novelbin Chapter 27 Hair
Chapter 27 Hair
At the same time that the United Nations convened an emergency meeting.
Tianwangzhou Middle School, teaching building.
When the corridor quieted down again, the school bell had not yet rung.
Students gathered in twos and threes on both sides of the corridor, their eyes following the same direction.
It's Teacher He Quan.
No one spoke, but all the whispers were suppressed to a minimum the moment they passed by, and then exploded like a hornet's nest after they were gone.
"Teacher He Quan is back!"
"He just punched that mech to pieces! One punch!"
"When Yuzuriha Inori was being held by Mr. He Quan, she wasn't scared at all..."
"Ayase and Tsugumi are amazing too, they dared to stand next to Professor He Quan even in a situation like that."
"My legs went weak."
"I'm so envious of them, being able to stand so close to Teacher He Quan."
Whispers rippled from one end of the corridor to the other.
Dong lowered her head, her ear tips were red, and she stared at her toes, her steps quickening as if she wanted to step into the classroom in one stride.
Ayase walked beside her, her back straight and her expression calm, but her ears were tinged with a very faint pink.
Being watched and discussed by so many classmates gave me a strange sense of shame.
He Quan walked calmly through the corridor as if he hadn't heard anything, and pushed open the door to Class 2A's classroom.
The classroom was quiet for a moment, then a wave of noise, even more intense than that in the hallway, surged up.
"Teacher He Quan! How did you manage that punch yesterday?!"
"Teacher, were you a special forces soldier before?"
"Mr. He Quan, what's your relationship with Yuzuriha Inori?"
"Teacher, who exactly are you?!"
"Teacher, are you one of those special forces soldiers hiding your identity? Or some kind of secret organization?"
"Teacher, did Yuzuriha Inori say anything when you hugged her?"
"Ayase-san! Weren't you scared standing next to Mr. He Quan?!"
"Tsugumi! You're so brave! You actually dared to stop Teacher He Quan when it was so dangerous!"
He Quan didn't answer any of the questions. He waited until the sound subsided from its peak, falling to a point where he could just hear clearly before he spoke.
"Attend class."
The students looked at each other in bewilderment. Some wanted to ask more questions, but He Quan had already stepped down from the podium, handing the classroom back to the teacher who had walked in.
Yuzuriha Inori sat down in the window seat, placing her hands neatly on her knees.
Ayase and Tsugumi also took their seats.
Tsugumi lay on the desk, burying her face in her arms. Ayase glanced at her; the tips of Tsugumi's ears were still red.
She looked away and opened her textbook. On the podium, the teacher began calling attendance.
After class, the students' eyes turned to Yuzuriha Inori.
"Yuzuriha Inori, how did it feel when Mr. He Quan hugged you just now?"
"Was the teacher's embrace warm?"
"Yuzuriha Inori, did you already know how amazing the teacher was?"
Yuzuriha Inori sat in her seat, her light pink twin tails hanging over her shoulders, and thought for a moment.
"Very stable...warm."
The girls let out a hushed scream.
Some girls also asked about Ayase and Tsugumi.
"Ayase-san! Did you know Mr. He Quan is this amazing?"
"Tsugumi, why did Teacher He Quan pinch your cheek? I'm so envious."
Ayase smiled politely, while Tsugumi's lips twitched.
The day's classes passed in an eerie calm.
After the school bell rang in the afternoon, the loudspeaker announced the end of the school day.
"School-wide notice. Effective immediately, all male students must have a standard crew cut. Hair length must not exceed two centimeters. Dyeing, perming, and growing long hair are prohibited. Complete the rectification today; inspection will be conducted tomorrow. Those who fail to meet the requirements will be subject to corporal punishment."
"Repeated, effective immediately..."
The classrooms were silent for a moment, then erupted.
"A buzz cut? Why should I?!"
"Hair length is my own business!"
"What kind of ridiculous school rule is this?!"
"A haircut? Why do you suddenly want a haircut?"
"I just got my hair done last week!"
"A buzz cut? That's so ugly!"
"What kind of ridiculous rule is this? Who made it?"
A boy rushed to the front of the class and pressed the teacher for an answer. The teacher adjusted his glasses, looking helpless, and said, "It's an order from above. The specific reason... I don't know either."
"Above? Which above?"
The teacher did not answer.
