In the once quiet classroom, the usual hum of the electric fan and the scratching sound of pens on paper have now been replaced by the soft pitter-patter of raindrops outside the window.
Wei Yan paused his writing and turned to look out the window. Suddenly, the sky darkened and the student sitting near the window quickly got up to close the window tightly. Another classmate sitting behind him muttered, "Damn it, the rain is going to ruin my laundry left drying on the balcony!"
After hearing his words, other students' expressions also turned serious as they started packing their bags and returned to the dormitory. The weekend self-study session was suddenly cut short as everyone followed suit and left.
"Shit, raining again?!"
"What's up with the weather these days?"
"Enough talking, hurry up!"
When Wei Yan looked back, the classroom was already empty. "….." so fast?
Looking to his left, he stared at his seatmate sleeping in peace, without a care in the world. He reached out his hand and shook his shoulder slightly, "Time to go home."
After waking up in a daze, Wu An responded with a sleepy, "I know." He quickly brushed his long bangs out of his face and together, he and Wei Yan packed up their things and returned to the dormitory side by side.
As Wu An and Wei Yan walked back to the dormitory, they were silent the entire way. The hallways were empty, everyone had already left. The heavy rain continued to fall, accompanied by the distant sound of thunder.
As Wei Yan was about to put in his earphones and start listening to music, his seatmate suddenly spoke up, "Brother Yan, can I ask you a question?"
Wei Yan looked to the side, his action paused as he put his earphones back in his pocket. He hadn't expected his usually silent and introverted seatmate to start a conversation out of the blue.
The reason why they sat next to each other every day was simple. Because they were both introverted and did not have to feel pressured to engage in conversation.
Wu An stared ahead as he walked, his long bangs half-covering his face and his pale lips slightly parted, "Do you read novels?"
With his hands in his pockets, Wei Yan pondered the question before humming, "I do," in response. He wasn't an avid reader, but he read from time to time when boredom struck.
In the dimly lit hallway, only the light from the outdoor garden windows and the occasional streaks of lightning cast shadows on them.
Suddenly, Wu An halted his walk and turned to face him,"Then, if you were to transmigrate into a novel, which character would you like to be?"
Wei Yan didn't care about the random question, instead he pondered over it seriously. If he were to transmigrate? The answer was quite obvious.
"I want to be a system."
The response from Wei Yan caught him off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless. He had clearly not expected such an answer. After a beat of silence, Wu An eventually managed to recover, "A system... ah..."
As if the topic finally touched his area of interest, Wei Yan began to speak more openly, "I mostly read horror or survival novels. I just find it fascinating how the main characters get a system, while the villains don't. The outcome would definitely change if they both started on equal ground, don't you think?"
Wu An looked up at his seatmate, his dark eyes hidden beneath his bangs as he stared at the taller youth. "You think that can change the set outcome? Didn't the author already decide on it? They're villains for a reason."
Wei Yan withdrew his earphones, putting them in his ear, "I don't believe in fate that has been predetermined. There are always ways to turn the tables and change the plot." Then without saying anything else, he waved goodbye and set off for the dormitory building.
Wu An watched in contemplation, his dark eyes fixated on the youth's back. The lightning lit up the sky outside, casting eerie shadows on his face and momentarily illuminating his eyes in a crimson hue. He parted his lips and whispered softly, "Then, I will grant you your wish, brother Yan."
-
The moment the door opened, the little black cat dashed over, immediately running to greet its owner. Wei Yan had to walk cautiously, awkwardly maneuvering his steps to avoid accidentally trampling the clingy feline.
"Stinky, you're unusually obedient today," The youth lifted the cat, carefully holding it in his arms. As if expressing its dissatisfaction with the name, the cat slapped its owner's cheek with its paw and jumped down from his arms.
Wei Yan put down his heavy backpack and sat down at his desk to open his laptop. He quickly launched a random game from the desktop, the soothing music from his earphones played softly in his ears. It was a routine he had established for himself - studying diligently through the day and indulging in gaming in the evening.
"Tomorrow is Sunday...maybe I should just sleep in." As he mulled over his thoughts, his nimble fingers moved across the keyboard, skillfully maneuvering his character to fight the powerful boss in the game.
After a quick three minutes of gameplay resulted in a "K.O." message, Wei Yan decided to exit the game, feeling somewhat bored. He leaned his chin against his palm, gazing out the window in a daze. Somehow, the conversation he had earlier with Wu An came back to his mind.
Another lightning streak flashed across the sky, reflecting the dullness in Wei Yan's blue eyes, surrounded by faint dark circles showing signs of exhaustion.
Day in and day out, the routine remained the same, with no family by his side. Wei Yan felt like a thin thread ready to snap at any moment. His only source of thrill was through horror stories, games, or stimulating activities that provided him with a rush of adrenaline, making him feel alive. Yet, even these activities had started to lose their grip on him, leaving him feeling empty.
Letting out a sigh, he stood up and made his way to the corner of the room to refill the cat food. Stinky quickly scurried over with a meow and immediately began scarfing down the food as if it hadn't been fed in days.
Wei Yan remained crouched down as he gently stroked the soft fur of the cat, "Stinky, if I were gone, who would feed you?"
When Wei Yan tried to stand up, planning on taking a shower, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over him and his legs felt weak.
He attempted to brush it off as a familiar symptom brought on by low iron levels, but this time felt different. As he began to steady himself, his legs buckled and lost balance, causing him to stumble.
Just before his vision completely faded, he faintly heard the sound of Stinky crying out loudly…a sound he had never heard the cat make before.