Chapter 2

“Han Geng, you klutz,” Dou Dou said as she pulled me away from him.

“Me? A klutz?” he replied. “If you guys weren’t dragging her around like a rag doll, I wouldn’t have bumped into her.”

“Hey you guys, break it up!” Chui Yun said as she tried to pull Dou Dou away.

Already, I can see that Dou Dou was a really loud and strong-willed girl. She didn’t let any nonsense get past her and she certainly didn’t take anything lying down, especially when it came from a guy. Chui Yun was level-headed and smart. She was the one who made sure Dou Dou didn’t end up in the fist fight with everyone who annoyed her.

“I wasn’t watching where I was going, dui bu qi,” I said.

“It’s not your fault, Sierra,” Han Geng said.

“You know her name already?” Dou Dou said. “Boy, you sure work fast.”

“He helped me with my bags at the academy,” I said in Han Geng’s defense.

“I’m sure he did,” Dou Dou retorted. “Let’s go,” she said as she started walking off.

Chui Yun followed and I trailed behind them slowly. Han Geng fell into step beside me as we walked down the stairs.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he smiled.

“Same here,” I replied.

“Your room mate sure scares me,” he laughed.

“I thought you were able to hold your own against her.”

“I act like I do, but I’m actually afraid of her. She looks like she could bite.”

“And I’m sure her bark is worse than her bite,” I smiled.

“True,” he said wistfully.

We walked into the little dining area on the ground floor. It was a medium sized room with long tables and benches. We had to walk to the counter and collect our boxes of rice. I opened the box to that it was the kind where the food and rice were segregated nicely. The rice occupied the biggest compartment, and then there was a vegetable, meat and some soup. I watched Dou Dou and Chui Yun dig into their rice box with their chopsticks and spoon, they sure had healthy appetites. As I was about to start eating, Han Geng plopped down beside me with his rice box. He opened his box and I saw something that we all didn’t have; an egg, sunny side up.

“Why’s your box special?” I asked him.

“Cos he’s having an affair with the cook,” Dou Dou replied. Han Geng gave her a weary look and turned to smile at me.

“You want some?” he asked as he started to tear off a piece of the egg and held it up with his chopstick and he dropped it into my box before I could answer.

“Xie xie,” I said as I stared at the egg.

“No problem,” he said as he started eating.

This soon became a ritual. We’d have dinner and Han Geng will always come to sit beside me. And he’d always share his egg with me. I found out within the first week that the cook was actually a family friend of his and that’s why he was given special treatment. As the first month progressed, other rituals started establishing themselves. Han Geng would walk me home from the academy, when Dou Dou and Chui Yun finished later than I did. When I finished later than they did, Han Geng would also walk me home. He’d come to me one day and asked for my schedule.

“Why do you want it?”

“I wanna see how busy you are,” he smiled.

“Weird,” I said as I passed him notebook with my schedule written in it.

“I’ll return it to you later,” he said as he walked off.

“Wei!” I shouted at him. “I can’t remember where’s my next class!”

“Block C,” he replied.

After my class, I walked out to find him standing there with my notebook.

“Here,” he said as he handed it to me.

“What did you do with it?”

“I needed time to copy it down,” he said.

“For what?”

“So that I know what time you finish each day.”

“And?”

“So that I can walk you home,” he smiled.

I’d thought that he was joking, until he started showing up almost every day when my class ended. At first, Dou Dou would try to chase him off, but as time went by, she decided to ignore him. When he showed up to walk me home, she’d just walk on ahead with Chui Yun. For the first few weeks, Han Geng and I walked in silence. I didn’t know what to make of his attention. And truth be told, I was still a little hung up on my boyfriend back home. It wasn’t until the day I hurt myself, that I realized what Han Geng’s presence meant to me.

I’d walked out of my last dance class, limping. I had my arm around Ying Ru and she supported me as we walked out of the room.

“What happened?” Han Geng said as he rushed towards us side.

“She sprained her ankle,” Ying Ru explained.

“Come,” he said as he faced his back toward me and went moved into a squatting position.

“Huh?” I said.

“Get on,” he said. “I’ll carry you back home.”

“I can walk,” I said.

“Sierra, don’t worsen your injury by being stubborn,” he said.

“He’s right,” Ying Ru said. “Get on,” she said.

I sighed and climbed onto his back. He stood up and started walking, as if I weighed nothing.

“I’ll carry your bags for you,” Ying Ru volunteered.

“It’s fine,” Han Geng said. “Sierra, can you hold the bags?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said as Ying Ru handed me the bags.

“See you tomorrow,” Ying Ru said as she waved at us.

“Hold on tight,” he said as we walked out of the academy’s gates. “I don’t want you sliding off and breaking your back.”

“Mm…” I said as I tightened my arms around his neck and laid my head on his back. He smelt a little sweaty, but it was a nice smell. It was his smell. I actually felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on his back.

“Does it hurt?” he asked me.

“A little.”

“What happened?”

“My timing was off when I did a jump, and I landed wrongly.”

“You need to be more careful, zi dao ma?” he said.

“Yes, mother,” I laughed.

We walked on in silence and I decided to ask him what’s been burning in my mind for weeks.

“Han Geng,” I said.

“Oh, shen me shi?”

“Why are you so nice to me?” I asked. There… I’ve said it.

He stopped walking and he bent down slowly, indicating for me to get off. As soon as I got off, he turned around and guided me slowly so that I leant against the wall of the building we were walking beside.

“You really want to know?” he asked.

“I want to know,” I said.

“Then can you grant me a wish first. When you’ve granted me that wish, I’ll tell you why.”

“A wish? What is it?”

“Just say if you’re gonna grant me that wish or not.”

“Fine. You can have your wish, whatever it is.”

“Thanks,” he smiled and he leant closer. “I’ve wanted to do this since the day I met you,” he whispered and he kissed me.

It wasn’t a long kiss, but it wasn’t a peck on the lips either. It was a short, sweet kiss which left us both wanting more.

“Wo ai ni,” he said as he pulled away.

“I have a boyfriend,” I said.

“I don’t care. He’s not here,” Han Geng said and he kissed me again.

This time, the kiss went on for longer. I felt guilt, but I also felt the same feelings Han Geng did for me. I think I had liked him all along, and now, hearing him say that he loved me only helped me make up my mind. I think I love him too.

Chinese Notes:

Dui bu qi.
I'm sorry.

Xie xie.
Thank you.

Shen me shi.
What is it?

Wo ai ni.
I love you.