Summer in Your Name - 16

Arrangement

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The long week finally ended. Another Monday arrived.

Zhang Shu moved to the second row, once again separated from Sheng Xia by an aisle.

As they pushed their desks apart, Zhang Shu asked, "You have anything left at mine?"

She did have a lot of stuff. It was always flying around. During class, she'd frequently lose a pen or correction tape, and Zhang Shu would lift his exercise book, and nine times out of ten, it would be there.

Sheng Xia checked. "No, nothing."

Seeing him look through his drawer suddenly reminded her about the gift. Has he seen it?

He hadn't reacted at all. Either he hadn't seen it, or he had and hadn't connected it to her.

Either way, she was safe.

Xin Xiaohe moved back to her left side.

Watching Xin Xiaohe and Yang Linyu bicker every day was oddly energizing.

The weather was getting muggier, and everyone was slipping into a slump. By afternoon, Sheng Xia would get drowsy. When Hou Junqi in front of her inevitably collapsed onto his desk, she'd get even sleepier.

That's when she'd look at Zhang Shu, relentlessly working through problems, and Xin Xiaohe, completely focused. Then she wouldn't dare let herself doze off anymore.

Surrounded by academic overachievers. The pressure was real.

These past few weeks, Sheng Xia had realized the biggest difference between Affiliated High and No. 2 High was the constant urgency. There was always the constant weight of unfinished tasks, the unrelenting stream of unabsorbed knowledge. Her whole being, body and soul, was in overdrive.

She couldn't stop.

Because everything around her was constantly moving, constantly changing.

She felt like she was caught in a massive machine, turning along with it without thinking.

Mealtimes were her only relaxed moment of the day.

She loved the food at the lunch center. Homey, tasty, nutritious.

But whenever she ran into Hou Junqi and Zhang Shu, even relaxing mealtimes became tense.

---

That afternoon after school, Sheng Xia stopped by the fruit shop for a cucumber juice before heading up to the second floor to eat. Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi were already there.

Hou Junqi waved. "Little Sheng Xia! Over here!"

Sheng Xia hesitated with her tray. Would it be too obvious if she didn’t go over?

She decided that would be too rude. So she went.

It was a square table. Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi sat across from each other. Whichever empty seat Sheng Xia chose, she'd be flanked by the two guys.

Too conspicuous.

She kept her head down while eating. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see quite a few people glancing their way. Including the serving auntie… and the beautiful owner.

"Little Sheng Xia, are you really one sixty-six?" Hou Junqi could never eat in silence.

Sheng Xia blinked, then instinctively glanced at Zhang Shu.

Did he and Hou Junqi have no secrets? They share even trivial stuff like this?

She nodded. "Mm." Though that was from last year's checkup. She might have grown a little since then.

"Are you and Lu Youze close?" Hou Junqi asked.

The topic jumped so fast Sheng Xia didn’t quite follow.

Lu Youze sat behind Xin Xiaohe, close to Sheng Xia. But he wasn't the talkative type. They didn't actually interact much. But this morning, they'd discussed Wang Zengqi's books for a bit longer than usual.

Sheng Xia answered briefly. "Same class in middle school."

Hou Junqi asked, "Did he tattle a lot back then too?"

Sheng Xia: ...

She looked up. "Not that I know of. I'm not sure."

"Then you…" Hou Junqi was about to continue when Zhang Shu cut him off with a chopstick tapped against his tray.

"You talk too much. If you're not eating, go stand in the corner and do stand-up comedy. Work off some of that fat." Zhang Shu's voice was flat, but his words were ruthless.

Hou Junqi made a zipping motion across his lips and obediently shut up.

Sheng Xia sat in silence, feeling a little sympathy for Hou Junqi. Being friends with someone so fierce and sharp-tongued must've not been easy.

---

During evening study, two workers carrying ladders showed up. They fiddled with something at the front of the classroom for a while. Everyone propped their chins up, watching curiously. 

Finally, the workers nailed up a huge countdown timer. Then they left as quietly as they'd come, leaving a classroom full of groans behind them.

"Nooo, why am I suddenly terrified..."

"No way, it's not even three hundred days!"

"Please no, I'm still a baby!"

August had quietly crept to its end. Extra classes were over. Next week, school will officially start. Senior year was beginning for real. And all that was left of their high school was the bright red number on that timer.

286 days.

They'd always said there was still a whole year of senior year left. But looking at those numbers... where was this supposed ‘whole year’?

Urgency crashed over them like a tidal wave.

"What are you all yelling about? You know time's running out, so use it. You think screaming will make it longer?" Wang Wei appeared at the back door, eyes sharp as he took the chaos.

It wasn't his evening study shift tonight. What was he doing here?

The classroom went quiet. Everyone buried their heads in their work. Wang Wei called out, "Zhang Shu. Come out here."

Zhang Shu tossed his pen and stood up.

"What now?" Before Wang Wei could speak, Zhang Shu cut in impatiently. "Getting first place means I get a weekly Big Brother Confidant Time session? Maybe I should aim for second next time."

"You little—!" Wang Wei yanked the rolled-up papers from under his arm, ready to smack Zhang Shu's back, but he stopped mid-swing, glared at his impertinent student, and growled, "This is serious!"

Zhang Shu: "Say."

Wang Wei slung an arm around his shoulder, turning them both away from the classroom door. Assuming his ‘serious talk’ stance.

"Next week at the opening flag-raising ceremony. The school wants you to give the speech under the flag. You…"

Before Wang Wei could finish, Zhang Shu refused. "No."

"This isn’t optional! Every year, the school has the top senior student to share their study tips with the underclassmen. You're giving that speech whether you like it or not!"

These speeches were basically just pep rallies.

Zhang Shu said, "Share what study tips? What am I supposed to say? ‘I’m just naturally gifted’? Or ‘Just listen in class and finish your homework’?”

Wang Wei was momentarily speechless.

"I heard your mistake notebooks are all the rage with the second year students. Almost everyone's got one." Wang Wei switched to a softer approach. "Maybe you could talk about how to organize those together."

Ha. Even Old Wang knew he was selling mistake notebooks. How did some people get the idea he was selling... other things?

Zhang Shu laughed. "Everyone's mistakes are different. I don't know why anyone would want my notebook. Maybe they use them for some superstitious rituals, try to get some luck.”

"You—!"

Every conversation with Zhang Shu left Wang Wei half-dead with rage. He steadied himself. "If you really can't figure out what to say, ask Lu Youze. Kid's got tons of speech experience. Or write a draft first, then get Sheng Xia to revise it for you."

Zhang Shu relented. "Fine."

Wang Wei exhaled in relief. Stubborn as Zhang Shu was, once he agreed to something, he usually came through.

But then Zhang Shu added, "I can't exactly order her around. How about you arrange it?"

Wang Wei: "Arrange what?"

"Arrange for someone to revise my draft?”

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