First of all, I want to show you the sunset from last night. I was in the kitchen and wanted to do something, when I briefly looked out the window and thought that I must photograph and show you.

All Saturday morning, Yibo had already been very nervous and kept prowling around the gate and campus, waiting for the Paradise Academy students to arrive. He was not alone, however, because many other students did the same. Some even waited right by the road for the bus to arrive, so excited were they about the expected guests.

What Yibo found absolutely strange about this morning was that his own sense of time was completely out of sync. Normally, even without looking at the clock, he could tell what time it was, and he could tell how time was passing. But when he was waiting for Zhan to arrive, he had the feeling that time was trying to annoy him and was therefore running backwards.

Once, it was 10:30 in the morning, Yibo looked at his watch, walked around the campus again, and when he looked at his watch again, it was only 10:22 in the morning. He was completely stunned, and with his cell phone in hand and paying close attention to the time, he walked another lap around the campus. But the time continued to run normally.

It was only after he had made another round that Seungyoun told him, amazed at Yibo's behavior and after he explained why he was staring at his cell phone while walking across campus, that in his excitement he must have simply gotten the numbers wrong. Instead of 10:03, he read 10:30. Yibo didn't believe that, but it certainly sounded more plausible than time working against Yibo personally.

Although Yibo was getting cold after the hours he spent outside and he started to freeze, he stayed outside and even sat down on one of the benches to eat his lunch. But again, he wasn't the only one who walked out of the cafeteria with a full tray and sat down somewhere to eat outside while they waited.

The reason why so many were so excited was, of course, because these are guests staying for a week. Because they are the first students of Paradise Academy, which is a little sister of Keno Academy. Because they are opponents but also allies. And also because they were already very excited about the talents and of course they are only too eager to compete with them.

Yibo and all the other waiting students were finally relieved around 4 pm, when the tour bus of the Paradise Academy, after all almost 7 hours late, drove through the big gate onto the campus. And Yibo felt like he had never been so nervous in his life as the moment the door of the bus opened and the first student stepped outside.

The third to step off the bus was Xiao Zhan, and Yibo's eyes grew wide when he finally saw Zhan. His heart was pounding hard and he felt really warm. He felt hot when Xiao Zhan first looked around and then stood very close to Yibo to wait until everyone else got off the bus.

Since Yibo assumed that Zhan perhaps didn't know what had happened to Cheng and perhaps that was why he kept looking around, Yibo wanted to tell him. It would have been a good way to start a conversation if he had said who he was and what happened to Cheng. It would have been, if Alessia hadn't been faster!

Yibo had just started to talk to Zhan when Alessia pushed her way between them, whispered something to Zhan and he followed her. They talked for minutes at some distance from everyone else and then she also accompanied him to the community center where the guests were staying. She didn't even give the other students a chance to talk to Zhan.

However, before Yibo really had time to get angry about it, he heard one of the other students who had just arrived say, "We haven't even been here 2 minutes and already Zhan has hooked up with the most beautiful student."

Another standing next to him laughed and said, "He can have her for my sake. I wouldn't even want to get her as a gift."

"Huh? What do you mean?" The other wanted to know, but he didn't get an answer to the question. At least not from his fellow student.

Instead, Seungyoun answered him and said, "Because she's a bitch!" Then, without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Yibo by the arm and pulled him behind him back into the dorm and up to their room. Only once in the room did Seungyoun say, "What are we going to do about Alessia now? She's obviously got her eye on your Xiao Zhan."

"I have no idea. I'm still trying to get over the fact that she immediately pounced on him." Replied Yibo, frowning. He sat down on his bed, wrapping his blanket around his body and enjoying the warmth it gave him.

"Maybe we should collect money from everyone who doesn't like Alessia and then hire and pay an assassin to kill her so we can finally get rid of her."

"Sounds good to me Youn. But a less bloody plan might be better."

"True. But what do we do now? Cheng will probably stay in the hospital for a few more days, and until he's there, I don't know how we're going to get to Xiao Zhan. Or get Alessia away from him."

"He just arrived and we have a week now. Maybe even two weeks if what the rumor mill is saying is true."

"Why? What are they talking about?"

"Apparently there's some kind of craft work being done in their dorm and it's probably ongoing. The students probably can't live there during that time."

"Mhhh, all the better for us Yibo."

"Why for us, actually? Your Wooseok is a student at Keno Academy, so you can rest easy."

"I could. But I want to help you. We're friends and we should stick together. Especially when it's against Alessia."

"I think Alessia is the least of our problems. If Zhan gets blinded by her and goes for her, then I don't stand a chance anyway. No matter what we try. Because then it's proof that he's into women and not men. Any plans we had, if we had any, would be rendered moot."

"To the extent that he's into women it's clear. But until we know for sure, everything is still open."

"Exactly. So our biggest problem is, how do we find out what Zhan is into? Because Youn, we can't just ask him about it."

"Mhhh, you're right about that."

"So, so we need a plan on how to find out what Zhan is into. And only then can we make further plans."

"Well, well. I think the very first thing we should do is make sure he notices you Yibo."

