Chapter 13: The Cracking Amulet and a Friend’s Betrayal

Elsewhere, Qichuan Feng and her best friend, Noriko, were searching for a place to hide.

Instead of opting for a student’s room, they had discovered the pool area on one of the floors, taking refuge within the changing rooms.

The changing rooms boasted two entrances. This design meant that if anyone entered through one, they would immediately spot them, allowing for a swift escape through the other.

Undeniably, their chosen hiding spot was far more prudent than the options taken by the other two.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Qichuan Feng’s phone suddenly vibrated twice. When she opened it to check, an expression of undeniable shock spread across her face.

“Ogiwara-kun and Koda-kun actually… Noriko, did you see this?”

“Hm…” Noriko said, her voice filled with disbelief. “They failed so quickly? Oh my god… they looked so confident when they left!”

“Perhaps they were careless…” Qichuan Feng remarked with a hint of regret. “Because of their carelessness, they failed…”

“Hm… Feng-chan, does their failure mean that…” Noriko’s voice dropped to a low whisper.

“They must be dead… According to Teacher Matsui, failure means death.”

They had been classmates for a long time. Though Qichuan Feng hadn’t interacted with them much, hearing of their demise still dampened her spirits.

“What in the world happened to Teacher Matsui?” Noriko exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration. “He used to be such a good teacher, strict perhaps, but never… Ugh, damn it, why did he become like this!?”

“I don’t know… But if we can complete this assignment and survive, perhaps we’ll have a chance to find out,” Qichuan Feng mused.

“Hm…” Noriko’s voice remained subdued.

The two continued to converse intermittently, occasionally peeking out to observe their surroundings.

However, as time stretched on, drowsiness inevitably began to claim them, their eyelids growing heavy.

“Feng-chan… I’m so sleepy…”

“You should sleep for a while. I’ll keep watch, and wake you in the latter half of the night.”

“Okay, I will then…”

Overcome by weariness, Iwata Noriko curled up, slowly closing her eyes.

Qichuan Feng was also rather tired, but she knew she couldn’t afford to fall asleep.

Noriko was already asleep. If she, too, succumbed to slumber, any unexpected situation would surely spell disaster for both of them.

‘I should have just let that commoner follow me,’ Qichuan Feng thought with a touch of regret. ‘Though it sounds cold-blooded, I feel like I could have used that guy a little.’

But things were already like this…

‘It’s fine. I can definitely do this!’

Qichuan Feng silently cheered herself on.

‘I am a daughter of the Qichuan family, an elite! I will absolutely not fail here!’

‘I must survive, live to the very end.’

‘I won’t fall here. Sooner or later, I will prove to everyone that I am better than…’

“Click…”

A faint cracking sound emanated from her neck.

Qichuan Feng looked down to find a distinct crack marring the amulet she had just acquired that morning.

‘What’s going on?’

Amidst her confusion, she suddenly heard the faint sound of dripping water.

The sound was subtle, yet remarkably clear in the otherwise empty environment.

‘Water? Why would there be water here?’

Qichuan Feng found it perplexing.

The dormitory building had been abandoned for ages; there was no reason for it to still have running water or electricity.

Moreover, when she had entered, the surroundings had been decidedly dry, not a single drop of water in sight.

Yet, the dripping sound continued to echo from outside.

After a moment’s thought, she mustered her courage and peered out half her head, observing the scene under the moonlight.

In the hallway, a figure was hurrying along, clutching something resembling a key, their face alight with excitement.

Qichuan Feng focused her gaze for a moment, realizing it was Ogiwara Tai.

‘Huh? He’s not dead?’

Qichuan Feng was surprised. She almost called out to him, but after a moment’s consideration, she turned to wake Noriko instead.

“Noriko, wake up.”

“Hm… Feng-chan… Is it already the latter half of the night?”

Seeing Noriko’s sleepy eyes, Qichuan Feng sighed helplessly, then recounted what she had witnessed.

“Did he find the back door key!?” Noriko exclaimed, excited. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go with him!”

“But… didn’t Ogiwara-kun fail his task?” Qichuan Feng asked, sounding uncertain.

“Maybe the message on the phone was Teacher Matsui tricking us! I think trusting a classmate is better than trusting that big bad Teacher Matsui!”

“Ugh…” Qichuan Feng still hesitated.

“Oh, Feng-chan, every minute we stay here is another minute of danger. It’s better to leave soon.”

“You do have a point…”

Just as Qichuan Feng deliberated, their phones buzzed again with a new message notification.

[Received a new message from Ogiwara Tai]

After they were assigned their tasks, a group chat had appeared, containing only Teacher Matsui and the five students.

[Ogiwara Tai: “Hey! I’m so lucky, I actually found the back door key! I’m heading to the back door on the first floor to open it now. If you see this, come find me directly!”]

[Iwata Noriko: “Ogiwara-kun, didn’t you just fail your task? (confused)”]

[Ogiwara Tai: “That dog-faced Matsui is tricking you! Don’t fall for it! We must trust our classmates!”]

[Iwata Noriko: “You’re right…”]

[Qichuan Feng: “Ogiwara-kun, where’s Koda-kun? Is he not with you?”]

[Ogiwara Tai: “Something was chasing us just now. Koda-kun volunteered to distract it for me. He should catch up soon.”]

Having read these messages, Iwata Noriko excitedly stood up.

