Volume 3: High School Arc - Mirror Game
I froze for a moment, and before I could react, the screen had already lit up.
Though my crappy phone wasn't great for playing games, it was really considerate when it came to various functions.
Only those who had used it would understand where that sense of thoughtfulness came from.
It was a kind of feeling that would respond to your movements, very naturally.
As I took the phone out and held it in front of my eyes, the screen lit up automatically.
Then, the facial recognition instantly unlocked it, and the phone opened.
At the same time, my hand just happened to rest on the screen.
This seamless fluidity was something ordinary phones couldn't provide.
But at the moment, my attention was drawn to that shadow that had just flashed past...
I… didn’t smile just now, did I?
I touched the corner of my mouth, then looked down at the phone screen, frowning...
I casually pressed the power button to turn off the screen.
On the dark screen, my face was reflected in the glass.
It was my face, no doubt, and my expression was normal.
I was sure… I didn’t smile just now.
But what did I see, then??
Recalling that fleeting shadow from just now, the smile on that face was definitely a smile.
But...
How could that be?
While thinking about it, I prepared to turn my phone back on.
But before my hand could touch the power button, the phone suddenly vibrated, and then the screen lit up.
A line of notification appeared at the top.
【APP mission has been issued, please accept it.】
Suddenly recalling the smiling face reflected in the screen just now, I instinctively looked up and scanned my surroundings.
However… everything around me still looked normal, unchanged.
"Not a surprise event?"
I was thinking out loud and didn’t expect Bai Juanjuan in front of me to hear it.
"What?"
Bai Juanjuan probably didn’t hear me clearly and turned her head back to look at me with a hint of confusion.
"It’s nothing, I was just talking to myself."
I smiled, then hesitated slightly before putting the phone away.
Now wasn’t the time to look at my phone.
At the same time, I shifted my gaze to Lu Haochen beside me.
But he didn’t show any special reaction.
Judging from his various reactions earlier, he totally looked like a player.
But I received the message, and he didn’t…
Could it be that this time, the mission didn’t involve him?
Forget it, doesn’t matter.
If this guy wasn’t dragged into it, then this round of the game had nothing to do with him.
I’d find a chance to check the phone info properly later.
Wait... no, I need to check it now!
What if I only had one or two hours to prepare?
Every minute wasted now meant an extra minute of danger.
"I’m going to the restroom."
Seeing Bai Juanjuan looking at me, I smiled and said that.
But Bai Juanjuan immediately said, "Me too."
She followed me out of the classroom.
But it was fine.
I just needed to check my phone in the restroom.
All the stalls here were private, and there would be enough time.
As we walked, Bai Juanjuan chatted beside me about how she went to the seaside last time with her grandpa to gather seafood.
I realized... this girl really talked a lot.
Even though her face had broken into a sweat from all the talking, and her cheeks had a sickly flush, her eyes still sparkled as she spoke.
It was like... she couldn’t wait to say everything she’d ever wanted to say in her life.
"Juanjuan…"
"Hmm?"
Bai Juanjuan was still talking when I couldn’t help but interrupt her.
She looked at me with a big smile.
I paused for a moment, then looked into her eyes and asked seriously:
"Is it… hereditary asthma?"
Bai Juanjuan’s original smile suddenly froze.
"Heart…"
Her face turned pale instantly.
That sickly red glow stood out even more now.
Right after that, her body suddenly stiffened.
Her eyes widened.
Then, she gasped sharply!
"Hiss~~"
The moment I saw her like that, I understood right away.
I reached out and grabbed her left wrist.
My other hand felt her pulse.
My right hand clenched into a fist, with the second joint of my middle finger protruding slightly.
I struck the Tian Tu acupuncture point at the base of her neck.
"Hiss!"
Seeing her open her mouth again and gasp, I didn’t hesitate.
I grabbed her left hand and quickly turned her body around.
My upper hand pressed directly on her spine.
One, two… seven!
Da Zhui point!
I pressed down with my right thumb.
"Hiss! Hoo..."
That exhale finally came out.
Good thing I reacted quickly.
If I’d been one second slower, I would’ve had to use medication.
But that would’ve been too noticeable.
Since Bai Juanjuan wanted to hide it, I’d help her.
I gently stroked her back.
She was wearing a one-piece bra.
Probably afraid that a regular one would hinder her breathing, right?
Don’t ask how I knew that.
Her clothes weren’t that thick.
"Feeling better?"
While helping her with her back, I kept an eye on her complexion.
Seeing that some of her color had returned, I finally felt relieved.
Heart disease plus hereditary asthma?
What a huge problem.
I pulled back the hand checking her pulse and shook my head helplessly.
Heart disease might be treatable with surgery.
But asthma...
That was pretty much incurable.
At best, it could only be managed.
This also indirectly explained why Bai Juanjuan didn’t want to talk about it.
