Chapter 9

Morning came slower than usual.
My shoulders still felt the quiet fatigue from yesterday's shift, but it wasn't unpleasant — more like the aftertaste of a long, steady day.

When I stepped into the kitchen, Mom already had breakfast on the table.

"Morning, Yuan'er," she greeted warmly. "You look a little tired."

"A bit," I admitted. "Yesterday was... busy."

She poured me a warm cup of soy milk. "Did you manage well?"

"Mm. Auntie Ye taught me a lot. And Ling helped when things got busy."

Mom paused for a breath — brief, but noticeable — then smiled gently.
"That's good. She's a polite girl."

I didn't think much of it. Mom knew the Ye family. That was all.

We ate quietly, the kind of silence that didn't feel heavy.
After finishing, I grabbed my bag and left the house early enough to take the quieter street.

The air was cool, the sky pale.
Cheng sent a message telling me to smuggle out noodles for him.
I ignored him.

By the time I arrived at school, only a few students were in the classroom.

Near the window, Zhao Yiyi sat with a book open, sunlight softening her expression.
She didn't look up as I passed.
I didn't stare — just noticed.
For someone so quiet, she always seemed... neatly placed in the scenery.

I sat down and pulled out my notes, enjoying the calm before the class noise arrived.

It didn't last long.

"Morning, Yuan— whoa."
Cheng dropped into the seat beside me. "You look like you lost a fight with sleep."

"I'm fine."

He leaned closer.
"Don't tell me you stayed up late working? Did you at least get food?"

"No."

"What's the point of working then?!"

I almost sighed. "It's a job, not a buffet."

"Ohhhh. Spoken like a responsible adult."
He smirked. "Or maybe a certain girl fed you instead?"

I flicked his forehead.

Before he could retaliate, homeroom began.

The teacher stood in front of the class, clearing his throat.

"Before we start lessons, there's an announcement. Next week, our Class will have a joint activity with Class 2-B. Details will be given later."

The room buzzed immediately.

"Joint activity?"
"With Class 2-B?"
"Is it group work?"
"Ahh I hope Rui's there—"

Cheng turned to me with bright eyes.
"Bro. If this is group work, I might get paired with Cai Qing."

"...Good luck."

"That's it?! No encouragement?"

"You'll need luck."

He pretended to faint dramatically.

The teacher knocked on the board.
"Settle down. We'll inform you once the format is confirmed."

The chatter quieted as homeroom ended and first period began.

******

By the time the fourth period ended, my stomach was already reminding me I hadn't eaten since early morning. I was putting away my notes when Cheng leaned over my desk.

"Yuan, cafeteria?" he asked, already halfway standing. "Let's go before the good stuff disappears."

"I don't mind," I said, packing my things.

As we walked down the hallway, Cheng nudged me with his elbow.

"So—about that joint-class thing. If it's a project, we might get mixed with Class 2-B, right?"

"That's what everyone's saying."

Cheng grinned. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm praying to be grouped with Cai Qing. It's fate."

"...You don't even talk to her."

"That's why it's fate."

I sighed, but he didn't notice.

The cafeteria was already noisy when we arrived. Students crowded the counters, chairs scraping against tables as everyone formed messy clusters. While we waited in line, Cheng scanned the room.

"Oh, look," he whispered harshly. "2-B at two o'clock."

I followed his gaze.

Ye Ling and Cai Qing were standing near a table, both holding trays. Ling noticed us first. Her expression stayed calm, but she gave a polite nod.

"Ah... Tang Yuan," she said.

"Good afternoon," I replied.

Cai Qing blinked at Cheng. "You two want to join us? There are seats left."

Cheng froze for half a second—just enough that I noticed.

"Y–Yeah! Sure!" he said, voice cracking.

I sighed again.

We sat with them, the four of us forming an unexpectedly balanced square. Ling ate quietly, posture neat as always. Cai Qing was more expressive—smiling, chatting, and occasionally flicking hair from her shoulder.

"So Class 2-A got the same announcement, right?" Cai Qing asked. "About the joint activity next week?"

"Yeah," Cheng said. "Rumor says it might be group project stuff."

She nodded thoughtfully. "That's what our class heard too. If it's mixed groups, it'll be interesting."

