During the last period of the afternoon, Lin Lu had been daydreaming.
She stared out the window, her mind a chaotic mess.
“Ring ring!”
“Huh? Class is over! It’s over!” Chen Xingye, who had left a puddle of drool on her desk, scrambled up the moment she heard the bell.
Seeing Lin Lu still staring blankly out the window, she grabbed Lin Lu’s wrist and said, “Lu, let’s go! School is out!”
“Huh? Oh, right. You guys go ahead. I have something to take care of.”
Lin Lu snapped back to reality, realizing the bell had indeed rung.
“Wait? But…”
Before Chen Xingye could say anything more, Su Tang pulled her away and whispered, “You sleepy dummy! Let’s go!”
“Hey? But Lu…”
Before Chen Xingye could finish, Su Tang and Lin Shuiyue hauled her away.
At the Teaching Building Rooftop staircase, Lin Lu was still trying to figure out how to reject the person who had written the letter.
‘Should I just say, “Sorry, I don’t like you”?’
‘Would that be too blunt and hurtful?’
‘What if I say we aren’t a good match?’
‘No, no, that seems too soft. I’ll probably just get harassed more…’
‘Damn it, I really don’t know how to reject people.’
While Lin Lu was still worrying about how to turn the person down, she didn’t notice three figures stealthily following behind her.
**
Su Tang hid at the corner of the stairs, watching Lin Lu’s figure disappear onto the staircase leading to the Teaching Building Rooftop.
“She’s going up,” Su Tang whispered.
Behind her, Chen Xingye peeked her head out.
“You guys aren’t lying to me, right? A boy really confessed to Lu?” She scratched her head and asked, “Besides, stalking her like this feels a bit wrong… Are we really going up there?”
“Would I lie to you? You’re the only one who slept through class and didn’t know anything. I saw Lu receive the Love Letter with my own eyes!” Su Tang lowered her voice.
“Besides, what if the boy gets angry and tries to hurt Lu after being rejected? We’re following her to protect her!”
Lin Shuiyue leaned against the wall, expressionless, “You just want to see the drama.”
“I do not!” Su Tang said righteously.
“I’m worried about Lu! This is her first time receiving a love letter, so she definitely won’t know what to do. What if she gets bullied?”
Lin Shuiyue pushed up her glasses and said nothing.
Chen Xingye whispered from the side, “So… are we going up now?”
“Let’s go!” Su Tang waved her hand, “Keep it down. Don’t let her notice us.”
The three of them crept upstairs.
***
The rooftop wasn’t large, surrounded by a waist-high fence.
The wind was a bit strong, blowing her hair back.
A girl was standing on the rooftop.
She had her hair in a ponytail, wore her School Uniform, and stood with her back turned to Lin Lu.
Lin Lu was stunned.
Hearing footsteps, the girl turned around.
Lin Lu recognized her — she was from the class next door, named… Chen Yuwei?
They had run into each other in the hallway a few times and shared a nod of greeting.
“Lin Lu,” she said softly, “Thank you for coming.”
Lin Lu stood where she was, her mind going blank.
‘Wait? It’s Chen Yuwei? The one who wrote the Love Letter is a girl?!’
‘A girl likes another girl? Is that normal? No, I’m a girl now too, so a girl liking a girl seems pretty normal? No, the point is — I used to be a guy! Even if I’ve turned into a girl now, mentally…’
“I know you might be surprised.” Chen Yuwei looked up at Lin Lu, a firm light shining in her eyes.
“I hesitated for a long time,” she said, her voice steady, “I’ve noticed you since the first day you transferred here.”
“The way you space out during class by the window and then pretend to listen intently… the way you smile gently and greet classmates when you meet them… everything about you attracts me…”
She took a deep breath.
“So,” Chen Yuwei’s voice trembled slightly, “please go out with me.”
She spoke very seriously and reached out her hand, waiting for Lin Lu’s response.
