Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

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.

Then she noticed “herself.”

Wait, who was this stunning girl?

When Lila saw the new “Lila,” she almost didn’t recognize herself.

I mean, who would know Lila better than Lila?

There was no way Lila could be this dazzling, right!?

But no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she had to admit that this eye-catching beauty was indeed her. And she could feel the stares of quite a few people around them, sneaking glances at her.

Maybe because it was technically her own body, Lila felt an intense sense of identification. It was like she was the one being stared at, and the attention was so overwhelming that she almost fainted from the excitement.

Sensing that this wasn’t the best place to talk, Ethan grabbed her wrist and led her away from the station entrance.

“Uh…”

Lila followed along, letting him lead her to a family restaurant called “Wagnaria.”

Once they were seated, guided by the waiter, Lila looked visibly uncomfortable.

It wasn’t because she was sitting across from “herself.”

It was because they were in a family restaurant—a place she, someone without friends, would never normally come to.

Ethan smiled at her and said, “No need to be so stiff. Like I said, we’re comrades. That’s the kind of relationship where trust comes naturally.”

“Ah, right!” Lila nodded enthusiastically.

“Alright, let’s order first,” Ethan suggested, looking at her. “Don’t let me starve here.”

“That’s not gonna happen!” Lila quickly clarified. “I’ve been eating properly, I swear!”

Soon, a waitress came over to take their order. She was a pretty blonde, but Lila’s attention was immediately drawn to the knife strapped to the waitress’s waist.

Wait, is that for dealing with people who try to dine and dash!?

While Lila was still processing this, the blonde waitress was also eyeing her curiously and said, “Ethan, you look a bit different today.”

Huh? Is she talking to me? Lila was caught off guard and didn’t know how to respond.

Thankfully, Ethan jumped in and ordered for them, smoothly covering for her. After the waitress left, he explained, “Oh, I forgot to mention—I used to work here, so I know some of the staff.”

Lila’s expression immediately turned a bit resentful. “So why couldn’t we just go to a place where no one knows us?”

She didn’t just think it—she actually said it out loud.

And that’s when she realized something: when she was talking to Ethan, who was currently in her body, she didn’t feel as shy. Even though it was technically someone else’s soul inside, she could still talk to him just fine.

Ethan, ignoring her slightly resentful look, smiled and continued, “Let’s get to the point. How was your day? It’s been a pretty unusual one, right? I’ll go first—mine was actually pretty fulfilling.”

“Uh…”

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—”

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