Chapter 5 – Things Left Unsaid

The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom windows, golden and soft, casting long shadows across the floor.

Class had ended, but Yichen stayed behind.

He often did.

Most students had already left for club meetings, cram school, or the snack shops down the street. Only a few lingered behind — Chen Ruoyu leaning back in his chair with his earbuds in, Lifen neatly arranging the chalk and wiping the blackboard, and Suyin…

“Can you pass me the broom?” she called, balancing on one leg as she tried to pull a chair out from under a desk.

Yichen stood and handed it to her wordlessly.

“Thanks,” she said, flashing a tired smile. “I always get unlucky and end up on cleanup duty.”

“You’re the one who volunteered,” Yichen reminded her.

“Only because Lifen asked nicely,” Suyin said, sighing. “I can’t say no to people who are polite.”

Lifen, nearby, turned around with a small smile. “Sorry. I really didn’t mean to push you into it.”

Suyin waved her hand. “No, no. You’re too nice to say no to. That’s your secret power.”

Lifen gave a soft chuckle. “If that’s true, then Yichen must be immune.”

Yichen looked up from dusting the chalkboard edge. “I just have a bad memory.”

“No, you don’t,” Suyin said immediately. “Your memory’s perfect. You even remember which brand of milk tea I like.”

Yichen turned back to his work, trying to hide the way his ears went slightly pink.

“See? He’s embarrassed,” Suyin whispered to Lifen like it was the most interesting discovery in the world.

Lifen didn’t say anything, but her eyes lingered on Yichen for just a second longer than usual. There was something knowing in her gaze — not teasing, not amused. Just… observant.

They cleaned for another ten minutes. Dust swept into neat piles. Desks straightened. The windows cracked open to let in a breeze that carried the faint smell of leaves and car exhaust.

Chen Ruoyu finally stood and stretched. “I’m heading out. See you all tomorrow.”

Lifen nodded. “Be careful on your bike. The back road’s slippery.”

He gave her a lazy salute. “I’ll manage.”

Suyin watched him go, then turned to Lifen with a curious look.

“You two talk more than I thought.”

Lifen paused. “We sit next to each other.”

“Yeah, but it’s always like—” Suyin mimicked Lifen’s calm tone — “‘Did you do the assignment?’ ‘Here’s your pen.’ ‘That’s not the right page.’ It’s very… adult.”

Yichen listened quietly from the window.

Lifen smiled slightly. “We don’t need to say much.”

Suyin tilted her head, thoughtful. “I wish I had something like that.”

Yichen turned away.

A few minutes later, they finished cleaning. Lifen left with a quiet goodbye, and Suyin slung her bag over her shoulder, glancing at Yichen.

“Wanna walk home together today?”

He nodded.

They left through the back gate, avoiding the busier main entrance. The school’s outer walls were lined with leafy trees, their shadows dancing on the sidewalk. The sun was already low, casting everything in soft orange light.

They didn’t talk at first.

Suyin kicked a pebble as she walked, her hands in her pockets. Yichen walked beside her, matching her pace without needing to think about it.

“I had a weird dream last night,” she said suddenly.

Yichen looked at her. “What kind of dream?”

“I don’t remember much,” she said. “Just… the sound of bells. Like the school bell, but distant. And someone was calling me, but I couldn’t turn around.”

He stayed quiet.

“That ever happen to you?” she asked.

He thought for a moment.

“Sometimes. But I never remember the voice.”

Suyin looked up at the trees. “Maybe dreams are like little messages. Like… something inside us trying to say something.”

“Maybe.”

She looked at him then — not playfully, not teasingly, just… looking. As if she wanted to say something but didn’t know how.

Then her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and frowned.

“Ugh. My mom. She says I need to go to the tutoring center early today.”

Yichen glanced at the sky. “You still have time.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t leave now she’ll call again in five minutes.”

They stopped walking.

The tutoring center was the other way. She looked down the road, then back at Yichen.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Okay.”

She turned to leave, then paused.

“…Thanks for walking with me.”

He nodded.

She hesitated again, like she wanted to add something — but the moment passed.

She turned and walked away, the sound of her footsteps fading into the hum of the city.

Yichen stood there for a while.

Then he pulled out his phone, opened a note, and wrote one sentence:

“Even small moments with you feel like whole days.”

Then he saved it and closed the screen.

The sky above him was glowing orange, fading into the first hints of evening.

And still, he didn’t move.

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