The Daydreaming Girl

Bai Yuyou stood in front of the school infirmary door, looking at the slightly ajar entrance before pushing it open with her hand—

What greeted her eyes were fluttering curtains and the tall figure of someone in a white coat standing by the windowsill. Nearby, a girl with shoulder-length hair was curled up, playing a handheld console while wearing stockings. On the laptop in front of her, zombies lunged forward with eerie, screeching sounds.

"Trying to ambush me right at the start? You really underestimate this grand disciple of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect," the girl muttered as she pressed buttons on her controller, launching rockets that blasted the zombies into dust.

"Pathetic. How could these things ever take over Raccoon City?"

"……"

An Shiyu glanced at the opened door but didn’t say much upon seeing Bai Yuyou, simply returning to her game.

At that moment, Ye Shuang turned around at the sound and smiled when he saw Bai Yuyou at the door. "You’re slower than I expected. Was the equipment room far?"

Bai Yuyou shook her head. "Not far…"

As the girl walked up to Ye Shuang, she noticed what he was doing—two white pigeons were perched on the windowsill!

"Coo coo." The pigeons tilted their heads, unafraid of Bai Yuyou, and let out soft coos.

Ye Shuang chuckled. "The school’s environment is great and spacious enough that quite a few animals live here. Cats and dogs practically hold seniority in this place."

Bai Yuyou stared at the head-tilting pigeons before asking after a few seconds,

"Chicken?"

"Coo?" The girl and one pigeon locked eyes in mutual confusion.

"Chickens wouldn’t show up here. These are pigeons," Ye Shuang explained, sprinkling a few corn kernels on the windowsill railing. The pigeons immediately pecked at them.

After feeding them, Ye Shuang shooed the pigeons away and dusted off his hands, catching a faint, pleasant fragrance. He looked at Bai Yuyou and smiled. "Why didn’t you dry your hair properly after showering?"

Her hair was still noticeably damp.

"Wanted to see Ye Shuang sooner…" she replied.

"Is that so?" Ye Shuang reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately before hanging his white coat on a nearby rack.

"Let’s go home. Where’s Keke?"

"Keke went to fix her uniform…"

"Fix her uniform?" Ye Shuang blinked, puzzled, but Bai Yuyou elaborated, "Keke bent over to pick something up…"

"Then when she stood up… a button flew off…"

Ye Shuang imagined the scene based on her description.

Ye Shuang: "……"

That’s… kind of impressive?

After packing up, they were ready to leave. Before going, Ye Shuang called out to An Shiyu, who was still gaming. "An Shiyu, we’re heading out."

"Mm~" she replied absently, fingers flying across the controller.

Ye Shuang closed the infirmary door behind them and walked side by side with Bai Yuyou.

Their footsteps faded, leaving only the zombie noises in the infirmary. An Shiyu played for a while longer before boredom set in. With a flick of her stocking-clad leg, she snapped the laptop shut.

"Hm."

"Time to find something else to do."

She stood up, stuffed her hands in her pockets, and sauntered out of the infirmary.

……

Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou to the school’s underground parking garage. Once in the car, he drove the Toyota Supra out of the academy.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" he asked.

With the weather getting hotter, Ye Shuang considered making mung bean soup to help cool her down—it could even be packed in a thermos for school.

But Bai Yuyou seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the road ahead, completely zoning out. Seeing this, Ye Shuang didn’t disturb her. He slowed the car and headed toward the market.

Even after parking, Bai Yuyou remained dazed until Ye Shuang pinched her cheek lightly. "We’re here."

Her eyes gradually focused. She glanced outside before turning to Ye Shuang. "Soup."

"That’s some serious lag. I asked you about dinner over ten minutes ago," Ye Shuang said, amused, but stepped out of the car first.

After locking the doors, he asked, "What had you so distracted? Did some boy confess to you?"

Bai Yuyou shook her head.

"Girl secrets, then?" Ye Shuang grinned. "I won’t pry."

"No…" she murmured softly before recounting her encounter with a member of the Light Music Club on her way to the infirmary. Though her explanation was vague, Ye Shuang quickly grasped the key points.

"Are you interested in the Light Music Club?" he asked.

"Not sure…" Bai Yuyou lowered her gaze, fiddling with the hem of Ye Shuang’s shirt—a gesture that looked rather endearing.

Ye Shuang couldn’t help but smile. "Since you don’t have a club yet, joining one could help you make more friends. Wouldn’t that be nice?"

While he believed friendship was about quality and connection rather than quantity, for someone like Bai Yuyou, meeting more people with different personalities could only be beneficial.

"Friends…"

"Yeah, friends. Wouldn’t it be great to have more close friends like Keke?" Ye Shuang’s voice was gentle. Since befriending Tang Keke, Bai Yuyou had grown noticeably brighter—something that warmed his heart.

(If only Tang Keke would teach fewer weird things, though.)

Ye Shuang recalled knocking a bump on Tang Keke’s head earlier. Maybe that’d keep her in line for a bit.

Bai Yuyou hesitated, her eyes conflicted. "Guitar… sounds bad."

Now Ye Shuang understood her worry. "Clubs are formed around shared interests, not skill levels. Even if you’re just starting with the guitar, I’m sure there are members willing to help."

Bai Yuyou recalled the petite girl who’d greeted her warmly and nodded slightly.

"Ask about it tomorrow after school. I’ve heard Yinshan Academy has several music clubs, and the Light Music Club is the smallest and least popular… They’d definitely welcome you."

"Okay…" In the end, Bai Yuyou agreed.