.3. 'First Encounter'

*Qin Shan POV

I do my best to pay attention to the rest of the school tour and to forget about that boy in black completely. My first class is 'Mythology Studies' which I had randomly picked in a daze when talking with the school counseler. Walking to the room which is room '1313', I notice that the sky is getting darker. Giant clouds crowding across the pitiful sun. I realize I don't have an umbrella

"Gosh darn it." I mumble out loud and then immediately regret it as it attracts the attention of several students passing. Embarrassed, I walk faster to the classroom and pull open the door.

My immediate reaction is awe as I take the room in. The teacher of this class has decorated the room like an old castle. There are multiple tapestries covering the walls, and even a realistic suit of armor sitting in one of the corners. Everything is colorful yet the atmosphere is almost gloomy. Class is just about to start, so I take the nearest chair in the back row, somewhere to the back left corner of the vast room.

It's only once class starts that I notice something strange happening around me. All the other students seem associated in cliques of some sort. Grouped together in elite little circles. There are probably five or six in the room. Once in a while, I will catch somebody's stare at me, as if they are debating whether I'm good enough to talk to. Furthermore, all of the groups are as far away from each other as possible. I feel isolated, alone. Seeing this set up, I silently pray 'don't let this be the middle of a turf war.'

I tear my eyes away from the groups, determined not to look at any of them. The teacher finally starts lecturing and I breathe a sigh of relief. The topic is whether the case of mythical creatures should be investigated with years of reported 'sightings'. This is so strange, but I'm fascinated when the teacher - a tall man with almost silver eyes - mentions that the most recent sighting of mythical creatures took place at Hong Kong University two months ago. Somebody saw a dark figure jumping impossible lengths from rooftop to rooftop.

"However," the professer adds, "No footprints or shoe prints were ever found by the police so this case was dismissed."

When class ends, I stuff my notebook and textbook into my backpack and prepare to leave as quickly as possible. I don't want to get associated with anybody on my first day. As I go outside, it is pouring. Right when I prepare to run back to the dorm where I live with Huan, a hand pulls my arm.

"Stupid girl, are you really planning on running all the way back to the dorms in just that." A tall tan boy looks pointedly at my skirt which hits right above my knees, and my shirt which is a 3/4 sleeve.

"So what if I am." I respond, looking him in the eyes. He is good-looking - but not as much as the pale boy I saw earlier. His eyes are brown but cold. He has long fingernails and is shifty enough to make me think he's going to attack me.

"Let me escort you" he says, pulling out a large umbrella. "We can go through the garden, it's faster to get to the dorms." He says starting to pull me with him.

"No, it's okay." I respond quickly. Our conversation is drawing others attention and I just want to get away as quickly as possible.

"Oh but I insist." He says, with a cruel smile. Suddenly somebody pulls both of my shoulders back and I almost fall but hit a very solid, chest. I don't dare peek up to see who it is before a cold voice says;

"Lay off her Zhong Long. She's mine." The area goes silent. I hesitantly look up, and it's him. The boy in black from this morning. He must be in the mythological studies class too. I wonder how I didn't see him. Right now, his eyes could literally freeze somebody on the spot. His mouth is curved downward. He seems angry but even so, he is so beautiful.

"She is with me." He restates, and then pulls me with him going towards to main square. A large black umbrella is suddenly over our heads. I go with him. Partly because I am in a daze, and partly because I would much rather be with him, then oggled at with all of the other students.

"Thank you." I almost whisper, as we walk to the main square. Our class had let out earlier than most so we were the only ones there. "Don't thank me yet." He mutters. "Who are you?"

"Qin Shan." I say, my voice a little bit choked. "What is your name" I say back to him despite knowing the answer already.

"That's not important yet." He says with a rueful look at me. It looks like he is fighting himself in asking something or saying something. The rain is stopping now and he turns me around to face him and I get startled. Then he lowers his head from its height of over six feet and looks me eye to eye.

"I am not done asking my questions yet." He says in a whisper. Is voice is cold and his eyes are still filled with pain.

"Okay." I whisper quietly not really knowing what I'm doing. "What is it."