A New Beginning

As the dismissal bell rang, the final class of the day concluded. Some students, eager to participate in extracurricular activities, swiftly gathered their belongings and exited the classroom. The remaining students, mostly class representatives, stayed behind to handle various tasks. Notably, the class president, Tang Xiaoxiao, was always busy. I often wondered what secrets her desk drawer held, filled with files and notebooks.

When I finished packing my bag and prepared to leave, I briefly bumped shoulders with the class president. Usually, I wouldn’t think twice about such an encounter, but today, after my morning conversation with Gao Qinghong, I found myself paying more attention to her. This heightened awareness caused me to glance back at her, only to discover that she was looking at me too.

In that fleeting moment of eye contact, she quickly averted her gaze and left with her files.

Since deciding to join a club at Haihai’s suggestion, strange things have been happening. First, girls from other classes started befriending me, and classmates who never spoke to me before suddenly became close. My school life was certainly different now. I wondered what others thought of my newfound popularity.

Who would have thought that I’d ever be the center of attention? Was this enough to meet my parents’ expectations? Having a couple of friends, being able to talk to classmates, participating in club activities instead of going straight home, and occasionally hanging out after school—these were all signs of a normal student life.

But I wasn’t sure about the depth of my relationships. How close did I need to be with someone to consider our bond strong? I lacked the experience to know how long my current friendships would last.

I paused between two school buildings, gazing toward the main gate. The students dispersing after school formed small groups, each heading in different directions. I silently observed the familiar, everyday scene, wondering about the unseen reasons behind everything.

People stand out in groups, becoming distinct individuals, only to reunite for some unknown reason. There must be a logic to it all, even if I couldn’t comprehend it.

On my way to the club activity, a peculiar chill caught my attention in the summer heat. Following the path, I noticed the clubroom door was ajar, the air conditioner humming inside. Someone had entered and left the door open.

Upon entering, I held back my greeting. Inside was a girl I didn’t recognize, with rough, reddish-brown hair that covered her entire back, resembling a mass of wool or a hedgehog. She was surprisingly small, her feet not reaching the floor as she sat. If not for her school uniform, she could easily be mistaken for a younger student.

The girl sat by the window, engrossed in a book, unaware of my presence. She held the book on her lap, so I couldn’t see the title. To avoid disturbing her, I quietly closed the door and moved to the sofa, making a slight noise that she didn’t notice. Assuming she was a member of the Gossip Club, I took out my phone and put it on silent mode, focusing on my own tasks.

Today, Huang Zhouyu recommended a mobile game called ‘ba.’ I usually avoided mobile games because of their restrictions and unreasonable difficulty levels. My phone only had social and video apps. Now, thanks to Huang Zhouyu’s insistence, I had a new game with a cute girl as its icon.

During my free time, I completed the prologue and the new player’s ten draws, getting a unique three-star character named Jina. Although I didn’t know much about her backstory, her wide forehead and cute hairstyle appealed to me.

After a few quick matches, I checked the time—only a few minutes had passed. Yu Tianman hadn’t arrived yet, and the reading girl still hadn’t noticed me. She had changed her position, leaning back in her chair with the book held up to her face, blocking my view of her.

I put away my phone and closed my eyes on the sofa, recalling that besides Huang Zhouyu, Gao Qinghong had also asked me for a favor. It seemed like I suddenly had a lot on my plate. Gao Qinghong liked our class president, the kind and caring Tang Xiaoxiao. I didn’t understand romance or relationships, so why had he come to me for help?

‘Hey, newbie,’ a soft, sweet voice called out, ‘What’s your name?’ I opened my eyes to see the reading girl, though her face was still hidden behind the book.

‘I’m Yi Chang,’ I replied.

She fell silent, and I had no reason to speak further. We sat in the clubroom, each lost in our own thoughts. Some find this uncomfortable, the mutual awareness and ignorance in shared space. But I didn’t see the issue; wasn’t this how people interacted? Even close family members often ignored each other. Conversations and interactions were brief, like leaves rustling in the wind. Silence and non-interference were the norm. Wasn’t that right?

