A gentle breeze flows through the window panes. Leaves dance merrily with the wind. "A few singers from the animal kingdom" raise their clear voices, blending with the blue sky. Together, they create a symphony of sky, full of the vitality of youth. Sunlight streams through the window sill—the boundary between study and play—landing on the shiny white tiles of the hallway, where countless student footsteps pass by.
Skylar and Julian—the mischievous duo of the day—walk happily toward the administrative office, ready to "welcome" the teacher's eruption. Skylar glances sideways, fixing her gaze on Julian's handsome face. "Are you a robot?"
Julian spins around at that, frowning. "Can't you pick words that don't hurt my ears?"
"Sure!" Skylar pretends to think seriously for a moment. Then she stares straight into his eyes, voice firm: "So… you're the type with a frozen face?"
Julian stiffens, restraining his irritation as he turns Skylar's head forward with his hand. His tone carries clear annoyance. "Watch where you're going!"
Skylar lets herself be turned. She closes her eyes, interlocks her fingers behind her head, leans back slightly, and walks ahead. "Alright, alright, no more talking, got it? Let's move!"
Julian walks more slowly. His sharp eyes sweep across her like lasers, both piercing and oddly gentle. Is she really that childish? he thinks.
Soon, they arrive at the administrative office—the school's "private courtroom" just for teachers and students.
Knock, knock, knock…
Skylar peeks in and is hit by a surge of mixed cold and hot tension radiating from Ms. Helena, her Biology teacher.
"Come in," Ms. Helena's voice slices through the room like a knife, cutting away the remaining warmth. The office falls silent. Teachers who were chatting stop immediately. Some quietly sit down to watch, while others, knowing this is serious, return to their work.
Skylar steps in nervously, a mix of worry and excitement. Julian follows right behind her, expression unreadable as ever. The whole room seems to hold its breath. Skylar, however, feels a thrill bubbling up: What should I say? A little fear lingers, but she shrugs it off.
Ms. Helena throws two test papers onto the desk. Both are scribbled densely with answers, showing extreme effort. She shouts, "Explain yourselves! Are you trying to prank me? Deliberately fail? How creative!"
At that moment, another teacher walks over, holding a warm cup of water for Ms. Helena, trying to soothe her. "Calm down, Helena. Kids are just being mischievous. Don't be too harsh; it might affect your health."
Ms. Helena points angrily at the papers. "Do you think I can stay calm in a situation like this?"
The teacher looks at the papers quietly and then mutters, "I understand. It's your call, then."
Skylar stares at the score and freezes. Alarm bells ring in her head: Wait… we agreed on 40 points just to fail barely. Why is it 25 now? That's ¼ of the max score?!
Julian sees the score and groans: Oh my god, this idiot…
He lightly taps Skylar's back, making her jump. Ms. Helena glances over, adjusting her glasses. "What's going on?"
Skylar wipes sweat from her forehead, avoiding the teacher's gaze. She mutters a few words to get by, then nudges Julian playfully. The air softens a little. The breeze drifting in feels warmer. Ms. Helena slams her hand on the desk—BANG!—and the room freezes again. "This is your score? One gets 25, the other 30! I'm calling your parents!"
Both of them freeze. Julian quickly says, "M–My parents are out of town, they can't come right now."
Skylar nods frantically, chiming in: "M–Mine too! Please understand!"
"So what now? Today I still must see your parents!"
Julian calmly says, "You can call Nathan! He can represent our parents. He's also a guardian for this student."
"That won't do. Nathan isn't related to Skylar."
"We've known each other since childhood," Skylar jumps in, saving the situation. "So anything about me, he can contact my parents!"
At that moment, Mr. Loid—homeroom teacher of Class 10A1—approaches. He pats Ms. Helena's shoulder gently and shakes his head. He pulls her near the window and talks quietly. Skylar uses the moment to tease Julian: "Wow, suddenly you're all polite and smooth-talking today?"
Julian presses her head lightly, tone sharp but with subtle gentleness: "I'm always like this."
A few minutes later, Mr. Loid and Ms. Helena return. Everything seems normal, except Ms. Helena's eyes have changed. Skylar notices a flicker of pity deep in her gaze. She lowers her head, avoiding the eyes, hair falling in neat strands, matching her mood. Skylar forces a bitter smile, mocking herself for only being pitied, like a small bird seen with pity after losing its mother.
Julian notices this. He threads his hand to hold hers, stopping her from hurting herself. For a moment, she feels a trace of human warmth. That warmth is trying to breach the last line of defense inside her—a place even Skylar herself doesn't fully understand. And that is trust. Julian knows she doesn't fully trust anyone, not even herself, and he's trying to break that wall.
Ms. Helena, resigned, says, "Alright, Julian, read Nathan's phone number to me. Then step outside for punishment, five books on each of your heads! And do you know why you're wrong?"
