Side story: Castorice's high school life (2)

The arrival of Castorice and Polyxena was like two pebbles thrown into the not-too-deep pool of water in Class 3 of Grade 11, creating continuous ripples.

During breaks, people would often glance at the sisters' seats, their whispers as numerous and persistent as summer mosquitoes.

"From the funeral home... it felt a bit eerie."

"That Castorice is so beautiful, but she's so cold. I don't dare talk to her."

"Polyxena is quite cheerful, but she's carrying a white cane. Is she blind?"

Who knows...

Murong Xue and her girlfriends gathered together, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around them to hear. "Playing tricks."

She fiddled with her meticulously styled long hair, her tone disdainful.

She tried to attract attention, but found that many boys' eyes were still fixed on the purple-haired sisters, which made her even more annoyed.

For the first time ever, Luo Li didn't show off his pen-spinning skills during break.

He lay on the table, his face buried in his arms, but his ears were perked up, trying to catch any snippets of conversation about Castorice.

Yang Shan nudged him with his pen. "Hey, Li Zi, are you staring blankly? Has your soul been stolen?"

"Get lost," Luo Li replied in a muffled voice, without looking up.

His mind was a bit of a mess. That quiet figure, those calm purple eyes, and that faint, cool fragrance kept popping into his head unexpectedly.

There was a physical education class in the afternoon, which consisted of free time. Most of the boys rushed to the basketball court, while the girls gathered in twos and threes under the shade of trees to chat or went to the gymnasium to play.

Luo Li was dragged by Yang Shan to play half a court of basketball.

He seemed distracted, nearly hitting his own foot while dribbling, and repeatedly made passing errors.

"Li Zi, what are you doing?" Yang Shan complained helplessly as he caught a ball that had been passed crookedly.

Luo Li remained silent, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the edge of the playground, to that corner near the back wall of the school, a place rarely visited by anyone.

There was a small, abandoned flowerbed overgrown with weeds. And at that moment, Castorice stood there alone.

She didn't participate in any group activities, but simply gazed quietly at the wildflowers that grew tenaciously unattended, her figure casting a slender and lonely shadow in the afternoon sun.

"I'm not playing anymore." Luo Li suddenly passed the ball back to Yang Shan and turned to walk in that direction.

"Hey? Where are you going?" Yang Shan called out from behind.

Luo Li didn't turn around, she just waved her hand.

Kong Yan'er suddenly appeared out of nowhere, put her arm around Yang Shan's shoulder, looked at Luo Li's back, and said with a smile, "Spring has arrived, Yang Shan."

Yang Shan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, and slammed his fist in his hand. "Damn! That kid Li Zi..."

As Luo Li approached the flowerbed, her steps unconsciously became lighter.

Castorice seemed to sense someone approaching and turned her head slightly.

Upon seeing that it was Luo Li, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Very few other people come here."

Her voice was ethereal, like a clear mountain spring.

Luo Li scratched his head, feeling a little lost; all the joking and banter he usually displayed in front of his buddies was gone. "Ah, um... I saw you here all alone."

He paused, trying to find a topic of conversation, "You like flowers?"

"I can't say I like or dislike them." Castorice turned her head back and looked at the nameless little flowers swaying in the wind.

"I just feel that they have a very strong vitality. They can grow, bloom, and wither on their own, even without anyone taking care of them."

Her choice of words carried a calmness beyond her years, as if she were stating an objective fact rather than expressing emotions.

Luo Li followed her gaze and saw that the small white and purple wildflowers were indeed inconspicuous, but when they were clustered together, they had a kind of stubborn beauty.

He suddenly remembered his own pathetic special ability, and subconsciously, his fingertips twitched slightly.

His fingers left subtle afterimages in the air as he plucked several of the most intact and cleanest purple flowers from the flowerbed with incredible precision, at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye. The stems were neat and clean, without damaging any of the buds beside them.

The whole process was lightning fast and completed in one go.

He offered the few small flowers, still carrying the scent of dew and wild grass, to Castorice.

Her movements were somewhat clumsy, and her ears felt slightly hot.

Here, for you.

Castorice looked at the few small purple flowers in his hand, then glanced at Luo Li.

The boy had an unnatural blush on his face, and his eyes darted away, yet there was a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.

She was silent for a few seconds. Just as Luo Li thought she would be rejected and awkwardly wanted to withdraw her hand, she reached out and gently accepted the flowers.

Her fingertips were slightly cool, and they inadvertently touched Luo Li's palm.

In an instant, Luo Li felt as if a faint electric current had surged through the point of contact, making his entire arm feel numb. He abruptly pulled his hand back, his heart pounding like a drum.

Castorice didn't seem to care about the brief contact. She looked down at the small flower in her hand and gently touched the soft petals with her fingertips.

Sunlight shone on her silvery-purple hair and long eyelashes, gilding them with a soft golden edge.

The curve of her lips seemed slightly softer than usual, almost imperceptible.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Just those two words made Luo Li happier than any praise she could hear.

He smiled foolishly, feeling as if the air around him had become sweet.

