Zheng Hu narrowed his eyes, studying Jiu Li's expression. He could tell that the boy was nervous and hiding something.
Without warning, Zheng Hu grabbed Jiu Li's wrist and pulled him aside into an empty classroom, leaving the crowded hallway and the forgotten outsider.
"Explain."
Zheng Hu's voice was cold and stern. Jiu Li gulped, knowing that he couldn't avoid captivating the protagonist's attention.
Jiu Li took a deep breath, straightened his posture and tried to calm his nerves. He knew that he had to come up with a believable explanation or he could risk blowing his cover. He looked Zheng Hu in the eye and spoke.
"I threw the dart because I saw that you were in danger. I didn't want to see you get hurt by that man."
The look in Zheng Hu's eyes told him that he wasn't convinced. Zheng Hu narrowed his eyes skeptically.
"I find that hard to believe," he said.
Jiu Li tried to maintain eye contact, hoping to appear sincere.
"I-I was just trying to help."
Jiu Li's hands shook as he spoke, hoping that his excuse would be enough to satisfy Zheng Hu's suspicions.
Zheng Hu considered Jiu Li's words for a moment, then loosened his grip on Jiu Li's wrist.
"But why did you lie?"
Jiu Li took a deep breath said (lied).
"Theres been alot of suspicious activity going on in the school. I thought it would be best to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention to myself."
Zheng Hu looked surprised but also relieved.
"I see,"
he said. Now, all suspicions have been cleared of Jiu Li. Jiu Li breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
"Now if you excuse me, I will be tardy to class if we drag this any longer!"
Jiu Li quickly left the classroom.
…
Zheng Hu had left Jiu Li off. 'He ran away like a rabbit, thats—cute' that was the only thought Zheng Hu had circulating in his head at the moment.
…
Jiu Li arrived to the front of his class. He opened the door. As Jiu Li walked into the classroom, all eyes turned to him. His classmates stared at him curiously, wondering what had happened to make him tardy. The teacher stopped mid-sentence, waiting for an explanation.
Jiu Li cleared his throat, trying to shake off the nervousness he felt from his encounter with Zheng Hu. He stood up straight and said,
"Sorry I'm late, I had a brief encounter with someone in the hallway. But everything's fine now and I'm ready to learn."
The teacher deemed the excuse plausible and said,
"Alright, go find a seat."
The teacher continued with the lesson. Jiu Li took his seat and tried to focus on the lecture, but his mind kept wandering back to what he would do next now that he had piqued unwanted attention from the protagonist.
Would I have to change my appearance to avoid the possibility of getting killed by the protagonist? Hmm.. yeah, that's a great idea—i think!