Fake Slackers

Chapter 22: The handsome devil's probably trembling in his blanket right now

Class 2.3's classroom was pitch-dark when seen from outside. To those not in the know, it might seem like evening self-study had already let out.

"What are they doing now?" He Zhao lagged behind, struck by a faintly foreboding premonition.

Xie Yu leaned against the door frame. With his eyes narrowed, he could just barely make out the classroom interior.

Wan Da heard footsteps, turned around, and yelled with surprised joy, "Great timing! We were about to start. Joining?"

He Zhao retreated two steps but Xie Yu pulled him back.

"Today we're not telling stories," Wan Da said. "We're playing with the occult. Mad Dog just left, so we're very safe."

"Sit here, Zhao-ge. We saved a seat especially for you." He Zhao was usually quite lively and Wan Da always roped him into things. "...It's very thrilling."

He Zhao internally said: Thrilling as shit. Day after day, they don't study properly and keep getting up to these hijinks.

Wan Da felt that leaving Xie Yu standing alone wasn't appropriate and asked, "Yu-ge, are you in?"

"He's in," He Zhao replied on Xie Yu's behalf. Since he couldn't avoid it, he'd drag as many people down with him as possible. "He's in."

In all, four people were playing.

The rest stood to the side and watched.

Xu Qingqing, the tomboy, was especially brave. She slapped her thigh and said she wanted to be the moderator. "Let me ask!"

As she finished speaking, she picked up the pencil.

Wan Da placed his hand over Xu Qingqing's and didn't object. "All right, you ask."

He Zhao hadn't intended to do anything, but Wan Da was eyeing him firmly. Clearly Wan Da couldn't muster up enough courage to have Xie Yu's hand placed on top of his, so he was pressing He Zhao to put his hand on next.

Xie Yu was too distant a person.

He hadn't done anything to give others this feeling. Even if he was just lying there, quietly napping, he made people want to keep a respectful distance. In the whole class, only He Zhao talked and laughed with him and had managed to determinedly survive till now.

Xie Yu was the last of them.

He lifted his hand and placed it over He Zhao's. It was a hot summer day, but Xie Yu's fingertips felt cool against He Zhao's hand.

This chill burned the back of his hand.

He Zhao couldn't tell what exactly this feeling was, either. His thoughts took a strange turn. He had initially been worried about this damn game but suddenly he wasn't thinking about anything at all.

"Close your eyes, close your eyes. Close your eyes first," Wan Da said. "Don't open your eyes or the ghost will take your soul when it comes."

"If our eyes are closed, how will we see where it goes?!"

"That's what the walkthrough says to do. Better believe it than not."

"All right, I'm closing them, closing them. I'll open them when it comes."

Xie Yu didn't quite believe in ghosts. One of his hands held He Zhao's and the other supported his head as he turned to look at He Zhao.

This guy kept spouting off claims about not being scared and saying, 'whoever's scared is a dog,' but his eyes were shut tighter than anyone else's.