"N-nothing! There are plenty of these flowers here!"

He quickly said something, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

Castorice didn't speak again, but quietly watched the flowers. Luo Li didn't leave either, standing not far away from her, enjoying this rare, undisturbed tranquility.

He even forgot to twirl his pen, forgot Yang Shan and the others' teasing, and felt that at this moment, even the wind blowing around him had become exceptionally gentle.

As the school bell rang, students poured out of the classrooms like a tide.

"Sis, how's the kendo club?"

Polyxena packed her schoolbag, she asked. Although her eyesight was poor, she was quite fast.

"It's alright," Castorice replied simply. She carefully tucked the few small flowers Luo Li had given her into a thick notebook.

"Oh?" Polyxena keenly caught a subtle difference in her sister's tone. Her misty eyes turned to Castorice, a knowing smile curving her lips. "It seems there's something else you've 'gained' besides swordsmanship?"

Castorice didn't answer; she simply zipped up her backpack.

The two sisters followed the crowd out of the teaching building. As soon as they reached the school gate, they saw Luo Li and Yang Shan waiting there.

Kong Yan'er suddenly appeared out of nowhere, with an expression of anticipation for a good show.

Luo Li visibly tensed up when she saw Castorice, but still mustered her courage and stepped forward. "Um... Castorice Die, Polyxena, you live near the Mourning Funeral Home, right? The alleys there are a bit deep and not very bright at night. We... are going that way, so we'd like to give you a ride?"

Yang Shan suppressed a laugh and nudged Luo Li with his elbow. Kong Yan'er, on the other hand, smiled and pushed up his non-existent glasses.

Polyxena looked at Luo Li, her smile meaningful, "Oh? On the way? I remember your family lives in the East District, right?"

Luo Li's face instantly turned bright red, and she stammered, unable to speak.

Castorice glanced at the embarrassed Luo Li, then at her teasing younger sister, and sighed softly, "Let's go."

This can be considered an implicit agreement.

Luo Li felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and quickly followed behind the two sisters, keeping a step or two's distance from Yang Shan.

Kong Yan'er, like a ghost, lingered there, neither too close nor too far.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the group. The road leading to the funeral home was indeed quite remote, with few pedestrians.

Polyxena seemed to be intentionally creating an opportunity for her sister. She pulled Yang Shan and Kong Yan'er along, quickened her pace, and walked a little ahead, starting to ask all sorts of questions, such as which teacher at school was the fiercest and which convenience store had the best snacks.

So, Luo Li and Castorice walked side by side behind.

A subtle silence fell over the room.

Luo Li racked her brains trying to find a topic to talk about, but found that she couldn't say a single one of her usual witty remarks.

He stole a glance at the girl beside him. She walked with perfect posture, her eyes fixed straight ahead, and her profile looked unrealistically beautiful in the afterglow of the setting sun.

"Um... how's the flower?"

He finally managed to ask this dry question.

"Yes, it's in my notebook," Castorice replied.

Another silence fell.

"You..."

Luo Li took a deep breath and asked, "Don't you find it... boring here? Compared to your previous life?"

He was referring to the environment of the funeral home.

Castorice was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "You'll get used to it—life and death are just the norm."

There, you're just closer to the 'finish line,' and can see it more clearly.

Her tone remained calm, but Luo Li detected a subtle hint of... weariness in it?

He suddenly remembered that the sisters had lived with their foster mother, Ms. Amonet.

That stern-looking old woman works at a funeral home... Has Castorice been exposed to too many things at her age since childhood?

A strange urge to protect her, mixed with heartache, welled up in Luo Li's heart.

He stopped and looked at Castorice earnestly. "But the process of living is the most important thing, right?"

Castorice also stopped and turned to look at him.

Her purple eyes reflected the last rays of the setting sun, as well as Luo Li's somewhat nervous yet extremely serious face.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. "Mm."

It was just a simple syllable, but Luo Li felt as if her heart was filled with something.

He chuckled to himself, feeling his steps become much lighter.

As they approached the funeral home, Polyxena, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around and smiled at Luo Li, saying, "Hey, you classmate who's really good at pen spinning, see you tomorrow!"

Luo Li was taken aback, then realized the woman was talking about her. Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly nodded, "See you tomorrow!"

Castorice nodded slightly to Luo Li as a farewell, and then walked into the side door of the funeral home with her sister.

Watching the door close, Luo Li remained standing there, grinning foolishly for a while.

Yang Shan walked over and patted him hard on the back. "Great job, Li Zi! Quick progress! You've escorted them all home!"

Kong Yan'er also leaned in and said quietly, "From what I've observed, Castorice Die doesn't dislike you, at least not. But there's still a long way to go, Luo Li, keep it up!"

For once, Luo Li didn't argue with them. He touched his nose, looked at the cold, hard sign of the funeral home, but felt a warm glow inside his heart, as if he had a little sun inside him.

He remembered Castorice's slightly cool fingertips as she took the flower, and her soft "Mmm" as she nodded.

It seems... this senior year of high school is really going to be different.