Ch. 24 - How Am I Supposed to Handle This?

After some rummaging, Bai Yu actually dug up a hairdryer—stashed in her suitcase, of all places.

So, it was hers, not some dorm perk. She shrugged and said she didn’t need it since she could just magic her hair dry, so it was mine now.

Seeing her so laid-back about it, I couldn’t bring myself to turn it down, even though I kinda wanted to.

Hairdryers? Yeah, I was clueless. Sure, I’d had one buzzing over my head at the barber’s, but that was not the same.

Back when I was a guy, I’d just let my hair dry on its own after a shower—towel it off and done.

Who messed with a hairdryer unless they were in a hurry? Not me. My family didn’t even own one.

Bai Yu, though, gave me the full scoop—stuff like don’t over-dry your hair or you’ll trash it. Mess up your hair quality… huh. Guess I’d better listen, or I might end up with a frizzy, split-end nightmare on my head.

“It’s getting late, Yuehan,” Bai Yu said with a grin, smoothing out the blankets on the bed. “Back in the day, you’d already be passed out by now. Look at you—yawning like crazy.”

“For real, I’m beat,” I mumbled, letting a huge yawn slip out to back it up. It was half acting, half trying to trick myself—if I could just crash quick, maybe sharing a bed with Bai Yu wouldn’t stress me out so much.

“Then let’s go to bed,” she said, all casual like it was no big deal.

She didn’t even seem tired, though. Made sense—she’d been at Witch School forever, and the whole witchification thing’d changed her.

She was not fully transcendent yet, but her body was next-level.

Sleep? She barely needed it. That explained why the nightlife here’s so popping—when you were not zonked out by midnight, you got time to live it up.

Me? I flopped onto the bed, exhaustion slamming me like a freight train. Perfect—just what I wanted.

I’d been quietly freaking out about Bai Yu sleeping next to me, but now? I was too wiped to care.

“Yuehan, first day at Witch School—how’d it feel?” Bai Yu’s voice came over, soft and relaxed, as the overhead light dimmed. The little LED strips along the walls kicked on, throwing a warm glow around the dark room.

Too bad I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it.

“It felt… pretty… awesome…” I mumbled, words tripping over themselves between yawns. Her voice was starting to blur into a dull buzz in my ears.

“What about the seniors? I saw a few of them eating your tofu at Snack Alley,” she teased, a smirk sneaking into her tone.

“Tofu? Huh? Oh—you mean that fried tofu? Yeah, it was awesome…” I muttered, completely missing what she meant.

“Okay, you’re basically out already,” Bai Yu laughed, rolling onto her side to glance at me. “Good night, then.”

She could tell I was crashing hard, so whatever talk she had in mind got put on hold.

“Night…” I caught her goodbye with the last bit of awareness I had, tossing it back before sleep took over. My breathing slowed down, nice and even.

“Gosh, you sleep like a pro,” Bai Yu said, a touch of jealousy in her voice. No answer—just me, totally knocked out. She was stuck talking to herself now.

“Yuehan, those seniors at the academy? They’re a thirsty bunch, especially with the newbies. They don’t pick favorites either—everyone’s fair game.”

She paused, then added, “They’ve got a thing for guys turned girls, though. You’ve got to watch yourself…”

As she talked, her hand slid onto my waist. I was facing away, dead asleep, but she didn’t seem to care.

“But you know, Yuehan,” Bai Yu murmured, her voice quiet, “I’m a senior too. Deep down, I’m not that different from them…”

“Oh man… how am I supposed to deal with this kind of mess?” I mumbled under my breath, half-asleep and totally missing her vibe.

Her hand slid around my waist, fingers brushing lightly against my side, feeling the softness through the robe.

It was like she was enjoying it, testing how far she could go—but she stopped before slipping under the fabric. That thin layer seemed to be the only thing holding her back.

Time dragged on, slow and silent. The room felt still, like we’d both passed out.

Then, out of nowhere, a rustle cut through the quiet. Bai Yu shot upright, fully awake. She looked like she wanted to smack herself—'Get it together, stay normal,' her face practically yelled.

She grabbed her phone, checking the time. Just past midnight. Not long, but she hadn’t slept a bit.

Being this wired was brutal.

She had to get out. Like, right now.

If she didn’t, she wasn’t sure she could keep herself from crossing a line with the girl next to her. And if that happened, how could she ever look Yuehan in the eye again?

Bai Yu tucked the blankets around Yuehan, slipped out of bed, and eased the door open as quietly as possible. She was heading back to her own dorm—needed the chilly night air on her broom to snap her out of it.

Sure, bailing without a heads-up felt kinda lousy, but what else could she do? Wake Yuehan up and say, “Hey, I’m bolting”? That’d just make her seem nuts.

Right then, she couldn’t help but envy those laid-back trainees—the ones who didn’t overthink everything.

If she could just drop her morals and hang-ups, Yuehan might already be… well, hers, in a way. Shaped to fit her.

But nah, that wasn’t her style. She wasn’t that kind of witch. Back in the day, Bai Yu had been a straight-arrow, old-school girl—literally straight, too—until Witch School scooped her up.

Yeah, she’d been hauled into this place kicking and screaming. She used to hate it—still did, sometimes.

But witchification had dug its claws in, giving her this odd sense of belonging with the witch crew.

That tug-of-war screwed with her head nonstop, leaving her caught between hating it and feeling tied to it.

No matter how she pushed back, though, the changes snuck in—slow, steady, relentless. All those regrets and what-ifs just stacked up, slipping out in a soft sigh.

She wondered how many newbies would get snagged by the seniors tonight. Witches really were a messed-up crowd, huh?

Even as she left, Bai Yu couldn’t shake the worry. Halfway out, she grabbed her phone and started typing—a long list of tips and heads-ups, sending them straight to Yuehan’s inbox.

Funny thing was, she’d been the one pushing to share the bed, and now she was the one running off. She didn't know how to explain this later.

If Yuehan didn’t make a big deal out of it, though, that would just be weirder.

Bai Yu was pretty sure Yuehan wouldn’t call her out— she was too chill for that—but still, Bai Yu figured she owed her some kind of warning. A vibe check, at least.

There was so much to say. Flying back to her dorm, she kept it slow, thinking it over. 

Even then, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling she’d left something out—some key tip slipping through the gaps.

Whatever. This quick rundown would hold for now. She was just throwing out basics, not planning Yuehan’s whole life for her.

Finally, she stopped typing and reached for her dorm door. Right then, her phone buzzed—a new text.

Yang Yuehan: Thanks, Bai Yu. Get some sleep too, okay?

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