A Sudden Message

In the end, after careful consideration, Yun Lan left a letter and then made a run for it.

It read: "The Yi Family invited me to Eden's first concert. They're a renowned musical family, so I had to show them this courtesy. That's why I went. Don't worry about me, you three."

The Yi Family had indeed invited Yun Lan to Eden's concert, and he really had wanted to show them this courtesy. So what was the one thing that wasn't true?

The truth was, he'd used the concert as an excuse to run away. At least, he shouldn't stay in the middle of this emotional whirlpool any longer than he had to...

A tide of memories swept him away, carrying with it the lights of the past, the feel of the paper, the chill of the night breeze, and the three faces, each marked by its own obsession. The tangled emotions, the helpless choices, and the guilt and resolve he'd felt as he slipped away all flickered through his mind like frames in a silent film.

Just then, a clear voice tinged with concern pierced the depths like a ray of sunlight and yanked him back to reality.

"Brother Lan?"

The voice was close, accompanied by the gentle shake of his arm.

Yun Lan's unfocused eyes snapped into focus. Before him was no longer a moonlit mountain path from his memories or a quiet study, but a bright classroom bathed in afternoon sunlight. The air carried the scents of chalk dust and paper, while the distant squeak of sneakers against the court and boys' shouts drifted in from outside.

The face that came into view belonged to Honami Ichinose, leaning slightly closer. Her long, chestnut hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her clear blue eyes reflected his image. She was studying him with a hint of curiosity and concern, along with a trace of... a subtle emotion unique to girls. She seemed to have called him several times already.

"Ah... Honami?" Yun Lan replied instinctively, his voice still hazy, as if he'd only just returned from some distant time and place. He blinked and quickly composed himself, trying to make his brief lapse seem less obvious. "Sorry, I was distracted for a moment. What were you saying?"

Honami Ichinose didn't answer right away. Instead, she studied his face as if searching for some lingering trace. She pressed her lips together, and the hint of sourness that concern had concealed now showed a little more clearly.

"Brother Lan, just now..." She tilted her head, her voice softening, but each word rang clear. "Were you thinking about those... three junior disciples of yours?"

She pronounced the words "junior disciples" in an especially gentle tone, yet somehow emphasized them all the same. Her gaze stayed fixed on Yun Lan's eyes, not missing the slightest change. It plainly said, I saw you. You were completely lost in another world just now. Beneath that, she seemed a little... jealous that he'd been thinking about someone else.

Sunlight filtered through the window, casting small shadows beneath her long eyelashes and bringing even more life to her fair cheeks. The classroom's bustle seemed to fade away, leaving only her question, tinged with jealousy, as it pierced the thin barrier Yun Lan had just built between himself and reality.

Yun Lan's heart gave a jolt. She'd hit the mark. But he kept his face impassive, offering a helpless, gentle smile as he tried to bluff his way through. "What made you ask that all of a sudden? I was just remembering some... things from the past."

"Things from the past?" Honami repeated, clearly not entirely convinced by his vague answer. She didn't press him further, but her slightly puffed cheeks and the way she turned aside while still sneaking glances at him spoke volumes about how much she cared—and about her little fit of pique.

Yun Lan sighed inwardly. He hadn't even sorted out the old complications, and it seemed new "troubles" were brewing before he knew it. It looked like her calling him "Brother Lan" wasn't just a matter of politeness.

"Really, it's nothing." He tried to change the subject, pointing at the empty lunchbox on the desk. "I'm going to wash my lunchbox. Want to come along, Honami?"

Honami glanced at him, then at the unwashed lunchbox. She seemed to accept the chance to let the matter drop for now, though she still murmured softly, just loud enough for Yun Lan to hear, "Still... whenever you talk about them, Brother Lan, you always look so conflicted. I'm... a little curious."

Curious, perhaps, with some other hazier feelings mixed in. Yun Lan caught the unspoken meaning, and his head began to ache again.

The winds of the past seemed to have reached the present, and the sunlight before him wasn't entirely innocent and warm, either. Beneath my seemingly peaceful school life, undercurrents had never truly stopped churning. Just then, as if to confirm his premonition, the phone in my pocket gave an almost imperceptible buzz.

Who could be messaging me at this hour? I only have a few friends at school whose numbers I have.

Yun Lan took out his phone. An avatar that shouldn't have appeared on this phone showed on the screen—a rabbit.

It was Mao Rabbit. What did she want? Could something have happened to those three little ones?

Rather than head to the nearest restroom, he deliberately took a detour to the staff restroom on the other side of the school building, which was usually quiet at this time. It was more secluded, and the stalls were more private.

He pushed open the heavy door. Just as he'd expected, there was no one inside, only the faint hum of the exhaust fan and the mild scent of cleaning products. Yun Lan pulled the door almost shut behind him, but didn't lock it, so as not to draw unnecessary attention. He went to the sink at the far end and casually set the clean lunchbox on the cold marble countertop. It landed with a light tap.

Everything was quiet. He took a deep breath, as if he were facing not a little screen, but a bomb about to go off.

He took out his phone and unlocked it with his fingerprint. The screen lit up, and the out-of-place rabbit avatar still sat glaring at him at the top of the notifications, like a silent, watching eye.

Yun Lan's fingertips were cold as he tapped the message.

There was none of Fufu's usual rigorous data analysis or probability calculations, no lengthy background explanation. She'd sent only one line, so concise that it felt all the colder and heavier:

"Master, your three junior disciples have learned that you're studying at Advanced Nurturing High School. If all goes as expected, they'll arrive in Japan soon."

The words sat motionless on the screen, their black Song-style characters on a white background cruelly clear.

Yun Lan's finger froze above the screen. For a moment, even his breathing seemed to stop. The stark light from the restroom ceiling fell over his face, which had suddenly gone pale, and his slightly dilated pupils. The exhaust fan's monotonous hum swelled until it filled his ears, then seemed to come from far away, as if heard through a thick layer of water.

Honestly, Yun Lan had never realized that words could be this cold.