"Him"

I was late again. Not dramatically, just… five minutes late, which is enough to make me feel guilty. The classroom was half-full, the smell of chalk and old books filling the air.

My bag slipped off my shoulder, landing softly on the floor, and I muttered an apology as I slid into my usual seat by the window.

It was just another Tuesday.

Normal. Boring.

Then the door opened.

The teacher called a name I didn’t know, and a boy walked in. New. Fresh. He looked… normal. Just a student. Medium brown hair, neat uniform, backpack slung casually. Nothing special.

He scanned the room, probably looking for his seat. Our eyes met for a second—I think. I’m not sure. I looked down at my notebook, pretending to check something.

He walked to the back, a little awkwardly, and sat down at seat 2B. My seat. Across the aisle from me.

I noticed the way he adjusted his bag, how he tapped his pen lightly against his notebook. A small thing, really, but somehow… I remembered it.

The teacher gave a brief introduction: “Class, this is Zhōu Yǔ’ān. He’ll be joining us from today.”

I said… nothing. Just nodded politely. He smiled at the class. Polite. Friendly. Nothing extraordinary.

And that was it.

The rest of the lesson passed normally. He asked a question, answered a few things, and seemed… fine. Totally fine. Not distracting. Not weird. Just… there.

But later, when I glanced at him quietly from my corner of the classroom, I realized I didn’t hate that he was there. And that… was weird.

At lunch, I noticed him again. He ate quietly, a little careful, like he didn’t know anyone yet. He hummed softly to himself while opening his lunch box. Noticing that small thing made me… look. I didn’t know why. I quickly looked away.

Later, in math class, he scribbled something on the margin of his notebook, then glanced at the teacher. I caught a flicker of concentration on his face. It was a tiny thing, but it made him seem… thoughtful. Not perfect, just… real.

By the time the last bell rang, I realized I had been stealing glances all day without realizing it. Nothing had happened. We hadn’t spoken more than a few words. He didn’t even notice me noticing him, and that somehow made it easier.

I packed my bag slowly, and for some reason, I found myself hoping he would do the same. I had no idea why.

Normal day. Normal boy. Normal classroom.

And yet… something felt a little… different.

I left the classroom slowly, pretending to tie my shoelaces, but really just watching him pack his bag. He smiled at someone across the hall, and I felt… something I couldn’t name. My chest felt lighter, warmer, and I thought, maybe, just maybe, tomorrow won’t be so normal after all.

…and I realized I was already noticing him.

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