I shoved the last bite of toast into my mouth, trying not to smear the bread crumbs all over myself. Of course, a few stuck to my lips anyway. Classic me. I wiped them off with the back of my hand, muttering under my breath. I picked up one boiled egg with my chopsticks and put the entire thing in my mouth. I was almost running late. Thankfully, my phone was already in my pocket, but my thumbs felt that thinh, that itch to scroll through notes like a reflex. Morning brain is weird, it's half asleep, half buzzing, and somehow I still try to cram a little prep for exams before the bus. God knows which exams, because it was the first day of the school year today.
I slung my bag over one shoulder and jumped down the stairs, trying hard to be careful, and not to trip on my own stupid feet. Ruby, my cat, was perched on the boundary like she owned the world, tail swishing lazily. "Morning, Ruby," I said, waving. She gave me a slow blink, which I like to think was her version of a good morning. Then she yawned, stretched, and went back to glaring at the street like some tiny furry queen judging everyone.
The bus rounded the corner with its usual irritating brake sound, and I had to sprint the last few meters to catch up. My bag's strap almost fell off from my shoulder, but I managed to get to the bus before the doors would close shut. Perfect timing, as always.
"Yo, Yiren!" Chen Xiao called from the back, grinning like he already knew I would almost miss it.
"Morning, Xiao!" I waved back, walking into my usual window seat.
Li Wei was lounging nearby, headphones around his neck. "Sup, floofball," he said with a smirk.
"Hey, Wei," I grinned. "Ready to fail math again this year?"
Wei laughed and tossed his bag on the seat beside him. "You already know the answer to that one. You're the one caring about some bitch ass math, not me."
I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Okay, fine, I'll let you have your tiny victory."
Mei Lan leaned over from across the aisle. "Yiren! Did you watch the episode last night? The one literally everyone's talking about?"
I shook my head, trying to focus on my notes but failing. "Nope. Spoilers?"
"Nope!" she said with a grin. "Promise me you won't ruin it for yourself."
I laughed, shaking my head. Even on a bus, I couldn't escape the little social whirlpool that followed me around. Voices overlapping, laughter spilling into the aisle, groans from the sleepy kids, somehow it all felt comforting. Like we were all in this weird high school chaos together.
When the bus screeched to a halt at the school gate, I got off, backpack slung over my shoulder. The playground was buzzing with chitter-chatter. Groups of friends huddled around, some yelling at tardy classmates, the distant clack of shoes on concrete filling the air. I waved at Zhang Hui as he leaned against a wall, arms crossed.
"Morning, Yiren!" he called, voice carrying.
"Hey, Hui!" I waved back. "Late again, huh?"
"Always," he said, mock sighing. "I'll never change."
I ducked into the classroom just as the bell rang. Sunlight spilled in, landing right on my usual corner desk. I dropped my bag and started pulling out my prep exam papers, arranging them like a little fortress of knowledge. My brain slipped into focus, equations and notes merging into a satisfying blur of my own thoughts, though the hum of chatter tried to break in.
"Morning, Yiren!" Ren Xian slid into the seat across from me, grinning.
"Hey, Xian," I replied softly. "Late night again?"
"Maybe," he said, leaning back lazily. "Don't tell anyone, but I was doing... important research."
I nudged him playfully. "By important research, you mean Netflix research, right?"
He groaned, shaking his head. "Shut up. You're impossible in the mornings."
I shrugged, grinning. "I call it surviving life in style."
Liu Shizi leaned over from her desk a bit later. "Yiren, you seriously look like a golden retriever today. Too cheerful for 7:30 a.m."
I tilted my head, pretending to think deeply. "No idea what you're talking about. I'm totally focused. Totally serious."
Her laugh rang out across the classroom, making me grin. "Sure, floofball, sure."
By now, everyone seemed to have settled into the usual morning rhythm: papers rustling, whispers, someone dropping a pen and groaning, tiny bursts of laughter. I had my notes open, pen hovering, trying to ignore the chatter, but then, a subtle shift in the room made everyone pause.
