Chapter 49: Side Story 3 – Meeting in High School

Chapter 49: Side Story 3 - Meeting in High School

"Did you hear? There's going to be a transfer student."

"At this point in the year, really...?"

It’s already the second semester of sophomore year.

Although it's often said that the third year is the most critical period, the second year is actually a turning point.

If it were the first semester, it would make sense, but the second semester’s coursework is mostly finished.

Even though the small town isn’t as cutthroat as other places, everyone is a high school student and understands the significance of the college entrance exam to life, so they are full of curiosity about someone transferring here at this point.

"I heard his family’s loaded."

"Oh, and he’s good-looking too...?"

"But there aren’t many open seats in the classroom, where will he sit?"

The blazing sunlight pours through the windows, making the wooden desks hot.

A few people, likely tired from sitting, stand up and lean against their desks, blocking the aisle, their voices loud enough to reach someone else’s ears.

"So loud."

The guy lying on the desk shifts slightly.

Even with natural hearing loss, such noise is hard to ignore.

Ye Jishu moves his arm from under his head, sits up a bit, and glances at the clock above the teacher’s desk. The hands are three minutes from the hour, meaning there are three minutes until the next class starts.

"Just start class already. I’m tired."

During class, everyone’s focused on listening.

Knowing that he has a natural hearing problem and his family is unwilling to pay for a hearing aid, the teacher has long taken a hands-off approach with him, not caring what he does. The teacher's voice isn’t loud either, so it’s a good time to nap, and no one will disturb him.

Yesterday, a new version of the game was released, and he stayed up late playing it. So even though his seat is by the window, with lush branches outside and the shrill chirping of cicadas, he’s already dozing off.

"Sleep, I’ll watch out for the teacher."

The person next to him seems to notice he can barely keep his eyes open and whispers into his ear.

He almost forgot he has a desk mate.

"Ah. Yeah. Thanks."

Ye Jishu takes off his school jacket, lays it on the scorching desk, and lies down again.

Unconsciously, the slightly excited chatter around him fades away.

His consciousness seems to sink into warm water.

Until suddenly, his desk is forcefully knocked.

Ye Jishu opens his eyes and sits up straight, meeting the disappointed gaze of the homeroom teacher.

"Why are you still sleeping? Can’t you set a good example for the new student?!"

"......"

"Be a good role model..."

"Why should I be a good role model?"

Seeing his drowsy yet confused look, the other immediately raised his voice, "We've already decided on the seating arrangement in the classroom. Starting today, the new student will sit next to you."

However, before Ye Jishu could speak, the person beside him already showed a surprised expression and blurted out, "Why?! Isn't this where I sit? Why can't he just take another seat instead of making me move—?!"

"Just follow the plan, it's the teachers' decision."

The homeroom teacher frowned at him, "Besides, the seat I'm moving you to is better—closer to the podium and the blackboard. What's wrong with that?"

"But I want to sit next to Ye Jishu—"

"Enough. Stop causing a scene. You know your grades have been slipping lately, right? That seat right in front of the podium is perfect. Your studies are more important than making friends. You need to figure out what's more important."

After saying this, the homeroom teacher turned and left, not giving the other any chance to protest.

He wasn’t quite sure what the two were arguing about.

Most of the sounds he heard were muffled, like they were coming through glass.

Ye Jishu looked up again at the clock hanging on the podium.

Ah...

An entire class had already gone by.

The next class was physical education.

The person next to him was still complaining, his face slightly contorted.

"...This is ridiculous, why do I have to move? I want to sit with Jishu. Without me, Jishu might get made fun of by those gossips, after all, Jishu is disabled. I don't want you to be bullied."

"Right? You know you can’t hear, don't you?"

Maybe sensing Ye Jishu wasn’t paying attention, he leaned in, trying to speak right in his face. Ye Jishu subtly leaned back, trying to avoid him, but the other grabbed his wrist.

The other held on tightly, not letting him pull away.

"I know! Why don’t you tell the teacher your ears are acting up again and you need someone to take notes for you? The new kid definitely can’t handle it—only I can. Just tell the teacher that! Okay? Jishu, you only need me—"

Ye Jishu grabbed his hand.

His face showed hope, mixed with longing.

But the next moment, his hand moved to the other’s pressure point. A sharp pain shot through him, and he cried out, "Ah!" releasing Ye Jishu’s wrist.

"Not needed," Ye Jishu said, "I can hear."

Even if the sound is muffled, just by seeing the mouth shape, he can roughly judge what the other is saying.

Ignoring the other's astonished expression, Ye Jishu bent down, pulled out his school uniform jacket from the desk drawer, not caring what fell to the ground, and followed the crowd preparing to go downstairs, heading towards the playground in front of the teaching building.

Summer gym classes were pretty unbearable.

Ye Jishu didn't like the feeling of sweat sliding down his skin.

Seeing his sluggish movements during the warm-up, the PE teacher just blew the whistle as a warning, having already given up on insisting he follow the standard.

Humans seem to be creatures of routine.