Not long after, the broadcast started again.
"Notice. Effective immediately, all boys' club activities are cancelled. The boys' basketball, soccer, baseball, and track and field clubs are all suspended. The boys' club activity room will be repurposed. During club activity time, boys will study in the classroom. Homework assignments for all subjects will be tripled effective immediately. Repeat, effective immediately..."
If the flat-top school rule was like lighting a fuse, this notice was like throwing a bomb into a group of boys.
"Cancel clubs? On what grounds?!"
"Triple the workload? Are you kidding me!"
"Studying by myself? I have to work after school!"
"Who made this decision?!"
"The basketball team has a game next week!"
"The soccer club too!"
"What's going on?! Why is it only targeting boys?!"
The waves of anger grew louder and louder.
Some people rushed to confront the homeroom teacher, some went directly to the teachers' office to block the door, and some gathered together to discuss a joint protest.
The homeroom teacher stood beside the podium, her expression as bewildered as the students'. "They said it was a decision from the school rules revision committee. I just received the notification myself."
The girls huddled together in twos and threes, some whispering, "The boys are so pitiful," but most of their eyes were fixed on He Quan, who was passing by in the corridor.
"Do you think these school rules might have been set by Teacher He Quan?"
"Possibly. Teacher He Quan shattered GHQ's mech with a single punch yesterday, so the school will definitely listen to him in everything."
"Teacher He Quan must have his reasons for setting these school rules."
"It's probably to help the boys focus more on their studies. Teacher He Quan is so thoughtful."
"Even when Mr. He Quan sets school rules, he's so handsome."
Han Chuan Gu Xun leaned back in his chair, his brows furrowed.
Unlike the other boys who rushed out to argue, he simply sat in his seat, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
Forced shaving of heads, cancellation of clubs, doubled homework... these regulations lack any reasonable educational logic. If He Quan really made these decisions, what is he trying to achieve?
Shu Ouma touched his hair; it was brown, somewhat messy, and long enough to be over two centimeters long.
He silently made a decision in his heart: he wouldn't cut it. So many people weren't cutting their hair; it wasn't possible for everyone to be punished at the same time.
......
The night is dark.
Ayase lay on her side on the bed, listening to Tsugumi's even breathing beside her.
The moonlight streaming in through the window cast a blurry patch of light on the ceiling.
She kept her eyes open. After confirming that Tsugumi was fast asleep, Ayase gently lifted the blanket and stepped barefoot onto the floor.
A chill crept up from her feet. She walked to the door and gently opened it.
Only one nightlight was on in the corridor, its dim yellow light spreading up from the lower part of the walls.
She walked to He Quan's bedroom door, stopped, raised her finger, hovered it in front of the door for two seconds, and then gently knocked twice.
The door opened.
"I..." her voice was very soft.
She told herself it was because of a promise, but standing in front of this door, she found her heart racing, not because of nervousness.
He Quan reached out, grasped her wrist, and pulled her inside. The door closed.
......
The thrush is dreaming again.
In her dream, He Quan's arm wrapped around her back, his palm pressed against the space between her shoulder blades, the warmth seeping into her skin through the fabric of her school uniform.
She was held in his arms, completely trapped in his embrace, unable and unwilling to move.
His chin rested on the top of her head, his breath brushing against her bangs.
In her dream, Dong cursed him. "Pervert." But her voice was soft and gentle, and even she couldn't detect any aggression in it.
Then she woke up.
Morning light streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.
Dong stared at the ceiling, her heartbeat still carrying the inexplicable rhythm from her dream. She took a deep breath, suppressing the jumbled thoughts, and sat up, throwing back the covers.
Ayase was already awake and was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on her socks.
Her movements were swift and efficient; her long, dark brown hair was neatly combed, and her face had a luster that was hard to describe.
It's not makeup; it's something deeper, something that shines through the skin.
Like a plant that has been watered, its leaves unfold and shine with a vibrant green.
"Ayase-nee, you look great today."
Ayase paused for a moment as she put on her socks.
"Maybe you slept well."
She stood up and walked towards the wardrobe.
Without thinking much, Tsurugi put on her school uniform and left the bedroom.
Then she stopped.
He Quan sat on the sofa, with one arm around Yuzuriha Inori.
Yuzuriha Inori leaned against him, her light pink twin tails cascading down his arm. Her deep red eyes gazed quietly at the coffee table, her face expressionless, but her body did not resist.
