At some point, without realizing it, I fell asleep.
And just like that, I was back there.
(YEAR:2018)
A classroom filled with noise, sunlight streaming through the windows, and the faint sound of pages turning and students talking over one another. It was just another ordinary day.
Or at least… it was supposed to be.
I was sitting at my desk, half-listening to everything around me, when suddenly, the classroom door slid open.
The noise quieted almost instantly.
And then, a voice.
Calm. Clear. Unfamiliar.
"Who is Zhu Hua?"
For a moment, I didn't react. Confusion flickered across my mind as I looked toward the door.
A tall figure stood there.
A senior.
Someone I had never seen before.
Yet somehow… he didn't feel like someone you could ignore.
Everyone in the class had already turned to look at him. Whispers began to spread quietly.
"Who is he?"
"He's so handsome…"
"Isn't he from the senior classes?"
My heart skipped, just slightly.
"…Me."
I raised my hand slowly, unsure.
His gaze shifted.
And then, he walked toward me.
Step by step. Calm. Unhurried.
But for some reason, every step felt loud in my chest.
He stopped beside my desk, looking down at me.
"You're Zhu Hao's younger sister?"
His voice was cool, yet strangely gentle at the same time.
I blinked, still a little lost.
"…Yeah," I said, looking up at him. "And who are you?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he placed a lunch box gently on my desk.
"I'm your brother's friend," he said. "He asked me to give you this. You forgot it at home. He brought it, but he's busy."
"Oh…"
I looked at the lunch box, then back at him.
For a second, I just stared.
I didn't know why.
Maybe it was the way he stood there so effortlessly… or the way his expression barely changed… or just… him.
He noticed.
"Is there something on my face?" he asked.
I froze.
My heart jumped as if I had been caught doing something wrong.
"N-no," I stammered quickly, grabbing the lunch box and hiding it under my desk. "Nothing…"
Then, without thinking, I added, "I was just wondering how my ugly brother has a friend like you."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I frowned slightly, continuing in an annoyed tone, "His personality is so bad… how are you even friends with him?"
For a second, there was silence.
Then—
he smiled.
Just a little.
It was faint, but unmistakable.
He leaned forward slightly, resting one hand on my desk, his gaze lowering to meet mine.
"So…" he said softly, "…are you trying to say that I'm handsome?"
My breath caught.
I looked at him again, completely caught off guard.
Before I could answer, the bell rang.
Loud. Sharp.
Breaking the moment instantly.
Class time.
He straightened up, stepping back as if nothing had happened.
"Eat your lunch, meimei," he said casually. "I'll get going."
And just like that, he turned and walked away.
I didn't move.
Didn't speak.
I just watched him as he left the classroom—
until he disappeared from sight.
"Zhu Hua!"
The sudden voices around me pulled me back. My classmates rushed over immediately, crowding around my desk.
"Who was that?"
"He's so handsome!"
"Is he really your brother's friend?"
"What's his name?"
I blinked as their questions came one after another.
But only one thought stayed in my mind.
His name.
I paused, then said casually, trying to sound normal, "He's my brother's friend."
A small shrug.
"…I don't know his name."
And somehow, that made my heart feel strangely empty.
Because even though that was the first time I saw him…
it already felt like something had begun.
Something I didn't understand yet.
Something I wouldn't forget.