Chapter 60: Physical Examination

“Students who have received their medical examination forms, please follow the signs and head to the gymnasium!”

The voice over the intercom repeated itself, the outdated speakers crackling with distorted electronic noise.

Bai Li clutched the freshly issued examination form, absentmindedly shuffling forward with the crowd.

The form was crumpled and wrinkled in her grip, the corners curling up.

Last night, she thought it over all night but still couldn’t understand why she had done it.

It was as if she had been possessed—her mind got hot, and her body moved on its own.

By the time she came to her senses, the letter was torn, the words were said, and she had offended someone.

But she knew this body contained only her own consciousness, so she couldn’t shift the blame.

There was no second personality, no manipulation—it was all her own doing.

“Ah, I’m doomed.”

Bai Li sighed, folded the form twice, and stuffed it into her pocket.

“Now I’ve offended some Shijo family or something. I wonder if this will affect the mission…”

“What’s wrong?”

A hand reached out from the side and patted her shoulder.

Bai Li was so startled she nearly jumped.

She spun her head around—Lin Du had somehow caught up and was walking on her left side.

He also held an examination form, neat, crisp, and brand new, a stark contrast to her crumpled one.

“N-nothing.”

Bai Li averted her gaze, staring at the road ahead.

“Just… thinking about something.”

“What are you thinking about?”

Lin Du glanced at her.

“I called you a few times, but you didn’t answer.”

“I was thinking about why I acted like a madwoman yesterday… tearing up that young lady’s invitation.”

Bai Li let out a heavy sigh.

“You left so quickly after school yesterday.”

Lin Du changed the subject.

“I had just packed my bag, and you were already gone.”

“You have no idea. A bunch of girls surrounded me asking all sorts of questions. I couldn’t take it, so I ran off first.”

Bai Li recalled the scene after school yesterday: a group of girls had pulled her aside, asking all sorts of questions, asking what her relationship with Lin Du was.

They also asked why she was so angry, and if she liked Lin Du.

At the time, she had only focused on denying it.

Seeing the crowd grow, she had no choice but to take off running.

“I see…”

Lin Du responded.

The sunlight on the playground was nice, warming her back.

In the distance, people were playing basketball on the court, the squeak of sneakers on the ground mixing with shouts.

Bai Li lowered her head, staring at her own toes, kicking the ground rhythmically.

“Um…”

She suddenly spoke, her voice hesitant.

“What’s up?”

Lin Du turned his head to look at her.

“About yesterday,”

Bai Li bit her lip.

“Sorry. I was a bit… out of control.”

Lin Du was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

“…It’s fine. I made a fool of myself in front of you all.”

“That Shijo…”

Bai Li probed.

“What’s the deal with her?”

Lin Du thought for a moment, as if organizing his words.

“I helped her once before,”

he said.

“A very trivial matter, but her family… probably takes things like that seriously. She’s been wanting to find a chance to thank me.”

“Thank you?”

Bai Li frowned.

“Coming all the way to the classroom to invite you to a birthday party at a villa—that’s thanking?”

“Maybe because of her upbringing,”

Lin Du shrugged.

“She doesn’t really know how to interact normally with people. I’ve talked to her a few times, but she still wants to find a chance to get me to go.”

“Then… don’t you know you should resist a bit?”

Her voice rose a little.

“You just stood there silent like a block of wood, making me…”

“Sorry,”

Lin Du glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

“I have my own secrets I can’t tell.”

Bai Li opened her mouth, wanting to ask what secrets, but felt it wasn’t appropriate.

If he didn’t want to say, and she pressed, what would that look like?

Besides, what right did she have to ask?

She had more secrets than anyone.

The two walked on in silence for a while.

“Um…”

Bai Li glanced left and right, her voice cautious.

“With the way I acted yesterday, she won’t hire an assassin to kill me, will she?”

Lin Du was slightly taken aback, then laughed.

“No.”

There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

“That’s a conglomerate, not a gang.”

“Oh.”

Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief.

“After the checkup,”

Lin Du said,

“let’s go apologize to her. Having to face such humiliation in public must be hard for her.”

Bai Li’s footsteps faltered.

“Apologize?”

“Mm.”

Lin Du nodded.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be hard on you. She should… not be the type to hold a grudge. It’s just…”

He paused.

“She’s just probably not used to being rejected. If you explain in person, she’ll understand.”

Bai Li bit her lip.

Apologize?

She didn’t really want to go.

But Lin Du was right.

She had made the first move, torn up the invitation.

It was only right to apologize.

And Lin Du said he would accompany her, which was better than going alone.

“Fine.”

She muttered under her breath.

Lin Du glanced at her and let out another laugh.

“What are you laughing at?”

She glared at him.

“Nothing.”

Lin Du looked away, focusing on the road ahead.

“Just remembering how you looked yesterday.”

“What did I look like?”

“Standing in front of me all fierce,”

Lin Du gestured.

“Like… like a mother hen protecting her chicks.”

“Who are you calling a hen?!”

Bai Li’s face flushed red.

Her voice made a classmate ahead turn around, so she quickly lowered her voice.

“That was… that was righteous indignation—drawing my sword to help the downtrodden!”

“Well, thank you for ‘drawing your sword’ on the letter,”

Lin Du said.

Bai Li was at a loss for words.

“You—”

She took a deep breath.

“You can’t bully me just because I’m short!”

“Alright, alright.”

Lin Du looked at her puffed-up expression, reached out, and gently patted her on the top of her head.

“Not short. Just right.”

Bai Li’s mind buzzed, and her scalp tingled—a sensation that ran from the top of her head all the way to the tip of her tail.

“D-don’t touch me!”

She slapped his hand away, her voice breaking.

“I’ll never grow taller!”

Lin Du withdrew his hand, but Bai Li felt there was a hint of laughter in his eyes.

She lowered her head and quickened her pace to walk ahead of him, afraid to let him see her face.

She didn’t need a mirror to know that her face was now as red as a cherry tomato.

The two reached the gymnasium entrance, one behind the other.

The line was long—one column of boys, one column of girls—snaking from the door all the way to the playground.

Bai Li stood at the end of the boys’ line, with Lin Du behind her.

She glanced back at the adjacent line—the girls were chattering away, some fanning themselves with their forms, others comparing each other’s papers.

Suddenly, Bai Li realized something.

‘The physical checkup… don’t you have to take off your clothes?’

Her heart sank.

She looked down at herself.

The disguise was perfect—she now looked like an ordinary high school boy.

‘What if the doctor wanted to listen to her heartbeat? Would she have to lift her shirt? Press the stethoscope against her chest?’

Even though she knew the disguise could simulate her appearance, touch was impossible to fake.

Bai Li didn’t want to be touched by a stranger.

She had to find a way to get through this checkup.

…