Chapter 7: There was a girl named Yuxiu

Baiyun Elementary School, First Grade, Classroom of Class Two.

Lin You, now separated from his grandmother, nervously took small steps into this unfamiliar place.

Inside, there were children his age, as well as adults.

“Daddy, I want Daddy! I don’t want to go to school!”

“Sob sob, Mommy doesn’t want me anymore, I want to go home!”

…

The first impression the classroom gave Lin You was that it was exceptionally noisy. Of the large group of children, at least half were crestfallen, and some even had snot and tears streaming down their faces.

‘Is school really that painful?’

Lin You first lowered his head and found an inconspicuous corner to stand in. Based on the reactions of those around him, he formed an impression of what school was like.

“Class, please quiet down. I am your Teacher Zhao, and I will be your head teacher from now on…”

A middle-aged woman stood at the podium, her loud voice drowning out the children’s crying.

Children of six or seven should already understand the principle of fearing the strong and bullying the weak.

The Teacher Zhao on the podium looked very fierce, and with no parents around to comfort them, they all wisely quieted down, not daring to make any more noise.

“Class, please line up now, from shortest to tallest. We will arrange your seats first.”

Seeing that this batch of students was relatively obedient, Teacher Zhao nodded in satisfaction and then began to organize things in an orderly manner.

Lin You was thin and weak, and not as tall as the girls his age. Like most of the boys, he stood at the front of the line.

Perhaps because of the birthmark on his face, the boys in the line didn’t want to get close to him, deliberately leaving a few body lengths of space, which made him stand out.

“…”

Lin You anxiously wrung his small hands, waiting for the teacher’s arrangement.

“This student, you will sit with him in the second group, first row.”

Teacher Zhao glanced at Lin You’s small face. She was surprised at first, but she quickly regained her composure, her attitude showing no sign of anything unusual.

“Okay.”

Lin You obeyed the teacher’s seating arrangement and walked towards his seat.

His deskmate was a chubby little fatty.

“Waaah, I don’t want to sit with him! The thing on his face, it’s probably contagious…”

When the little fatty saw his new deskmate, Lin You, his world came crashing down. Snot and tears instantly flowed uncontrollably as he shrieked and cried.

“…”

Lin You’s steps faltered. He froze on the spot, not knowing how to face the deskmate who despised him.

“Alright, alright, stop crying. The teacher will arrange a new seat for you.”

The thing Teacher Zhao had feared most had happened. She could only first placate the wailing little fatty.

Soon, the little fatty had a new deskmate.

So what should be done with Lin You?

If she continued to assign seats by height, it was likely that another student would cry and make a fuss because of the unique birthmark on Lin You’s face.

‘No one wants to be my deskmate. Is the teacher going to kick me out? If Grandma finds out, she’ll be so sad.’

Lin You stood there like a block of wood. He didn’t know what to do. The little fatty’s reaction had made his already nervous heart even more uneasy.

“Class, is there anyone who would be willing to be this student’s deskmate?”

Teacher Zhao looked at the students who had not yet been assigned seats and spoke slowly.

“I don’t want to, he’s scary.”

“Please don’t pick me.”

“I’m not willing.”

…

Most of the students shrank their necks back. No one wanted to be deskmates with an outcast like Lin You.

‘Everyone… really does hate me.’

Lin You heard all their words of rejection, and his body couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

He wanted to go home so badly, to be by his grandmother’s side. But he couldn’t be sent back; it would make his grandmother sad.

On his very first day of school, Lin You felt no fondness for the place whatsoever.

“Teacher, let me be his deskmate.”

Just as even the teacher was getting a headache, a clear and crisp voice rang out.

It turned out to be a little girl with bright eyes and pearly teeth who had volunteered to be Lin You’s deskmate.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was clearly audible in the quiet classroom.

‘She doesn’t hate me?’

Lin You was stunned. He, who had kept his head down the entire time, looked up and directed his attention towards a peer for the first time.

The girl who wanted to be his deskmate was as delicate and beautiful as a porcelain doll, a world apart from him.

‘Is it green?’

Lin You’s special talent allowed him to perceive the color above everyone’s head.

Most people were white. Those who disliked him would have a hint of gray.

And green represented a rare kindness.

Just like Yuting last night, the light above her head had been kindness, and the two were now friends.

“Very good. Then you two will be deskmates. You must get along well in the future.”

Teacher Zhao immediately made the arrangement.

And just like that, Lin You had his first deskmate.

She was very pretty and very quiet, unlike the other noisy students.

“Hello, I’m Zhong Yuxiu.”

The girl’s seat was on the left, so Lin You’s left cheek, the one with the birthmark, was facing her.

However, she didn’t show any negative emotions. Instead, she introduced herself openly.

“Hello to you too. My name is Lin You.”

Lin You was so nervous that he spoke with extreme caution, afraid that some small flaw of his would cause her to dislike him.

Kindness from his peers was so, so rare for the boy that it felt almost unreal.

“Okay, I’ve got it!”

Zhong Yuxiu reached her small hand into her backpack and rummaged around.

“Want some candy, Classmate Lin?”

A piece of candy in a pink wrapper appeared in her palm. It quietly crossed the centerline of their joined desks and arrived on Lin You’s side.

The teacher was still arranging seats, and the deskmates who had already been seated were getting to know each other.

“No, thank you.”

Lin You was flattered and quickly shook his head.

His backpack contained nothing but the stationery his grandmother had bought. He had nothing to give in return, so he didn’t want to accept it.

“Oh.”

Zhong Yuxiu withdrew her hand and didn’t insist too enthusiastically.

Seemingly noticing Lin You’s reservedness, the girl didn’t bother him further.

She turned her head to talk to the two girls in the row behind them and quickly gave the candy away.

“Have you guys seen Magical Girl?”

“Of course! My favorite character is…”

Quietly listening to his deskmate’s conversation with others, Lin You couldn’t get a word in, nor did he want to. He simply treated himself as invisible air.

After all the seats were assigned, the teacher had the students introduce themselves.

Lin You couldn’t remember that many names. Or rather, he didn’t want to remember, because most of his classmates gave him strange looks.

He knew he could never be friends with these people.

Therefore, Lin You only remembered the name Zhong Yuxiu. She was also the only green in the entire classroom.

‘Zhong Yuxiu, Xu Yuting, both three-character names…’

Lin You was accustomed to staying quiet in unfamiliar environments, but he couldn’t escape the characteristics of a child. He, too, would let his thoughts wander.