The quiet atmosphere persisted until the door opened. First, Yu Tianman entered, waving at the reading girl and then smiling at me. Behind her was a tall girl with a high ponytail and sharp eyes—the morning’s discipline committee member.

‘Yi Chang, let me introduce you,’ she said, looking up at the girl behind her. ‘This is Mei Ruolan, the deputy leader of the discipline committee and a member of our Gossip Club.’

‘Fancy meeting you here, Yi,’ Mei Ruolan said with a meaningful smile.

‘Yeah,’ I agreed, ‘Thanks for this morning.’

‘You two…’ Yu Tianman looked confused and annoyed, ‘You already knew each other?’

‘No, I just checked his bag,’ Mei Ruolan explained.

Yu Tianman, still curious, pressed further, ‘But it wasn’t your team’s duty today. Why did you check Yi Chang’s bag?’ Mei Ruolan’s mysterious expression only fueled Yu Tianman’s curiosity. ‘What’s going on? Tell me!’

‘It’s loud in here, Tianman,’ the reading girl spoke up, ‘I’m at a crucial part. If you ruin it for me, you’re in trouble.’

‘Oh, sorry, Xiao Peach,’ Yu Tianman apologized with a sheepish grin.

The girl ignored her, continuing to read. Yu Tianman approached me, standing on her toes, and whispered in my ear, ‘Her name is Dorothy. Her father is German, but she’s lived here since she was six and has forgotten all her German. Just talk to her normally.’

I glanced at the girl again, noticing that Mei Ruolan had moved behind her, startling her with a firm pat on the shoulder. The book flew out of her hands, but she quickly caught it with her leg. She spun around, ready to retaliate with harsh words.

‘Welcome, new member,’ Mei Ruolan said. ‘Come join our conversation.’

Dorothy, both angry and amused, replied, ‘What’s with you, Ruolan? You’re excited about a new member?’ Her tone was sharp, demanding a response. ‘Fine, let’s talk.’

She stood up, placing her book on the table, and walked straight to me and Yu Tianman. Despite her small stature, her expression was sullen and irritated, her half-closed eyes filled with contempt.

‘Hey, newbie,’ she said, ‘Why did you join this club?’

‘The teachers thought I wasn’t fully experiencing school life and wanted me to join a club and integrate. I didn’t have any particular interests, so I chose one that seemed quiet and low-key.’

‘Oh, so you didn’t have to join this one specifically,’ she said with a mocking smile, looking at Yu Tianman and then at me. ‘In that case, I suggest you switch to a different club before your membership is officially registered.’

Yu Tianman grew anxious. ‘Don’t be like that, Xiao Peach. Yi is a great person and will get along well with everyone.’

‘Don’t ‘everyone’ me, Tianman,’ Dorothy snapped. ‘I know your little tricks. You think I don’t?’ She glared at Yu Tianman, who looked hurt. Seeing her expression, Dorothy softened slightly. ‘Anyway, let me talk to the newbie for a bit.’

‘So, what do you think?’ she turned to me. ‘We do spend a lot of time chatting, but since we’re an inactive club, teachers sometimes assign us student council tasks. If you joined just to avoid trouble, let me tell you, this club is trouble itself. Still want to stay?’

Before I could respond, she continued, ‘Moreover, we three have known each other since childhood. We’re top students, good-looking, and always involved in public activities. We’re popular with both students and teachers. Do you really think you can fit in with us?’

Her points were valid, and I understood why she wanted me to leave. ‘So, for your own good,’ she said, ‘choosing another club would be better.’

My life has been one of passivity. I’ve never actively wanted or hoped for anything. As a child, I never tugged at my parents’ sleeves, crying for toys. In school, I never felt envy for what others had. Even as I entered society, I resisted the desires others tried to impose on me. I didn’t need high-end stationery, trendy clothes, fake electronic collections, or game accounts. Those things were unnecessary to me. The only things I truly needed were…

‘No, I’ll stay here.’

Dorothy had made her case, and now it was my turn. ‘I want to be your friend and have honest conversations during those boring, endless moments. I don’t know what my presence means or what changes the future might bring, but I feel I should stay here. In this one chance at life, I want to build our relationships, so that even if we part ways, we’ll still have a reason to stay connected.’