Cheng nearly choked on his drink.

Ling turned to me. "Are projects difficult for your class?"

"Not really," I said. "I think most people in 2-A adapt fast."

Cheng kicked my shin under the table, silently telling me to stop sounding like I was giving a job interview.

While we ate, the cafeteria grew more crowded.
That's when movement near the entrance caught Cai Qing's eye.

"Oh—looks like Rui's here."

Cheng straightened. "Li Rui? That guy from your class?"

Cai Qing nodded. "He's popular. Good at sports, friendly. Though... he has a habit of getting flustered around certain girls."

Cheng leaned forward. "Certain girls? Who?"

Before she could answer, Rui walked past our table carrying his lunch—only to stop a few steps away, where a group from Class 2-A sat.

Among them was Zhao Yiyi.

Rui said something to her. She looked up, calm as always, and nodded slightly. He scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed but smiling.

Lin Xia saw it too and grinned teasingly at Yiyi.

Cai Qing continued, lowering her voice a little:

"Rumor is... Rui likes a girl from Class 2-A. Been trying to talk to her more lately."

Cheng widened his eyes. "Wait—don't tell me it's Zhao Yiyi?!"

Cai Qing blinked. "You know?"

Cheng jerked a thumb at me. "We're in same class, so... yeah."

Everyone's eyes accidentally shifted toward me, and I stiffened.

"I didn't know anything," I said quickly.

Ling hid a small smile behind her cup.
Not mocking me—just quietly amused.

Rui finished his short conversation and moved on.
Yiyi returned to her lunch, her expression unreadable.

Cheng whistled. "Man... mixed group projects are going to be wild."

Cai Qing rested her chin on her hand. "It'll definitely be interesting."

Ling looked at me again, expression gentle yet observant.

I looked down at my tray.

Somehow, lunch felt... noisier than usual.

******

After lunch, the classroom air felt warmer and heavier, as if the sun outside had crept in while we were gone. I slipped into my seat with a quiet exhale, grateful for a few minutes of calm before the next subject.

Cheng dropped into his chair beside me with a loud sigh.

"Bro, I swear," he groaned, "sitting near Cai Qing is more exhausting than P.E."

"You were the one shaking," I muttered.

"I was NOT shaking— I was just... stabilizing my breathing."

"Right."

He opened his mouth to argue, but the classroom door slid open before he could.

Footsteps.
Soft, measured.

Ye Ling entered, holding a stack of documents against her chest.
The room naturally quieted by a degree — her presence had that effect.

She walked toward our homeroom teacher's desk, exchanged a few polite words, then turned to leave... but her eyes briefly passed over our corner.

"Good afternoon, Tang Yuan," she said gently.

I straightened. "Ah—good afternoon."

A few students nearby paused mid-conversation.
One of the girls whispered loudly enough to hear:

"Isn't she from Class 2-B?"
"Why is she greeting Tang Yuan?"
"Are they close?"

I felt my shoulders tighten.

Ling didn't seem bothered. She simply nodded once and left the room, her steps unhurried, her expression unchanged.

The moment she disappeared into the hallway, the whispers started again—quiet, but persistent.

"Seriously? Yuan knows her?"
"She's so calm... kind of pretty, right?"
"They look like they get along."

Cheng leaned toward me, smirking like a fox that found a new weakness.

"Well, well, well."

"No."

"You didn't even hear what I was going to say!"

"I know exactly what you were going to say."

He chuckled. "Yuan, listen. I'm not saying you're secretly popular, but... you're attracting attention."

"I didn't do anything," I muttered.

"That's the scary part."

While Cheng continued teasing me, I noticed movement from the middle rows.

Zhao Yiyi had paused while flipping through her textbook, her eyes drifting—not toward Ling, but toward me.

She blinked once, calmly, as if studying something she hadn't paid attention to before.

Not curiosity.
Not judgment.
Just... acknowledgment.

Then, just as quietly, she looked away, returning to her textbook.

It was such a small moment that I almost wondered if I imagined it.
But the faint shift in her gaze lingered in my mind like the tail end of a breeze.

Before I could think too hard about it, the teacher clapped his hands.

"Alright, everyone, settle down. We're starting the last period."

