Chapter 12

We left the hair salon.
I quietly followed behind Daniel, my thoughts in a tangled mess.
Daniel got this haircut, paired with his handsome face.
How could I be so heartless in this situation?
"We're here," he said.
I looked up at his words.
"Seaside High School" when its rusty sign came into view.
Daniel skillfully found a gap in the school fence and bent down to crawl in.
He introduced, "This is my alma mater."
In my heart, I silently added, it's also my alma mater...
The campus was incredibly quiet in the dark night.
Only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves sounded eerily loud.
I shrank my neck and couldn't help asking, "Why did you suddenly want to come here?"
Daniel softly replied, "Don't you think... this place is perfect for hiding and covering up a murder?"
Huh?
Suddenly, my footsteps came to a halt.
Even though it was a bitterly cold winter day, beads of sweat were forming in a queue to escape.
Daniel looked at me expressionlessly.
The fear in my eyes grew more intense.
Just as I was about to reach my breaking point, Daniel burst into laughter.
"I was just kidding, why are you so scared?"
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and dryly explained, "I'm a coward."
Of course, it was mainly because I felt guilty...
Unconsciously, we arrived at the basketball court.
Daniel casually grabbed the basketball from the rack.
With a light jump, he soared into the air.
The basketball traced an arc in the sky and perfectly landed in the distant hoop.
I sat in the stands, thoroughly enjoying watching Daniel show off his basketball skills.
His agile figure and the glimpse of his toned waist during a slam dunk were beyond beautiful.
After what felt like an eternity, Daniel returned the ball to its original position and sat down next to me.
"Doctor Taylor."
"Yes?"
"Do you know why I brought you here?"
I had a faint guess in my mind, but still said, "I don't know."
A slight smile played at the corner of Daniel's lips, and his eyes sparkled with distant lights.
In a teasing tone, he said, "Someone once said to me by my sickbed, 'I never imagined you would become a vegetable. I won't have a chance to see you play basketball anymore.' I came here to prove her wrong, that there is still a chance."
Oops...
My lips twitched.
He really quoted that verbatim.