Chapter 48: Two similar people

When the bell for the last class of the afternoon rang, the noisy Literature Club activity room gradually fell silent.

“Then I’ll leave the locking up to you, Senior Li.”

“Okay,” I responded, sitting in the corner and reading a book.

The other student didn’t even give me a second glance.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and ran out to meet the other members.

Only then did I put down my book and take my laptop out of my bag.

I sat on one side of the large square table in the activity room, preparing to begin today’s writing.

The members of the Literature Club were always very loud whenever they held activities.

On the surface, they called them literary exchange activities, but in reality, they were just chatting.

I looked at the wall covered in various magazine posters.

On the clock right in the center hung the certificate for the Literature Department Gold Award at the Sucheng University Exhibition that I had just received.

Its gold-leaf border looked dazzling as it reflected the light.

After I won the award, they spent their time complaining about how their own works weren’t chosen while chatting about games, fashion, or movies…

They talked about everything except literature.

‘It’d be a miracle if they won an award like that!’

I was never able to say such sharp words out loud.

There was no point in saying them anyway; it wouldn’t change the fact that I was isolated.

When the sunlight from the setting sun grew so dim that I had to turn on the lights, a faint movement came from outside the door.

*Knock, knock.*

A knocking sound so light that one had to be close to hear it rang out.

It was about time for her to arrive.

It was the student who had successfully defended her title for the Dance Department Gold Award this year — An Zhi.

I opened the door, and that exquisite, pretty face held a faint, ambiguous smile.

“Did I… disturb you?”

She asked softly.

This period of time as night fell was her dinner time.

Lately, she had been bringing a lunch box to the Literature Club activity room every time, which made me feel both surprised and honored.

“No, I’m happy you could come.”

I pulled out a chair for her to sit down.

“Because… you always say ‘see you next time,’ and I always promised I would…”

“Ah! That’s just a social pleasantry. I didn’t mean to force you to keep an appointment. I’m sorry.”

Upon hearing me say this, she stopped opening her lunch box, and her brow twitched slightly.

I hurriedly waved my hands.

“No, half of it was… that I hoped I could see you again!”

At that moment, I realized that despite her cold appearance, she also had small emotional moments that she expressed very subtly.

“Congratulations… on winning the Gold Award.”

She turned her gaze toward the certificate.

‘Changing the subject now?’

She had known about me winning the Gold Award since the awards ceremony a few days ago, yet she hadn’t reacted much then.

Why did she choose to bring it up now…

“Yeah, and congratulations to you for defending your title too. The new dance was great. I’d love to see you dance again… Just kidding.”

After the awards ceremony, I congratulated her once more.

Now that the exhibition was over, it would be difficult to see her dance again.

It was a bit of a pity…

“Then if you want to see — “

She spoke but then immediately took her words back.

As if realizing something, the corners of her mouth curved up.

“You said exactly what I was going to say.”

“Huh? About seeing you dance? You mean, you want me to watch you dance?”

Seeing her nod, I was so startled that I dropped my mouse.

My gaze met her light black eyes.

Would an unreachable girl like her really invite me to watch her dance?

“I want to dance for you… to hear the feelings of an ordinary person.”

As she spoke, she took a key out of her pocket.

“What’s this?”

“The key to room 221 in the Activity Building. Senior Sister Xu said… it’s an activity room that was temporarily vacated because… people were here before dinner… I was too shy to knock…”

I leaned in to listen to her finish, then picked up the key.

It still held the warmth of her body.

‘She means she wants me to wait for her in 221 before evening, which means… I can be alone with her in an empty activity room?’

My heart beat so fast it felt like it would jump out of my chest.

“Okay, I understand.”

“I also want… to read your work. Tomorrow, I want to see it…”

She murmured, lowering her head.

So that was it.

Just as I was captivated by her dancing, she was also being captivated by my writing.

Both of us wanted to hear the other’s thoughts on our work.

She was just like me, lonely and striving forward on the path of chasing a dream.

She was just like me, very lonely…

A wave of inexplicable emotion surged in my heart.

“Fine! I’ll write a good story. Starting tomorrow, I’ll write for you to see every day!”

“Mm, every day…”

“No, no! I didn’t mean to imply that you have to dance for me every day too…”

Before I could finish, she pulled on the plastic bag, making a sharp noise.

“Hmph…”

The corners of her mouth dipped slightly.

‘What does she want from me!?’