Skylar feels secretly delighted but pretends to apologize. Both answer in unison: "We're wrong for deliberately scoring low…"
Ms. Helena nods, satisfied, eyebrows relaxing, voice less harsh. "Good. Recognizing mistakes is important. Don't do it again. Go outside for punishment."
Skylar picks up five books from the teacher's desk, spins around, and before leaving, glances back, mock-wishing luck at her partner. Julian looks at her steadily: Don't worry, I got this.
Skylar seems to get the "signal," flashes a mischievous smile, thumbs up, and walks out calmly.
A few minutes later, Julian steps out, carrying five books too. Even with the weight balanced on her head, Skylar hops around naturally, teasing Julian, taking the chance to peek inside for drama.
Julian grumbles: "Thanks to you, I got grilled a lot by the teacher." He nudges her into position, sharp gaze like a disciplinary officer catching a culprit, voice firm but cautious not to hurt her: "Take this seriously."
"Top student Jiang, you've been unserious ever since you agreed to be my partner-in-crime."
"…."
"Why so quiet? I'm right, aren't I?"
"No one said you were wrong."
Both—the school's new pride—stand in punishment for an unexpected reason: low scores. A breeze blows, a few harsh midday sun rays hit them. It's like a reminder: You belong to two worlds, different levels. Don't get any ideas.
Inside the office, Ms. Helena calls Nathan using the number Julian provided.
"Hello?" a raspy male voice comes from the other end.
"Are you Nathan—the guardian for Julian and Skylar? I'm Helana Straus, their Biology teacher," Ms. Helena says over the phone.
"Yes. Did you call about something?" Nathan's voice carries worry, curiosity, and slight tension.
"Talking over the phone isn't convenient. Please come to the administrative office. Don't worry, it's just about their studies." Her tone is stern, slightly irritated.
Suddenly, Nathan feels a chill along his spine. His head buzzes. Something bad is coming, he senses. He responds: "Understood! I'll be there shortly."
I wonder what these two kids have gotten into… he thinks, standing up in the small café, putting on his jacket, paying the receptionist, and stepping out with full swagger.
Thanks to the receptionist's enthusiasm, he quickly finds the school's "courtroom."
Standing in front of the administrative office, Nathan sees two little "demons" being punished. Almost instantly, he can guess why Ms. Helena calls him here. He looks at the two in front of him with utter helplessness."Why are you two standing out here? And… being punished?"
Skylar feels guilty. She lowers her head carefully, making sure the stack of books on top doesn't fall, and mumbles, "Uh…"
Seeing Nathan arrive, Ms. Helena steps forward and puts on a perfectly "professional" smile. "You're here? Please, come in."
Oh no. What on earth did these two pull this time? To the point that the teacher can't even smile properly? Please don't let it be something too serious… Nathan prays silently.
Nathan follows Ms. Helena into the office. Before fully closing the door, she turns back and warns the two outside, "Reflect on your actions!"
"Yes, ma'am…" they answer in unison.
Inside, Ms. Helena sits down with a grave expression, pointing at the two test papers and sneering. "Care to explain why these young master and young lady deliberately did this? Too much academic pressure?"
"I think," Nathan says calmly, "you already know about Skylar's parents' current situation, right?"
Ms. Helena nods. "Mr. Loid told me. Skylar's parents are serving a sentence and have lost custody. Right now, her legal guardians are Mr. and Mrs. Jiang—Julian's parents. Correct?"
Nathan nods. "That's right. Please help me keep this from her."
"Why?"
"I'm sorry. That's something I can't disclose. I hope you understand."
While the adults talk inside, two "guards" are stationed outside the door.
Skylar pokes Julian lightly. "Hey."
"What?" Julian replies.
"Do you think Nathan's okay?"
Julian thinks for a moment. "Probably?"
Skylar looks out the window proudly. "Hey, at least I got one-quarter of the score!"
Julian can't hold back and smacks her lightly, sounding completely done. "You still dare say that? What did we agree on?"
Skylar stammers, "F–Forty…"
Julian's face doesn't change, but his tone sharpens. "And what did you get?"
"T–Twenty-five."
Then, as if finding a loophole, she raises her voice. "But you're not much better! You only got thirty!"
"At least I'm five points higher than you!"
He sighs and stops arguing. Turning to look at her, his eyes carry an unusual softness and indulgence, his voice gentler. "So… was this 'experience' enough for you?"
"Yeah…" Skylar answers. She wants to nod, but remembers the books on her head and stops herself.
It's class time, so the hallway is nearly empty—just the two of them. Right then, the principal walks by and notices the two "model students" being punished. "Why are you two standing here?"
"Uh, sir…" Skylar wants to speak but stops. The words catch in her throat.
