Acquiring the Weapon
With Yūko Tachikawa's help, Zhao Xuan quickly located the Chemistry Club room. Chemistry wasn't a popular club, so he easily joined under the guise of being "very interested." Yūko patiently waited by his side while he performed simple experiments under the guidance of a senior member.
As the club activity ended and everyone was packing up, Zhao Xuan slipped a small glass bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid—stolen during his experiments—into his pocket.
With the acid in hand, Zhao Xuan felt much more secure and his mood improved significantly, leading him to flash a rare smile at Yūko.
"Let's go home together," he said cheerfully. Yūko, thrilled by his smile, agreed happily, finding the long wait worthwhile.
Solidifying the "Human Shield"
As they walked, Zhao Xuan noticed Yūko's light makeup and pearl earrings; she had clearly dressed up for the occasion. Although she was described as having a very ordinary, "supporting character" look, her happiness made her appear somewhat cute.
Zhao Xuan, however, quickly suppressed any emotional reaction. He reminded himself that he was merely a "transient visitor" in this world and could not develop feelings for her. He coldly reinforced his view of her as a "tool"—a "human shield"—to be used for his own safety.
Over the following days, Zhao Xuan and Yūko became inseparable, walking to school, attending club activities (he was in Chemistry, she was in Art), and going home together. They looked like a couple in the eyes of their peers.
When classmates teased them about dating, Zhao Xuan would give an ambiguous smile. He knew this ambiguous attitude would make Yūko feel more invested, which was exactly what he wanted: "a person to stand in front of him when a crisis came."
Encounters and The Parasyte Threat
During this time, Zhao Xuan encountered both the protagonist, Shinichi Izumi (a high school student with Migi infecting his right hand, but retaining his human consciousness), and the Parasyte Hideo Shimada.
Shimada, also a transfer student, was handsome, tall, and always wore a neat uniform and a gentle smile—a stark contrast to the monster Zhao Xuan knew was beneath the surface. Because Shimada was a Parasyte who had successfully eaten his host's brain, Zhao Xuan deliberately avoided him.
He did, however, befriend Shinichi Izumi, as Izumi's girlfriend, Satomi Murano, was friends with Yūko.
Meanwhile, the existence of Parasytes was becoming a public topic. Multiple mysterious killings had occurred, and while authorities tried to cover them up as regular murders, word of the flesh-eating monsters was spreading online.
The Hair Test and Zhao Xuan's Warning
During lunch, the topic of Parasytes came up among the students. Someone mentioned an online rumor:
"I heard online that you can tell if a person is human or a Parasyte by plucking a single hair. They say a monster's hair, even after being pulled out, will still have strong vitality, twisting like an earthworm..."
Several girls began playfully trying this on each other, with the "battle" quickly moving to Zhao Xuan. The girls urged Yūko to test Zhao Xuan, joking that as a transfer student, he too could be a Parasyte.
Yūko was pushed toward Zhao Xuan. Zhao Xuan complied, lowering his head for her to pluck a hair. Nothing happened, proving him human.
The girls, now even more excited, teased Zhao Xuan and Yūko about being a loving couple. Yūko was relieved and felt Zhao Xuan was incredibly gentle.
However, Zhao Xuan immediately took a serious tone and warned her:
"Yūko, only pull this kind of prank on me. Don't try it on anyone else. After all, not everyone is as good-tempered as I am. Someone might get angry!"
The girls misinterpreted this as a sign of affection—Zhao Xuan being "jealous of his girlfriend having close interactions with other boys"—and continued to tease them, making Yūko blush and feel even stronger affection for him.
Zhao Xuan did not correct the misunderstanding. His warning was purely practical: he didn't want his carefully cultivated "human shield" to provoke Shimada or another Parasyte when she wasn't with him, thus wasting his preparation.
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