At first, everyone was curious about him and got angry because of his attitude, but once he maintained this state, the intense emotions directed at him would quickly fade, turning into complete indifference.

Such a life can be summed up in one word.

That is—

"Boring."

Day after day of going to school, studying, and taking breaks.

Even though he sees his classmates every day, their faces are a bit blurry.

The only thing that grabs his attention is the constantly changing games on his phone.

The heat seemed to creep into the sleeves and legs of his gym clothes.

"Phew..."

The break whistle blew.

Ye Jishu raised his hand and wiped the sweat away with the back of his hand, slowly making his way to the shade of the tree.

On the way, he happened to glance up toward the school building.

And locked eyes with someone with pure black eyes.

The other person was standing in the hallway outside the classroom, leaning against the low railing, gazing down.

"They... were definitely right."

This thought flashed through his mind.

It was an incredibly striking face.

Although dressed in casual clothes of an unknown brand, it was clear they were expensive and suited them well.

A breeze blew by, and the tree's shade rustled above.

The other person's slightly long hair swayed in the breeze.

Ye Jishu had the illusion that the person was standing there just to watch him.

"Jishu, let's discuss the previous matter."

Suddenly, a loud voice called out from beside him.

Their eye contact was interrupted.

Ye Jishu shifted his gaze to his left.

It was probably his deskmate.

The other person saw him turn and broke into a delighted smile.

"I want to apologize to you, I'm sorry... I was just too anxious, that's why I said those things, that wasn't my intention. I just wanted to protect Jishu, right? Our grades are also similar. You are first, I am second, it's very suitable—"

"No need," Ye Jishu replied curtly.

"Silence."

"I don’t need it," Ye Jishu repeated firmly.

The words hit him like a bolt of lightning.

Ye Jishu noticed the disbelief etched across his face.

"You don’t need me? How is that possible?! Don’t you realize what I’ve done for you?!"

"A sharp whistle—"

The assembly whistle suddenly sounded over the playground, cutting off his unfinished words.

Without a glance back, Ye Jishu joined the gathering crowd and returned to his class.

The PE teacher wasn’t too strict. Knowing they’d just finished their monthly exams, he led a quick stretch and then let them have free time for the rest of class. Ye Jishu slipped away from the noisy crowd and made his way to the school building.

Even without air conditioning, the classroom was a far better option than staying under the blazing sun.

The stairs were deserted; everyone was in class.

The hum of lessons drifted from other classrooms. Ye Jishu softened his footsteps and ambled toward his classroom.

By all logic, the classroom should’ve been empty.

But—

As he stepped inside, he spotted someone sitting at their desk.

The classroom fan above creaked noisily.

Beneath the spinning blades, the person gazed out the window.

Noticing him, the person turned, their eyes appearing even more intense up close.

The two locked eyes in silence.

For some reason, the old fan’s creaking grew louder.

In the quiet classroom, the creaks grew louder, amplifying the heavy silence between them.

It felt like an eternity.

But in truth, only seconds had passed.

"Besides... if a transfer student arrives, moving desks during PE would be easier."

Ye Jishu broke the gaze first and walked to his seat without a word.

The heat was unbearable. He had to take off his sports jacket.

He clutched the jacket, bent down, and tucked it into his desk drawer.

As he stood up, something suddenly blocked his view.

Ye Jishu looked and paused.

"It's... my pen."

It must have been when he took his jacket out of the drawer before heading to gym class, he accidentally brought the pen out with it. He always tucked his pen into the drawer, so when he got up from lying down, he could just reach in and grab the pen without having to search for it, which was very convenient.

"Is this yours?"

Hearing the voice, Ye Jishu looked up.

The transfer student propped his chin on his hand, slightly turned his head, and looked at him from the side.

His striking face bore a soothing smile.

But the message in his eyes contradicted his considerate demeanor.

His intense gaze enveloped him.

Despite being right under the fan, a wave of heat surged through him, and the air seemed to become suffocating.

—It felt like he was being singled out by the other.

Ye Jishu did not take the pen.

From this lower vantage point, he met those eyes once more.

Unlike when they were across the classroom, this time they were much closer, close enough to feel the rise and fall of the other's breathing.

The other person exuded a delightful fragrance.

It was almost surreal, evoking the scent of the ocean and citrus.

"Do you remember me?" the other murmured softly, because they were so close, even if his ears couldn't catch it clearly, the words were absorbed in that moment, "Where have we met?"

"...Where, have we met."

As the other's voice trailed off, the distant rumble of a summer thunderstorm seemed to echo in the air.

Sudden and unexpected.

The memory of that night involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Since it was already his second year of high school, there were evening study sessions.

Unlike most students who opted for dorm life, Ye Jishu was a commuter, so he had to walk home after evening study ended at nine.

Ye Jishu gathered his belongings and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

As he left the building, he noticed it was already raining outside.

Through the rain cascading from the eaves, he observed the bustling crowd at the school gate, which had grown lively due to the rain. Even students who usually walked home alone had parents picking them up because of the bad weather.

Ye Jishu reached to the side of his backpack, only to find nothing.

