Chapter 5 blue dragon

Tianze sat at his desk, his pen tapping rhythmically against his notebook as the math teacher droned on about quadratic equations. His eyes wandered to the clock above the blackboard — five minutes left until the lunch bell.

He glanced sideways. Ren was dozing off, head resting on his arm. Jian was behind him, absentmindedly flipping a pencil between his fingers while gazing out the window.

Boredom was setting in fast.

"Alright, class." The teacher's voice cut through the silence. "Pop quiz tomorrow. Make sure you’re prepared."

A collective groan swept through the room.

Tianze’s pen stilled. A pop quiz? No problem for him — but Jian and Ren? They’d crash and burn.

Jian’s head shot up. "A pop quiz?"

"Yeah," Tianze said dryly. "Did you even hear the lecture?"

Jian leaned forward. "Of course not. I have you for that."

Tianze sighed. "You guys really need to—"

"Tianze," Ren interrupted, leaning closer. "You know the answers already, right?"

"Obviously."

Jian’s eyes glinted. "Then… you could help us."

Tianze narrowed his eyes. "Help you?"

Ren smirked. "Just a little... guidance."

Tianze hesitated. "That’s cheating."

Jian shrugged. "Or it’s teamwork."

Tianze rubbed his temple. "I don’t know…"

"Come on, Tianze." Jian grinned. "It’s a pop quiz, not a final exam."

Ren leaned in. "It’s not like anyone’s going to die."

Tianze sighed. "Fine. But if we get caught—"

"We won’t," Jian said confidently.

---

The next day, Tianze sat at his desk, the quiz paper in front of him. Ren and Jian sat on either side, both looking terrifyingly confident for guys who hadn’t studied a single page.

"Begin," the teacher said, placing a timer on her desk.

Tianze filled in the answers with ease, his pen moving swiftly across the paper. Next to him, Ren’s paper was still blank. Jian had written his name — and that was it.

Tianze glanced around. The teacher was busy on her phone. His eyes met Ren’s.

Ren subtly slid his paper toward Tianze.

Tianze sighed, then carefully angled his arm so Ren could see his answers. Jian craned his neck from the other side.

Tianze quickly erased a wrong answer from Ren’s sheet with his other hand. Jian scribbled frantically, trying to keep up.

They were almost done when—

"Tianze!"

His heart stopped.

The teacher was standing above them, glasses perched low on her nose.

"What… are you doing?"

Jian immediately dropped his pencil. Ren sat up straighter, trying to look innocent.

Tianze slowly lowered his pen. "Uh…"

The teacher’s gaze sharpened. "You wouldn’t be… cheating, would you?"

Jian coughed. "Of course not!"

Ren nodded. "Definitely not."

The teacher’s eyes narrowed. "Then why is Ren’s paper exactly the same as Tianze’s?"

Jian leaned back. "Great minds think alike?"

The teacher’s lips thinned. "Come with me. All three of you."

---

They stood in the hallway, waiting outside the staff room.

"We’re dead," Ren muttered.

"This is your fault," Tianze said.

"Mine?" Ren scoffed. "You wrote the answers!"

"Because you asked!"

Jian sighed. "Relax, guys. It’s not like they’re going to expel us."

Just then, the door opened. Their homeroom teacher stepped out, arms crossed.

"You three," she said. "Principal's office. Now."

---

The principal sat behind his enormous desk, fingers steepled. "Cheating."

Jian shrugged. "It’s not as bad as it sounds."

The principal’s gaze darkened. "Oh, really?"

"It was a pop quiz," Ren said. "It’s not like it’s worth much."

"And yet you cheated."

Tianze sighed. "It was my fault. I gave them the answers."

Jian and Ren looked at him, surprised.

"I’m the smart one, right?" Tianze said. "So I figured I’d help them out."

The principal leaned back, tapping his chin. "Honest… but still dishonest."

"So… are we suspended?" Ren asked.

"No," the principal said.

They all perked up.

"Instead…"

Tianze’s eyes narrowed. "Instead?"

---

The next day, Tianze stood in the middle of the school courtyard — wearing a giant blue dragon costume.

Jian, dressed as a pink rabbit, adjusted the ears on his head.

Ren stood to the side, holding a large cardboard sign that read: "We Cheated on a Pop Quiz. Shame on Us."

Students gathered around, laughing and taking pictures. Someone threw a paper ball at Jian’s head.

"I hate you both," Tianze muttered through the dragon head.

Jian grinned. "This is hilarious."

"I’m dying of embarrassment," Ren groaned.

"At least you don’t have to wear a costume," Tianze shot back.

"Hey, you’re the genius," Jian said, clapping Tianze’s padded shoulder. "This is character-building."

"I’m building character by being publicly humiliated?"

"Exactly."

Suddenly, a girl walked up to Tianze, giggling. "You actually look kind of cute as a dragon."

Tianze’s face turned bright red. "Uh… thanks?"

Ren smirked. "See? Could be worse."

"How?" Tianze asked.

Just then, the school speaker crackled to life.

"Attention, students. Tianze, Jian, and Ren will be performing a dance in the courtyard during lunch as part of their punishment. Attendance is mandatory."

Tianze’s jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"

Jian clapped his hands. "Perfect!"

Ren groaned. "We’re doomed."

Jian threw an arm around Tianze. "Relax. You’re a genius. How hard can dancing be?"

Tianze glared at him through the dragon head. "I hate you."

"You’ll thank me later."

As the school bell rang, students cheered and whistled.

Jian grinned. "Showtime."

Tianze sighed. "We are so dead."

---

The next day, the video of their dragon-rabbit-dance routine had gone viral on the school’s chat group.

Ren slumped over his desk. "I’m never showing my face again."