Capítulo 204: Easter Surprise (1)
"We're a day away. You all got your plans ready?" Furuya asked, his tone flat but firm.
"What?" Xinyi blinked at him, brow furrowed like he hadn't made sense.
"The Easter event," he repeated, crossing his arms in front of him. "A lot of people are taking it seriously this year."
Xinyi stared at him, eyes narrowing, like the whole idea sounded absurd. "You're kidding, right?"
"I'm not," Furuya said, his voice unwavering, meeting her gaze head-on. "The prize is a big deal, especially for someone like me."
Time had slipped by since White Day, and Easter now loomed over them, closer than it felt. Just one more day, and the event everyone buzzed about would hit. Students from all corners of the school were ramping up for it, and Furuya wasn't about to be left behind. The reward had everyone on edge, ready to do whatever it took to snag it.
"You're seriously that hung up on those coupons?" Xinyi asked, not bothering to hide her disbelief.
"Hell yeah, I am!" Furuya shot back. "Unlike you, I don't have money to burn. I've been busting my ass at that part-time job for months now, saving what I can, but those coupons? They could keep me fed for weeks. Four meals from any place in the city for free, and five more where I get half off everything? That's huge for someone like me."
"You still live with your parents, Furuya. Why are you acting like it's the end of the world?" Laura asked. Her voice carried something that made it clear she wasn't impressed by his excitement.
Furuya looked back at her, a grin spreading as if he had some inside joke. "Did you even read the fine print, Laura?" he asked, pausing long enough for her to feel the weight of his words.
Laura blinked. "Fine print?" she repeated, almost confused. "There was fine print?"
Furuya sighed, clearly ready to explain, but Yasushi cut him off. "It said the coupons are good for at least ten years. So, depending on where you're at in life, you can hold onto them for that long. If you hit a rough patch later, boom, you've got something to fall back on. College kids are always broke as hell, so having coupons like that could keep you alive. We're still in high school, but it applies to us too."
"Exactly!" Furuya smacked Yasushi on the shoulder like the man had just won an award. "Apes together strong! I knew I could count on you!"
Bhaqui didn't look convinced, though. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "They'll really honor those after ten years?" His skepticism cut through the excitement, but the others all nodded, confirming it like it was gospel.
"Yeah," Yasushi explained, calm but sure. "The businesses in Ginsukimura are known for that. Even if one gets bought out or changes management, they still have to honor the coupons. It's how they work things around here. No need to worry — you're covered."
"Anyway!" Furuya yelled, making sure their attention snapped back to him. "Are you guys actually planning to take this seriously or what? 'Cause I am, no question about it."
The group paused for a moment, exchanging glances. Most of them just shrugged, like they were only half there.
"I'll do the bare minimum," Yasushi said, the first to speak up. "But I'm probably just gonna hand over whatever I find to you. I'm not all that into this Easter egg hunt anyway." A few others nodded, clearly on the same page, not really interested in giving much effort.
Reina looked thoughtful before speaking. "I'll give it a shot. What you said before makes sense. Those coupons would help out a lot for my family." There was something in the way she spoke that made it clear she was taking it more seriously than the others.
"I'll back you up," Laura added, deciding where she stood. "I want to take part too, but I'm not gonna go all out or anything. Some of the older students said it can get a little too competitive, especially when we're up against the juniors."
They kept talking, bouncing ideas around about how they'd approach the event. Some of them showed some excitement, while others couldn't care less. But the general mood was the same: most of them planned to hand over their finds to either Reina or Furuya, depending on how things played out.
+-+
That night, Yasushi stepped out of the bathroom into the room he shared with Jingliu, the silence between them louder than anything else. He noticed her sitting on their bed, looking straight ahead, a weight in her expression he couldn't ignore. He didn't say anything at first, just sat beside her, the bed shifting slightly under his weight.
"What's going on?" he asked after a long pause, his voice low.
She didn't answer right away, but when she finally spoke, her words felt deliberate. "I'm thinking of helping Reina tomorrow. But if you're helping Furuya, that'd put us on opposite sides." Her eyes met his, waiting for his response.
He gave a shrug, his voice casual though the subject wasn't. "I said I'd give whatever I found to Furuya, but I never said I'd really be working with him. I'm not gonna be running around like everyone else. I'll just be walking, taking it easy."
He leaned back a bit, letting the bed creak under him. "The thing is, even though it's a school event, a big part of the neighborhood lets them hide eggs in their houses or around their property. So, it's not like we'll be stuck just on school grounds. The area's huge." His explanation hung in the air between them, waiting for her reaction.
"Wait, it spreads out that far?" Jingliu sounded genuinely taken aback.
"Yeah," Yasushi replied. "That's why it turns into such a big thing every year. The prize doesn't hurt either. We get to run around for a whole day without worrying about anything else, just being dumb kids. And our school, for as serious as it can get, pushes out some of the best grades in the city — even if we act like idiots half the time." He let out a short laugh, remembering all the ways they'd found to have fun despite it all.
Jingliu stared at the floor for a moment before letting out a long breath. "I guess Reina already knows about this. Maybe we can come up with something. I'll text her now." She grabbed her phone, fingers tapping the screen as she started typing.
