Chapter 12 - Hua Tan

Zi FengXin had looked so excited, but when Nurse X refused to elaborate or talk any more, he slumped defeatedly.

Why did he feel that every time he saw YueYing, he was talking secrets with the school staff….

"If that's true…" YueYing loved to think, especially with philosophy, and this prompt created universes of thoughts in his mind.

"If it's not?" Nurse X folded their arms across their chest and watched YueYing.

"Then that's just mean…" YueYing frowned.

Nurse X brought his cup to his lips with a small smile.

"What are you guys talking about???" FengXin had gotten lost in the conversation. He hated not being able to catch up. "What's true?"

As he shoved YueYing's shoulder, intending a light push but clearly failing, the sophomore fell back in his chair, hitting the headrest with a thud.

"Ow—"

"Are you alright?" YueYing stood, supporting FengXin's head as he helped the sophomore back up.

"You always leave me out of your conversations! I love to listen, but I have no idea what's going on…" FengXin snapped hesitantly at YueYIng.

"Oh."

YueYing didn't know how to explain. For him, FengXin had been categorized as an outsider—someone who didn't know of the System, someone normal.

Ever since the System titled FengXin the 'Protagonist' of this story, YueYing had no idea how to act around him, except to treat him like the child he was. Which… might have been detrimental in itself.

Oh.

Suddenly panicked, YueYing held his hands up in consolation and took a step back.

"I'm sorry…"

When he turned to Nurse X, eyes asking for help, he found that the nurse had disappeared without leaving even a trace. YueYing suddenly started believing in God.

FengXin looked teary-eyed at YueYing. "Then don't exclude me again!"

YueYing gave an agreeing nod. He decided to phrase his conversations differently to the sophomore to avoid any suspicion.

"Where did the Nurse go?" FengXin asked, aggrieved.

"I don't know."

"But he was just here!"

"I know."

"Isn't that like, magic?!"

"Maybe the nurse left when we were talking?"

"But—yeah, you're right…"

—

The librarian bent over, his tousled black hair draping over his intense black eyes as he took the coin from the floor. It had fallen when he lost his temper—something he knew he had to work on, he was 20 years old already.

"You have to grow up. Beating up some children… hahhh." He sighed, dropping into his chair and bringing the silver coin up to his forehead.

Sunlight danced upon his fluttering eyelashes, and the stained glass window shone red, blue, green on the rich black library floor.

From afar, students might have described this as the librarian devoutly praying.

After a couple of minutes, the librarian dropped the coin into an empty hazelnut drawer and went on with his day, as if nothing had happened. He held up a clipboard, counting down numbers—The Dewey Decimal System—then looked at a cart of books.

He stood, taking the card around the library's nonfiction section, touring the 100's, 400's, then just as he got to 612.84, putting a book on vision away…

An eye popped up from the opposite bookshelf.

"Agh!" The librarian jumped back, nearly crashing into the wall of books behind him, and pointed the book in his hand towards the eye like a knife.

"Mr. Librarian?" A soft voice whispered with a distinct accent.

The librarian quickly regained his senses, straightening his collar whilst walking out of the shelves to greet the student.

A girl with long panache-white hair stared confusedly at the man. She had soft emerald eyes, which sparkled like stained glass. Instead of a student's uniform, she wore a dazzling dress of soft green, the different layers translucent and nearly floating, reminiscent of jellyfish.

The librarian coughed. "Hua Tan."

"Are you alright?" Hua Tan put the novel she was holding in the crevice of her alternate arm, which carried a load of similar books.

"Yes, apologies for startling you."

"You didn't, not at all. Rather…" The girl giggled, her meaning clear—he was the frightened one.

Coughing again, the librarian held out a hand. "Those books must be heavy. Would you like a basket?"

"Alright."

Hua Tan returned to the counter with the librarian, both of them silent.

"How are you?" The librarian spoke first.

"Quite alright."

"Your homeschooling?"

"Much easier, thanks to the library access you granted me this Fall!" Hua Tan beamed.

"That's good."

An awkward silence fell once again.

"How have you been?" Hua Tan initiated the conversation this time.

"Well."

"How is therapy?"

"..." The librarian looked away. "I graduated."

"Congratulations."

Another pause.

"Thank you."

By this point, Hua Tan had already dumped all of her books into a basket. She held her smile, genuine yet hesitant.

"I'd like to check these out, then." She put the basket on the library counter.

The librarian nodded and picked up the barcode reader.

"Return these in two weeks." The librarian froze, then shook his head. "Three weeks. Alright?"

"Ok." Hua Tan placed the books back one-by-one into her arms, gave a small curtsey, and strolled out of the library.