It seemed she was a proud girl, but...
"Bai Juanjuan..."
Looking at her pale face, I spoke seriously.
"If you consider me your friend, then don’t hide things like this."
"If it had been someone else just now who didn’t know, they might have been scared out of their mind."
"Do you know how dangerous your condition becomes when that happens?"
"Is your medicine in your backpack?"
Bai Juanjuan was rendered speechless by my words.
She held her hands in front of her chest, head lowered.
"I... I just didn’t want to..."
"You didn’t want people to treat you differently, right?"
"If I were that kind of person, then I wouldn’t be worth being friends with."
"You didn’t keep the medicine bottle in your pocket because you were afraid of exposing your condition, so you didn’t carry it with you?"
"N-no... it’s just..."
Bai Juanjuan’s voice was on the verge of tears as she muttered timidly, "I... I’ve never been to school before... Someone else always carried the bottle for me..."
"So on your first day of school, you forgot to bring the medicine with you?"
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but press a hand to my forehead and sigh inwardly.
Unbelievable!
I was truly speechless!
This silly girl—didn’t she know that if her condition acted up and she had no medicine, it could kill her within minutes?
"Let’s go!"
"Eh?"
Without another word, I grabbed Bai Juanjuan’s hand and turned back toward the classroom.
She stumbled two steps, caught off guard by my strength, and looked back toward the restroom in confusion.
"But... we haven’t gone to..."
"Gone to what! Go back and get your medicine! From now on, keep it with you at all times!"
I snapped back at her, and Bai Juanjuan immediately wilted like a quail, lowered her head, and let me lead her away.
Back in the classroom, I didn’t care about the other students’ stares.
I reached into Bai Juanjuan’s bag and rummaged around.
The medicine bottle was easy to find.
With my medical experience and knowledge, I could tell right away which one was an inhaler and which was for oral use.
I pulled out the bottle casually, slipped it into my pocket as I turned, and let the swing of my skirt hide the movement so no one would notice.
Then I turned again and led Bai Juanjuan straight out of the classroom.
"Take it! Don’t ever forget it again, wherever you go!"
I gave Juanjuan a sharp glare.
Immediately, this little girl shrank like a bird, head lowered, and quietly took the medicine bottle from my hand and tucked it into her own pocket.
Only then did we head toward the restroom.
This time, Bai Juanjuan didn’t chatter like before—she was completely quiet.
"I’m not blaming you. I just want you to remember—it’s dangerous to forget this. Understand?"
Seeing her so silent, I actually felt a little uncomfortable.
Had I been too harsh with my words earlier?
"Mm..."
Bai Juanjuan still kept her head down and gave a soft reply.
But I could hear... was there a hint of tears in her voice?
"You’re crying?"
"..."
Bai Juanjuan didn’t answer, just followed me silently with her head down.
I was about 170cm tall now, and this girl hadn’t even reached 160.
So with her head lowered, I really couldn’t see her face.
But judging from her voice, she was probably crying.
Sigh… helpless.
I’d never comforted a girl in my life.
"From now on, don’t forget to bring it."
"Later, wipe your tears clean so no one else notices."
"Mm..."
A soft reply, tinged with a hoarse sob.
The two of us arrived at the restroom.
There were probably only two or three hundred students in this building.
The space was large, and even including the teachers, there wouldn’t be more than 350 people.
So the restroom seemed a bit empty.
What’s more, there were no regular classes or breaks this morning, making it even quieter.
Once at the restroom, I didn’t nag anymore.
If I had to remind her even about this, then this girl really would be beyond help.
The restroom was clean and well-maintained.
Looked like someone was assigned to clean it.
Cleaning tools like mops were neatly hung on the walls—everything was organized.
The men’s and women’s restrooms were right next to each other.
The first thing you’d see upon entering was a giant mirror in front of the sink.
At the moment, two female students were washing their hands.
One of them was even fixing her makeup seriously.
They didn’t react at all when they saw us enter.
Which was normal—who would greet people enthusiastically in a restroom?
I watched the silly girl walk into the restroom.
I casually pulled out my phone and turned around to enter a stall.
But before I stepped inside, I deliberately glanced at the mirror.
Still nothing.
Once inside the stall, I closed the door behind me, locked it, and quickly took out my phone.
I opened the APP and immediately saw its description.
When I saw the countdown, I let out a breath of relief.
But when I read the mission type, I couldn’t help but gasp...
Inside the stall, I carefully read through it all and memorized the details.
Then I put away the phone, lifted my skirt...
Alright, no matter how many times I did this motion, it always felt awkward.
I threw away the wet wipe, stood up, and stepped out of the stall.
Out of habit, I glanced toward the stall where Bai Juanjuan was.
But just as my gaze passed over the large mirror...
I saw it again.
That face—my face—doing something I hadn’t done.
Smiling.
With madness and malice...
That smile.