雷帕.1

The midday sun slanted through the glass windows, casting its light across the corridor. Palos strolled leisurely toward the rooftop, one hand in his pocket and a lollipop dangling from his lips. Today, he had once again successfully slipped away from Karmel's watchful eye—that perpetually stern-faced kid. But Palos had his own set of escape tricks.

As he pushed open the rooftop door, a gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying the crispness unique to early autumn. Yet his footsteps suddenly halted—someone was already there by the railing.

The figure stood with his back to him, a blue school jacket casually draped over his shoulders, his short black hair slightly tousled by the wind. Hearing the door open, he turned around, a glint of amusement flashing in his purple eyes.

"Well, well, if it isn't our 'well-behaved' classmate, Palos," Leizi said, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "Skipping class? How unexpected."

Palos quickly adjusted his expression, plastering on his usual fake smile. "You flatter me, Senior Leizi. I just... came to get some fresh air."

"Cut the crap," Leizi scoffed, patting the empty space beside him. "Come here. The view's great."

Palos hesitated for a second before walking over. He carefully maintained some distance from Leizi as he leaned against the railing. From this height, the entire campus of Aotu Academy was visible.

"You know," Leizi suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a casualness Palos had never heard before, "what I hate most are people who put on acts."

Palos's fingers tightened slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. "What do you mean by that, boss?"

Leizi turned to look him straight in the eye. "I mean, around me, you can be your real self." He leaned in closer, close enough for Palos to catch a faint whiff of his cologne. "After all, we're the same kind of people, aren't we?"

Palos felt his heartbeat quicken. Leizi's eyes seemed to see through all his disguises, a feeling that was both dangerous and thrilling.

"Maybe," Palos finally relented, shrugging slightly. "But aren't you worried about getting demerits for skipping class so brazenly, boss?"

Leizi burst into laughter, the sound bold and unrestrained. "Demerits? You think I care about that?" He straightened up and stretched. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere better."

"Where?" Palos asked warily.

"My secret hideout," Leizi said with a wink. "What, scared?"

Palos snorted. "Peer pressure doesn't work on me." Yet his feet followed Leizi almost involuntarily.

Leizi's "secret hideout" turned out to be an abandoned activity room in the old school building. When Palos pushed the door open, he was surprised to find it surprisingly tidy—a sofa, a mini-fridge, and even a gaming console.

"Not bad, huh?" Leizi said smugly, pulling two cans of beer from the fridge and tossing one to Palos.

Palos caught it reflexively and frowned. "Drinking at school?"

"No one knows," Leizi said, already taking a sip from his can. "What, the goody-two-shoes Palos is scared?"

Palos stared at the beer can in his hand, then suddenly grinned. "Who said I was scared?" He popped the tab and took a big swig, the cold liquid sending a pleasant burn down his throat.

Leizi watched him, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Now that's more like it."

They played games in the activity room, chatting about school and people. Palos found himself growing more and more relaxed around Leizi, the layers of pretense he usually maintained peeling away one by one.

"You know," Palos said after his third beer, "sometimes I really envy you."

"What for?" Leizi raised an eyebrow.

"You do whatever you want, completely disregarding what others think," Palos said, staring at his beer can. "I can't... I'm always calculating, always pretending..."

Leizi suddenly moved closer, so close that Palos could feel his breath. "Then stop pretending," he said, his voice low. "At least around me, you don't have to."

Palos felt dizzy, unsure whether it was from the alcohol or Leizi's proximity. They were dangerously close, and Palos could see the curve of Leizi's eyelashes, smell the faint beer on his breath.

"Let's play a game," Leizi suddenly said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "A trust game."

"What are the rules?" Palos asked warily.

"Simple," Leizi took a step back. "Close your eyes. I'll do something, and you have to guess what it is. No peeking."

Palos hesitated, but curiosity and alcohol won out in the end. "...Fine."

He closed his eyes, plunging into darkness. He could hear Leizi's faint footsteps, feel the shift in the air. Suddenly, a warm breath brushed against his ear—

"Guess what I'm doing?" Leizi's voice was right beside him, laced with amusement.

Palos's heart pounded. "You're... talking into my ear?"

"Smart," Leizi's voice shifted again, now seemingly in front of him. "Now?"

Palos felt something lightly brush against the tip of his nose. "You... touched my nose with your finger?"

"Close," Leizi's voice dropped lower. "Guess again."

At that moment, Palos felt a warm breath near his lips—Leizi was so close they were almost—

*Bzzzzzt!* The shrill bell for class suddenly rang.

Palos's eyes flew open to find Leizi's face mere inches away, his purple eyes gleaming with something dangerous. Both of them jerked back, the atmosphere instantly awkward.