Chapter 9

She took me to a nearby room, and I was surprised to see it furnished with comfy-looking sofas. A colourful carpet lay on the ground, and low tables and soft cushions littered the floor. There was a large TV hanging on the wall, and the shelves in the corner were full of different games and glossy magazines.

“Most people hang out here in their free time, so it can get noisy at times. The room on the other side is smaller, so you can read there in peace if you don’t want to sit in the library.”

I nodded, not really caring about these kinds of places. I could never bring myself to fit in, and I believed the only reason people had spoken to me in my old school was because of my role as vice president or my involvement in the fencing club. I glanced at Farah. Somehow, she felt different and was probably popular, with people flocking to her for no apparent reason.

She suddenly caught my glance, and I shivered as her eyes fixed on me. Her eyes… Was I making it up, or did they look like a…? She frowned.

“What?”

Instinctively, I stepped back, lowering my gaze.

“N-nothing...”

Why was she like this to me?

She pushes people away because she cares too much.

Xiaolian’s words suddenly echoed in my mind as Farah turned and continued towards the left wing of the mansion. I shook my head, trying to shake off the lingering image of her eyes, and followed her out.

We continued down the hallway, and I dared to cast a glance at her, but she was staring straight ahead, and it was only as she opened the door to one of the rooms and walked in to reveal an empty classroom that I momentarily forgot about what had happened. It looked more like a tech lab or an office than anything I had seen in a school before. Rows of white desks equipped with sets of monitors and low, half-transparent walls separating them. For the first time since I’d arrived, I felt excited about the chance to study here at the institute. I would make my aunt proud, I promised myself.

She gestured for me, and I followed her out, then paused as she turned back and continued towards the main hall.

“What’s there?”, I asked and gestured at a door at the end of the hall.

She halted and glared at me.

“Staff area. Off limits for students. You may get in trouble if someone finds you there.”

She paused before adding,

“The same goes for the building next to the tracks. It’s really old and not safe to go to.”

She gave me a look, and I nodded. I wasn’t someone to break the rules anyway, so those restrictions didn’t bother me. They were in place to keep everyone safe, but... Hadn’t she told me this morning to see things for myself?

I blinked and glanced at her. Did she want me to…?

“Farah…”

“What?”

My courage melted under her gaze, and I didn’t dare ask her if that’s what she’d meant, so instead I only mumbled,

“I… I still have your jacket. We can get it now.”

“Yeah...”

She looked away, seemingly uncomfortable about the fact that I was in possession of her jacket, but I couldn’t understand why. We continued walking in silence, and to my surprise, she followed me upstairs instead of continuing to her quarters. Had she accepted my offer in the end? I paused in front of the door to my room, hoping that Xiaolian hadn’t come back yet. It would be so awkward to bring Farah in if she were there.

“I can wait outside,” she murmured, but I shook my head. It would feel so rude to leave her waiting in the hallway.

To my relief, the room was empty. I closed the door behind us, suddenly aware of how small it felt when she stood next to me, with her soft scent of mint and lavender filling the small space.

“I hurt you this morning…”

Her words caught me as I reached for the jacket hanging on the back of my chair. I paused and glanced at her.

“It's okay,” I mumbled, not knowing what else to say. It was so awkward to even think about what had happened.

“I suck with people… Sorry, okay?”

She suddenly stepped past me and grabbed the jacket from the chair.

“F-Farah…”

She shook her head and walked to the door, but before she had time to open it, it clicked open, and Xiaolian walked in, looking at us, surprised.

“Farah!”

She smiled, and Farah stumbled back.

“Be nice to me!”, Xiaolian pouted.

“I need to go.”

Farah frowned, staring at her, but Xiaolian just smiled and reached out, brushing some loose hair from Farah’s face.

“You’re not scary, you know…”, she said softly.

Farah shivered as a wave of sadness flashed in her eyes.

“Stay with us…”, Xiaolian asked.

She glanced at me, looking for support, and I slowly nodded, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. It felt so awkward to see them like that, and I wished I could run away and leave them alone, but I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I stayed and watched with awkward fascination as Xiaolian’s hand caressed Farah’s cheek.

Or was it really Xiaolian this time, or was it…? I shivered at the thought, and the walls of the room began to close around me.

“We used to be friends, but you…”

Her words hung in the air, and Farah slouched her shoulders and sighed, sinking down on the edge of the bed as if trying to escape her touch.

“I only try to keep all of you safe…”, she murmured and buried her face in her hands.

“You always say that,” Xiaolian pouted.

She suddenly paused and turned to me.

“Yuna… Are you okay?”

I blinked, and Farah also turned to look at me, and my face flushed when my thoughts were suddenly exposed.

“S-sure...”, I stammered.

I sat down on my bed and tried to smile, hoping they would believe my reassurance, but Farah got up and walked over to me, putting her hand on my forehead. It was so unexpected that I froze for a heartbeat.

“You’re burning.”

She shook her head but avoided my gaze as I hesitantly glanced up at her.

“You should rest today…”

She sighed and withdrew her hand.

“Sorry…”, she whispered.

She turned and left before any of us could say anything, and I looked at the door closing behind her, remembering the strange sensation when her hand had touched my skin. Only then did I notice her jacket still lying on the floor. She must have dropped it when she checked on me…

Should I go after her? But before I could make up my mind, Xiaolian picked it up and hung it next to the door. I sighed. Maybe I really was becoming ill? That would explain so much. It had taken me almost a day to arrive here from Tokyo, and I hadn’t rested very well when I travelled, so I got a cold this morning, not to mention the jet lag. Yes, that would explain everything. I just needed to rest.

I glanced at Xiaolian. She was sitting on her bed, resting her back against the wall, and reading from her tablet. She was odd, and I shivered at the thought of someone seeing her with me, but in a way I couldn’t explain, her presence felt strangely familiar.

I shook my head. I should lie down, but I couldn’t make myself lie in bed with my clothes on, and I shuddered at the thought of changing into my nightgown and exposing my body so much. I would die from embarrassment if Farah came back to pick up her jacket and saw me like that.

In the end, I just took off my jacket and loosened my belt and lay down, wrapping myself in the blanket.