"Huh?"
The other girl, who had a round face, widened her eyes in surprise. "No way?"
She looked at the bag in Xiao Xiao's hand.
"How could a mouse have gotten into the bag?"
Were mice really that clever?
"Maybe the mouse ran into the nearby bushes."
The boy also thought his companion's guess was unlikely.
"It's so dark now. We won't be able to find it."
"I told you, why chase a mouse..."
"No."
Xiao Lan was very insistent.
"I really did hear a sound coming from this person's bag."
"Right when I chased the mouse here."
"The mouse must have hidden in the bag."
"You—"
The boy rubbed his temples, feeling rather helpless.
"Hey, classmate."
He smiled apologetically at Xiao Xiao. "If it's not too much trouble, could you let us look inside your bag?"
"Sure."
Xiao Xiao was about to open the bag.
"Wait!"
Xiao Lan shouted.
"You two, go over there."
Xiao Lan directed her two friends.
The boy and the round-faced girl exchanged glances.
Although they both looked rather helpless, they still did as Xiao Lan said.
Now Xiao Xiao was surrounded on all sides.
"Is this all right?"
Xiao Xiao smiled.
"Yeah."
Xiao Lan nodded, looking as if she were facing a formidable enemy. "Be careful."
"You two, be careful too."
The boy and the round-faced girl: ...
They gave Xiao Xiao awkward smiles in unison.
Xiao Xiao returned a gentle smile.
He opened the bag.
"..."
A few seconds of silence.
Nothing happened.
"What the heck?"
The round-faced girl's shoulders slumped.
Because her friend had made such a fuss, she couldn't help taking the matter seriously, even though she hadn't thought it likely.
As expected, her friend had just been mistaken.
"Huh?"
Xiao Lan