Friends (1)

“Ta-da~”

When Bai Mian opened the door, the first thing she saw was a paper bag filled with desserts. Right behind it, stepping in with the warm afternoon sunlight, was You Xi’s bright, cheerful smile.

“Since you said to wait, I went and bought some snacks. We can eat them together later!”

“Ah, thank you.”

Bai Mian took the bag with one hand and used the other to pull out slippers from the shoe rack, gently offering them to her friend.

“What’ve you been doing at home all alone? Isn’t it boring?”

“It’s okay.”

“…Wait, lemme check.”

“—Huh!?”

You Xi suddenly grabbed Bai Mian’s cheeks with both hands, making her yelp like a startled kitten.

“…You’re wearing light makeup? Looks like your mood’s better than I thought. That’s a relief.” With that, she grinned.

“X-Xiao Xi…”

A faint blush spread across Bai Mian’s face.

She averted her gaze and gently, carefully pulled her cheeks free from You Xi’s grip.

“Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?” You Xi asked, eyes wide with surprise.

“My uncle’s been running a fever lately too. So many people are sick now—maybe it’s the flu?”

“I’ve been staying in my room, so I don’t really know. But I’m not sick.”

As she spoke, Bai Mian stole a quick glance at You Xi.

Her heartbeat, racing since the touch, hadn’t slowed. She wished—hoped—her friend would notice how she felt.

“Ah, good. Not a fever then. Phew.”

You Xi nodded, then casually strode into Bai Mian’s room.

“Xiao Xi, did you dye your hair?”

Now following behind, Bai Mian noticed a few red streaks in You Xi’s short hair, just past her cheeks.

“Yeah, I dyed it a few days ago. Since I’m not going to school, whatever.”

She’d done it to match her magical girl look. It was a small, secret act of self-expression—no one else would ever know.

“How’s it look? Pretty cool, right?”

“…Why was your suspension extended?” Bai Mian asked instead.

“Ugh, don’t bring up boring stuff.”

You Xi waved it off, and the two sat down on the floor.

“…I’ll go boil some water. Is black tea okay?”

“Yeah, anything’s fine.”

After Bai Mian left to make tea, You Xi looked around.

Honestly, the room was just as empty and plain as before—nothing like a high school girl’s space.

“How do you even live here? It’s so boring I’m getting sleepy.”

You Xi yawned—and at that exact moment, the Magic Kingdom app blared an alert from her phone.

“—!?”

She jolted upright. Pulling out her phone, she saw the log: Magic particles matching Nightmare Fiend detected.

“…A-again?

Another malfunction? Skeptical, You Xi scanned the room again.

But Bai Mian’s room was so minimalist, not even an ant could hide. Where could an aberration possibly be?

If she had to guess… her eyes landed on the three large bookshelves.

“No way. Why would the Nightmare Fiend be in Xiao Mian’s house? It’s gotta be another false alarm, just like before.”

That’s what You Xi thought—but her body had already moved on instinct.

The shelves were packed with colorful book spines. You Xi leaned in, peering through the gaps to check the hidden space behind.

“Xiao Xi!”

“—Wah!”

A sudden scream from behind startled her, and she shrieked in response.

“Xiao Mian, what was that for? You scared me half to death,” she complained, turning to see her friend holding a tray with tea and fruit.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Bai Mian blushed and looked down.

She’d just walked in and seen You Xi inspecting the bookshelf. Fearing her hidden aberration would be discovered, she’d screamed without thinking.

What would You Xi think of her if she found out she’d been living with a monster?

“…I was just checking what books you had.”

By then, the app’s alert had mysteriously stopped again. Convinced it was a glitch, You Xi relaxed and returned to her seat.

They ate fruit and cake, chatting casually.

“…Is it because of Mo Li that you’re not going to school?”

When the mood felt right, Bai Mian asked the question she’d been dreading.

After all, You Xi had hit Mo Li for her. If she could, she’d take on all the punishment herself.

“Ah, well… a few things happened after. Anyway, the rest doesn’t involve you. Don’t you dare feel guilty, okay? This has nothing to do with you.”

“I see… but really, it all started because of me.”

“Xiao Mian.”

You Xi suddenly grabbed her friend’s hand, her voice unusually serious.

“If you really consider me your friend… please stop saying things like that.”

“To be honest, I don’t regret what I did at all. But if my actions make you feel guilty or responsible… that’s the one thing I can’t accept.”

“Xiao Xi… I’m sorry. I won’t say it again.”

Bai Mian lowered her head in shame.

Her friend had taken the fall for her, and all she’d done was dwell on her own pain, ignoring how You Xi must have felt. That realization filled her with guilt.

…What could she do to repay You Xi’s kindness? Suddenly, a surge of emotion welled up in her chest.

“Xiao Xi.”

She locked eyes with her friend—her gaze stronger than You Xi had ever seen.

For the first time, You Xi was stunned. The apple slice in her hand slipped and fell to the floor.

Before she could react, Bai Mian pulled her hand free and leaned forward.

“X-Xiao Mian?”

They were close—close enough to see their reflections in each other’s eyes. Every pore on their noses and lips tingled with the warmth of the other’s breath.

“…W-what is it?”

This time, it was You Xi’s turn to blush.

Bai Mian grabbed her friend’s hand and pressed it against her chest, right above her heart.

“You said… if I consider you a friend, I shouldn’t say those things, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

You Xi nodded, dazed.

“I have the same request,” Bai Mian said.

“If you consider *me* your friend… don’t face everything alone. If there’s anything I can do to help, you have to tell me, okay?”

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, You Xi nodded.

“O-okay. I… I understand.”

“Thank you, Xiao Xi.”

“…That’s what real friends are for.”

Bai Mian smiled.

She rarely smiled, always looking gloomy. To You Xi, this moment felt precious.

But at that very instant, a shadow passed over You Xi’s heart.

…Sorry, Xiao Mian. I can’t keep that promise.

In her heart, she apologized silently.

Just before entering, she’d been torn—should she ask Bai Mian to come forward and testify? But the moment she saw her friend, she’d let go of the idea.

Bai Mian looked clean, fresh, even wore light makeup. In this past week, she’d slowly stepped out of the shadow of bullying.

So what should she do now? Make her relive that pain? Force her back into despair? She couldn’t do that.

So, Xiao Mian—I’ll handle this myself.

Looking at her friend, smiling so rarely, You Xi made a silent vow.

Then… we can go to school together again, just like before.