Chapter 3: Off to a Bad Start

The four of them returned to the classroom and discovered that Xia Kexin had already come back ahead of them. She was chatting with the girl next to her, while a few others stood nearby and occasionally directed questions to the new transfer student.

Xia Kexin didn’t seem very adept at handling this kind of social interaction—she often bowed her head and took a long moment before answering someone’s question.

But just by looking, none of that struck the four as especially odd—they all shared the same feeling.

“So—did you see anything suspicious?”
Violette whispered to Ruolin.

Ruolin removed her glasses, rubbed her eyes, and looked back at Xia Kexin. But this time she didn’t notice any mist or strange aura around her.

She shook her head.

“That… uncomfortable feeling is gone now.”

Closing her eyes to feel more carefully, she heard only the murmurs and chatter of classmates.

“Maybe I really am just not feeling well. I’ve been staying up too late lately.”

Thinking of her own schedule, Ruolin recognized that explanation was plausible. She often stayed up browsing forums—if she got sucked into a thread and read all the comments, she might end up with only five hours of sleep.

One day or two would be okay, but since the previous day was a weekend, she had indulged herself further.

“See? I told you I’d take you to the nurse’s office.”
“It’s fine, I’ll just rest.”

Saying that, Ruolin lay her head down on her folded arms on the desk—and soon, she was fast asleep.

The other three sat there, unsure what to talk about next.

Ayano wrote a line on a scrap of paper:

“This is not that simple. Our plan goes on as usual.”

After all, the very person they were discussing sat beside them. Though other attention was being drawn away, it would be too risky to openly debate anything now. If they really wanted to uncover something valuable, they had to avoid drawing any notice from Xia Kexin while still in school. All action had to wait until after class.

Violette pulled out a manga, Ayano read a classic novel borrowed from the library, and Yumeng simply closed her eyes and rested.

All afternoon, the four avoided engaging with others. Even when one needed to go to the restroom, they evaded eye contact—acting like they were not so familiar with each other.

They stuck to that until the dismissal bell rang.

Xia Kexin was nearly the first to pick up her bag and leave the classroom. A classmate at the door casually asked:

“Kexin, going home already?”
“Yes—see you tomorrow.”

Once they confirmed her back had disappeared from view, the four silently exhaled.

“Why are we already so nervous, even though we haven’t started anything yet?”
Violette couldn’t help but complain.

“Like we’re facing a great enemy.”
“No time to talk! We have to follow her immediately, or we’ll lose her.”
Glancing at the mechanical watch on her wrist, Ayano calculated the distance Xia Kexin had walked.

After grabbing the items they needed, all four stood and left the classroom. Other students didn’t even have time to say goodbye.

Crescent Moon Academy’s dismissal time was actually pretty early compared to most schools in the city. Many students either headed home or stayed on campus for club activity.

Using the crowd as cover, the four kept a steady distance from Xia Kexin, ensuring she remained within sight.

“What if she gets a ride home?”
Violette brought up that possibility—since they all walked to school, the assumption was that Xia also walked.

“I don’t think so…”
Ayano answered uncertainly.

There was still a stretch of road beyond the school gate. At this hour many cars were parked along the curb. As Xia reached the roadside and paused to look around, panic fluttered in their hearts.

“If she really takes a car… wouldn’t that ruin everything? We haven’t even started.”
“Maybe we should just call it a day… no, we need to think long-term.”

At that moment, a sleek black sedan slowed and pulled up in front of Xia Kexin. Even Ruolin thought, Maybe today’s mission is over.

Just as she turned to tell the others, she found Ayano was missing.

“Miss! Don’t run! Master wants to see you!”

The black car halted. Three men in black suits and sunglasses emerged—clearly bodyguards. They surged toward the school gate, heading straight for Ayano. The security guard at the post saw the commotion and placed a hand on the alarm button. A simple press would alert the nearby police station.

Crescent Moon Academy wasn’t a super elite aristocratic school, though some students did have strong backgrounds. Still, such a scene was exceedingly rare.

Violette watched with fascination, wondering who the “miss” was. When she looked closer, the three guards were surrounding no one but Ayano!

The moment the suited men stepped out, Ayano had realized something was wrong. Without a word, she darted into the streaming crowds of students—already trying to escape—though could not avoid being spotted by the three bodyguards.

Knowing she couldn’t get away, Ayano resignedly got into the car. Even after it drove off, she kept looking in the direction of the other three.

The guard at the gate removed his hand from the alarm—if there was no major disturbance, it was best to stay calm. He’d been working here long enough to have seen all sorts of scenes.

“So… what do we do?”
“Look—she’s moving again!”

Violette and Yumeng directed their attention to Ruolin. After a moment’s thought, Ruolin made up her mind.

“We can’t let Ayano down. Our plan goes on.”

They saw Xia Kexin cross the street, and Ruolin moved to push through the crowded school gate.

“Why does it sound like she got killed or something?”
“Don’t worry about the details. Ruolin—wait! You two don’t walk so fast!”

Yumeng hurried to keep pace with them.