Peony and Hazel had finally returned home after a long day at school. Hazel was still curious about how Peony had solved the difficult question in class earlier, but Peony just smiled and brushed it off. He didn't want to brag or make anyone feel bad for not knowing the answer.
As Peony entered his room, he looked out the window and saw Ethan walking towards Hazel's house with some school friends. Peony sensed that something was off, and he quickly transformed into a peony flower to hide himself.
Ethan knocked on the door, and Hazel answered. Ethan and his friends said that they had come to meet Peony, and Hazel became suspicious. She asked why they wanted to see him, and they said that they just wanted to hang out.
Hazel went to the kitchen to get some fruit for them, and while she was gone, Ethan sneaked upstairs to Peony's room. But when he entered the room, there was nobody there, just a peony flower in a vase.
Hazel called out to Ethan, asking what he was doing, and he quickly returned downstairs. Hazel gave him a strange look, but she didn't say anything.
A few moments later, Peony emerged from his room. Ethan was suspicious and asked how he had appeared out of nowhere, as he had checked Peony's room and found it empty. Peony simply replied that he had been in the bathroom, and Ethan went quiet.
Hazel laughed at Ethan's confusion, and Peony asked why they had all come over. One of Ethan's classmates answered that they were just curious because they knew Peony and Hazel lived together. Peony confirmed that he paid rent to live there, and there was no problem.
After a few minutes of small talk, Ethan and his friends left. Hazel asked Peony if he was okay, and he reassured her that he was fine. But he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that Ethan's visit had brought.
Peony decided to do some research on Ethan and his friends, and he discovered that they were involved in some shady activities. He knew that he had to be careful around Ethan, as he could be dangerous.