The second day of school started much louder than the first.
Someone was running in the hallway, someone was shouting about homework, and someone was already being scolded by the teacher before the first period even started.
Su Ran arrived slightly out of breath, her bag half open and her hair a little messy from the wind.
She reached the last row and dropped into her seat dramatically.
"I almost died on the stairs," she announced.
Jiang Chen, who was already reading a book, looked up slowly.
"You say that like you run a marathon every morning."
"I do. It's called trying not to be late."
He nodded once and went back to reading.
Su Ran leaned sideways, trying to see the book cover.
"You read this early in the morning? My brain doesn't even start working until second period."
He turned the book slightly so she could see the title, then said,
"Reading wakes you up."
"Food wakes me up," she replied seriously.
He almost smiled again but looked down before she noticed.
The Pen Incident
When the math teacher walked in, the classroom immediately became quiet.
"Take out your notebooks. We're having a short quiz," the teacher said.
The entire class groaned.
Su Ran froze.
Slowly, very slowly, she opened her pencil case.
Inside there was:
One broken pencil
Two highlighters
A small eraser
No pen
She stared into the pencil case like maybe a pen would magically appear if she looked long enough.
It did not.
She slowly turned her head toward Jiang Chen.
He was already writing the date on his paper.
She poked his arm with her broken pencil.
He stopped writing and looked at her.
She whispered very quietly,
"I forgot my pen."
He looked at her pencil case.
Then at her.
Then at his own desk.
Without saying anything, he placed one of his pens on the middle line between their desks.
She took it like it was treasure.
"I'll return it after class," she whispered.
He nodded and continued writing.
After the Quiz
The quiz was terrible.
Su Ran stared at question three for five whole minutes and still had no idea what was happening.
She secretly looked sideways at Jiang Chen's paper.
His paper was already half full.
She sighed quietly.
"Life is unfair," she whispered.
After the quiz ended, she stretched dramatically and then held up the pen.
"Thank you for saving my academic career," she said.
"It was just a pen," he replied.
"No. It was hope."
He didn't respond to that, but he did take the pen back very carefully and put it in his pencil case like he always kept everything in the exact same place.
She noticed that.
"You're very organized," she said.
"You're very not organized," he replied.
She gasped.
"That's a little rude."
"That's a little true."
She stared at him for two seconds… then started laughing.
And that was the first time they had a real conversation.
Lunch Time
During lunch, Su Ran turned around in her chair again.
"Do you always eat in the classroom?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
She thought about this for a moment.
Then she said,
"Not anymore."
Before he could respond, she waved at a boy in the front row.
"Zhao Ming! Bring your lunch and come here!"
The boy turned around.
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
He grabbed his lunch and walked over.
"You're very bossy for someone I met yesterday."
She pointed at Jiang Chen.
"This is Jiang Chen. He lent me a pen. He's a good person."
Zhao Ming looked confused.
"That's your requirement for being a good person?"
"Yes."
Zhao Ming sat on the desk in front of them.
"Well then, Jiang Chen, nice to meet you. I once lent someone an eraser. I'm also a good person."
Su Ran nodded seriously.
"Yes, but pen is higher level kindness."
For the first time, Jiang Chen actually laughed a little.
It was quiet, but both of them noticed.
Su Ran pointed at him immediately.
"You laughed!"
"I did not."
"You did."
"You imagined it."
Zhao Ming looked between them and said,
"I feel like I just watched the beginning of a very long friendship."
None of them knew yet how right he was.
Because years later, they would still remember:
The last row.
The borrowed pen.
And the day the three of them ate lunch together for the first time.
And without realizing it, their story had already begun.