“Good, he definitely found the back door key, that’s great! Huh?”

Noriko noticed her own amulet had cracked, sighing with regret.

“Hm…”

Although Qichuan Feng still felt something was amiss, she agreed to go with Noriko to the back door and try their luck.

The two quickly descended the stairs to the first floor, then headed towards the back door.

Ogiwara Tai’s figure appeared ahead, waving at them.

“Hey! Hurry over!” Ogiwara Tai called out to them. “I’ve already opened the door, let’s go together!”

With that, he pulled the door half-open, revealing the outside scenery.

“That’s wonderful!”

Noriko’s face was alight with excitement, and she was about to rush forward, but Qichuan Feng held her back by the hand.

“Huh? Feng-chan, what are you doing?”

“Something’s not right…” Qichuan Feng said, her gaze filled with suspicion as she looked at Ogiwara Tai, who was waving at them. “Noriko, if that were Ogiwara-kun, would he be shouting so loudly here? This assignment is called ‘Death Hide-and-Seek,’ wouldn’t such a loud noise contradict the ‘hide’ requirement?”

“He’s just excited because we’re about to leave! I sometimes taunt ‘ez’ when I’m about to win a game!” Noriko said dismissively. “Besides, that really is Ogiwara-kun!”

“Even so, where is Koda-kun? I just thought about it carefully, and I finally found another suspicious detail. Koda-kun usually listens to Ogiwara-kun, but isn’t he quite timid?”

“Feng-chan… why do you always overthink things?” Noriko rolled her eyes. “Ogiwara-kun is right there. If you don’t understand something, just ask him!”

“Hey! Are you two coming or not? If not, I’m leaving first. Damn it, I’m done with this crappy assignment!”

Ogiwara Tai shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to walk out.

Watching his back gradually disappear, Iwata Noriko anxiously tried to follow, but Qichuan Feng still held her hand.

“Hey, Feng-chan, stop holding me back!”

“No, Noriko, don’t be foolish!” Qichuan Feng said earnestly. “Listen to me.”

“Let go…”

“Just listen to me. Your idea is definitely wrong!”

“Let go…”

“Listen to me! Haven’t I always been right? Even with your last boyfriend, didn’t I tell you he was a scumbag early on? And you still spent so much money on him? Your judgment has always been…”

“Damn it, shut up!”

Suddenly, Iwata Noriko screamed in a fit of exasperation.

But as the words burst out, she herself was momentarily stunned, her expression turning flustered.

Qichuan Feng stared, wide-eyed and bewildered, unable to comprehend why her friend had suddenly spoken such words.

“Ah… I’m sorry, no, I just…”

Iwata Noriko covered her mouth, flustered, her face twitching a few times before she finally hardened her resolve.

“Fine, I’ll be honest with you! I really don’t want to pretend to be your best friend anymore; I’m sick of it!” Noriko said, her expression contorted with fury. “You always say I’m no good here, no good there! But if it weren’t for you always being around, I wouldn’t have had so many failures!”

“Huh?”

“I used to truly admire you, your family background was better than mine, you were prettier, and excellent in academics—you were practically a perfect rich young lady. And me? I fought tooth and nail just to get into this school, and I thought we were all starting on the same line, but you, you were already at the finish line! Everything I was proud of seemed insignificant compared to you.”

“Noriko…”

“Do you think I actually wanted to be your best friend? Ha—if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t get free afternoon tea at high-end restaurants, you wouldn’t take me to fashion weeks I’d never attend in my life, and I wouldn’t get to bask in your reflected glory. Would I still be your best friend then? Don’t make me laugh!”

“…”

“You say my taste is bad? My judgment is poor? Do you know why my last boyfriend broke up with me?”

Recalling this, Iwata Noriko slowly began to shed tears.

“Because he thought I was a rich young lady like you! But once he found out I wasn’t, he immediately dumped me, citing incompatible backgrounds! Haha, being poor is truly pathetic. With money, you can do anything you damn well please!”

“Money… money isn’t…”

Qichuan Feng didn’t know how to respond, her usually articulate speech now stammering.

“Money is everything! And, do you know what I hate most when you say?” Noriko sneered, laying all her cards on the table. “‘I am an elite’… Damn it! Elite my ass! You? What are you showing off with your stinking money! Qichuan Feng, let me tell you, if we’re talking elites, only your older sister counts. If you didn’t have money, you’d be worse than me!”

Having said her piece, Iwata Noriko flung Qichuan Feng’s hand away and stormed off.

Qichuan Feng stared blankly at the retreating figure ahead. Not long ago, that figure had been her best friend.

But now, there was no going back for them.

At this moment, Qichuan Feng felt utterly lost. Watching Noriko slowly fade into the distance, her once firm steps faltered into uncertainty.

“Don’t… don’t leave me alone…”

She instinctively moved forward, wanting to follow that retreating figure.

But the next instant, her hand was suddenly gripped tightly.

“Ah!”

She startled.

‘I’ve been caught?’

‘I failed the task?’

‘Am I going to die?’

“Don’t go. You’ll die.”

A weary voice came from behind her.

Qichuan Feng slowly turned, seeing Bai Yuliang’s exhausted face.

Bai Yuliang said with great regret, “Deceitful words are the most alluring. Your friend, I’m afraid, has already fallen for the illusion.”

The next moment, both their phones vibrated simultaneously.

[Iwata Noriko, task failed.]