"Mrs. Lin is here- shut the fuck up now y'all!" Menghao screamed from the door. His duty of informimg everyone when the teacher comes in. Door duty, as we know.
The class had quieted down when the door clicked again, this time with the usual loud sound, and I looked up from my notes just as the teacher stepped in. Ms. Lin, our class teacher, with her attendance book and gentle smile. She greeted the class. "Good morning, everyone," she said with her warm voice.
"Morning, Ms. Lin!" the class sang the good morning song, some more enthusiastic than others. Mrs. Lin just laughed along with the class' morning enthusiasm. The first day, it was perfect.
As soon as the teacher moved aside, my gaze flicked to... him. Standing quietly behind her, tall, neat, and just radiating that 'don't even try me' aura. I almost choked on my own breath. The whispers started immediately.
"Is that... the new guy?" Mei Lan murmured to no one in particular.
"I heard he transferred from some fancy school in the city," someone else said.
"He looks... like trouble," Chen Xiao muttered under his breath, eyes widening just slightly.
I could feel the energy shift in the room. Even sitting here, I had to resist leaning forward like some nosy little puppy, my pen hovering uselessly over my notes. Stupid Yiren, just focus. I wanted to slap myself.
Ms. Lin cleared her throat. "Class, this is Zhou Zeyan. He'll be joining us from now on. Please give him a warm welcome."
Everyone mumbled polite greetings. Some smiles, some cautious nods. But my eyes stayed glued on him. He didn't smile, not even a hint but there was something about the way he carried himself, like he didn't need to smile as something as small as an introduction of him.
Then Ms. Lin scanned the classroom, eyes landing on me. "Yiren," she said, voice gentle but firm, "you're sitting alone now, right?"
I blinked, suddenly aware that yes, my old benchmate had skipped lectures again. "Uh... yeah, that's me," I replied, voice a little higher than usual. My heart thumped a little, not because of the attention, but because I had a sinking feeling I already knew what was coming.
"Zeyan," she said, turning back to the new student. "Why don't you sit next to Yiren? It'll be easier for you to settle in."
My brain short-circuited for a moment. Me? Sitting next to... him? The tall, handsome, probably-trouble Zeyan? My hands fumbled a little with my pen, and I could feel my cheeks heating up. Isn't this going like the typical romance story?
Zeyan nodded at Mrs. Lin's words, and walked over towards my desk - I mean towards the one next to me, his each step was so calm as if he got all the time in the world. I swear I could hear the whispers behind me, someone even let out a tiny squeak when he passed by. He stopped next to me, he looked around the classroom like he was memorizing everything. He didn't say anything, just placed his bag on the desk and sat down.
I blinked. Okay, Yiren, stay calm. Breathe. You're a "golden boy." You can handle this.
"Uh... hi," I said awkwardly, waving a little hand. My voice sounded way too high, I realized instantly.
He glanced at me, almost as if he was annoyed by my existence, but his gaze lingered a fraction too long, and I could swear there was a flicker of... something. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, and honestly, my brain was already at the melting point of ice to try to think.
"Hi," he said finally, in that deep, low voice that made my stomach twist into knots. Short. No extra words. Polished.
I swallowed, trying to act casual, even though my brain was screaming in all directions. "So... um... I was just doing some prep exam stuff... this is... math," I added, gesturing to the pile of papers in front of me.
Zeyan tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning the papers. "Math, huh?" His tone was flat, as if he didn't know how to raise or lower his tone. Was he a damnned robot? Focusssss, Yiren, focus. "Looks... complicated." Zeyan spoke again.
I nodded, smiling nervously. "Yeah... but fun! I mean, it's like solving little puzzles..." I trailed off, realizing I was babbling, but he didn't interrupt. Just stared. Why was he so calm amd quiet? Was he not interested in talking or something?
Around us, whispers and stifled giggles continued. Someone pulled out their phone and started scrolling, probably already typing the first rumors about the "new hot guy" sitting next to the "golden boy" of the class. My stomach sank. Great. Just great.
Ms. Lin cleared her throat again. "Alright, everyone, settle down. Let's start the lecture."
~Min
[Words 1590]