She was held in his arms like a cat being cradled in its owner's embrace, neither yielding nor struggling, simply remaining there.
Something seemed to ignite in the thrush's mind.
"You pervert! Let go of Yuzuriha Inori!"
Yuzuriha Inori looked up at her and said, "I sat here by myself."
The thrush's sound was cut off.
He Quan tilted his head, a smile that made Dong grit her teeth. He patted the sofa to his left. "Come here."
"Who wants to go over there!" Tsubame's voice rose.
He Quan released Yuzuriha Inori, stood up, and walked to Tsugumi. Tsugumi tried to back away, but her feet seemed nailed to the floor.
He Quan bent down, put one hand under her knees and the other hand around her back, lifting her up from the floor.
The moment the thrush's body was airborne, it instinctively reached out and grabbed his collar.
"Put me down!"
He Quan sat back on the sofa and placed her to his left.
Thrush tried to stand up, but his arm was already around her shoulder, his palm pressed between her shoulder blades.
Just like in my dream.
A warm sensation seeped from the fabric fibers, clinging to her skin, spreading from her back to her waist, and from her waist to her lower abdomen...
Thrush's knees buckled, and she bit her lip, swallowing back all the sounds that rose in her throat.
"Pervert... Let go..."
Her voice came out through clenched teeth, broken and intermittent.
He Quan didn't answer, but simply tightened his grip on his arm a little.
Yuzuriha Inori leaned quietly against his right side, her light pink hair brushing against his shoulder.
A very faint pink tinge appeared on her cheeks, and her breathing was a little faster than usual, but her expression remained calm.
These past few days, the prolonged touch every night has made her somewhat accustomed to it, even to the point of desensitization.
Ayase came out of the bedroom.
She saw three people on the sofa. He Quan was sitting in the middle, with his left arm around Tsugumi and his right arm around Yuzuriha Inori.
He held Tsugumi close to his side, her cheeks flushed, and she kept muttering "pervert" in a broken voice.
Yuzuriha Inori leaned quietly against his other side, her deep red eyes gazing at the coffee table, her breathing slightly erratic but her expression calm.
Ayase's fingers clenched the hem of her dress.
"Mr. He Quan, please let them go."
He Quan turned his head and looked at her.
A smile played on his lips; he didn't speak, he just looked at her.
His gaze slid from her eyes to her lips, and then back from her lips to her eyes.
Ayase understood.
Her fingers clenched even tighter.
She knew what He Quan wanted her to do.
She slowly knelt down.
His knees landed on the wooden floor with a slight thud.
Place your hands on your knees, with your fingertips neatly aligned.
With his back straight and his eyes looking straight ahead, his gaze fell directly on He Quan's waist and abdomen.
The exact same position as last night.
A standard "corporal".
Tsugumi turned her head sharply and said urgently, "Ayase-nee! What are you doing! Don't do this for us! Get up!"
Ayase did not move.
Her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and her cheeks burned from her cheekbones all the way down to her neck.
Making this gesture in front of my partner is far more embarrassing than doing it in the bedroom last night.
Tsugumi's gaze, Yuzuriha Inori's gaze... even though Yuzuriha Inori was just watching quietly, it felt like two fine needles pricking her skin.
abnormal......
Ayase cursed He Quan in her heart.
She would feel a little better if it was just doing this in the bedroom like last night.
But now...
Yuzuriha Inori walked over, her deep red eyes fixed on Ayase, and reached out to gently grasp Ayase's fingers.
She didn't understand why Ayase was kneeling like that.
"Alright." He Quan released his hand.
Tsugumi immediately broke free from his arm, rushed to Ayase's side, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up from the ground.
He Quan stood up, picked up his tracksuit jacket from the back of the sofa, and said, "Let's go to school."
Tianwangzhou Middle School, Class 2A.
A few boys with short, uneven haircuts sat sparsely in the classroom, slumped over their desks with expressions of utter despair.
Most of the boys' hairstyles were no different from yesterday's; some had used hair gel to style their hair, while others had bangs covering their eyebrows.
Like Shu Ouma, the others decided to take a gamble.
The law doesn't punish everyone. Since so many people aren't cutting their hair, the school can't possibly punish everyone at once.
