Chapter 60

"Are you guys getting along?"

Raina Nan sat at her desk, thinking about the words "flowers bloom in the half of the year."

In the end, she came to a negative answer. Their relationship was not so good, at least not in the past.

...

...

"Samson Nan, did you grow taller again?"

Mom looked at Samson Nan, who was changing his shoes at the entrance hall, and said.

"Really?"

Samson Nan (15 years old) looked at himself in the mirror on the shoe cabinet. The cuffs of his school pants seemed to be a bit short, revealing his ankles. They were clearly well-fitting just two months ago...

"Come, let me measure you~"

Mom said, taking out a box of measuring tape from the drawer.

He stood against the wall, and mom had to stand on tiptoes to reach the top of his head.

"174! You've grown so much."

"Well, of course, it's puberty."

He wasn't too surprised, probably because his friends on the basketball team were quite tall. He didn't even reach the average height there.

"I'm hungry, mom."

A little girl came out of the living room, with two slightly childish ponytails.

When she saw Samson Nan, she didn't say anything, just stood there, looking at him from a distance.

"What are you looking at?"

He frowned slightly, looking back at her.

"..."

The little girl didn't say anything, backed into the corner of the wall, and just peeked at him with half of her face showing.

"Why are you scaring your sister?"

Mom said, patting the back of his head.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue, lifted his schoolbag, walked into the living room, and laid down on the sofa.

The television was playing Sailor Moon, an animated series being broadcasted on the TV station.

He picked up the remote and changed the channel.

"Ah."

Raina Nan (11 years old) beside him softly called out. When she noticed that he looked over, she quickly covered her mouth.

"Do you want to watch this?"

"Yeah."

She nodded.

"Come over."

He moved aside and patted the couch.

"..."

She stood still a little distance away from him, hesitating about something.

But after a short while, she sat down and kept a distance of one person between them.

"I like watching this animated series too."

He said, increasing the volume with the remote control.

"..."

Raina Nan glanced at him in surprise, then smiled lightly and picked up the cushion next to her.

"But, you know..."

He spoke again.

"The girls are completely naked when they transform."

"Com...pletely naked?"

She murmured softly, tilted her head, and looked at him.

"It means they are not wearing any clothes."

"..."

She paused for a moment, then her face started to blush slightly.

She reached out to grab the remote control and change the channel.

"You said you wanted to watch it, so let me finish watching it."

"..."

Her eyes became a little watery.

But she didn't cry. Instead, she got up and ran towards the kitchen.

Before long, mom rushed out.

"Why are you bullying your sister again?!"

Another hit landed on the back of Samson Nan's head.

"Ouch..."

"So boring, all you know is to tattle."

He snorted and twisted his schoolbag, heading upstairs.

"Hey,"

Mom sighed. The relationship between these two children in the family seemed to have always been not very good. They would fight over small things, and sometimes she would even think, if they were two daughters or two sons, would it be less distressing?

But there were so many "ifs"...

...

Monday

"Raina Nan, did you finish your homework over the weekend?"

"Yeah."

It was her desk mate who asked, a girl who dressed like a little princess. She was only in the fifth grade of elementary school, but she had styled her hair in curls like an adult.

"Can I take a look? We'll have our homework checked in the first class. Pretty please~"

"It's better to do it yourself."

"I'll do it myself next time, this is the last time~""..."

This was the umpteenth time, and she couldn't even remember how many times anymore.

If she agreed this time, it would probably never end...

"Sorry, this time... you do it yourself."

She said it.

"Huh?"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head and staring at her.

"Hmm~"

"Speaking of which..."

She propped her chin with her pen and pointed it at her nose.

"You've been a bit too arrogant lately, haven't you?"

"..."

"Do you know the consequences of defying me?"

The girl ran her fingers through her hair, revealing a creepy smile.

"Do you see that person over there?"

She pointed with her chin to the girl sitting by the window, a girl with twist braids, quiet as if she had never spoken before. If she remembered correctly, her name was Roxie Lin.

The classroom seats were arranged in pairs, also known as desk mates, but the seat next to that girl was empty.

"So pitiful~"

The girl chuckled.

"Just one word from Xiaomei, and you'll end up just like her~"

"..."

Was she being isolated?

This girl named Xiaomei seemed to come from a wealthy family, with endless pocket money and a knack for spreading rumors and manipulating others.