Julian quickly steps in. "Sir, we made some mistakes, so we're being punished."
The principal freezes for a second. Then he bursts out laughing, patting Julian's shoulder loudly. "Hahaha! You two are impressive! Causing trouble right at the start of the year!"
Both Julian and Skylar go stiff, unsure how to react.
Seeing their expressions, the principal laughs even harder. "Haha! What, didn't expect that reaction? It's fine, it's fine! Student life isn't fun if you don't mess up at least once!"
"How did you know?" Skylar asks, shocked.
The principal leans in closer. The three huddle together, whispering like it's top secret. "I'll tell you something. Back in my day, I was 'honored' with my name being called out in front of the flagpole too."
So even the principal was like that… Skylar thinks.
After finishing, the principal straightens up, returning to his serious demeanor. "Alright, keep standing there. I won't interfere. But remember—what I just told you stays a secret."
Skylar flashes a reliable smile and makes an "OK" sign. "Don't worry, sir!"
Julian simply nods.
The two resume their casual conversation, ignoring the world around them, while raindrops begin to fall onto the leaves outside.
"Oh right, I'm going to train you!" Skylar says excitedly.
Julian looks at her with pure suspicion. "I respectfully decline."
BANG!
A heavy, decisive sound shatters the lighthearted mood. Nathan stands there, radiating killing intent, voice completely out of control. "You two seem to be having a lot of fun."
"Watch your language," Julian says coldly.
The air thickens instantly. No one dares move or speak—not even Ms. Helena. Skylar avoids Nathan's gaze, unable to look at him directly.
Hearing Julian's words, Nathan suppresses his anger. His expression softens, eyes filled with something close to pleading. He lowers his voice. "You two… please, have mercy on me, okay?"
"Just report it to them," Julian replies calmly.
Skylar quickly chimes in. "Yeah, yeah. We were wrong first anyway. Just report it to the boss!"
"Fine. I'll talk to them later. But at least give me a reason. Why did you do this?"
Skylar grows even more guilty, desperately avoiding Nathan's eyes.
Julian speaks up. "We mainly wanted the experience."
"Ha!" Nathan laughs like he's just heard the biggest joke of the year. "Experience? Then I guess one more punishment would complete the set?"
"And what right do you have?" Julian responds, voice dripping with pure young master energy.
At that moment, Julian and Nathan seem to stand in a different world—where the air is denser and far colder. Skylar, standing between them, suddenly plops down on the floor, pulls out a bag of candy from her skirt pocket, munches noisily, and enjoys the drama.
"You said 'right'?" Nathan sneers. "Of course I'm just being overly considerate."
Julian hesitates slightly, as if digging through old memories. After a few seconds, he sighs. "As long as it's not excessive."
Nathan, seeing his young master "back down" for the first time, lights up like he just won the lottery. But then, his eyes turn sly as he looks at both Julian and Skylar, lips curling upward. "Alright. Nothing too heavy. I'll make sure you're satisfied…"
The moment Skylar hears that, her instincts scream: Bad omen!
She forces a smile. "T–T–Then… thanks in advance?"
Nathan turns to Skylar, giving her a gentle, big-brother smile. "Don't worry, Little Sky."
With that, he turns and walks away. Though he's still young, his back looks like that of a seasoned veteran. The wind from the window only enhances it.
"So annoying…" Nathan mutters before disappearing from their sight.
Not long after, Ms. Helena dismisses them back to class. By the time they reach the classroom door, it's already recess. The moment Sunny sees Skylar, she rushes over, clinging to her and winking. "Oh! You're back? All good?"
"More or less," Skylar replies, hugging her back.
Sunny drags Skylar to her seat and sprawls across the desk, eyes sparkling. "So? What did you two do?"
By some magical coincidence, when Skylar looks up, Leo has already pulled Julian to sit right across from her. The four huddle together as Skylar excitedly explains her "interesting" plan.
After hearing everything, Leo leans back and shoots Julian a meaningful look. "Pretty enthusiastic, huh?"
"Uh… I just went along with it."
Suddenly, an interesting thought pops into Leo's head. Does he like Little Sky?
Immediately, Leo leans over and whispers into Sunny's ear. "Do you think Julian likes Skylar?"
Sunny freezes. Her eyes widen, jaw practically hitting the floor. Then—both pairs of eyes lock onto Skylar and Julian with maximum gossip mode.
"Let's make a group chat tonight and talk to Julian," Sunny whispers back.
"What are you two whispering about?" Skylar asks.
"Nothing!" Sunny replies brightly.
Leo suddenly turns to Julian, eyes full of curiosity. "What do you think about Skylar?"
Julian pauses, then answers seriously, "She's normal."
Leo facepalms instantly. "You're so hopeless."
Despite his calm exterior, deep inside Julian's chest, his heartbeat changes—though he doesn't know why.