These Dangerous Girls Placed Me Into Jeopardy-Chapter 8Vol 1. : I Met a Deadpan Girl

While I was stuck in this swirl of thoughts, I sat stiff as a statue in my seat. Finally, salvation arrived—when the minute hand on the classroom clock hit 30, the chime signaling the end of class rang out...

And the instant the teacher stepped out of the room, I shot up from my seat like a rocket and followed right behind him, making a beeline for the door!

“Ethan!”

I heard Lillian Ji’s voice calling out behind me, but I didn’t even turn around. I pretended not to hear her and walked straight out of the classroom.

The best strategy of all thirty-six? Run.

This was not the time to act tough. I followed my dear mother’s teachings: if you need to run, then run. Don’t let pride get in the way. If you hesitate and get dragged into something dangerous, it’s your own fault!

The real way to survive life is to avoid danger whenever you can.

Right now was break time between classes, but at our school, that basically meant free activity time. So we had a bit of a break—not long, but not short either.

First rule: avoid crowded areas. Second: don’t wander too far from the teaching building, or you’ll risk not making it back before the bell rings. The rooftop used to be the perfect hiding spot, but lately, it’s been completely overrun by couples. So single losers like me have to find alternative rest zones.

This had been a dilemma for me for half a semester... until I finally found the perfect spot.

If you walk along the side path next to the basketball court and loop around to the back of the science building, there’s an old, beat-up gazebo. I heard it’s been here since before the school was even founded. Apparently, when they built the science building, it was supposed to be at a 90-degree angle to the main teaching building, but the principal insisted on preserving this gazebo. So they changed the blueprint, and now the two buildings form an awkward, sharp angle.

People have been wondering for years why the principal went out of his way to save this thing. Naturally, that led to all sorts of rumors. Some say it’s cursed. Some say it’s a gateway to the underworld. Some even say zombies show up there...

It’s surrounded by trees and usually pretty gloomy. With all those horror stories, no one ever comes here anymore.

But me? I don’t believe in ghost stories.

I grew up helping my mom at funeral homes, crematoriums, cemeteries—you name it. I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies buried. Stuff like this doesn’t scare me at all.

On the contrary, this spot is perfect for taking a break. It’s got a few stone benches, and if you bring a little inflatable pillow, it’s an ideal place to nap. At this point, it’s basically my personal lounge. I could name it the “Ethan Pavilion” and no one would contest it.

So, to avoid Lillian Ji, I headed once again for my Ethan Pavilion. But this time, someone else beat me to it.

She had gray hair—not like mine, where it just looks gray from the mix of black and white strands, but genuinely gray. And it didn’t look dyed either. It looked completely natural.

She sat silently on one of the stone benches, a book resting on her thighs as she turned the pages.

Not gorgeous, not flashy—but somehow, she blended perfectly into the atmosphere around her. For some reason, I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. It was like she had this quiet gravity, drawing in anyone nearby and making them feel calm and peaceful. She didn’t speak a word, and yet her presence was overwhelming. Her silence was vivid.

A breeze swept through, snapping me out of it a little, and I stepped closer to the gazebo.

As I approached, I could see her title and name.

[Active Devotee of the Disabled]

Snowy Jiang

Snowy Jiang... the emotionless girl who sits in front of me in class.

If I’m just a little aloof, she’s completely expressionless. If I’m bad at conversation, she straight-up doesn’t talk. No one can figure out what’s going on in her head. I bet everyone who knows her thinks the same thing.

Objectively, she’s just as pretty as Lillian Ji. But since she, like me, doesn’t socialize, she doesn’t get as much attention. Though I’ve heard she’s worshipped like a goddess in certain niche circles that are into “emotionless girls”...

Anyway, her title is super weird. Active Devotee of the Disabled?

I know what “devotee of the disabled” means—it refers to people who fetishize disabled individuals. Sometimes it even includes those who want to become disabled themselves... So does the “active” part mean she’s the kind who actively wants to be disabled?

...No clue. But honestly, it’s not the kind of title that really makes me wary. It’s just a personal preference, I guess.

At that moment, Snowy Jiang looked up and locked eyes with me.

...

...

Neither of us said a word. The silence dragged on, awkward as hell... Or maybe it was just me who felt awkward. Snowy Jiang’s face didn’t change at all. Her poker face was immaculate.

...

...

Okay, fine. I give up.

If two people are both passive, one of them has to pretend not to be, or nothing will ever happen. Might as well say something to get the ball rolling.

“Why are you here?”

...

She glanced up at me, then went back to reading. Didn’t even acknowledge me beyond that.

Come to think of it, I didn’t see her in second period. So she really just skipped class to come read here? Is that allowed?

I walked over and sat on the bench opposite her. She didn’t try to avoid me... or maybe she just ignored me entirely.

I decided not to bother trying to make small talk. I’d just sit here until break time was over.

It was still March, and the stone bench was cold. But I came prepared.

Back in the fall, when I first claimed this gazebo as my own, I noticed how cold the stone benches were. So I brought a bunch of old seat cushions from home. With those, I could even lie down comfortably.

I hopped over to the side of the pavilion where there was a small, worn-down earth god shrine... probably? No statue, no inscriptions, but judging by the size, it had to be an earth shrine.

Whatever it was, I used it as a storage unit.

I kept a stash there—manga, light novels, a few cushions, an inflatable pillow, an external hard drive, charger, portable game console, and a thin blanket.

I even set up a mosquito net around it to keep bugs out. Judging by how clean everything still was, it worked pretty well.

I grabbed two cushions and headed back. I set one down under myself... and then walked over to Snowy Jiang and offered her the other one.

She looked up at me, clearly unsure what I was doing.

Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I mumbled, “Uh... the bench is kind of cold, right? If you sit too long on something cold, you’ll get a stomachache... so, uh, here. Use this cushion. That’s all.”

I didn’t wait for her answer. I just placed the cushion next to her and went back to my seat, pulling out my phone to kill time.

A little while passed. When it was almost 10 o’clock, I stood up and tucked my phone away.

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I looked back over at Snowy Jiang. She had moved to sit on the cushion I gave her.

For some reason, that gave me a strange sense of accomplishment.

I smiled without realizing it, feeling a lot lighter inside. Just as I was about to leave, she stood up too, and it looked like she was going to return the cushion.

I waved a hand and said, “No need. Just keep using it. When you’re done, put it back in the shrine next to the pavilion. If you come here to read again, feel free to grab it—and the blanket too, or anything else.”

I don’t even know why I did that.

For someone as hopelessly passive as me, this was a rare moment of spontaneous generosity.

Maybe it’s because Snowy Jiang is even more passive than I am...? Like, out of solidarity?

I dunno. I just did it.

...

She didn’t say anything, but I saw her give me a small nod.

A nod of gratitude, I think.

I nodded back. Just as I was about to turn around and head back to class...

I saw something that made my eyes go wide.

Snowy Jiang’s name and title had changed color—from white... to green.

It changed color?!