"...I forgot to bring an umbrella."

He glanced at his sneakers.

The worn rubber surface of the playground had formed potholes that collected a fair amount of rainwater.

If he walked through it, his shoes would surely get soaked. Maybe even the cuffs of his pants wouldn't be spared. Just thinking about getting completely drenched by the rain made this weather seem so troublesome.

The only upside was that the heavy rain washed away the restlessness from the relentless heat.

Ye Jishu held his schoolbag over his head and hurried into the rain.

...

He finally made it to his aunt’s place.

But, to his surprise, she wasn’t there. So he had to hang around outside for a bit.

He glanced at the café and the bookstore.

The café had a rack of customers’ umbrellas. He’d never been inside.

He’d bought some study guides there before, so the owner kind of knew him and wouldn’t kick him out.

"My phone’s dead too."

He had ten bucks left in his pocket.

After a moment’s thought, Ye Jishu made his way to the bookstore.

The floor under the eaves was slick.

Dripping wet, he paused for a moment, letting the rain taper off before tossing his bag into the umbrella stand and shuffling into the bookstore.

Even on a rainy day, the store’s AC was still blasting.

The cold air hit him the moment he stepped inside, sending a shiver down his spine.

Ye Jishu lingered near the entrance, his eyes drifting toward the wall.

A few white bookshelves lined the wall.

Behind the wire racks were the latest comics, novels, and picture books.

Ye Jishu grabbed a gaming magazine, checked the price—five yuan—and started flipping through it.

The rain suddenly grew louder with a whoosh.

He didn’t bother turning around.

Someone must’ve come in, letting the sound of the rain pour in again.

He figured it didn’t concern him.

But then he sensed someone stepping up beside him.

The newcomer, like him, stayed by the magazine rack instead of venturing further in.

They stood to his right.

The drip-drip of raindrops echoed.

But the other person didn’t seem soaked.

The sound likely came from the umbrella he caught in his peripheral vision.

The person stood silently beside him for a few moments, then headed to the entrance and dropped the umbrella into the bin. It landed right beside Ye Jishu's backpack.

Then, the person approached again, this time positioning themselves behind him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ye Jishu noticed the person's hand—slender, with pronounced knuckles—reaching over his shoulder to grab a fashion magazine from the shelf and start flipping through it. For some reason, Ye Jishu instinctively held his breath during this.

Only when he heard the rustle of pages turning did he remember to relax and let out a breath.

"What’s happening?"

Still, his shoulders stayed stiff.

His heart raced.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the person was watching him.

Gentle, soothing music filled the bookstore.

The bookstore was nearly empty, probably because of the rain, and even the cashier was dozing off.

"Do you go to No. 2 High School?"

"..."

"You said something."

"I’ll be starting there soon too."

The voice cut through the sound of the rain and reached his ears.

Even Ye Jishu felt compelled to say something then.

Because the person was clearly waiting for a reply.

Normally, he wouldn’t bother responding. But—

This time, though,

He felt flustered, at a loss for words, and managed only a flat, monosyllabic response.

"Uh. Yeah. Okay."

He figured the person might find his reply dismissive.

But the other person seemed content with just that.

They stayed like that, one in front, the other behind.

Ye Jishu didn’t look back, his focus soon drifting back to the magazine.

There were many new games inside.

Most of them required a computer to play, but a few mobile games were worth trying.

He lost track of time.

The person behind him put the magazine back and walked toward the door. "Take this umbrella. Don’t forget it."

Hearing this, Ye Jishu paused, momentarily stunned.

He finally looked up from the magazine, but he could only see the back of the person leaving through the door.

He never saw the person’s face. It felt like a sudden interruption in the middle of a downpour.

A long time passed.

His legs were already aching from standing, but the heavy rain outside showed no signs of stopping.

Through the window, Ye Jishu finally spotted the aunt returning.

He headed to the counter and purchased the magazine.

Before leaving, he passed the blue basket with the umbrella and hesitated for a moment.

"Usually... you wouldn’t take it, right?"

It felt strange—he didn’t know the person at all, yet they’d given him an umbrella.

Taking it now would just feel... off.

But...

He could still remember the faint scent lingering behind him.

Almost as if under a spell, Ye Jishu bent down, grabbed the umbrella, and left the bookstore.

...

The new classmate kept staring at his face.

Though Ye Jishu remained expressionless, the other person seemed to have drawn a conclusion from his momentary pause.

"Did you keep the umbrella safe, Jishu?"

He spoke softly, locking eyes, each word sinking irresistibly into Ye Jishu’s ears.

"They were so close."

Ye Jishu felt a flutter in his chest.

Up close, that face was impossible to ignore. It felt like all his focus was being drawn in at that moment.

But a faint sense of danger sent another jolt through his body.

"I don’t think I ever told you my name..."

A delayed numbness washed over him, his mind now completely captivated by the other person.

The expected confusion vanished.

But a sweet, creeping fear filled him as the person spoke again.

"My name is Yan Mei," the other whispered, leaning close to his ear. "Don’t forget it... Jishu."