Delivering Paper

The gray-white toilet partitions divided the restroom into three identical stalls. There was a gap of about ten centimeters beneath each stall door.

The gray-white partitions contrasted with the white floor tiles, making the place look clean and tidy. Su Ke, however, stood by the entrance with shaky legs. He peered through the narrow opening of the door. "Secretary Li, did you call me?"

As he spoke, Su Ke didn't even notice that his voice was trembling with nerves. He was like a thief, afraid to cross the line, and could only try to peer inside.

"Su Ke!" Li Yuhua's voice drifted from the innermost stall, faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Yeah!" Su Ke gulped and hurriedly answered.

"C-could you get me some toilet paper?" Li Yuhua stammered before finally managing to get the whole sentence out. The moment he said it, he felt relieved. Su Ke, too, breathed a sigh of relief as if he'd been pardoned, and quickly agreed.

"Sure. Wait here!"

Su Ke pulled his head back and shut the door behind him. But a new problem immediately arose. Damn, I don't have any paper either! He rummaged through his pockets. Apart from some loose change, he didn't have even five centimeters of toilet paper. What was he supposed to do?

If he went to the principal's office to get some, he'd be completely selling Secretary Li out. Should he go downstairs to buy some at the school store? By the time he got back, it would probably be too late. Secretary Li's embarrassing problem might have already been carried away on the breeze. Yeah, dried out!

He looked around blankly, at a loss, and happened to notice a sign reading "Finance Office" on a room not far from the restroom.

Please let it be a male teacher! Su Ke prayed fervently. Jade Emperor, Primordial Heavenly Lord, Guanyin, whoever you are—please help me just this once!

"Knock, knock, knock!" The Finance Office had a sturdy security door. Su Ke knocked, and it gave off a dull thud. He panted heavily, with all his hopes of borrowing paper resting on the other side of that door.

Creak! The security door opened outward. Su Ke drew a deep breath. Before he could even see who was there, he blurted out nervously, "Teacher, could I borrow some paper?"

"Hm?" A woman poked her head out. She looked surprised to see Su Ke standing there.

"Uh!" Su Ke looked up. The person peering out of the Finance Office was a female teacher, apparently not even thirty. She wore a pair of elegant metal-frame glasses and had delicate features. As she looked at him, she pushed the frames up her nose, her eyes full of confusion.

Damn it, I can't take this. Why does it have to be a female teacher? Su Ke was utterly dismayed. All that praying had clearly been for nothing. He'd thought it would be easier to ask a male teacher, but somehow things had turned out this way.

Su Ke's face flushed bright red, and his hands clenched into fists without him realizing it. His voice dropped, too. "Teacher, could I borrow some paper?"

"Paper?" The female teacher repeated hesitantly, looking him up and down. Seeing how embarrassed he was, she smiled faintly. "Sure. What kind of paper? I don't have any worksheets, but would A4 printer paper work?"

"Uh!" Her question only made Su Ke more embarrassed. He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. For a boy who had always been somewhat shy and awkward, asking a female teacher for toilet paper was a real challenge.

But—but there was a deputy secretary of the Municipal Youth League Committee in the restroom, waiting for him to bring paper!

"Teacher!" Su Ke could practically hear his heart pounding. With a pained expression, he finally spoke again. "I-I was hoping to borrow some toilet paper. I need to use the restroom!"

"Pfft!" The female teacher burst out laughing. Su Ke looked utterly helpless, his face bright red, and he was already sweating buckets after only a moment. Was it because he was nervous, or because he really couldn't hold it? The whole thing was mortifying.

"Wait here!" she said, then turned and went back inside. As she turned, the ponytail of her glossy black hair swayed from side to side.

"Here you go!" A little while later, the female teacher appeared in front of Su Ke again. Her snowy arm was as soft and smooth as white jade, and she opened her delicate fingers to hand him the thing he'd been dreaming of.

"Uh, I don't need this much!" The teacher had been so thoughtful that she'd handed him a whole wad of toilet paper, enough for three or four people. Su Ke instinctively tried to refuse.

"Just take it. It's nothing special!" She insisted and pressed it into his hand. Su Ke was nearly moved to tears. He hurriedly nodded and thanked her.

Holding the toilet paper, Su Ke made his way back to the restroom entrance, one cautious step at a time. "Secretary Li?"

"Yeah!" Li Yuhua answered from inside.

"Should I bring the paper over to you?" Su Ke's throat felt tight, and his voice was hoarse. He wasn't sure whether Li Yuhua had heard him, so he waited nervously.

"Yeah!" Li Yuhua seemed just as hesitant. After a while, he finally answered again.

Here goes. Whatever happens, Secretary Li gave me permission to enter the women's restroom! Su Ke gritted his teeth and pushed the door open. But after taking just one step, his legs went weak, and he nearly fell over.

Entering the women's restroom—this was the first time in his life, ever. And to make matters worse, Secretary Li was in there, sitting on the toilet!

Li Yuhua heard the door open and knew Su Ke had entered. He quickly glanced at the stall's door handle. It was still firmly in the closed position, but his heart began pounding all the same. His right hand remained on the handle, just in case Su Ke tried to open the door.

Step by step, Su Ke inched forward. At last, he reached the innermost stall, his back already damp with sweat. He had nearly crushed the toilet paper in his hand into a ball.

Su Ke knew there was only a door between him and Li Yuhua. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle and his mouth go dry. He bent down slowly, careful not to get too close, but unable to stay too far away either.

His right hand trembled slightly as he reached the toilet paper through the gap of about ten centimeters beneath the stall door. As soon as it went in, he felt the paper slip from his hand and out of his control.

"Thank you!" Li Yuhua's voice came again.

"Uh, you're welcome!" Having finally completed his task, Su Ke let out a sigh of relief, clutched his head, and bolted out as if fleeing for his life. He leaned against the outer wall of the restroom and panted heavily.