Yasushi leaned back, offering up one last thought. "Here's a tip. From what I've heard, the teachers go out of their way to hide the eggs in the weirdest spots. So don't just look in obvious places. Check under toilets, in random cracks, even in stuff you'd think they wouldn't touch."
Jingliu kept texting Reina, her fingers tapping the screen while Yasushi sprawled out on the bed. He listened to the quiet clicking of her phone, eyes half-lidded, until the noise stopped. A moment later, she nudged his cheek with her finger, drawing his attention. He shifted, turning his head toward her, but didn't say a word.
Instead, he grabbed her, pulling her down onto the bed without warning. His hands darted to her sides, fingers moving fast, and she immediately burst into laughter, thrashing in his grip. She squirmed, trying to get away, but her efforts went nowhere.
"Please... wait...!" she gasped between breaths, still caught up in uncontrollable laughter.
It took a while before he let up, both of them left breathless. They lay there, panting, catching their breath as their eyes locked. Neither moved for a few seconds. Then, without any need for words, their lips met in a kiss that burned hot but ended just as quickly. When they pulled apart, a thin string of saliva connected their mouths for a brief second before breaking.
Their hands came together, fingers lacing. The soft sound of their rings brushing each other made her smile. Jingliu glanced down, admiring the rings before looking back at him. "Thanks again for the gift," she said, her voice almost a murmur.
Yasushi pressed his lips against the tip of her nose. "I'm just glad you both liked it," he replied.
During White Day, Yasushi had given Jingliu and Yinhaie presents that weren't quite the usual fare. To Jingliu, he offered a new ring — still a promise ring — but now they had matching ones, both wearing them. Yinhaie got a necklace, one he had been sure she'd appreciate — and to his relief, she loved it.
Yasushi held her gaze for a moment, then tugged her up and settled her onto his chest. Jingliu didn't resist, letting out a deep breath as she got comfortable. "Hey...what do you think will happen when Guo Tianyu shows up?" she asked out of nowhere, catching Yasushi off guard.
Guo Tianyu — Xinyi's former fiancé, or at least that was the plan until things fell apart after she verbally tore him apart. After that, his life went off the rails, and an accident had sent him into a tailspin.
"I haven't really thought about him in a while," Yasushi admitted, his fingers lightly brushing Jingliu's arm. "But if he does show up, I'd guess he's coming to apologize. No way he's dumb enough to ask her to marry him again after all that."
"You think he's that smart?" she asked, clearly unconvinced.
Yasushi nodded. "Yeah. He's been off traveling, took that long-ass break. Hopefully, by the time he's done, he'll have straightened himself out. But honestly... who knows with him," Yasushi said, not sounding too convinced either.
From there, they dug deeper into the mess surrounding Guo Tianyu, tossing around theories about what he might do, what to expect, and how Xinyi might react when he finally returned.
+-+
"Prepare to get crushed!" Furuya shouted, covered head to toe in camo gear. He'd somehow cobbled together a mess of equipment, anything he thought might give him an edge.
Xinyi eyed him with thinly veiled disgust, stepping back. "You're going overboard with this."
Furuya shot her a look. "I'm not the only one, you red-haired idiot," he sneered, watching her mouth twitch, clearly annoyed but keeping her cool.
Around them, first years, second years, and third years stood at the ready. The younger students had come prepared, most dressed for the hunt. But the seniors? It was split — half seemed to take it seriously, geared up and ready, while the others treated it more like a chance to take it easy and slack off.
"When the principal rings the bell, it's game on. Simple rules," Yasushi explained, turning to the group of Chinese students nearby. "Find as many eggs as you can. They're hidden all around the school and even outside. Whoever grabs the most takes the win."
The principal started with a short speech, talking about keeping things fair and avoiding anything reckless in the name of winning. He mentioned food and drinks would be available all day, so there wouldn't be much need to return to school unless absolutely necessary.
Teachers would be scattered around, keeping an eye on things, ready to step in if something went wrong. There'd also be first aid on standby, either with the teachers or back at the school for anyone who got hurt.
When he finished speaking, he raised his hands, clapped, and moments later, the bell rang. The sound of the start echoed through the grounds. In a flash, the eager ones shot forward like wild dogs. Furuya bolted ahead, with Catherine right behind him, then Reina, along with the few people who'd decided to team up and help her.
The ones who didn't care as much took their time, strolling lazily toward the starting point. Yasushi was one of those, staying back while the others in his group had already thrown in their lot with either Reina or Furuya.
"Seems like everyone's jumping in full force, huh?" Yunxue said, keeping pace with Yasushi. She had chosen not to join Reina or Furuya, opting to stick by him instead.
"Yeah, but can't blame them. It's their last Easter event, might as well make the most of it. Why didn't you?" he asked, giving her a quick look.
Yunxue crossed her arms, smirking. "Already got my fill!"
Yasushi went quiet for a moment, then remembered something. "Now that you mention it, Yinhaie said she found you passed out, surrounded by chocolate boxes. Did you pick them up last night?"
Yunxue's expression shifted. She looked away, beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead. Yasushi chuckled, reaching out to pat her on the head. "Alright, let's hang back here, check out the school grounds, maybe stumble on some eggs. Sound good?"
She nodded quickly, relief washing over her.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Haruki_Murakami
Haruki_Murakami "Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof" – German proverb
"Life is not a pony farm."
Meaning: Life is not always easy or fun; it comes with challenges.
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