Shu Ouma sat in a window seat and touched his brown hair, which was well over two centimeters long.
Han Chuan Gu Xun leaned back in his chair, his short, light-gold hair still uncut.
Last night he checked education regulations online and found that forcing students to cut their hair was an inappropriate restriction on their personal rights.
He has prepared to invoke the relevant clauses if the school really wants to impose penalties.
The boys exchanged glances, and one of them made a "it's okay" gesture. Of course, they hadn't done their homework either.
The amount of homework has doubled, there's no time for club activities, and I still have so much to do at home.
They felt the school rules were unreasonable and violated their rights, and that the school couldn't really do anything to them.
The classroom door was pushed open.
The classroom door opened. The homeroom teacher walked in, her expression somewhat subtle. "We have a new student transferring to our class today."
A boy walked into the classroom, leaning on a cane. His long, light-gold hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his features were deep-set, gleaming with a cool luster in the morning light.
He was wearing the boys' school uniform of Tianwangzhou Middle School, with the collar buttoned up neatly.
His right leg was in a splint, and his crutch made a steady, rhythmic sound as it struck the floor.
Ayase's pupils contracted slightly, and Tsugumi's beak opened.
Yamashita.
Why is Ya here? His leg isn't healed yet, and he's coming to school on crutches?
Was he here to make contact with Yuzuriha Inori, or to gather information about He Quan?
"This is our new student who transferred here today, Gai Tsutsugami," the homeroom teacher introduced.
Gai Tsutsugami stood beside the podium, leaning on his cane, his gaze sweeping across the classroom.
Her long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, gleaming brilliantly in the morning light.
His posture remained upright; even with a cane and his right leg wrapped in bandages, his back was still very straight.
A hushed murmur arose in the classroom.
"He's kind of handsome..."
"Her hair is so beautiful, it's blonde!"
"It's a pity your leg is injured. Were you in an accident?"
"That kind of long hair is what you call unique."
"Doesn't the school require boys to have buzz cuts? How can he have long hair?"
"Perhaps because they are transfer students, they haven't had time to notify them yet?"
Gai Tsutsugami's gaze swept across the rows of desks, lingering on Inori Yuzuriha for a brief moment. He needed her blood; the virus's effects could not wait any longer.
He had calculated the risks; approaching him as a student, under the watchful eyes of many, would surely have made He Quan more cautious...
He looked away, a slight smile curving his lips, preparing to introduce himself.
"My name is Gai Tsutsugami, and from today onwards—"
Before he could finish speaking, the classroom door was pushed open again.
He Quan walked in, interrupting Tsutsugami Gai's words with the precision of a stopwatch.
He now had something else in his hand: an electric hair clipper.
The silver-white body and the blades gleamed coldly under the light, making it look no different from any barber's tools.
He Quan walked to the podium and stood beside Yang Shenya. His gaze swept over all the boys in the classroom who didn't have haircuts.
Hanchuan Gu Xun leaned back in his chair, his short, light-gold hair well over two centimeters long. Ouma Shu touched his own brown hair, and the boys in the back row shrank back.
"You brats, how dare you disregard the school rules I set?"
After saying that, he reached out and grabbed Gai Tsutsugami's light golden hair.
Grasp the hair at the roots with your fingers and lift it upwards.
Gai Tsutsugami's body was pulled back slightly, and his cane slipped from under his arm, making a dull thud on the floor.
The hair clipper was attached to his hairline.
He Quan pushed his wrist forward.
The silver-white blade was embedded in the golden hair, grazing very close to the scalp.
The next second, long, light golden hair slid down from the broken end, brushing against Gai Tsutsugami's cheek, shoulder, and the red collar of his school uniform, before falling softly onto the floor of the podium.
Strand after strand, piled up at his feet, piled up beside his cane.
Gai Tsutsugami's head was bald, his scalp gleaming bluish-white in the morning light. He raised his hand and touched his head; it was smooth and cool.
There's nothing left.
Gai Tsutsugami: "???"
He looked completely bewildered.
Why shave your head?!
The boys in the classroom stood frozen in place.
"Now, all boys who haven't cut their hair, go to the playground to assemble."
He Quan's gaze swept across the entire classroom: "Otherwise..."
He turned around and punched Gai Tsutsugami in the stomach.
Gai Tsutsugami's body bent at the waist.
