Night.
Lulu Lu lay on her side beside Lily Liu, gazing at her expressionless face. She whispered softly,
"Lily…"
No reply.
"Good night."
Still silence.
Lulu said nothing. She pressed the bedside button to switch off the light, rose, and headed to the other bedroom.
To keep Lily from escaping—and spare her the discomfort of handcuffs—Lulu had ordered a collar with a built-in chain. She fastened Lily to the bedpost and locked it with a padlock. Only when taking Lily to the bathroom would she reapply the handcuffs.
The room had an en-suite bathroom, but the chain was too short for Lily to reach it. Lulu planned to move the bed closer later.
Without the handcuffs, Lulu dared not sleep beside Lily. She couldn’t trust the girl who no longer liked her. What if Lily struck while she slept? Dawn might never come.
Back in her room, Lulu didn’t sleep. She took paper and pen, pulled Lily’s notebook and a test paper with parental signatures from her bag, and carefully forged both Lily’s and her parents’ handwriting on a leave note.
Citrus City Public Girls’ High allowed two leave methods: parents messaging the teacher, or students submitting a note via the class monitor.
Lulu would hand in the forged note herself tomorrow. She felt uneasy—no one in class had ever done this. The sick-leave idea was impulsive. Success hinged on the teacher’s attention.
She also planned to switch to commuting daily. Staying at school meant Lily might starve in a week. Leaving compressed biscuits and water felt cold. Lulu wanted her to eat warm, homemade meals—even if Lily acted indifferent.
Faking leave for both of them? Too suspicious. She’d handle Lily’s first, then her own later. A quiet hope flickered: *Maybe this life is still possible.*
"Please… let it go smoothly."
She tucked the note away, lay down, and drifted to sleep.
…
Monday morning.
Lulu rose early, prepared two meals’ worth of breakfast for Lily, woke her, and shifted the bed beside the bathroom as planned.
Lily watched silently the whole time.
After a few hurried bites, Lulu changed into her uniform, washed up, and shouldered her bag. Hesitating at the door, she placed unread shoujo manga on the bed and set chilled drinks beside Lily.
Captivity didn’t mean boredom. She knew Lily loved these.
"Lily, bye-bye~ Be a good girl and wait for me, okay~"
Smiling, Lulu rushed out.
Only after the door clicked shut did Lily move.
Her left hand lifted a manga volume. Fingertips traced the lingering warmth.
"Lulu…"
A tear silently traced her cheek, *plink*—landing on the cover.
Murmuring the nickname, her right hand brushed the cold collar.
"Why…?"
…
Lulu slipped into school just as the bell ended. Heart still racing, she handed in homework, then approached the class monitor—tall, sharp-chinned Liuli Luo—and offered the note.
"Is Lily Liu taking leave?" Liuli asked.
"Yes. She’s sick. Resting at home."
"Where is she? Why you?"
"She… ran to the bathroom with stomach cramps. Asked me to deliver it."
"I see." Liuli accepted it. "I’ll pass it to the teacher."
"Thanks."
Lulu smiled politely, exhaling inwardly. *Just the teacher now. Please…*
But fate smirked back.
Right after morning exercises, the homeroom teacher summoned her.
*Oh no. It’s over.*
In the office, the teacher frowned at the note.
"Lulu Lu—did *you* submit this for Lily?"
"Yes." Lulu held her chin high.
"Lily’s mother messaged: she knew nothing of this illness. She also mentioned Lily stayed at *your* house last weekend. Explain."
A pause. Then—*thump*—the note slapped the desk.
"This is your handwriting. I see the difference. Tell me: where is Lily *really*?"
Silence.
Lulu had no words. The plan had shattered.
…
Later details mattered little.
The teacher called Lulu’s older sister, Yanyan Lu. She rushed home, found Lily.
Lily softened the truth: "Just a quarrel… she acted on impulse."
Thanks to her words—and Yanyan’s efforts—Lulu escaped expulsion. Only a serious warning.
But Lily never spoke to her again. Not one word.
And so, Lulu’s role-play points plummeted below zero.
Time to reload from the last save point.
