three years, I shook my head and tossed those dangerous thoughts aside.

Forget it… those boring and ridiculous days aren’t worth going back to.

Now that I think about it, after parting ways with Zhi Nian, I went through a rebellious phase. I acted all arrogant, like I could find meaning in life by being defiant and indifferent.

And now, meeting her again, I’ve just so happened to transform from that reckless punk into this… model student wearing a fake mask. Maybe it’s fate.

The teacher’s pace was fast. In the moment I spaced out, I’d already missed several points and couldn’t keep up anymore.

When the bell rang, I smiled and borrowed my deskmate’s notes, stuffing them into my bag. While I was at it, I pulled out my phone to kill time between classes—only for a group of people to immediately gather around me.

“Gu Fan! Please, I’m begging you, help me out—I didn’t understand a word of that last class.”

A girl I wasn’t very familiar with came up and pointed at a formula in the textbook, speaking in a half-joking, half-threatening tone.

I wasn’t really the approachable type, but sometimes being a little too friendly made people latch onto me.

“Ah, sorry, I zoned out during class too. I’ll have to review it myself using my deskmate’s notes.”

I flicked the freshly borrowed notebook in my hand, stating what sounded like an excuse, though it was the truth.

“Hey now, everyone stop bullying Gu Fan—leave that to me,”

Fang Cheng, wearing a basketball jersey, clapped me on the shoulder and grinned at the group around me.

Whether it was his thuggish aura or the implied message in his words, the others laughed it off and dispersed.

“Thanks for getting me out of that,”

Once they were out of earshot, Fang Cheng dragged me out to the corridor for a breather, and I finally expressed my gratitude.

Fang Cheng was the first friend I’d made after entering this high school. At first, I thought he was no different from the troublemakers I knew in middle school, but after over a month of talking—

I realized he was surprisingly decent—worth becoming real friends with.

“Hey, don’t call me ‘bro,’ I can’t handle that title.”

Fang Cheng waved it off with a smile.

“You play basketball better than me, your grades are better than mine, and you were even some kind of infamous bully back in middle school. Compared to that, I’m just a wannabe who doesn’t even dare smoke. No way I’m qualified to be your ‘bro.’”

“Hmph, I don’t smoke.”

I casually responded, implicitly accepting the rest of what he said.

If it weren’t for Fang Cheng, I—who’s not great at turning people down—would probably have been dragged into the churning waves of endless socializing.

Socializing is a decent way to kill time, but it’s so exhausting—both mentally and physically.

As for the whole ‘middle school bully’ thing, that’s just rumors blown out of proportion. The number of people I’ve actually beaten up barely hits double digits. Hardly makes me some sort of super-villain.

After class started, I checked to make sure my phone was on silent—only to see a missed call on the screen.

“Zhi Nian…?”

Weird. She’d call me first? Probably a misdial.

Even weirder—since we’re both at school, and our classrooms aren’t that far apart, why would she call me instead of just coming over?

“Huh… interesting…”

Zhi Nian’s impulsive action brought an unexpected ripple into my otherwise monotonous day. For the first time in a while, I felt a flicker of curiosity.

* * * * *

Hm, I got a text. It was from Gu Fan. He messaged me first—for the first time ever. Maybe he’s just politely responding to my missed call?

Since I rarely bring my phone to school—and almost no one ever contacts me—I never developed the habit of keeping it on silent.

Fortunately, my phone volume was set super low, and the teacher’s voice was loud enough to cover the chime of the message alert.

I quickly switched to silent mode and nervously fumbled with my phone, typing out a bunch of jumbled nonsense.

What should I say? How do I even say it?

I stewed over my words like simmering stew, letting them boil down again and again until they were soft and falling apart. Only then did I finally hit ‘send’.

Now that the invitation was sent, the next step was to ask the teacher for leave—since class had already started.

This part wasn’t that hard to deal with. I can talk to strangers just fine. Though to outsiders, I probably don’t seem ‘fine’ at all.

I stood up, face gradually stiffening into a poker face as I walked toward the podium. The teacher gave me a quick glance, noticed my expression, and approved my request to visit the nurse’s office without much fuss.

But after leaving the classroom, I didn’t head toward the nurse’s office. Instead, I made a detour to the second floor of the old school building and slipped into an unused classroom I’d scouted out earlier that morning. It was hidden enough.

The door wasn’t locked—one push and I was in. It wasn’t too dusty either, probably because the windows were sealed tight and the building had only recently been decommissioned.

I pulled open a window and stood in front of it. My cat tail swayed comfortably behind me, and I could feel my ears twitching slightly with anticipation.

I couldn’t say whether I was happy or nervous. But getting to talk to Gu Fan alone like this… yeah, this was probably more of a positive feeling.

Back at his house, I’d been too nervous. But now, the empty classroom meant no interruptions, and the unfamiliar setting gave me a strange sense of confidence.

“Click, click—click, click—”

In the still, silent room, the crisp, steady sound of approaching footsteps suddenly rang out. Ever since I got these extra ears, my hearing’s improved a lot.

I quickly turned around, tugging straight the hem of my jacket and making sure the zipper wasn’t awkwardly pulled all the way to the top before I finally looked properly toward the door.

Gu Fan wasn’t wearing a jacket—just a clean short-sleeved school uniform. His bangs were slightly messy, probably from rushing over.

He leaned against the doorframe, the sunlight from outside casting a warm glow on him, and gave a faint, gentle smile.

“Zhi Nian, good morning.”

“Ah, uh… g-good morning…”

My heart gave a sudden thump. Somehow, this youthful scene, paired with Gu Fan’s soft voice—like a spring breeze—sent a sweet warmth blooming in my chest.

Gu Fan glanced back at the hallway to make sure no one was there, then quietly closed the classroom door.

“Is there something you needed to talk about? Go ahead.”

He naturally walked over and stood beside me, looking out at the ginkgo tree outside the window.

I silently followed his gaze to the tree, swallowed a few times, and then forced my voice out—sharp with nervous tension.

“U-Um… I wanted to hang out with you.”

“Sure. When?”

Gu Fan responded calmly, as if my invitation didn’t bother him in the slightest.

“…Right now.”

I paused briefly before resolutely voicing my wish.

His relaxed posture clearly stiffened. His gaze wasn’t filled with confusion exactly—more like surprise, as if he hadn’t expected me to be this direct.

“Really… You want to skip class?”

“Yeah. Let’s skip together.”

If I was going to do this, every second counted.

If Gu Fan truly had no future to look forward to… then there was no point wasting three years chasing grades. Skipping class was just a necessary method.

I’m clumsy—I don’t know how to create unforgettable memories. All I can do is try to give Gu Fan a bit more time to be free.

“……”

Gu Fan stared at me seriously. I met his eyes without backing down.

His warm, gentle presence welcomed the stubborn little deer crashing straight into it.

After a long silence, Gu Fan finally gave a radiant smile.

“As you wish.”