Chapter 348: How could I possibly hit the principal!?

Chapter 348: How could I possibly hit the principal!?

Chapter 348: How could I possibly hit the principal!?

Ethan had successfully become friends with Vanessa.

And then... well, that was it.

It was already the end of the school day.

Vanessa had to head to her part-time job as a customer service rep.

Ethan had somewhere to be too—he had arranged to meet up with Lila. After everything that had happened between them, it was clear they needed to meet in person and figure out what came next.

But as friends, they still left the classroom together.

To outsiders, they seemed to be chatting and laughing, their relationship looking perfectly smooth. But only the two of them could sense the slight awkwardness hanging in the air.

Like when they reached the school gate and were about to part ways.

Vanessa pointed in one direction. “I’m going this way.”

Ethan pointed in the opposite direction. “I’m headed that way.”

And then, suddenly, there was an awkward silence.

“I, uh...”

After a moment, they both tried to speak at the same time, only to stop, equally embarrassed.

Ethan was the first to break the silence. “So, uh, see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Vanessa nodded, then smiled and waved. “See you tomorrow.”

It was obvious that this awkwardness came from how quickly their relationship had progressed.

Sure, they were friends now, but if you thought about it, friendships usually develop naturally over time.

The way they had become friends, almost like signing a contract, felt more like the start of a romantic relationship after a successful confession.

They were in that tentative, awkward phase of figuring things out.

So, it was no surprise that both Ethan and Vanessa felt a little weird about it.

Of course, this kind of minor awkwardness would probably disappear after a few days, once they got used to it.

After parting ways with Vanessa, Ethan headed straight for the station and made his way to the Ferry Building, where he had arranged to meet Lila.

As soon as he stepped out of Embarcadero Station, he spotted her right away—she was hard to miss.

Lila, in her “undercover” mode, was wearing a hat and a mask, and somehow, she’d even gotten her hands on a pair of sunglasses. Combined with her unique vibe, she looked suspicious enough that a patrolling cop had stopped to question her.

Seeing this, Ethan rushed over to get her out of the situation.

“Phew, saved!” Lila sighed in relief, patting her chest like she’d just survived a close call.

As soon as he brought up the topic, Lila froze for some reason.

Ethan, noticing her reaction, was a bit confused. Wait, what’s with that look? Don’t just go silent on me, Lila. You’re scaring me here.

“It was... fine, I guess. Haha...” Lila forced a smile, but it looked more like she was about to cry.

Ethan felt even more uneasy now. “Why don’t you just tell me what happened today?”

What? She tried to find a quiet place to eat lunch, ended up on the rooftop, ran into two girls talking about their band, and somehow got involved in the conversation and became friends with them?

Ethan thought, Wow, taking the initiative to make friends? Nicely done, Lila! I’m proud of you for growing.

“You had a pretty eventful day yourself,” Ethan said with a smile, though he was still puzzled by her earlier reaction.

“Well... there’s one more thing I haven’t told you,” Lila added hesitantly.

“It’s fine, just say it. Don’t be nervous. I’m way more capable than you think,” Ethan reassured her confidently. “Even if you told me you punched the principal, I could handle it.”

“Wait, what??”

Although Lila was instantly stunned upon hearing this, she thought, “How could I possibly hit the principal!?”

But under his encouraging gaze, she finally mustered the courage to spill the rest.

“Actually... someone confessed to you.”

“That’s it?” Ethan let out a sigh of relief. He had been expecting something much worse. Wiping away some imaginary sweat from his forehead, he said casually, “No big deal. Just politely turn them down.”

But Lila remained silent, looking visibly uncomfortable.

“Lila, you did turn them down, right?” Ethan asked, staring at her.

“I-I’m sorry!” Lila suddenly bowed her head, looking like she was apologizing for a huge mistake.

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, do I have a girlfriend now!?

Lila, clutching her head, looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“I-I really tried to turn them down! I didn’t record it, but please believe me!” she pleaded.

Ethan didn’t blame her. He knew her personality—she wasn’t the type to easily reject people.

But seriously, who was the sneaky woman who took advantage of this situation!?

Seeing Lila still beating herself up over it, Ethan reached out and patted her head gently. “It’s okay. Just be more careful next time. When we switch back, I’ll take care of it.”

“By the way, do you know who confessed to you?” Ethan asked, picking up his water glass to calm his nerves.

Lila’s expression turned incredibly complicated as she answered, “It was... Kristen Stewart.”

“Pfft—”