Even in summer, the breeze from the rooftop in the afternoon carried a slight chill.
Ye Shuang stood by the railing, his hands tucked into the pockets of his white coat as he gazed at the scenery of Yinshan Academy. He couldn’t help but murmur, "The weather’s nice today. I have to admit, this school’s view is really great… Not like when I was in school—my middle school was even next to the Guangfu Market entrance, and people called it Guangfu Middle School."
"I just wonder how Yuyou’s doing… if joining the club went smoothly." Ye Shuang muttered to himself.
It was such a simple thing, something with hardly any difficulty, yet he couldn’t help but worry. But he couldn’t show his concern in front of Bai Yuyou—when someone relies on you that much, your confidence becomes theirs.
And what Bai Yuyou lacked most was confidence.
But Ye Shuang also looked forward to the day the girl would shine brilliantly.
"If you’re worried, why not just go check on her?" A voice came from beside him. Ye Shuang turned and saw a short-haired girl leaning against the wall, her head tilted slightly as strands of her hair fluttered in the rooftop breeze.
"It’s not like it’s something shameful."
"Huh?" Ye Shuang blinked when he saw her. "Why’d you follow me here?"
An Shiyu gave him a deadpan look. "How rude. I was here first."
"You were still playing games when I left the infirmary, weren’t you?" Ye Shuang sighed.
"Are you underestimating a ninja’s speed?" An Shiyu tucked a loose strand behind her ear, her tone indifferent.
"Right, you don’t even blink jumping off the second floor." Ye Shuang conceded, though he had to admit she had a point. There was no harm in going to check now. Having made up his mind, he decided to head to the Light Music Club to see how things were going.
As they descended the stairs, Ye Shuang noticed the short-haired girl silently following him.
"Why are you following me?"
"Bored. Nothing better to do." An Shiyu swayed as she walked, her gait resembling that of a delinquent—not that Ye Shuang had ever seen her act properly more than a handful of times.
Ye Shuang said, "Why not just go back and play games?"
"Tch, old man, you’re kinda nosy."
"You’re the one following me. Can’t I say anything?"
"We just happen to be going the same way."
Walking side by side, they exchanged idle chatter until Ye Shuang suddenly paused mid-step. He turned to An Shiyu. "By the way… do you know where the Light Music Club is?"
An Shiyu’s gaze shifted, looking at him as if he were a single-celled organism.
"Occasionally, I realize your brain isn’t fully functional. How can you walk so fast without knowing where you’re going?"
Ye Shuang could only smile wryly. "I’ve never been there before, so of course I don’t know. So, where is it?"
An Shiyu tilted her chin up slightly. "You’re asking me? How would I know?"
Ye Shuang’s lips twitched. Apparently, even her eidetic memory wasn’t that useful. In the end, he asked a few passing students and managed to get directions to the club.
After navigating the corridors and reaching the club floor, the sound of a guitar drifted toward them.
This must be the place…
Ye Shuang and An Shiyu slowed their steps and approached the half-open classroom door.
Peering inside, they saw three girls standing by the window. In the middle was a delicate-looking girl with long hair, holding a guitar as another girl guided her fingers along the strings.
After a brief performance, the girl’s ahoge swayed gently in the breeze from the window. Though her expression remained blank, Ye Shuang could sense her happiness from afar. Seeing this, he murmured sincerely,
"Seems like everything’s going well."
"Old man, that tone of yours is kinda cringe."
"Why am I being lectured by you?" Ye Shuang lightly chopped An Shiyu’s head with his hand.
"Ow."
"Hit my head again, and I’ll flip you onto the ground," An Shiyu grumbled, rubbing her head.
Ye Shuang smirked. "How’re you gonna flip me?"
An Shiyu narrowed her eyes, then suddenly grinned mischievously.
The moment Ye Shuang turned back, his vision spun—before he knew it, he was slammed onto the floor with a loud thud!
"Huh?"
Staring at the ceiling, Ye Shuang lay there, dazed.
An Shiyu sat sideways on his stomach, propping her chin with one hand, her gaze teasing. "Like this."
"How… did you do that?"
"I’m a ninja. Knowing a little martial arts is normal, right?"
The commotion must have caught the attention of those inside the classroom, as Bai Yuyou, Zhixia, and Linlin stepped out, spotting Ye Shuang on the floor with An Shiyu.
An Shiyu stood up, brushing off her pleated skirt, while Bai Yuyou immediately crouched down to help Ye Shuang up when she recognized him. "Ye Shuang…"
"Sorry, did I disturb you?" Before he could finish, Bai Yuyou buried her face in his chest, clinging to him like a koala.
Zhixia and Linlin blinked in surprise.
What was their relationship?
A couple?
Didn’t seem like it.
"They’re father and daughter," An Shiyu chimed in.
Zhixia and Linlin froze. "Huh?"
That young?!
Ye Shuang quickly clarified that they weren’t father and daughter, then introduced himself properly. "I’m the school doctor from the third infirmary at this academy. My surname is Ye."
"Oh! I think I heard the third infirmary reopened recently," Zhixia said, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Teacher Ye, do you have a club under your name?"
"Teacher Ye?"
The title amused him. Smiling at the lively girl, he shook his head. "What do you mean by ‘a club under my name’?"
"Clubs usually have a supervising teacher."
"Oh?"
"The teacher originally in charge of the Light Music Club, Teacher Chen, broke his leg, so we need a new supervisor. I’m not sure if a school doctor counts, though," Zhixia explained.
"Yeah, otherwise the club might get disbanded," Linlin added.
"Teacher Chen?" Ye Shuang asked. "Wait, is he the homeroom teacher for Class 3B?"
"Yep, that’s him," Zhixia confirmed.
Ye Shuang wasn’t sure what a supervising teacher was supposed to do, and technically, he wasn’t even a teacher. He glanced at An Shiyu—as the granddaughter of a school board member, she’d know more about these things.
"Why’re you looking at me?" An Shiyu yawned.
"I’m afraid it’s not possible. I’m just a school doctor, not a teacher," Ye Shuang told Zhixia and Linlin.