The start of the school day was always filled with students rolling in. Though most reluctant, they carried the hope and dreams of many parents on their shoulders.
At the school gate, Yifan nodded at the security guard before heading inside. Worried about all the students here, Yifan said worryingly. "Stay close to me, grandpa deity. I don't want people staring at me, ok?"
There were no response.
"Hello?"
Yifan looked around, quickly alarmed. He scanned his shoulders, finding the small figure had vanished into thin air! He jolted on the spot, heart beating violently as he tried to find that small spirit!
From the tip of his ear, he heard a creepy laugh, which didn't belong to other students. He stared at the direction, finding a group of female students walking together. Yifan thought he must have imagined it, but from beneath one of female student's dress, Master Panteng flew out with a silly smile. His expression as if he went to nirvana.
"Ah… pink!" The spirit said to no one in particular.
Yifan was shocked speechless. He wanted to shout, but afraid of being labelled a lunatic, he could only suppress his anger and walk with hurried steps.
"Wait! Stop walking so fast! I haven't caught another glance!"
Panteng complained, but before he could even finish, he was pulled alongside Yifan as if he had an invisible dog leash.
Inside the classroom, Fatty Wang was already sitting in his desk, slouching over in a depressed manner and eating potato chips. The moment his eyes caught onto Yifan, Fatty's expression took a 180 degrees turn! A sad poodle turned into a buzzing puppy!
"Yifan! You won't believe what you missed! This master completely dominated Rank lobby last night! MVP for five consecutive games!"
Wang Dazhi boasted with pride, puffing his chest and showing off his nonexistent chest muscles.
Yifan eyed Fatty Wang suspiciously. "Really? Then why did you look so sad before I walked in?"
Wang Dazhi panicked, and could only brush it off, refusing to comment. "Let's not talk about it…"
Yifan smirked. "Didn't win a single game after 8 o'clock, right?"
Fatty Wang looked as if his soul was crushed. "Damn those bastards. All those fake accounts and professional rank boosters started showing up. There's no way I would've lost 10 consecutive games otherwise! I swear, never had I seen people so shameless!"
Yifan giggled, seeing Fatty Wang's frustration just made his day. As his best friend continued cursing his luck whilst boasting his gaming skills, the topic eventually drifted away.
Stopping for a moment. "Yifan, you remember what I told you yesterday? That rumour going around?"
Yifan paused for a moment. "The transfer student?"
"Yeah! The whole school is talking about it! I heard the new student is a stunning beauty, and studied overseas before moving back to Guangzhou!"
"Don't exaggerate, no matter how beautiful, she couldn't possibly overshadow your crush, Sun—"
Fatty Wang already jumped on his feet, with his meaty hands choking his neck. "Shut up! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you! Xu Yifan!"
"AH! I can't breathe! I can't—"
For the very moment, the two best friends sitting at the back row, became the centre of attention. Even the most studious students sitting at the front of class turned their heads to see the drama.
After a few moments, and under the stare of their fellow classmates. Wang Dazhi eventually settled back on his desk, with his face pink with embarrassment. He kept his face low, but sneaked occasional glances at a female student sitting a few desk away— Sun Jiaqi.
The lighthearted humorous exchange was everyone's talking point, but they soon found other things to discuss. Before Fatty and Yifan could talk further, the classroom door slid open and the homeroom teacher marched inside.
Everyone stood up in unison, showing their upmost respect.
The teacher nodded, permitting everyone to sit down. Names were called out, and the attendance sheet were marked. As the students were prepared for another lesson, they found the teacher was standing on the podium with something to say.
"Ahem. As you all may have heard, we are getting a transfer student."
The class buzzed with excitement as they looked at one another. Even Fatty Wang eyed Yifan with a "I told you so!" expression.
"Come on in. Introduce yourself." The teacher said whilst looking at the door.
Soft footsteps echoed along the corridor. The door gently slid open. She walked in. The most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. The same one he was dreaming about. His heart stopped.
"Hi! I'm Li Xiaoyu. Join the football club!" A vibrant smile plastered on her fair cheeks.
The whole class was silent.
Everyone was stunned speechless, but the next moment, the class turned into a thunder of applause. The male students clapping like headless chickens, even Fatty Wang was amongst the student who were bravely applauding. On the other hand, the female classmates were extremely dark, with the eyes narrowing and expression fierce.
In their head, there was the same collective thought: a fierce competitor had arrived!
But the most complicated expression could be found on Xu Yifan, who had his mouth ajar, his eyes wide in shock. His words stuck on the tip of his tongue.
"I-It's you!" Yifan shouted, unable to believe his eyes.
The whole class turned to him, everyone confused by the sudden outburst.
Standing at the front, Xiaoyu only had a mischievous smile, waving back in response.
"Hey!"
The whole class descended into chaos, and many male students were glaring at Yifan, trying to interpret the situation.
Before anyone could interrogate the stunned Yifan, the homeroom teacher have already escorted Xiaoyu out of room, leaving the class even more confused.
"She's not in our class," the teacher explained, "she's just introducing herself…"
Facing this truth, many male students sighed in collective disappointment. Of course, the female classmates were feeling the exact opposite. As the saying goes: one less competitor makes me stand out more!
When the teacher left, the class descended into madness! Fatty Wang was the first to break into a frenzy. His bear like hands grabbing Yifan by the shoulder, shaking him back and forth frantically.
"Confess, confess! How did you know Li Xiaoyu?! What is your special relationship with her! You must give me an answer or I will end our brotherhood right here and now!"
The other classmates also came to interrogate, Yifan's desk surrounded by male students asking questions. Even Master Panteng joined the chaos, sticking to Yifan's ear and shouting questions non-stop! For a brief moment, Yifan was the centre of attention, making him feel overwhelmed.
"Em… I-I met her under the bridge!" he said timidly, trying to explain. "She asked for my name, and which school I'm from. That's all I know! Really!"
Yifan raised his voice, pleading to his classmates trying to explain that he doesn't really know her.
However, a very different picture formed in every boys; heads. Even the girls perked their ears as they listened. Imagining a romantic scene: Beside a crisp autumn lake, in the darkness under the bridge, a girl chasing after the love of her life. Even separated by different schools, moving thousands of miles just to be with her love. Is… is this unconditional love?!
The boys looked at each other with complicated expression. Even Fatty Wang had a silly look. After a while, Fatty could only grit his teeth and shake his head. "Damn! Lucky guy!" Which was exactly what the other male students also thought. They eyed Yifan with dark expression, daggers hidden underneath. The girls smiled silently, secretly pleased by the revelation.
Yifan was confused by their reaction, but upon reflection, he quickly realised the misunderstanding. "Wait! It's not like that! I really don't know her! We—"
"Shut up! How could you be so blind?!" Wang Dazhi shouted, his arms crossed with a sharp gaze. "You don't know what you've lost until they're gone! Don't make such a mistake, Xu Yifan!"
"B-But! I really—"
"Silence! As your best friend, I will do everything to make this relationship a success!"
"Wait! Fatty! It's not like that! WAIT!"