Just then, I heard a voice outside the door saying “Go for it!”

It sounded like it came from Senior Sister Xu.

“You can… come to see me every day. Tomorrow, you… should bring your dinner too. Always watching me eat… makes me feel embarrassed.”

I heard her say it clearly, but my brain still doubted whether I had misheard.

At that time, I hadn’t expected that until graduation, we really would see each other every single day…

***

When I woke up, the remaining light of the setting sun was piercing through the curtains, dyeing the bedding orange and announcing that night was approaching.

I realized I couldn’t delay any longer and crawled out from under the covers.

I saw An Zhi, who had woken up at some point, grabbing my collar and looking up at me.

“Did you sleep well?”

I asked.

“Mm… I’m not sleepy anymore. Are you going out?”

She helped me straighten my collar.

“To find someone for help?”

“Yeah, I have to go.”

“Mingshan, don’t work too hard… You often get exhausted like this. It… makes my heart ache.”

Seeing how she was tightly clutching my collar and wouldn’t let go, I tapped her forehead and insisted on getting out of bed.

“Yeah, I know. There’s still some semi-prepared food in the fridge. You just have to heat it up in the microwave…”

Halfway through my sentence, I took her hand and walked to the microwave, teaching her how to use it.

But her mind wasn’t on the microwave at all.

She gripped my hand tightly and stared at my face.

“An Zhi, you have to learn to take care of yourself. In the future, I might not be able to be with you all the time…”

“I want to be with you every day… even when I’m dancing, I want you to be watching me. So… you have to see me every day from now on, okay?”

“…Okay.”

I didn’t have the heart to say anything else.

“I’ll be back tonight. Whatever you do, don’t go out.”

I also wanted to see her every day to make up for the period of time we were separated.

“Stay safe. I’ll wait for you to come back.”

I changed my shoes.

It was only right before I left that she let go of my hand and spoke in her loudest voice.

“Okay, wait for me like a good girl.”

Struggling internally, I steeled my heart, opened the door, and stepped out, immediately turning around to lock it.

I took the elevator and ran out of the residential area, processing the reluctance in my heart.

I wasn’t sure when it started, but we had originally agreed to look at each other’s work every day.

Slowly, it turned into needing to see each other every day…

Wanting to be together every day.

Did it start from that moment when I accidentally took her small hand for the first time and found that she squeezed back with all her strength?

I didn’t have the heart to reminisce as I walked along the road toward the Subway Station.

If I went to The Company now, I should be able to catch the end of the workday.

Mo You usually worked overtime in the office, so I would definitely be able to see her.

Turning a corner, the convex mirror on the side of the road reflected the distorted figures of cars and pedestrians behind me.

Entering the Commercial Street outside the Subway Station that catered to students, the glass of the boutique shops revealed the reflections of passersby.

Most were students, but there were also…

A few men with bare arms.

‘How strange. I think I saw them in the convex mirror earlier too?’

I quickened my pace into the subway entrance, passed through the security gate, and stepped onto the descending escalator.

Arriving at the busy platform, I observed the glass wall next to the tracks behind me.

I could still vaguely see the figures of those few men.

My heart rate accelerated, and my body temperature rose involuntarily.

‘Are those guys following me? They definitely are!’

“The train bound for the New Urban District is entering the station. Please…”

As the announcement rang out, the light of the train rapidly approached.

The moment the doors slowly opened, I stepped inside.

*Beep, beep, beep.*

When the door lights flashed and the doors were about to close, I immediately rushed out of the carriage and ran up the stairs on the other side.

It seemed taking the subway wasn’t going to work.

What exactly did those people want by following me?

Were they guys sent by An Zhi’s company?

If that was the case, I’d have to be careful on my way home later too.

I walked out from another subway exit and hid in the gap between the shops ahead to observe.

I didn’t see them come out for a long time, so I finally walked toward the street corner ahead.

I got into a taxi parked on the side of the road, quickly stated my destination, and urged the driver to step on the gas.

Looking through the rearview mirror at the receding Subway Station, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I had only noticed them after I walked out of the residential area and traveled a certain distance, so they shouldn’t know where I lived.

As for where I was going now, they probably didn’t know that either.

It was truly a stroke of luck.

Right now, I suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, like when I was a kid running away from school and hiding in the grass to avoid those boys.

I was breaking out in goosebumps all over.

‘Please, no. This feeling… I hope it never happens again…’