Going

Chen Kaori managed to get her bag before the class period started. She asked the teacher if she could skip the class as she was not feeling well. She was allowed to go since the teacher was not planning to hold a formal class as they were already graduating.

Before she reached the school gate, she was stopped by a male voice.

"Chen Kaori!" a heaving boy stopped on his run when she also stopped on her brisk walking.

Chen Kaori looked back and furrowed her brows. "Su Lianghao?"

He forced a smile through his heavy breathing. "I...I heard...heard that you...are not feeling well...saw you...with the teacher."

"Uh...yeah..." Chen Kaori felt a bit guilty. She was not physically sick, but it was at least true that she was not feeling good.

"Well...can you...still make it...to the ball?" Su Lianghao took out his handkerchief to wipe off his sweat.

"Uh...I think so..." Chen Kaori would still want to go. 'But I might not have a date.' she thought.

Finally, Su Lianghao caught his breath. He blurted, "Will you be my date to the ball?"

Chen Kaori had wide eyes. She did not expect that someone else will ask her at the last minute after she turned down some boys.

"I...I heard Wang Zihan was going with He Zifeng. So it means you're not going with him...so, if it's okay, will you go with me?" Su Lianghao had a shy smile.

Chen Kaori had furrowed brows as she awkwardly smiled. She took a breath and replied, "Okay."

Then she bowed to him slightly. "I need to go now." She went on to go home.

Su Lianghao had a wide grin as he went back to class.

...

After class, He Zifeng went straight to the apartment Chen Kaori's parents are renting for her during her study in the city.

He pressed the door buzzer and impatiently tapped his shoes on the welcome mat.

He pressed the buzzer three more times before she finally opened her door.

"He Zifeng, what are you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, he was already inside, changing his shoes to slippers.

"We need to talk." he said, as he continued into the apartment and sat on the sofa.

Chen Kaori lazily went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Then she served it on the coffee table before him.

She sat on the carpet, still looking dazed, as she faced him.

"Chen Kaori...about the ball..." He Zifeng noticed that she was not really listening. "Hey, listen up!"

"What?!" her voice sounded irritated.

"About your date to the ball...I can't..." He Zifeng did not know how to explain.

"I have one." she declared.

"What?! How?! Who?!" he was shocked.

Chen Kaori looked him in the eye. "He Zifeng, I will not bother you about trivial things anymore. So can you do the same?"

"Tell me who your date is!" he demanded.

"If there is nothing else, you can show yourself out." Chen Kaori walked towards her bedroom door.

When she was about to reach for a knob, the side of a fist forcefully landed on her door with a bang. Then He Zifeng appeared on her side for a kabedon.

"Tell me whom you're going with."

Chen Kaori pushed him aside and quickly went into her room and shut the door into his face and locked it.

"Chen Kaori!" He Zifeng banged on her door. "If you really don't have a date, I will help you find one, okay? Just tell me...okay?"

He Zifeng knew he was overstepping boundaries, but he felt guilty. As she did not respond, he went out of her apartment and headed home.