No one would talk to someone who was isolated, because doing so would associate them with the isolated group...

Rumors were truly terrifying, but Xiaomei seemed oblivious... loneliness was even more terrifying.

With that in mind, Raina Nan stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"..."

She did not answer, standing up, assessing the weight and then lifting the somewhat heavy school desk.

"Hey..."

Xiaomei couldn't understand what she was doing. Like the other classmates, she just stood there, watching her.

The desk was made of metal and had a backpack inside. Raina Nan struggled to lift it, taking two steps and then resting her foot, stumbling towards the girl.

Bang!

She connected her desk with Roxie Lin's desk.

Roxie Lin was startled, looking up with wide eyes.

"Pleased to meet you~"

Raina Nan gave a sideways smile.

"Huh?"

Roxie Lin was stunned for a moment, then quickly buried her head.

The gazes from around made her feel nervous and uneasy. She didn't even dare to look at Raina Nan's face.

"Hi, uh..."

Though her voice was as small as a mosquito's, she still managed to say it properly.

"Yeah~"

"..."

Xiaomei remained rooted to the spot, turning her head to find that her seat was now empty due to Raina Nan's departure.

Whispering voices seemed to reach her ears, mocking her. Was that what they were doing?

Her face instantly turned crimson. When had she ever experienced such humiliation?

Feeling defeated and embarrassed, she gritted her teeth and muttered a voice that only she could hear.

...

"Xiaomei, is this going too far...?"

"Um, yeah, I also think so. What if the teacher finds out?"

In the restroom, a few girls were having a small meeting.

"Why be afraid? I don't know how to write the word 'fear' since I was born!"

"Besides, I heard that Raina Nan has an older brother... He plays on the middle school basketball team. Could it be..."

"Yeah, the middle school section is quite close to ours."

"But..."

One girl seemed to recall something, lowering her voice.

"I heard that Raina Nan doesn't have a good relationship with her brother."

"Really?"

"Yeah, a couple of days ago, I saw Raina Nan being scolded by her brother at the school gate. She even cried~"

"Haha, I understand, I understand. What brother would like a sister like Raina Nan? Always wearing a sour face, not caring about anyone. Maybe her brother knows that she's being bullied and is happy about it~"

"Hehe, that could be true~"

...

The next day.During the lunch break, Raina Nan entered the classroom, and everyone's eyes immediately focused on her. It seemed that she had successfully joined the "outcast" group due to yesterday's incident.

However, she didn't pay much attention to it. She sighed and went straight to her seat.

"Have you had lunch?"

"Huh? Um... Yes, I have."

Roxie Lin hadn't talked to her classmates for a long time, so her speech was a bit unclear as she greeted Raina.

"Um..."

Roxie started to speak, wanting to say something.

But she noticed that Xiaomei, who was standing behind Raina Nan, was staring at them intently.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing..."

Roxie lowered her head and couldn't spit it out.

"Raina Nan, someone is looking for you."

A boy sitting near the door called out to her.

Raina Nan walked over.

When she reached the classroom door, she paused. There were several unfamiliar boys, judging by their height... they were from the senior grade?

She glanced at their school uniforms and found them somewhat familiar...

"Hey."

She suddenly remembered that they were from the junior high school department, just like her brother's uniform.

"Oh~ Raina Nan, the little sister, right?"

The boy who was leading them greeted her.

He had some dyed hair at the temples and seemed unfamiliar.

"Who are you guys?"

"Huh? Didn't your brother tell you?"

"What?"

"Well, I'm a friend of Samson Nan. He asked me to come and pick you up because he has something important to tell you."

"..."

She hesitated, looking at these unfamiliar boys who knew her brother's name.

"Why didn't he come himself?"

"Well..."

The leader of the boys suddenly choked on his words.

"He wanted to surprise you, so it's a surprise! That must be it~"

"Yeah, yeah, a surprise! Haha."

"..."

A surprise? Raina pondered for a moment. Was it her birthday today? It didn't seem like it... Besides, her brother would never bother celebrating anything with her. As long as he didn't bully her, she was already grateful enough...

"Oh..."

She glanced at the time and there was still time for the lunch break. Maybe she could go and see what it was about.

Raina Nan walked away with the group of boys.

"..."

Roxie Lin watched as she left and suddenly stood up.

"Where are you going?"

Xiaomei was already standing in front of her.

"Uh, nowhere..."

Roxie hesitated and sat back down.

...