"Jack? Who's Jack?"

  Li Li looked genuinely puzzled.

  She wasn't a doctor, and she certainly wasn't **Rose** from *Titanic*. How was she supposed to save a Jack?

  "Um... do you need me to call 911 for you?" Li Li's eyes darted around like a trapped cartoon character, looking for an exit.

  "The police can't save him," the girls said in unison. "Only *you* can save him."

  *If even the police can't help, what am I supposed to do?*

  Li Li pointed toward the lecture hall, putting on her best "I'm just a helpless student" face. "Well... I have class starting like, right now. So..."

  One of the girls understood Li Li was trying to bail. She immediately grabbed Li Li's arm and shook it violently, her expression frantic. "You're the only one who can save Jack! You have to help us!"

  This white girl had surprisingly hysterical strength. Li Li wobbled like a sailor on a storm-tossed deck. In her shaky vision, she could already see a student in the corner raising their phone to record.

  "W-wait! Hold on!" Li Li struggled to pry the hand off her arm.

  If this didn't stop, a video titled **"Crazy Goth Chicks Bully Asian Student"** would be trending on TikTok by lunch!

  Li Li took a deep breath, straightened her rumpled collar, and tried to channel her inner Zen master. "Listen. I know you're anxious, but let's calm down. We can talk after class—"

  "**We can pay!**" one girl blurted out.

  "..."

  Li Li swallowed the rest of her sentence.

  *Why didn't you lead with that?*

  ---

  Li Li sat in the corner of the last row.

  Every student entering the classroom would pause when their gaze landed on her corner. Then, they would slowly, carefully find a seat as far away as physically possible, occasionally stealing fearful glances back.

  The two Gothic girls flanked Li Li like gargoyles, sandwiching her in the middle.

  Li Li kept her face completely expressionless.

  Skipping class was not an option—she came abroad to study, not to play hooky. She had no choice but to let these two audit the lecture.

  The professor entered right on time. He spotted the bizarre trio in the corner immediately and raised a skeptical eyebrow.

  *Has my macroeconomics class finally become interesting enough to attract the subculture crowd?*

  He spread out his notes, casting frequent glances at Li Li's corner.

  "Alright, class, let's begin."

  He paused, clearing his throat to subtly hint that non-students should leave. Seeing the Goth girls had zero intention of moving, he didn't press the issue and launched into his lecture.

  The girls were named **Mary** and **Sylvia**. And **Jack** was the boy who had been recruiting with them that day—and apparently, the main victim of this paranormal disaster.

  As the professor droned on about supply and demand, Mary and Sylvia began whispering their tale of woe.

  It started at the club fair. After Li Li left their booth, a few more freshmen had come by.

  Most asked questions and walked away. A few showed interest but were clearly intimidated, taking a brochure with a polite "I'll think about it."

  Finally, two freshmen decided to join: a boy named **Duke** and a girl named **Lacey**.

  Mary had strongly opposed letting them in.

  Why? Because Lacey and Duke were stereotypical "Normies." Blonde hair, blue eyes, gym-toned bodies, golden tans, and smiles showing eight perfect porcelain veneers. They looked like they had walked straight out of a movie set as the **Quarterback** and the **Head Cheerleader**.

  The likelihood of people like them being genuinely interested in the occult was zero.

  Mary suspected they were joining out of morbid curiosity—or worse, as a pledge task for a fraternity or sorority. After all, mocking "freaks" like the Paranormal Society was a classic pastime for the popular crowd.

  But Jack had insisted on letting them in.

  The reason was simple: Lacey was hot. Even as a die-hard Goth committed to the darkness, Jack couldn't override his biological programming.

  Sylvia, the quiet one, remained neutral. She rarely participated in Mary and Jack's arguments.

  So, under Jack's hormonal leadership, Lacey and Duke successfully joined the club.

  Li Li nodded along. So far, this just sounded like high school drama, not a supernatural crisis.

  "Don't rush," Mary whispered. "We're getting to the bad part."

  Every club had an initiation ritual. For the Paranormal Society, it was the **"Courage Test."**

  Usually, this just meant gathering in a member's dorm, turning off the lights, and playing with a **Ouija board** until midnight. Then everyone would go home to sleep. They had done this for years without issue. Safe, spooky fun.

  "Wait," Li Li interrupted. "Aren't you a Paranormal *Investigation* Society?"

  "Yes," Mary replied. "But does being interested in ghosts mean we actually want to *meet* one?"

  Li Li paused. *Fair point.* Life and work should be separated. It was like that Chinese idiom about **Lord Ye who loved dragons**—he loved dragon paintings, but when a real dragon showed up, he wet his pants.

  But this time, Jack had a "brilliant" new idea.

  To impress Lacey, he proposed moving the location. He wanted to take the new members to the school's **Abandoned Gymnasium** at midnight to play the Ouija board.

  Li Li twitched her lips. She smelled the distinct scent of *death wish*.

  "That's a recipe for disaster," Li Li whispered.

  "Exactly," Sylvia chimed in softly.

  "This teaches us a valuable lesson," Li Li noted pragmatically. "**If the code runs, don't refactor it.**"

  Sylvia nodded in deep agreement.

  Mary shushed them both.

  Lacey and Duke, being fearless newcomers, had no objections to the location change. Mary thought it was a minor detail and didn't push back. Sylvia just went with the flow.

  So, at midnight, Jack led the four members to the abandoned gym.

  The building had been condemned for years, the main doors secured with a thick iron chain and padlock.

  Jack showed off some lock-picking skills he'd learned from YouTube and popped the lock.

  Lacey clapped and did a little celebratory hop, which greatly inflated Jack's ego.

  They entered the dark, echoing space. In the center of the basketball court, they lit a circle of white candles. The five of them sat inside the circle, fingers lightly touching the wooden planchette on the Ouija board.

  The game began.

  ...

  Li Li looked up. The professor was standing right in front of their desk, his expression thunderous.

  "**Finished chatting?**" The professor's tone was icy.

  Li Li shook her head. Mary and Sylvia shook their heads too.

  Gritting his teeth, the professor lowered his voice to a dangerous hiss.

  "**Then please take your conversation OUTSIDE!**"

  For those unfamiliar with the **"Lord Ye Loved Dragons"** (叶公好龙) idiom: It refers to someone who claims to love something (like dragons) but is terrified of the real thing. It is the perfect description for 99% of "Paranormal Enthusiasts."

  ---