"Careful Lu Mingxia!" Muyan shouts out as Mingxia almost landed flat on her face. But Muyan caught her just in time.
"Are you okay?" she asks.
"Yes. What are they rushing for? Class hour is far from getting started." Mingxia replies, a little shaken.
Muyan helps her stand still and adjusts her bag.
"They didn't even stop to say sorry." Muyan sighs while saying.
As they start to walk again, when two girls walk past them speaking to each other.
"Did you hear? A new English teacher has joined. He is a distant relative of our principal." one girl says.
"Oh really? Did he get in because he is a relative then?" the other one asks.
"Doesn't seem like it, my pa is also close to the principal and he said that he has very good knowledge in English, he graduated from Oxford and came back to teach." says the first girl. "Oh and.....my pa also said that he found him handsome." she adds more.
"Oooh.....that's nice to know. Khe khe khe." the other one beams.
The two walk away giggling. Some other ones pass the Lu sisters in hurry as well.
"So this is why there is such a rush of energy in them." Mingxia adds, swaying her head in disbelief.
Muyan keeps walking, not paying attention to all the fuss.
On their way to their respective classes, a lot of girls talk to Muyan as well. She is what you can say "pretty popular" in the school. Girls talk to her for extreme disciplined lifestyle, trying to get some useful tips out of her. She's a type of girl who barely has any haters even at the all girls school. Class topper, well maintained in studies and looks. Everyone knows her for her bold and straightforward nature who doesn't like to chit chat. In short, she's known for being an all-rounder.
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After parting ways, the sisters went to their respective classrooms. Muyan sits on the window seat second row. Her class starts with the class teacher greeting them for coming back after school summer break. Her first class is maths and it continues until they're inturrupted.
"Good morning Ms. Che." says the interrupter. A girl in uniform stands behind him.
"Oh, good morning Mr. Gao." Ms. Che greets back.
"Sorry to interrupt your class, this is a new transfer student, Ming Hua. She'll be an addition to your class from now on." Mr. Gao speaks.
"Yes yes I know, come in." Ms. Che proceeds.
As Hua enters the class, Mr. Gao leaves.
"Class, this is Ming Hua, she is your new classmate. Please welcome her with a round of applause." Ms. Che informs.
The class claps as Hua bows down to thank them.
"You can take the seat beside Li Xin Yan, second last row to right. For the pre discussed lessons before the summer break, you can ask Lu Muyan, she is the class monitor." she suggests.
Muyan raises her hand in response.
"Thank you." Hua replies and sits down on her assigned seat.
The class resumes.
"She's pretty, isn't she?" asks Cheng Dandan, Muyan's deskmate.
"Focus on the class." Muyan replies.
The rest of the classes go by pretty smoothly and lunch break time arrives.
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(Canteen, Heep Yunn premises)
Girls are scattered around all of the canteen area. Lines to get food from the counter is already long. However Dandan, and Muyan are already sat with their food trays and Mingxia joins them some time later.
"Ah Lu Mingxia! How are you? How was the summer break?" Dandan asks beamingly.
"Oh it was great. We went to visit our grandparents in Zhangzhou, had very good time there and then went to Nan Stone Trap Park in Kinmen country. It was a great experience." Mingxia replies with the same energy.
"Well, let me guess.....Muyan was walking on stone paths, reading a book like always?" Dandan nudges Muyan, teasingly.
"I would have if they allowed me. But it was a good place, surrounded with nature. Who would want to miss it?" Muyan answers, putting a fried chicken ball in her mouth.
"Mm, the noodles are tasty!" Mingxia says while eating.
Muyan puts a portion of her noodles to Mingxia's plate. Mingxia thanks her and gobbles it down. Muyan shakes her head in not so much disbelief.
"I know....feels good to have school lunch after so many days. Ah, Ming Hua!" she waves her hand to Hua who was about to cross their table.
Both the sisters look at her too as she visibly seems timid. As a newcomer, she doesn't have any new pobable friends to sit with so she slowly takes the seat aside Dandan, placing her tray on the table.
"Thank you." says Hua.
"I am Cheng Dandan. This is Lu Muyan and Lu Mingxia, she's our junior and Muyan's meme." Dandan introduces.
"Nice to meet you all. Are you all from Hong Kong?" Hua asks, starting her lunch.
"Auh, you're not?" Mingxia asks back.
"No. I transferred from Shanghai. My family shifted here, so did I." she answers.
"Ah, I see." replies Mingxia.
They keep eating and the lunch hour passes by. Hua often catches glances of the overly quiet Muyan while eating. Muyan however keeps eating, not really responding to the chatter.
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(Corridor)
Dandan, Muyan and Hua make their way to their class after parting ways with Mingxia.
"Ugh, you two go, I have to go to washroom." saying Dandan runs to the opposite direction, leaving Muyan and Hua.
Muyan casually sighs and they start walking again. Hua clears her throat to ask her something.
"You're the class monitor, right?"
"Yes." Muyan answers.
"Well, can you provide me your notes so that I-" Hua gets cut off mid way.
"I will give you each subject on each day and I need them back the next day. If you don't return the previous one, I won't give the next and since our classes include every subject everyday, I suggest you do not hold any of them off. It would hamper mine as well as your consistency." Muyan speaks without looking at Hua.
"...okay." replies Hua, a little perplexed while walking.