"Look, there are photos on the arrows."
Victor walked over and pulled down the two photos that had been pinned to the wall together.
One of them was a photo of them talking to Principal Dott in the Quad just moments ago.
In the photo, Wednesday's eyes had been crossed out with a white marker.
Below it, a line was written in black marker: "Welcome back, Wednesday, I'm still watching you."
"Whoa, Wednesday, you've already got a fanatical sasaeng fan."
Victor pinched a corner of the photo and waved it at Wednesday like it was some interesting souvenir, his eyes twinkling with the mischievous light of someone who loved watching a good show.
"Don't be jealous of me."
Wednesday's voice was cold and flat; she didn't even bother to look up at the photo, as if a death threat was just another way of saying hello.
"Let me see the other photo..."
Victor looked at the next one with great interest, but the words got stuck in his throat, and the smile on his face instantly froze.
In this photo, one could vaguely make out that it was Victor—
Why "vaguely"? Because a part of the photo was missing.
A part of Victor's head was missing.
There was also writing below it, the handwriting hideous: "Stay away from Wednesday, you scumbag!"
It was clear that the missing part of the photo had been cut away by some sharp instrument; judging by the cut, it was a single, clean slice delivered with absolute hatred.
Victor subconsciously touched his own neck, his Adam's apple bobbing unnaturally as he swallowed hard.
"Man... is the resentment really that big?"
He muttered softly, his previous mood for watching the drama completely vanishing, replaced by a chilly sensation at the back of his neck.
"Pfft—"
Beside him, Enid couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes curving into crescents as she pointed at the "beheaded" photo.
"It seems your 'popularity' is indeed quite complicated, Victor. Is this... the ultimate expression of love turning into hate?"
Even Wednesday, looking at the "executed" photo,
Saw the corners of her pale mouth curl up into an almost imperceptible, tiny arc, carrying a trace of hard-to-detect... schadenfreude?
"Hey! Do you two have any sympathy at all!"
Victor made a long face, holding the two photos side-by-side to compare them, feeling more wronged the more he looked.
"Why is your 'welcome' a written reminder, but my 'welcome' is a direct physical deletion? This is such a double standard!"
He pointed at Wednesday's photo, which only had the crosses drawn on it.
"Yours is at most a'subject for close observation'."
Then he pointed at his own, which was missing a head.
"Mine is a 'recommended target for elimination'! The treatment is too different!"
"This indicates—"
Wednesday finally put down the dark codex, stood up slowly, and walked over to Victor.
Her fingertip lightly tapped the clean cut on the "beheaded" photo, her tone carrying a calmness as if she were objectively evaluating a piece of art.
"The other party's hostility toward you is purer and... more efficient."
She looked up, her dark eyes meeting Victor's, a very faint hint of amusement seemingly flashing within them.
"Congratulations, you have successfully attracted an 'admirer' with more initiative than mine."
"I don't want that kind of congratulations at all!"
Victor wanted to cry but had no tears, feeling like the two photos in his hands were hot potatoes.
He looked toward Enid as if for help.
"Enid, look at this..."
Enid tried her best to hold back her laughter, stepping forward to pat his shoulder. Her tone was soothing, but the mirth in her eyes couldn't be hidden:
"Alright, alright, this just shows our Victor is charming; even his aggro is maxed out. Don't worry, with me and Wednesday here, we won't let you actually be 'eliminated'."
Despite her words, as Victor looked at Enid's curving, laughing eyes, he felt her guarantee wasn't very reliable.
"Wednesday, hurry up and use your powerful psychic abilities!"
Victor leaned in close to Wednesday, his eyes sparkling and the corners of his mouth upturned, as if he could already see the scenario that would please him—
"I'm going to catch that sasaeng fan and spank them until their butt is swollen!"
Just as he finished speaking, a faint but persistent sound reached his ears.
"Creak... creak... creak..."
"What's that sound?"
Victor pricked up his ears and looked around in confusion.
"Do we have rats?"
Wednesday ignored his antics and the strange noises around them.
She took the two photos from Victor's hand, her fingertips lightly touching the rough paper and the cold marks. Her eyes slowly closed as she entered a psychic state.
Vague, jumping images flashed through her mind like broken film strips:
A perspective that quickly zoomed in and then out while their group was having a brief conversation with Bianca in a corner of the courtyard;
That same perspective hidden in the gaps of the moving crowd while their group stood with Principal Dott in the center of the Quad;
And... a candid perspective so close she could almost count her eyelashes while Victor was pressed tightly against her side, nearly pushing her against the wall!
Wednesday's brow furrowed deeper.
Strange. With such a close distance for a candid shot, how could she have failed to notice with her alertness?
Moreover, the last one was practically a face-to-face shot.
The psychic visions came to an abrupt halt.
"I saw nothing. I couldn't find the stalker."
Wednesday let go, the photos fluttering back into Victor's hands. Her voice carried a trace of subtle frustration and gravity.
"The opponent is invisible like a ghost. Invisible? Invisible... could it be an invisible person?"
Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt an unignorable warmth and force on her waist.
Looking down, Victor's hand was firmly resting on her waist, his fingers even unconsciously giving the curve beneath her thin clothing a light stroke.
"What are you doing?"
Wednesday's voice instantly dropped several degrees as she tried to use coldness to mask the sudden surge of strange sensation.
Victor had an upright expression of "I'm doing this entirely out of good intentions," blinking his innocent peach blossom eyes:
"I was just worried that the psychic session would take too much out of you and you'd suddenly fall! It's an essential quality for a caring boyfriend!"
Wednesday took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to immediately slap away that hand caused by the tingling sensation at her waist, as well as the faint heat rising in her cheeks.
This idiot! Doesn't he know a girl's waist is very sensitive?
No! It's a good thing Victor doesn't know!
She definitely didn't want to expose such a weakness to this guy who always took an ell when given an inch!
"I'm going outside to see if there are any other clues left at the door."
Wednesday shook off Victor's hand almost hurriedly, controlling her strength so as not to hurt him.
She turned and walked quickly out of the dorm. Her back was still straight, but her pace was slightly more hurried than usual.
She needed the cold air to cool the suspicious heat on her face, and even more, she needed to get away from that nuisance who could so easily disturb her peace of mind.
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