Lin Lu stood on the rooftop as the wind howled.
She looked at the girl in front of her, her heart in a chaotic tangle.
“Um…” Lin Lu spoke with difficulty, “Chen Yuwei, I…”
She paused.
“I really appreciate that you like me. But…”
“I’m sorry.”
Lin Lu took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice gentle.
“Thank you for liking me,” she said, “But I can’t go out with you.”
Chen Yuwei stood there without much of a change in expression, though her fingers gripping her skirt tightened.
“Why? Is it… because I’m a girl?”
Lin Lu was taken aback and waved her hands hurriedly, “No, no! That’s not the reason!”
“Then why? Do you already have someone you like…?”
Chen Yuwei continued to press.
If that were the reason, she would have to consider finding out who it was and then…
“It’s because I have more important things to do,” Lin Lu answered quickly, fearing Chen Yuwei would start saying strange things on her own.
“This matter takes up almost all of my time and energy. I don’t have the mental capacity to be in a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
Chen Yuwei looked at her, silent.
“And…” Lin Lu paused, unsure how to phrase it, “I might not be who you imagine me to be. I’m not as great as you think. After all, we’ve never really interacted or spent time together, have we?”
Chen Yuwei fell silent for a long time.
“I understand,” she said suddenly.
Lin Lu breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Phew~ As long as you understand…’
“Thank you for coming today.”
Chen Yuwei turned and walked toward the exit.
After a few steps, she stopped.
“Lin Lu.”
“Yes?”
“I won’t give up.” Chen Yuwei looked back, the corner of her mouth curling slightly.
“Since you aren’t opposed to dating girls and don’t have anyone you like… I will continue to pursue you. After all, as you said, love… requires spending a long time together, doesn’t it?”
With that, Chen Yuwei pushed open the door and left.
“Wait, what?”
Lin Lu stood on the rooftop, dazed for a long time before finally realizing that Chen Yuwei hadn’t expected to succeed with just one confession at all.
She was just testing her sexual orientation and whether she had someone she liked!!!
“I finally got to see a normal relationship between girls!”
“What part of that was normal?”
Lin Lu heard rustling sounds behind her.
She turned around.
Three heads were stacked on top of each other in the doorway, peeking through the crack.
Su Tang was at the top, Chen Xingye was in the middle, and Lin Shuiyue was at the bottom.
Six eyes met Lin Lu’s gaze.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Lin Lu’s lip twitched, “Why are you guys here?”
Su Tang stepped out sheepishly from behind the door, “Um… Lu, we were just… passing by?”
“Passing by the rooftop?”
“Yes! Passing by the rooftop!” Su Tang nodded like a woodpecker.
“We were just about to go home, and as we walked, we ended up here! What a coincidence, haha…”
Chen Xingye nodded frantically beside her.
“Do you guys… live in the sky?”
Lin Shuiyue pushed her glasses up and explained expressionlessly, “Su Tang was worried you’d be bullied after rejecting someone.”
“Shuiyue!” Su Tang shrieked.
Lin Lu looked at her, the corners of her mouth curving slightly into a smile.
“How could I possibly be bullied?” she said, “But Su Tang… since you followed and eavesdropped on me, how are you going to make it up to me?”
“Huh? Then… what do you want?”
Su Tang shrunk her head back.
“Hmm…” Lin Lu thought for a moment and replied, “I want some milk tea. A large one.”
“Okay, okay, a large one!” Su Tang sighed in relief and thumped her chest.
“I’ll get you ten!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Su Tang grabbed Lin Lu and started heading downstairs.
“Xingye! Shuiyue! Hurry up!”
Chen Xingye chased after them, “Wait for me!”
Lin Shuiyue followed leisurely behind.
The four of them walked down the stairs.
The setting sun shone through the window, painting the hallway in a warm gold.
As for Chen Yuwei… forget it, she would deal with that later.
At least it wasn’t a confession from a boy…