"Yes I know. But I think that will take care of itself. So at least that he notices me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. I'm not sure if we can do anything tonight. But tomorrow afternoon at the Keno Theater is the get-to-know-you event. They'll be on stage, introducing themselves and showing off their talents. After that, it's our turn. If I act skillfully, he will notice me. And even if not, then two teams are formed. That means I have a chance that he and I will perform as a duo. And for that to work, we have to train together."

"Who will choose the teams? Is that clear yet?"

"No, unfortunately it isn't. If we're lucky, our coaches will do that. Coach Deal said to me the day before yesterday that he hopes the coaches can make the selection because they know best who harmonizes with whom. But it may well be, he also said, that there is a keno lottery and chance or luck decides."

"Mhhh, if Coach Deal could decide, I'm almost 100% sure he would pair you with Zhan. After all, he always says you can sing very well and a ballad together with Zhan would be perfect. Then you could show everyone that you're even better at singing than just rapping."

"Coach Deal is only a vocal coach, though. I don't know if the other coaches will include his opinion."

"I think they do. His work is just as important as the others'. And luckily Alessia has no vocal training because that bitch can't sing anyway."

"True. Let's not get crazy about it now though Youn. I want to stick to what my brother advised me. I'm supposed to be myself and not rush into anything. So I'll stay calm."

"He's right about that. Maybe we'll see Zhan at the community center later and maybe you can talk to him there."

"Maybe. Right now, though, I want to sleep for an hour, then have dinner, and then we'll see." Yibo replied and lay down on his bed.

Actually Yibo wasn't tired, he just didn't feel like talking further. Because yes, he had been angry and also disappointed. Especially he was angry because of Alessia. But at the same time, he hadn't really expected to get into a conversation with Zhan right away. Not after Cheng isn't there to support him.

When the bell rang for dinner, he and Youn went to the cafeteria, ate together with two other third-year students, and then went to the common area where many of the other students were already and also those from Paradise Academy, most of whom were standing or sitting around Alessia. So was Xiao Zhan, who was sitting right next to her.

Yibo and Seungyoun sat down across from them and watched the whole game. However, it was not easy for Yibo to just sit and watch. He would have liked to stand up, drag her away from Zhan by her hair, and then tell Zhan that he should take a closer look at who he was befriending and that Alessia was nothing more than a mean, two-faced snake.

But of course, Yibo did nothing of the sort he had imagined so vividly. He just kept sitting there, admiring the handsome Xiao Zhan, cursing the nasty Alessia Milan, and wondering about all the other male students crowding around her like animals in a zoo at feeding time.

It probably would have gone on like this all evening if two female students hadn't gotten into a fight because they had both fallen for the same guy and instead of giving this guy hell, they were starting to antagonize each other. Someone yelled at the top of his lungs, "Battle!" And then everyone frantically jumped apart and formed a circle around the two fighting women.

The Paradise Academy students looked confused and didn't understand at all what was happening. Then one of the two women began to sing, the other laughed and sang better, then the one outdid herself singing and the other lost. Someone else came in for the other and so the cozy evening was over for everyone and at one point there were even several battles.

When it was Yibo's turn, he went up against a rapper from the Paradise Academy. His opponent was not bad, but not nearly as good as Yibo. His opponent was replaced and instead of singing or rapping, they danced against each other and again Yibo was better. After three more battles that Yibo won, he was starting to run out of steam. But he didn't want to give up, not when there was a chance that Xiao Zhan could see him. But unfortunately, his eyes were on Alessia, who was finishing one by one with her ballet, and if it wasn't ballet, it was acting. She always won and the applause was sure for her, as well as the attention of the vast majority of those present.

Just as Yibo was about to go into battle against a new opponent, however, the supervisors came and ended the evening. It was almost bedtime. Almost everyone sighed, some groaned, and others complained loudly that as adults they still had to go to sleep at 10 pm, even on weekends.

Yibo knew there was no point in getting upset. He looked over at Xiao Zhan again, but he was already deep in conversation with Alessia, laughing, and had to be asked twice to go to his room. Yibo's first impression of Zhan was therefore devastating. He could have been talking to anyone else and Yibo wouldn't have cared. But because Zhan was talking to Alessia and even laughing with her, smiling at her and so engrossed in talking to her that he didn't notice anything around him, Yibo was disappointed in him!

How could Xiao Zhan be so dazzled by this woman? Was everything Cheng had told him about Zhan so far just made up? Didn't Zhan have a good understanding of human nature after all, as Cheng claimed? And why was Zhan not interested in any other students of the Keno Academy than Alessia?

With one last look at Xiao Zhan before he finally left for his room, Yibo gritted his teeth and swore, "You think you can ignore me Xiao Zhan? Oh you're going to look around. I swear to you, I'll make sure you see me! Just you wait!" Then Yibo and Seungyoun also went back to the dorm and to their room. And after a short shower, Yibo lay down in bed and in his mind he swore once again that he would make sure Xiao Zhan will see him, only him and no one else! He had no idea how to do that, but maybe coincidence would help him.