The Girl on the Rooftop

“Qin An, can you explain why you were shirtless early in the morning, then ended up in the health room with a female classmate, and even made her cry? The health teacher complained to me, claiming you turned her quiet infirmary into a scene of complete chaos!”

The woman sitting before him looked incredibly youthful, despite being his homeroom teacher, Qianye Lingmei. She stood about 1.5 meters tall, and despite her trendy twin-tails, dyed blonde hair, and the small butterfly tattoo on her neck, she was a teacher in her thirties.

Qianye Lingmei sat on a swivel chair, tapping her fingers impatiently on the desk. Qin An could feel her patience slipping away.

“Well, actually, there was this girl named Yuko this morning…”

Qin An briefly explained the situation. He didn’t mention the accidental mishap that occurred while he was trying to help her.

“That girl! Her name is Yuko Hirano, right? That’s quite a coincidence.”

Qianye Lingmei showed a mischievous smile, then spun her chair around to face away from Qin An, waving her hand. “Qin An, I understand the situation. Although your actions were a bit misguided, your intentions were good. I’ll report this to the principal.”

Qin An walked dejectedly toward the classroom. Many people in the hallway were pointing at him. His outfit was quite unusual; since his pants had been soaked, he had changed into a school tracksuit.

Ignoring the sharp glances and whispers, he walked straight to the second-to-last seat in the first row. This seat by the window was affectionately known as the “Harem King” spot.

The classroom wasn’t big. Four rows, nine seats each, only thirty-six students in total.

As Qin An sat down and took out his textbook for the upcoming Japanese class, a strikingly handsome boy approached him. Most of the class might not remember all the names, but Qin An had memorized everyone’s names and faces during introductions.

This handsome guy was Yamashita Ryo. A true hunk with golden shaggy hair and a chiseled face. He could walk a runway in any outfit, and he was the center of attention whenever he walked by.

He reached out and patted Qin An’s shoulder. “Qin An, I saw you earlier. You’ve got great energy!”

Qin An chuckled and scooted toward the wall.

“Look, Yamashita and Qin An are sitting so close!”

“They’ve been talking all morning!”

“I think Yamashita really respects Qin An. He’s always so fiery and outgoing, while Qin An is so calm and mysterious.”

Qin An heard every word perfectly, but Yamashita Ryo didn’t seem to react. Instead, he handed Qin An a card and winked at him. “I believe in you! You’ll definitely become a star player.”

What is this? Qin An opened the card. It read “Host Club Paradise” with a detailed address and contact information below.

Qin An knew what a host club was, but he wasn’t interested in that lifestyle. Little did he know that this small card would play a surprisingly large role later on.

Qin An spent the whole morning quietly watching the girls on the sports field. He always ate lunch on the school rooftop. It was a good spot, but no one cleaned it, so it was a bit dusty. Most students preferred to eat under the cherry blossom trees, enjoying the view and chatting.

Qin An brought his bento to the rooftop, but today he wasn’t the only visitor.

On the edge of the rooftop sat a girl. She faced away from the sky, her legs swaying in the air. Actually, her whole body wobbled, as if she might fall at any moment. This was the fifth floor plus the rooftop—quite a height!

She had thick eyelashes and large, lively eyes, but her face was pale. It was Yuko Hirano, the girl Qianye Lingmei mentioned. She also noticed Qin An, the only boy who could see her.

“Ah.”

For some reason, her hands slipped from the railing, and she fell backward. Qin An shot forward like an arrow and grabbed her hand just in time.

She saw herself reflected in his pupils. His eyes were so gentle. His hand felt rough—was he in the kendo club? Realizing it was the first time she had held a boy’s hand, her cheeks flushed, and her heart pounded.

At that moment, Qin An’s bento box fell to the ground with a clatter.

“Don’t scare me like that, you idiot!”

“Sorry, I was too hungry. I don’t know how…”

“Take it and eat!” Qin An picked up the bento and handed it to her. Then he walked to the railing, rested his hands on it, and took a deep breath. Shenchuan City’s Dongling Middle School was built halfway up the mountain. From this rooftop, you could see the entire city. The view was beautiful, but the people were even more so.

“But what about you?”

“It’s fine. I’ll buy some bread.”

The next moment, Qin An brushed past Yuko and headed down the stairs.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“Qin An.”

A voice from somewhere distant echoed in Yuko’s heart. Her clothes had been dried in the health room’s dryer, but his wool sweater was still on her shoulders. His scent was so reassuring, she couldn’t bring herself to take it off.

Yuko looked at the heartfelt bento in her hands. Maybe she owed him so much that she could never repay it in this lifetime.