Due to a sudden drop in temperature, most students had switched to their winter uniforms on their way to school.
The winter uniform of Shen Yu Middle School consisted of a deep-blue long-sleeved jacket and deep-blue trousers for boys, and the same jacket coupled with a deep-blue pleated skirt for girls.
Many of the girls, in an attempt to stay warm, also wore thermal tights.
The sight of these black thermal tights stirred a certain infatuation within me.
At this moment, I was walking side by side with Zhiye, whose attire was distracting me, making me unsure where to rest my gaze.
Upon entering the school, we were greeted by a straight path with medium-sized, tiled flower-beds on either side.
The flowers in the flower-beds, vibrant and neat, bore the fruits of dedicated trimming and nurturing.
"Jerry, these flowers are so beautiful," Zhiye couldn't help but touch the blossoms.
"Yes, indeed they are," I agreed, my gaze struggling to stay on her, forcing me to look elsewhere. Her bending pose was even more enticing, though she seemed oblivious to it.
"These must be autumn chrysanthemums... their golden color resembles sunflowers," she examined the tiny, numerous petals of the flowers.
"I think so," my knowledge of flowers was scarce, but based on its appearance it could be a chrysanthemum.
"Despite their small size, these flowers are extraordinarily resilient. Even as the temperature drops, they continue to bloom fearlessly,"
"Ah, is that so," I responded with little enthusiasm.
"Jerry, do you not like flowers?" Noticing my disinterest, Zhiye inquired.
"It's just... the scent of flowers tends to be overwhelming, and also..." I trailed off.
"What else?" With a slightly tilted head, Zhiye asked, puzzled. I would never admit that her attire was the reason behind my uneasy state of mind. Just as I struggled for an explanation, the bell rang.
"Class time..."
"We should hurry," We quickly walked to the classroom. We barely made it before the teacher walked in. Just like when I first arrived at school, everyone was in their winter uniforms. The only thing that felt off was the peculiar way they looked at me, as if they were predators, sending a chill down my spine.
Feeling anxious, I took my seat. The female teacher walked into the room, unchanged from before, wearing her black framed glasses with her brown bobbed hair visible.
"So... let's... start with our lesson," she nervously opened her textbook, "today we will learn..." Each sentence she spoke was arduous.
"Miss, we covered this part yesterday,"
"Uh... I'm sorry, I didn't remember" As soon as a student pointed it out, the teacher immediately became flustered and kept apologizing.
She was on the verge of tears, her composure was crumbling. I wished for her to keep going despite the disappointment she caused. On the bright side, her style of teaching was somewhat amusing, probably due to her expressive face, it felt comedic. Nobody really ridiculed her, at least I hadn't.
After the class ended, the other classes followed suit. However, my uneasiness persisted. After four uneventful classes, it was time for lunch. As I hadn't visited the restroom during the classes, I thought I'll use this break.
As I was about to leave for the restroom, voices came from outside, "Beloved devotees, now is the best time to punish the rebels. Let us raise the flag of our hearts and execute the defiers who try to go against our will with fire," I recognized the voice to be of Blondie.
"Execute the rebels" echoed in unison outside.
"Follow my command... Charge!" Blondie swung his arm towards the boy's restroom, summoning a flurry of scampering footsteps. Panic seized me as I didn't know what to do next, my forehead broke out in sweat.Hearing their serious tone, I was certain that I would be done for if they caught me. Thus, I focused all my attention, glancing around the restroom, hoping to find a way to escape. When I spotted a window leading outside from the restroom, I realized that it could be my only hope to break free.
