Chapter 46: Someone Who Understands?
Why does it feel like every time I try to secretly do something, this counselor always shows up at the exact place where I’m most embarrassed?
Is this counselor sick or what?!
An Han hung his head low, gripping the package tightly behind his back. On the outside, he looked soft and weak, but inside he was gritting his teeth and cursing in anger.
He wondered if the counselor had seen it.
Even if he didn’t see the text, he probably noticed the picture that looked like a vest-bra, right?
If he had known, he would have wrapped another bag around the package.
He didn’t care if the delivery shop owner, who he didn’t even know, found out he was ordering a chest binder. That guy had probably seen it all. But being seen by someone he knew? That was a different story.
Most social embarrassments happen in front of friends and family.
But being seen by the counselor? Absolutely unacceptable!
Too scary!
He wanted to leave immediately, but that excuse only worked for classmates, not the counselor. Otherwise, he might get in trouble later. So he could only timidly ask, “Do you need something from me?”
Ren Chi, curious, tried to peek behind An Han, but An Han twisted his body and avoided his gaze.
Ren Chi didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Smiling, he said, “I just wanted to ask you and Su Peng for a favor. If you’re busy, it’s fine.”
This counselor always had that smile that made it seem like he knew everything.
An Han wasn’t sure if he had been seen clearly, but he gritted his teeth and replied, “Su Peng’s going out later. What favor?”
“It’s personal. If you don’t want to, it’s fine.”
“I’ll help!” An Han nodded without hesitation.
“I just moved. I wanted to ask some coworkers, but since it’s the National Holiday, everyone’s gone back home,” Ren Chi said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “I thought about it… and now at school, it seems like you’re the only one who can help.”
An Han was surprised. “Teacher, your luck is so bad? You can’t even find one friend to help?”
“……”
“No, I mean…” He realized his wording was off. He thought for a long time and finally compromised, “But can’t you just hire a moving company? Or rent a van?”
“My new place is just behind the school, in that ‘Happy Community,’ only a few hundred meters away. Asking someone for just a few steps…”
“Okay, yeah, paying money isn’t as good as exploiting student labor,” An Han muttered quietly.
“What?”
He immediately nodded like crazy. “I’ll help as soon as I send my package.”
Even without mentioning the previous cross-dressing incident that Ren Chi knew about, just this chest binder package alone made An Han feel he couldn’t refuse.
He patted Ren Chi on the shoulder like a loyal brother. “We’re like this, right? If you ever need anything, just ask me! I’ll make sure to help!”
Ren Chi looked helpless. “I just started working here and don’t really have friends nearby… how about this, my treat?”
“No need for that,” An Han said.
All he could think about was solving the problem quickly, then going back to the dorm to avoid triggering any weird tasks.
He glanced nervously at the chest binder hidden behind his back and hesitated. “Teacher, I’ll go back to the dorm for a moment… just two minutes.”
“Okay, that’ll be a huge help.”
Back in the dorm, An Han found a plastic bag and put the chest binder package inside. Only then did he finally feel relieved. When he opened the door again, Ren Chi was still waiting outside.
“I’m going to the delivery point first,” An Han said.
He walked ahead quickly, and Ren Chi followed closely. His eyes glanced at the bag in An Han’s hands from time to time, but he didn’t ask any questions, which, in a way, made An Han feel more at ease.
Whether Ren Chi had seen it or not, his calm behavior was reassuring.
“By the way, teacher, how old are you this year?” An Han slowed down, curious. “You look like you’re in your twenties.”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Oh~ then you’re not much older than me.”
Ren Chi nodded with a smile. “I play League of Legends and Honor of Kings too. So I guess we’re sort of the same generation.”
Although An Han didn’t play those games, hearing this still made him feel closer to Ren Chi.
It also made him feel a bit less tense around the teacher.
The school had three delivery points, all located in the campus food street. Usually, they were crowded, but during the National Holiday, there were almost no students, only the staff.
There was also a poster at the entrance looking for part-time workers. An Han paused to look at it for a moment, then went straight inside.
Even though it was a bit awkward for a male to send a female item like a chest binder, he kept a straight face and completed the delivery, following the principle that no one in the store knew him.
“Done,” he said, coming out of the store and walking over to Ren Chi.
“Thinking about a part-time job?” Ren Chi noticed his pause at the poster.
“No, I was just curious.”
“Unless it’s summer or winter break, I don’t recommend students do part-time work. Studying should be your main focus,” Ren Chi said.
“Mm,” An Han obediently nodded.
The real reason he looked at the poster was just his little habit of reading things carefully. Flyers, snack bags, soda cans, he liked to read every word.
Following Ren Chi, he arrived at the staff dormitory.
After Ren Chi opened the door, An Han peeked inside curiously.
The dorm building looked very old, and the layout was not much different from his own dorm. Each room was about the same size as his.
“The teacher’s dorm isn’t much better than mine,” he thought.
“One person per room,” Ren Chi said, unlocking the door.
An Han peeked inside. There was a single bed and all sorts of small, messy items. Ren Chi looked tidy at first glance, but the room’s level of messiness was still not as neat as some students’ rooms.
Later, if the counselor inspected the dorm for cleanliness, he would have a reason to argue.
“Come in.”
An Han hesitated at the doorway, asking, “This is nice enough, why live outside?”
“Renting outside is bigger and more comfortable. What other reason?”
“That’s nice. We students aren’t allowed to rent outside unless we’re doing internships in senior year.”
He stepped slowly into Ren Chi’s dorm. His eyes immediately landed on a figure on the desk.
“A Naruto figure?”
“Mm.”
“You’re still into anime, huh~”
“I’m not,” Ren Chi said seriously. “I just really like Naruto. I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. Buying a figure doesn’t make me an anime nerd.”
“But you even have the Fourth Hokage’s cloak hanging there.”
“I’ve loved this anime since I was little. Is it wrong to buy something I like to remember it?”
Ren Chi opened the wardrobe to start organizing, but An Han didn’t leave him alone.
“That’s the sword from Bleach, right? And you said you’re not an anime fan.”
Ren Chi clarified. “Liking one or two anime doesn’t make me an otaku! Don’t throw around words you don’t understand!”
“But what about this?”
An Han pointed to a set of female clothes in the corner of the wardrobe.
“So… we’re actually kindred spirits, huh?