His mouth opened, and stomach acid mixed with saliva gushed from the corners of his mouth, splashing onto the podium floor and onto the pile of long, golden hair.
He curled up and slid off the edge of the podium, his knees hitting the floor and his forehead against the cold ground.
Bald head, curled-up body, and a puddle of vomit on the ground.
The girls couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight.
"A little..."
The girl didn't finish speaking. Her friend chimed in, her voice low: "Funny."
The word spread silently among the girls like a drop of ink falling into clear water. The way Bald-headed Gai Yukari looked after being beaten and vomiting was indeed hilarious.
The boys stood up, their chair legs scraping the floor, and walked out of the classroom one by one.
The sun was shining brightly on the playground.
After the announcement was broadcast, all the boys in the school who hadn't cut their hair gathered on the playground.
It was a sea of black, from first to third graders. Some had their heads down, while others were secretly glancing at He Quan on the platform.
No one mentions "the law does not punish the masses" anymore, no one mentions "personal rights" anymore, and no one mentions "educational regulations" anymore.
He Quan stood on the high platform, holding Yang Shenya in one hand.
Gai Tsutsugami's right leg was wrapped in bandages, his left leg was dangling in mid-air, and his crutches were nowhere to be seen. There were still traces of vomit left at the corners of his mouth.
"From now on, if anyone dares to disobey school rules again—"
He threw Gai Tsutsugami onto the edge of the platform, raised his foot, and stepped on the side of Gai Tsutsugami's other knee.
The sound of bones cracking exploded on the high platform.
Gai Tsutsugami's body suddenly arched, his teeth biting into his lower lip, and blood seeped from between his teeth.
The playground was so quiet it was as if all the air had been sucked out.
He Quan left Yang Shenya aside.
Gai Tsutsugami lay on his side on the edge of the platform, one leg wrapped in bandages, the other leg twisted at an unnatural angle.
His body tensed up abruptly, he didn't cry out, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
"queue."
The boys formed a long line.
No one pushed, no one cut in line, and no one spoke.
The queue stretched from the foot of the platform all the way to the edge of the playground.
He Quan stood on the high platform, holding a hair clipper in his hand.
"Come forward one by one."
The first boy was pushed by the person behind him and stumbled to the front of the platform.
He Quan placed the hair clipper in his hand on the hair, and the next second, black, wispy hair fell in a flurry.
The boy touched his bald head, his lips trembling.
One by one.
Black, brown, dyed, permed.
All the hair fell around the platform, forming a thick layer.
Some had red eyes, some were biting their lips, and some kept their heads down and didn't say a word.
No one dared to turn and leave.
Strands of hair fell in a rustling sound.
Bald.
next.
A buzzing sound, strands of hair falling, a bald head.
Next one.
The queue moved forward slowly.
When Hanchuan Gu Xun came up, his expression was calm.
The clippers were pressed against his forehead, and his light blonde short hair slid down, falling onto the shoulders of his school uniform.
He stepped down from the platform, touched his bald head, and said nothing.
Shu Ouma walked up. The moment the hair clipper touched his forehead, he closed his eyes.
Brown strands of hair slipped down his cheeks as he opened his eyes and looked at the hair at his feet.
He stepped down from the platform, his bald head gleaming with a bluish-white sheen in the sunlight.
The queue is still moving.
The hair piled up like a small mountain at the foot of the platform.
The girls stood at the edge of the playground, watching this scene.
Kusama Kanon's gaze fell on the figure on the high platform.
Teacher He Quan held a hair clipper in his hand and shaved the heads of the boys one by one.
His movements were clean and efficient, without any unnecessary actions.
"Teacher He Quan has become so fierce."
My friend next to me whispered, "But he's doing it so the boys will follow the school rules."
Kusama Kanon did not answer.
"Besides, don't you think so?"
Her friend lowered his voice even further: "Teacher He Quan looks so cool when he hits someone."
Yagami lay on the edge of the platform, his right leg in a splint, his left leg newly broken, and his bald head pressed against the cement ground.
He looked at the sky, which was cloudless.
He came to Tennozu High School to find an opportunity to contact Yuzuriha Inori and gather information about He Quan.
He thought that being a transfer student would allow him to gradually get closer to them.
Now he's bald, both his legs are broken, and he's lying on the playground. He Quan walks past him without even glancing at him.
(End of this chapter)