Chapter 6

"None of your business!"

Takashi roared, raising his left fist and clenching it tight, ready to smash it into Lin Feng's cheek.

This was a dire emergency—crazed teachers and students could burst in from outside at any moment. He didn't have time to waste on someone as irrelevant as Lin Feng.

Lin Feng watched Takashi's furious fist coming his way, completely unfazed.

He stepped back half a pace, dodging the punch, then swung his right hand up in a swift motion—a single palm strike aimed straight at Takashi's face, his wide hand cutting through the air.

Slap!

Ouch!

Takashi was the one left dazed, reeling from the smack!

The classroom erupted in stunned silence. Students and teachers alike gaped in shock.

The girls watching from the sidelines started whispering among themselves.

"Why'd they start fighting?"

"A love triangle?"

"No way, it's gotta be a love square!"

"Lin Feng… you…" Rei stared at Takashi getting hit. Instead of being angry, she felt a tiny spark of satisfaction. Takashi had been acting unreasonably, and he'd even tried to slap her earlier.

No girl would ever like a guy who resorted to violence at the drop of a hat.

Rei's opinion of the brutish Takashi soured even more, and she started feeling resentment toward Hisashi, who'd just stood there watching. When she'd left Takashi and accepted Hisashi's confession, it was because he'd shown her kindness and gentleness during her weakest moment. But now? He'd done nothing while she was nearly hit!

Meanwhile, Lin Feng—someone she'd only known for a day—had stepped in to block Takashi's slap. In her eyes, Lin Feng suddenly seemed more handsome, bright, and considerate. A truly outstanding guy.

Ding!

[Rei's favorability +20]

"Let's head outside the classroom for now."

Lin Feng casually took Rei's hand, speaking to the two guys nearby.

Takashi, still reeling from the slap, had a ringing in his ears. The impact had thrown off his balance, making his legs wobble. But more than the discomfort, he was furious—fuming that Lin Feng had humiliated him in front of Rei. His fists clenched so hard they creaked.

He could hear the classmates around him mocking him! Laughing at how he'd been hit and didn't fight back, calling him weak and pathetic.

Rei and Hisashi had already followed Lin Feng out of the classroom.

Takashi ignored the gleeful expressions of his classmates. Their lives meant nothing to him—protecting Rei's safety was what mattered most!

With that thought, he staggered out of the classroom, his steps unsteady.

Thwack! Thwack!

"It's class time right now! Quiet down, all of you! Sit in your seats! We're resuming the lesson!"

Seeing the troublemakers leave, the teacher banged his pointer against the blackboard, trying to restore order and get back to teaching.

"Whether it's Takashi or Lin Feng, something's seriously off today. I've got a bad feeling, like something big's about to happen." Saya whispered.

After Takashi left the classroom, Saya hurried after him, worried. But by the time she stepped out, he was already gone.

"Um… Saya? Saya?"

She stood at the doorway, searching for Takashi, when she noticed someone trailing behind her. The guy was crawling on all fours, sticking close to the ground—like he didn't want anyone to spot him.

Hir… Hirano?

That's what the chubby kid in front of her was called, right?

Her impression of Hirano was still that of a pudgy otaku—timid, always getting picked on by the school delinquents.

Why was she stuck with a loser like him?!

If only Takashi were here instead.

Saya rubbed her forehead with her fingers, feeling utterly exasperated. Even someone like Lin Feng would've been better than this.

"Ahhh… stop biting… someone… someone save me…"

Following the sound of anguished cries, Saya reached the hallway window and peered down at the schoolyard. What she saw was horrifying!

A group of blood-soaked teachers and students were chasing others, tackling them to the ground and tearing into them with their teeth. Within moments, the bitten victims joined the frenzied mob, attacking more students.

...

"What's going on? Takashi! Why were you so worked up when you came back—and why'd you try to hit Rei?"

Hisashi and Rei had reached the stairwell corner, confronting Takashi as he emerged, clutching his face.

Takashi's rage from earlier had subsided a bit. He realized swinging at Rei had been a mistake.

But that was between him and Rei—Lin Feng, an outsider, had no right to butt in and "teach" him a lesson. Still, salvaging his image with Rei was the priority now.

Swallowing his anger, Takashi said, "I saw someone bite Mr. Teshima at the school gate. Then Mr. Teshima bit Mr. Sakai. After that, it spread like rabies—fast. They started going berserk, biting other students. When I saw it, I rushed back to find you and Rei because I was worried."

He bent at nearly a ninety-degree angle, apologizing to Rei with utmost sincerity. "Rei! I'm sorry! I was just so worried about your safety that I lost control."

"Your excuse is pretty weak, Takashi. What is this, some kind of movie? Stuff like that doesn't happen!" Rei crossed her arms, lifting her chest with a skeptical look, clearly unconvinced.

Takashi's apology hadn't done much. In her mind, she'd already labeled him a liar and an idiot.

He opened his mouth to explain further, but Lin Feng cut him off.

"I hear screaming outside!"

Lin Feng stepped away from the trio, heading toward the stairwell.

"Lin Feng, are you going back to the classroom? Did you forget something?" Rei asked.

"Looks like Takashi was telling the truth. People out there have lost it. We need weapons to defend ourselves."

He opened a storage closet by the stairs, revealing cleaning supplies—mops with wooden handles and one with an iron rod.

Lin Feng grabbed the iron-handled mop, stepped on the mop head, and yanked the rod free with both hands before handing it to Rei.

"Rei, can you handle this iron rod?"

"No problem! I'm in the spear club, after all!" Rei gripped the rod with both hands, noticing its sharp tip. She flashed a confident grin—it'd work perfectly as a makeshift spear!

Next, Lin Feng handed a wooden mop to Hisashi, who'd been standing there dumbfounded.

"Here, take this to protect yourself."

Hisashi realized he'd failed as a boyfriend by not stepping in to shield Rei earlier. Wanting to regain some dignity in front of her, he pushed the mop away with a cocky grin.

"No need, Lin Feng. My karate's black-belt level!"

Hmph, hope you enjoy getting bitten! Let's see your karate take down zombies.

Lin Feng had no interest in wasting words on a guy like Hisashi.

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