In the office, Shen Qingqiu wearily rubbed her temples.

As a member of the city's Writers Association, I had high hopes for this competition to select promising young writers.

But she flipped through more than a dozen essays that had just been moved to the office by the class representative.

All I see is fear of the dark, fear of exams, fear of my parents' scolding...

Clichés, nothing new.

"Students these days are really lacking in imagination."

She sighed and casually pulled out the essay below.

Name: Lin Que.

"Hmph, that guy who sleeps in class."

Shen Qingqiu didn't hold out any hope and casually glanced at the main text.

Title: Back to Back

"It's deliberately mysterious; the essay title isn't even clearly stated. How can anyone continue reading it!"

She made a calm assessment in her mind, wanting to see what tricks this student who was sleeping in class could come up with.

"Late at night, the lights in the rented room flickered on and off..."

The opening description of the setting is conventional, a common trope used by high school students.

She patiently read on.

Xiaomei always felt like there was someone else in the room. But every time she turned around, there was nothing behind her.

Upon reading the second paragraph, her scrutinizing gaze sharpened slightly.

The wording is concise, the atmosphere is well-created, and it's quite interesting.

As a student who sleeps in class, I have some writing skills.

She continued reading.

Her fingers, gripping the red pen, tightened unconsciously as she read, "Until one day, I woke up in the middle of the night."

"It's a technique that involves some psychological suggestion, but it's ultimately just cleverness."

As a member of the Writers' Association, she analyzed the situation rationally.

However, when her gaze fell upon the last paragraph...

Especially the last sentence:

"...back to back with her"

All her professionalism, rationality, and pride crumbled instantly!

The office was eerily quiet, with only the rustling of papers turning over.

A chill exploded from my tailbone and shot straight to the back of my head!

She felt a strange chill on the back of her neck, with a faint dampness, as if something was breathing there...

"Smack!"

She accidentally threw the composition book onto the table with a loud thud!

Shen Qingqiu's breath caught in her throat, and she sprang up from her seat, turning around in horror!

There was no one behind him.

There was only one cold, white wall.

But her gaze was fixed on the wall, which no longer seemed like a support to her.

Instead, it was a huge, cold "back".

Just now... I was sitting back to back against it.

This realization sent chills down her spine even more than the story itself!

But the feeling of being spied on and being too close is something I can't shake off.

"Huff... huff..."

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently.

What...what is this?!

How could a high school student possibly write such... such penetrating words that seep into the very bones of a person!

Shen Qingqiu stared at the composition book on the table.

For a full five minutes, she didn't dare to move an inch.

"asshole……"

Shen Qingqiu gritted her teeth and squeezed out those two words.

She was terrified; her fingertips were trembling uncontrollably.

A few minutes later, as her racing heartbeat subsided slightly, a feeling of shame washed over her.

How could I, an adult and a language arts teacher who advocates rational thinking, be so frightened by a student's essay?

She took a deep breath, forced herself to pick up the essay again, and tried to deconstruct it with a professional and rational perspective.

"It's just using claustrophobic spaces and visual illusions... a common psychological suggestion technique..."

She murmured to herself.

But when her gaze fell again on the phrase "back to back with her,"

Those six words seemed to possess a magical power, injecting that chill back into her very bones.