章節 13: Troubles of the Past

Several days went by after Jingliu and Yasushi's unexpected "date," and they hadn't managed to grab another chance to be alone after classes. They did have lunch together one time, in an empty classroom on a day when everyone else had quickly left.

Their daily life, though different, still connected in small ways. They walked to school together, a silent agreement guiding them. They also walked back home together for a moment, until Yinhaie arrived in her fancy car, stealing their shared time and drawing attention from others.

The cause for this shift became obvious the next day. Jingliu told Yasushi that her father, who now knew about what happened, had told Yinhaie to pick her up after school.

However, he was alright with Jingliu continuing to walk to school, accepting this new plan as their unspoken normal.

This allowed them their morning walk, which was an important part of their day, while still adhering to her father's new rule. It was a compromise that preserved part of their routine.

The classroom was filled with the usual early morning noise until their homeroom teacher came in, and everyone went to their seats.

Senbarisu's voice echoed throughout the space, putting an end to the quiet. "Some of you might have seen, and others might not have, but we're getting a new transfer student. There are others transferring too, spread out in different classes and grades, so don't pay it too much mind," she explained.

A male student, showing his interest, lifted his hand. "Are they good-looking?" he asked.

"…I didn't even say their gender yet — oh, never mind. They're another girl! Is that what you wanted to know?" Senbarisu's irritation was clear; however, the male student responded with an eager nod.

Senbarisu continued, with a sigh, "She's also from China, so Jingliu might make a new friend. Anyway, she'll be starting tomorrow, so be ready. But I have to tell you all, don't bother her too much; I hear she's pretty hot-headed."

Many eyes turned toward Jingliu, but she didn't move, a picture of calmness, leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed and arms crossed, showing that she didn't care for the news at all. Her indifference to the subject was a clear message to anyone who tried to catch her attention.

"Her name is Xinyi Chenggg. She has a lot of money, so if any of you annoy her, she might ruin your family financially. Remember that," Senbarisu added, causing a small change in Jingliu's expression, a detail noticed only by Yasushi, who wondered about her reaction to the comment. He was curious about why she reacted to that specific piece of information.

But, no one asked any more questions about it. Instead, they started asking the homeroom teacher, who did her best to answer their questions with the increasing curiosity. And so, their school day went on with discussions and questions about Xinyi Chenggg's upcoming arrival.

The anticipation of a wealthy, and potentially volatile classmate was the major discussion point of the day. It was clear that Xinyi Chenggg's presence would cause some change.

+-+

When lunchtime started, Yasushi's phone vibrated with a text from Jingliu, asking him to meet her on the forbidden rooftop. This area was not allowed to students, which made him very curious about how she had been able to bypass the barriers.

Without thinking about it too much, he climbed two flights of stairs, ending up in front of the door. He turned the handle, surprised that it wasn't locked and he could get inside.

After closing the door, Yasushi looked at Jingliu, who was casually leaning against the green fence. She smiled at him and then gently patted the spot next to her for him to sit. He sat down and asked, "How did you even get up here?" He was genuinely curious about how she'd managed to get up there without being noticed.

"...I have my ways. Don't worry about it too much," Jingliu answered mysteriously, causing Yasushi to take out his lunchbox, which, yet again, was prepared by Yinhaie. He knew that he should probably be concerned by the fact that she was doing this, but he did find the taste of the lunches she made quite good.

They started eating together quietly, knowing they'd both have an opportunity to discuss the homeroom news soon. For now, they chose to continue eating in silence, a comfortable quietness that allowed both of them to gather their thoughts before the conversation that was sure to come.

"...So, about this morning," Jingliu started, her voice a bit serious, between bites. "That new girl who's coming, I know her… quite well." She seemed to be choosing her words with caution, as if preparing to reveal an important piece of information.

Yasushi stopped eating, looking at her directly, their eyes meeting in a quiet understanding. He could tell that there was more to what she was saying and waited patiently for her to elaborate on the matter.

"And? Is she some kind of old annoyance or something from the past?" he asked, returning to his food with delight. "...this is really good, please tell Yinhaie thank you for me later." He was glad to get some good food and enjoyed the chance to have a conversation with her about this new subject.

Jingliu looked down at her lunchbox, then nodded. "We were around each other for only two years, but… she was always a problem for me. I couldn't just fight her, because she never started any physical fights. She's the type that likes to taunt and use words as a way to hurt you."

"Ah, the type who makes you want to shut them up with a punch," Yasushi commented, making Jingliu laugh a little as she nodded. She clearly understood what he meant about some people being so annoying.

"Xinyi Chengg, huh? So, we're facing a possible issue here, right? Trying to keep our friendship a secret is gonna be… how can I say it, a real pain in the ass?" Yasushi asked. He was already thinking about how this new girl might affect things.

"Hmm. Most likely. But don't worry about it, I have ways to confuse her," Jingliu answered confidently, hinting at a scheme that intrigued Yasushi. He was interested in what she might have planned.

He shook his head with a smirk. "Rich people, always making everything so complicated..." He couldn't help but think that their lives would be easier if this weren't the case.

"How about this? When we need to talk or sneak up here, we can just ask my trusted ally for help," Jingliu proposed, sharing her idea. She seemed to have everything planned out.

