OHD Chapter 8: Zhou Kai was conflicted

Chapter 8: Zhou Kai was conflicted

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Zhou Kai walked out of the small school supermarket, feeling the weight of the victory still on his shoulders. The class leader and body committee member had insisted on treating him, their excitement over his last basket practically palpable. As they walked, the two of them were practically gushing over the game, reminiscing about He Ye’s stunned expression after Zhou Kai had made the final shot.

“Did you see He Ye’s face when you blocked his ball?” the body committee member laughed. “It was like he couldn’t believe it! Hahaha, it was priceless!”

Zhou Kai didn’t need to hear it. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to any more chatter about He Ye. He shrugged them off and grabbed a bottle of water, shaking his head in disbelief at the whole situation. He couldn’t believe he had actually won—against He Ye, of all people. It was ridiculous! He laughed to himself, thinking about how surreal it all felt. He had beaten the guy who had been the source of so many strange thoughts and dreams. Maybe it was a sign.

Stepping outside, Zhou Kai took a long gulp from his water bottle, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He glanced in the direction of the basketball courts, still far away and obscured by trees. He wondered if He Ye had enough water to drink after all that running. With the autumn heat and the sweating from all that physical activity, he must be thirsty.

Licking his lips, Zhou Kai drank a little more, amused by the thought of what had just happened. He had actually played one-on-one with He Ye—and somehow, he had won. It felt so unreal, like a fantasy. He shook his head, grinning to himself.

Lost in his own thoughts, Zhou Kai was distracted enough that when he heard someone call out to him, he didn’t immediately respond. When he finally turned around, two of his classmates had come out of the supermarket and were heading in the same direction as him.

“Hey, Zhou Kai, where are you going?” one of them asked.

Zhou Kai smiled and tossed the empty paper in his hand into the air, catching it as it fell. “I’m going to wash up,” he said, already moving toward the cafeteria. “You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up later.”

He climbed the stairs to the cafeteria, greeted by the lunch staff who seemed ready to serve him, but Zhou Kai bypassed them, heading straight for the washbasin. He twisted the tap, splashing his face with water to wipe away the sweat. It had been a long day, and he needed to cool off.

As his hand moved to unbutton his shirt collar to wipe off his neck, he froze. His fingers had brushed against the button, and something didn’t feel right. Something was off.

Looking down, his eyes widened in shock.

“Shit?!”

Zhou Kai felt a cold sweat running down his back as he tried to make sense of what was happening. His heart was racing, and his mind was spinning. He’d never felt so exposed, so vulnerable. The moment his fingers brushed against the button, everything went still, and his mind raced to that horrible possibility.

What if He Ye had seen the tattoo? The one on his chest, the one that had always been hidden, that had always felt like a secret? What if He Ye had noticed it while they were on the court?

Zhou Kai’s fingers trembled as he pressed the collar back down, hiding the tattoo again. He tried to convince himself it was just his imagination running wild, but the fear gnawing at him wouldn’t go away. He couldn’t help but picture He Ye’s sharp gaze, wondering if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

Shaking off the panic, Zhou Kai tried to regain his composure. He thought back to when he’d blocked He Ye’s path earlier, recalling his posture and body movements. He leaned forward, his chest pushing against the fabric of his shirt.

He quickly crouched down and peered into the collar again, hoping against hope that he hadn’t revealed anything. But no—he couldn’t see anything now. He sighed, relieved yet still uneasy. What if it had been visible when he’d been in that position?

After a few moments of standing there, anxiously twisting his hands, Zhou Kai tried to calm himself. He grabbed some paper towels to wipe his face and then left the restroom. As he walked back toward the cafeteria, his thoughts were consumed with the same worry. Did He Ye know? Had he seen? Would he confront him?

Just as Zhou Kai exited the cafeteria and headed toward the classroom building, the last bell for self-study rang. He entered the classroom, trying to act normal, but when his gaze met He Ye’s across the room, his heart skipped a beat. He Ye’s expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something sharp, something that made Zhou Kai’s blood run cold.

He Ye clenched his fist under the desk, his jaw tight. He looked away quickly when he noticed Zhou Kai’s eyes on him, pretending to focus on the book in front of him.

Zhou Kai felt a chill run down his spine as he tried to look away and pretend nothing was wrong. But deep down, he knew something had changed. The air between them felt different now.

The tension was almost unbearable as He Ye’s gaze flickered towards the window, his body still but his mind clearly racing. Zhou Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that He Ye knew more than he was letting on.

“No… I had something going on…”

The voice faded as the person walked away, and He Ye relaxed his clenched fist, letting out a long breath. His trembling gaze shifted from the tree to the window outside.

Damn… He Ye raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose, feeling completely restless. But he couldn’t. It wasn’t possible yet. He was still in class, still at school.Even after leaving school, it wouldn’t be possible. He had to work part-time to make money, and once he started, he wouldn’t  finish until one in the morning. There was no time to spare.

When could he? When would be the right time to expose him? Damn!

He Ye was a mess, his mind scattered.

Throughout the entire class, Zhou Kai had no idea how many times he had secretly turned to look at He Ye. This made the boy sitting behind him laugh and quietly ask, “Class rep, did you fall for someone in our class? You keep turning around?”

Zhou Kai quickly turned his head back, straightening his body, and didn’t dare look again. “No, I wasn’t looking at anyone.”

The boy wasn’t convinced and said, “If you like someone, just go for it. With you, who wouldn’t be interested…”

Zhou Kai didn’t respond. He placed one hand on his forehead and the other on his pen, struggling to finish a math multiple-choice question. Frustrated, he threw the pen down and crossed his arms, resting his head on the desk.

Had he figured it out or not? After observing so many times, He Ye’s expression had always seemed normal—either looking at the corridor or reading his book. There was nothing odd about it.

It didn’t seem like he had discovered anything at all.

Zhou Kai sighed. He didn’t actually know how He Ye would react if he found out, but it certainly shouldn’t be as calm as it was now.

Zhou Kai was conflicted.

When the school bell rang, Zhou Kai stared for a long time at He Ye, who had packed his books and left through the back door. It wasn’t until the announcement came on that Zhou Kai finally exhaled the breath that had been trapped in his chest, feeling his whole body relax.

Phew, thank goodness. He hadn’t been found out.

Once he made sure he was safe, a smile appeared on Zhou Kai’s face, and even when the class president invited him to the arcade again, he happily agreed.

What he didn’t know was that, on the other side, He Ye had already been teetering on the edge of an explosion.