Chapter 4 – Quiet Mornings and Messy Hair

The morning bell rang again — sharp, early, and a little too cold for comfort.

The sky was pale blue this time, washed clean by yesterday’s rain. Outside the classroom window, the flagpole swayed gently in the breeze, and the janitor swept the walkway with long, slow strokes, leaves gathering at his feet.

Yichen arrived before most students, as usual.

He liked the stillness before the day began — the silence, the way light poured into the empty classroom, and the sound of his own breathing as he flipped open his notebook and dated the first page of the day.

September 19.

He didn’t know why he always wrote the date so neatly. Maybe it was a habit. Or maybe it made things feel more real — like if he could record the day properly, it wouldn’t slip away as quickly.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps outside the room.

“Ugh, I’m so late.”

Suyin burst through the door with a puff of breath, hair slightly messy and one sock pulled higher than the other. She stopped when she saw him.

“Oh. You’re always early, huh?”

He nodded. “You say that every day.”

“And you still never wait for me,” she teased, walking over to her seat. She dropped her bag with a thud and slumped into her chair, groaning.

Yichen glanced at her. “Did you sleep late again?”

“Mm-hmm.” She yawned, rubbing her eyes. “I had cram school until 9, and then I accidentally watched two episodes of a drama.”

He opened his mouth to ask which one, but stopped himself. Before he could speak, she leaned over, rested her chin on her folded arms, and mumbled, “Do I look like a zombie today?”

He blinked.

Her hair was a bit all over the place, and her shirt collar was uneven, but her eyes — even tired — still held that same spark she always had.

“…Not really,” he said, then added, “just… sleepy.”

She gave a small laugh. “I’ll take it.”

The classroom slowly filled with their classmates. Chen Ruoyu walked in next, earbuds in, face unreadable. Behind him, Lifen carried a stack of borrowed textbooks and gently placed one on each desk as she passed.

When she got to Yichen’s desk, she paused.

“You left this in the library,” she said quietly, setting a book on top of his notebook.

He looked up. It was a science review guide he’d completely forgotten about.

“Thanks,” he said.

She nodded and moved on. Not a word wasted.

Suyin leaned close, whispering, “Lifen’s like a ninja. So quiet, but always watching.”

Yichen shrugged, but he agreed silently. Lifen was the kind of person who noticed things others didn’t.

A few minutes later, the homeroom teacher shuffled in with his usual stack of worksheets. The class groaned collectively.

“We’ll be doing a mock reading comprehension test today,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “Please take it seriously.”

Suyin groaned next to Yichen. “Again? I swear these things are making me worse, not better.”

Yichen glanced at her paper. She hadn’t even written her name yet.

He passed her a pen.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

As the class fell into silence, the only sounds were pages turning, chairs creaking, and pencils scratching against paper.

Yichen read the passage in front of him, but the words floated in and out of focus. His eyes kept drifting toward Suyin. She was biting her pen, deep in thought, her brow slightly furrowed.

She always looked most serious when she was trying to look serious.

And even that made him feel something he couldn’t put into words.

By the time the test ended, Suyin let out a dramatic sigh and collapsed onto her desk.

“That was so long. I think I wrote ‘however’ like ten times just to sound smart.”

Yichen gave a small smile. “You wrote the wrong character for ‘comparison’ twice.”

She sat up, wide-eyed. “I did?”

He nodded.

“Oh no. You should’ve told me.”

“It’s a test.”

“Ugh. You’re so honest.”

She pouted, then started doodling on her paper. A sleepy cartoon cat. Then a paper crane. Then… a heart. She stared at it for a second too long, then scribbled it out.

Yichen noticed. But said nothing.

Behind them, Chen Ruoyu and Lifen were having a quiet conversation over a worksheet. Yichen caught a sentence here and there — something about poetry analysis, something about last year’s school trip. Lifen said something under her breath, and Ruoyu cracked a rare smile.

Suyin turned, watching them.

“…Do you think they’ll end up together?” she whispered.

Yichen looked at her.

“Who?”

“Chen Ruoyu and Lifen. I feel like they’re one of those ‘slow-burn’ couples. Like the ones in dramas who always sit next to each other but don’t realize they’re in love until the last episode.”

He didn’t respond. He was thinking about how he was the one always next to her.

But maybe in her story… he wasn’t the slow-burn. Maybe he was just the background character.

“Maybe,” he said at last.

The bell rang for lunch.

Suyin stood, stretching. “Come on, let’s go before the cafeteria gets crowded again.”

This time, Yichen didn’t hesitate.

As they walked out together, the classroom slowly emptied behind them — just another day, just another moment.

But for Yichen, each one was something he didn’t want to forget.

Not ever.

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