Books rustled. Chairs shifted.
Whispers died down.

But even as the lesson began, I could still hear Cheng whispering:

"Bro. You're getting noticed."

I ignored him.

Yet for a brief second, I found myself glancing across the room—
only to see Yiyi already focused ahead, expression unreadable.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly.
But something about the classroom felt slightly... different.

As if the air had shifted, just a little.

******

The final bell rang, releasing everyone into the hallways like a flood. Bags zipped, chairs scraped, and half the class disappeared before the teacher even stepped out.

Cheng stretched dramatically, arms high above his head.
"Finally! Freedom!"

I packed my books slowly. "You sound like you survived a war."

"I did. A war against boredom."
Then he leaned in, eyes shining.
"Anyway—come with me to the bookstore. The new volume of Dragon Knight Saga came out today."

"Is that the one you said you'd stop buying?"

"That was before they introduced the new heroine. Her design is peak art, Yuan."

I didn't argue. I simply slung my bag over my shoulder.
"Fine. Let's go."

The late afternoon sun was warm but not harsh, stretching long shadows across the courtyard. Students scattered in different directions—some heading home, some lingering to chat, some running toward club activities.

We crossed the gate when Cheng elbowed me out of nowhere.

"So. Rui and Yiyi, huh?"

I stopped. "Please don't start."

He grinned. "Come on, come on. You saw it, right? He walked up to her like he was entering a boss fight."

"I wasn't watching."

"You were totally watching."

I sighed. "He was just talking to her."

"Yeah, but with Rui, 'just talking' means 'actually sweating bullets because he likes her.'"

I didn't respond.
Because... well, he wasn't entirely wrong.

Cheng exhaled loudly. "Anyway, Rui's a good guy, but too straightforward. If he ever confesses, he'll explode from embarrassment before finishing the sentence."

"That sounds dangerous."

"Very. Meanwhile—"

He slowed his steps, giving me a sly look.

"You, my friend, get greeted by Ling like it's nothing."

I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands.
"It's literally nothing. She just said hello."

"In the middle of our class. With half the room watching. And then everyone whispered like you were some rare Pokémon."

"...Can you not?"

"No."

I kicked a small pebble on the ground.
He laughed like he had been waiting for that reaction.

The small shop smelled faintly of ink and dust. Cheng beelined for the manga section with the speed of a trained professional.

"Here it is!" he whispered like he'd discovered treasure, lifting the manga above his head.

"Congratulations," I said.

"Don't pretend you're not proud of me."

I wasn't.

But I was glad he was happy.

He flipped through the pages, muttering excitedly about character arcs and new scenes. Then, as if remembering something, he tapped my arm.

"Yuan. Be honest."

"...About what?"

"You and Ling. You two met before school? Or only at the restaurant?"

I hesitated. "Only at the restaurant."

"And?"

"And nothing. She's just... helpful."

Cheng raised an eyebrow. "You sound suspiciously calm for someone who worked his first job yesterday and got greeted in front of everyone today."

"I'm always calm."

"Exactly! That's suspicious!"

I closed my eyes briefly.
Cheng could turn anything into a conspiracy.

He lowered his voice then, suddenly more thoughtful.

"Actually... Ling's a nice person. Calm. Smart. Polite. People in Class 2-B say she's pretty dependable."

I blinked. That was unusually serious from him.

"...Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

He shrugged. "No reason."

Of course there was a reason.
He just wasn't saying it.

As we left the bookstore, the sky was turning a soft orange. Students passed by with bags of snacks or convenience store drinks. The atmosphere was peaceful—busy, but gentle.

Cheng talked the whole way back—
about manga panels, about Cai Qing's hair that "probably smells like citrus," about Rui's courage (or lack thereof).

I responded occasionally, but mostly listened.

Somewhere between his rambling and the fading sunlight, I realized something:

Today felt... full.
Not dramatic.
Not overwhelming.

Just full.

Like the air around me had shifted a little.

Maybe because of the announcement.
Maybe because of Ling.
Maybe because I noticed Yiyi looking at me for the first time.
Or maybe because things at school were starting to move in ways I hadn't expected.

I didn't understand it yet.

But the feeling lingered all the way home.