Yasushi raised an eyebrow, a bit hesitant. "You don't think she'll do the same thing? Use her own people to distract our helper and follow us?" He was already considering the potential for Xinyi to outmaneuver them.

Jingliu stopped for a moment, her looking off in thought. "I'll have backup plans. We'll deal with this together, one step at a time." She wanted to be prepared for any outcome, and was determined to not let it become a problem.

"Aye, aye, captain…" Yasushi replied with a chuckle, and continued to eat his lunch. "But wait a minute. Weren't we in the middle of heavy snow earlier? How did this place manage to look so… spotless?" he asked, looking at Jingliu, who gave him a playful smirk. It was strange how the rooftop could change so fast.

"Like I said, I have my ways, my dear friend. Never underestimate the power of money," Jingliu answered mysteriously, making it clear that she wasn't going to explain any further. She wanted to leave him guessing about how she managed to do this.

Yasushi shook his head, amused, while his eyes scanned the school's rooftop, which was now completely clear. Just hours before, the entire area had been covered in snow, so he was amazed at how quickly her people had cleaned everything.

He thought for a moment about how much it must have cost, but then he remembered her black credit card, reminding himself that she could afford such things without problems. The contrast between the snow-covered world and her pristine rooftop was quite telling.

They enjoyed their time on the rooftop, a short break from the busy world below. But as the snow started to get worse again, they knew their time was ending. Quietly, they went back down, entering the hallways, without anyone noticing them, or at least that's what they thought. They had enjoyed the peace and quiet, but knew that they had to get back to the regular school routine.

+-+

When the final bell rang, letting everyone know that the school day was over, their classmates rushed out, leaving Jingliu and Yasushi by themselves in the classroom. Furuya's last words echoed in the empty room, saying that they'd see them tomorrow.

Their alone time didn't last long, as their homeroom teacher came over, starting a quiet talk with Jingliu. When she saw Yasushi, she told him to leave. "Be quick now, Futakao. This is something private," she told him.

Yasushi agreed, going outside but staying near the door, waiting for Jingliu. After a quick conversation, Senbarisu came out first, followed by Jingliu, who had a slight frown. When she saw Yasushi, she nodded, and they left the school together. He was curious about what they had talked about but he knew better than to ask.

Once they were outside, with Yinhaie waiting for Jingliu, she turned to Yasushi. "They've asked me to show Xinyi around tomorrow. I'm not happy about it, but they kept asking until I agreed. They want you to come too... so, will you?" Her lack of enthusiasm made him wonder how much of a chore she thought it'd be.

"Well, since you're still getting used to this situation, I'm okay with it. Does that mean we can skip a few classes?" Yasushi asked, a bit hopeful, but Jingliu shook her head to deny that idea. He'd hoped for some kind of school-related loophole, but it didn't seem likely.

"No, we'll give the tour during lunch and after classes, so get ready for that," Jingliu explained, making Yasushi groan in disappointment. He had been hoping that this would allow them to get out of school for at least some of the day.

"Ugh, there goes my free time... but fine, I'll go," he agreed, although he was secretly hoping for some extra credit or some other advantage from the teachers. He just wanted something to come out of this for him as well.

"Good... then I'll see you tomorrow, Yasushi. Bye for now," Jingliu said as she got into the car with Yinhaie. They both waved at Yasushi one last time before driving away, leaving him standing there alone. He felt slightly annoyed by this but accepted it.

As the snowflakes kept falling, creating larger piles, Yasushi looked up at the sky. "How can anyone even play baseball in this weather…?" he said, not believing it was possible. "Maybe we should just use anime logic… the worse the conditions, the stronger the players get…" He was obviously joking about this, but he couldn't help but think how absurd it was.

He laughed at his own thoughts before going home, a small amount of worry still there, but he tried to ignore it by shaking his head.

He told himself that tomorrow and Xinyi's arrival would be more positive than negative. At least that is what he was trying to convince himself.

He was walking, not completely sure of what the future held, and decided to make a quick stop at the bakery to get some snacks before continuing home. He knew that he'd need them for whatever was to come next.

When he got to his front door, he noticed a letter from his parents in his mailbox, which was very uncommon and made him curious. He went into his home and changed into comfortable clothes. After that, he made some coffee and got ready to open the letter, excited to read it while enjoying the smell of the coffee. He had been wondering why his parents were sending him something like this so suddenly.

As he read the letter, the words surprised him. He almost spilled his coffee, as he couldn't believe what he was reading. The unexpected information that was inside this letter had made him completely bewildered. The situation that he was now in was not something that he could have ever prepared for.

"Dear, I hope that you are doing well. There's something that we need to talk about, which is that our plans have suddenly changed. We have both been lucky enough to get big promotions, which means that we're going to be staying overseas for a longer time. The good news is that this also means that we'll be able to give you more money. But, because we have commitments to other work, we won't be coming back this year, or even the next. We'll be sure to send money and gifts for your birthday and holidays. We're sorry for the trouble this will cause. With love, Mom and Dad."

This was the letter in its entirety, leaving him to wonder what he should do next.

After reading the letter, he muttered, not believing what he just read. "Seriously?" The sad realization that they wouldn't be back for his birthday made him even more disappointed.

This was worse than he initially thought, "Damn…" This was the first time that he felt abandoned and completely alone by his parents, and the feeling was not a welcome one.