Notes of Youth

The wind carried a faint chill as Lin Keqing stepped into the corridor after the last period. Her breath fogged faintly in the cold air, but her thoughts were heavier than the temperature.

Bai Andui had slipped her a note during break. No words spoken, only a glance.

"There's something you need to see. After school. Back gate."

As Keqing slipped out through the side entrance, she spotted him leaning against the fence, arms folded, gaze distant.

"You came," he said without looking.

"Of course. What is it?"

He handed her a folded piece of paper. It was a blurry copy of a disciplinary report from three years ago.

"Wanzou tried to report something. A teacher. But the file was buried. Covered up by administration."

Keqing read the contents slowly, each line tightening her chest. There was no name of the accused. Only references: "Faculty member A" and "Student W."

"You think this is why she disappeared?"

"I know it is. She told me she was going to expose him. And then... nothing. The only one who believed her was me. And I couldn't do anything."

Keqing stared at the paper. "Then we dig it up. All of it."

Bai Andui smiled faintly. "You're not afraid?"

"I am. But not enough to stop."

In the classroom the next day, Gu Yuyan sat a row behind Keqing but barely looked at her. His replies to her questions were short, polite, and distant.

Le Yahan nudged her gently during break. "You guys okay? He looks like he's building an emotional fortress."

Keqing glanced back. Gu's eyes were focused on his notebook, but the tightness in his shoulders said otherwise.

Later that afternoon, she found him by the back of the gym, tying his shoes before PE. "Hey. You free after this? I wanted to show you something."

He hesitated. "You seem to have plenty of company these days."

Keqing blinked. "What?"

He stood up slowly. "You and Bai Andui. You've been spending time together. Secrets and all. I get it."

"It's not like that," she said quickly. "I'm just trying to understand what happened to Wanzou. He's helping."

"And I'm not?"

That stung. "Yuyan..."

"Maybe you should go to him next time."

He turned and walked away.

Keqing stood there, stunned. She had never seen this side of him before—quietly wounded, walking away without a word more. The distance between them had suddenly grown vast, and she didn't know how to cross it.

Meanwhile, Le Yahan had her own storm to deal with. Chen Yuke hadn't spoken much all day.

At lunch, she found him in the art room, helping Fang Zichen organize supplies.

"Yuke, want to eat together?"

He didn't look up. "I'm busy."

Zichen awkwardly stepped aside. "I'll... go check the back room."

Le Yahan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Okay, what did I do?"

"Nothing," he muttered.

"That's the problem, isn't it?"

He sighed. "It just feels like you're always somewhere else lately. With Xu Yujin. Or messaging until midnight. I don't want to compete for your attention."

She softened. "Yuke, you're not competing. You're the one I'm thinking about even when I'm somewhere else."

His expression cracked slightly. "Then say that more often. Please."

She stepped forward, lowering her voice. "I'm not always good at saying things. But I can show you. One ramen cup at a time. One walk home at a time. Deal?"

He finally smiled. "Deal."

That night, Keqing received another message.

"Stop digging. Or she won't be the only one who disappears."

No name. No sender. Just dread curling in her stomach.

But instead of fear, she felt resolve. She pulled out her notebook and wrote everything she had learned so far. If someone wanted her to stop, they must be hiding something real.

She added a new question to the bottom of the page:

"Who else knew about the file?"

The next morning, a new surprise awaited them: the principal announced an emergency staff change. One teacher had requested a sudden transfer. No reason given. No farewell.

Keqing exchanged a glance with Bai Andui. He nodded once. A piece of the puzzle had moved.

In class that day, whispers spread quickly. Some students said the teacher left because of a family emergency. Others claimed a disciplinary board had visited the school.

During lunch, Keqing met Bai Andui in the library. He looked more serious than ever.

"This is bigger than we thought," he said.

"Do you think someone at the top helped cover it up?"

He nodded. "Maybe more than one. If we go further, it won't just be about Wanzou anymore. It could be dangerous."

"Then we keep copies. Notes. Backup everything. And we watch each other's backs."

As the day wore on, Keqing passed Gu Yuyan in the hallway.

He didn't speak.

But as she walked by, he said quietly, "Don't get hurt. Not for someone who already disappeared."

Keqing paused. Then turned to look back.

"It's not just about her anymore."

She saw the flicker of concern in his eyes. But it was quickly buried beneath his usual calm.

That evening, in the quiet of the library, Keqing slid another notebook beside Wanzou's old journals. Her own.

She was no longer just reading a ghost's story.

She was writing her own.

Behind her, the clock ticked softly. Outside, the wind had picked up.

In the dim light, a shadow moved past the window.

Someone was watching.