After lunch, the hallways slowly filled again, the sound of footsteps and chatter rising like a low tide as students drifted back to their classrooms for the next period. The air smelled faintly of winter wind and cafeteria heat, a strange mix that clung to clothes and hair.
Chen Luoyang walked beside me until the corridor branched in two directions.
He glanced toward his classroom, then toward mine, then at me.
"See you after school," he said, flicking the corner of my scarf lightly, the gesture effortless and familiar.
"Try not to attract any stray attention in the next fifty minutes."
I didn't respond verbally, but I dipped my head slightly in acknowledgment.
He smirked, as if that small reaction was enough for him, then turned and disappeared into his own class, long strides echoing softly down the hallway.
I continued toward my own classroom, the same one as Jian and his group.
When I entered, the atmosphere was already shifting—
students were grabbing their sports uniforms, laughing, complaining, chasing each other with energy leftover from lunch.
The teacher had announced earlier that the next period was sports class, which meant almost everyone rushed out as soon as the bell rang.
I didn't.
I never did.
Sports wasn't something I enjoyed, not because I disliked movement but because crowds, shouting, and forced competition were things I preferred observing from afar, not participating in.
So as the class emptied, backpacks slung carelessly over shoulders, shoes squeaking across the floor, I simply sat down at my desk, resting my arms on the table, my gaze drifting toward the window where winter sunlight streamed in through the glass.
The teacher didn't mind.
He was used to me staying behind.
Some kids called it quiet rebellion; others said I was weird.
For me, it was just… peace.
Two minutes later, the classroom was completely empty.
Only the faint echo of students running down the hallway remained.
The sunlight warmed the edge of my cheek.
The cold breeze slipping through the window brushed softly across my hair.
The combination made my eyelids heavier than usual.
I lowered my head onto my folded arms, letting the winter light spill across my face.
Warm and cold at the same time.
A strange comfort.
My breathing slowed.
The distant shouts from the field softened into a hum.
And without planning to…
without meaning to…
I fell asleep.