A startling declaration

Pu Yu and Xu Suiran spun around.

It was Yuan Su.

At some point, he had appeared beside the stall, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the supposedly "genuine Sony player," his expression cool and distant.

"Even twenty would be too much for this thing."

The chubby vendor's smile froze, and he glared. "Hey, where did you come from, punk? Do you know anything about these? Stop making trouble!"

Yuan Su ignored the vendor's anger. His long fingers traced the casing's seam with casual indifference before pointing to a hidden spot underneath.

"The casing is from an old Sony, repainted. The headphone jack is crooked, too. The wires inside have obviously been broken and spliced back together."

He lifted his eyes, his dark gaze resting coldly on the vendor. "And you have the nerve to charge eighty-eight for this cobbled-together junk?"

The chubby vendor was rattled, but he kept blustering. "Y-you're talking nonsense! This is an original!"

Yuan Su gave a derisive laugh that never reached his eyes.

Unhurriedly, he took a small screwdriver out of his pocket.

He twirled it casually between his fingers, the metal catching a cold gleam in the sunlight.

"Whether it's original..."

The boy tilted his head slightly, his lips curling in utter mockery, his voice lazily menacing.

"Why don't we open it up and see?"

The vendor panicked completely. He snatched the player back and launched into a tirade. "You fucking trying to wreck my business? Get lost! Get lost! I'm not selling it anymore! A couple of broke students who can't afford it-who are you trying to impress?"

That gave her just the opening she needed.

Pu Yu, who had been listening quietly all this time, suddenly brightened.

She pretended to frown and said in a clear voice, "Oh! So that's why it's so expensive. You're trying to scam us with a refurbished player? We wouldn't dare buy from a crooked shop like this. Suisui, let's go!"

Without waiting for the vendor to respond, she grabbed Xu Suiran and ran.

"Huh? Wait-"

Dragged along, Xu Suiran looked back reluctantly. "That one was fake, but we could try another stall..."

"No more looking!"

They ran some distance. Only after making sure the vendor hadn't followed did Pu Yu stop and turn toward the boy strolling behind them.

She pressed a hand to her chest and caught her breath.

Then her eyes curved into a sincere smile. "Yuan Su, thank you. We almost got scammed back there."

In the sunlight, the girl's smile was so clear and bright it was almost dazzling.

Yuan Su's gaze lingered on her cheek for half a second before he looked away, his voice flat. "...Oh."

Brief and to the point. He didn't seem inclined to spare even one more word.

Xu Suiran finally recovered.

She looked at Yuan Su, then at Pu Yu, feeling aggrieved. "Since we didn't get the player, why don't we go back and buy that physics study guide? We've come all this way. We can't let you make the trip for nothing."

"There isn't time," Pu Yu said gently, glancing at the sky. "We need to catch a bus back to town soon. Grandma will worry if we're late, and next time she won't let me come out with you."

Seeing Xu Suiran's unhappy expression, Pu Yu softened her voice to coax her. "Next time, okay? We'll definitely buy it next time."

"You always say that!" Xu Suiran huffed. "Then you won't buy soda, you won't buy the physics book, and you don't want the player either."

Her friend's concern left Pu Yu feeling both warm and a little heartsick.

"I really don't need the physics book." Afraid Xu Suiran would keep dwelling on it, Pu Yu scrambled for an excuse and blurted out without thinking, "Have you forgotten who my deskmate is? I can just ask him about physics problems."

Xu Suiran paused, then countered, "But our seats get reassigned at the start of the month. What if you don't sit together anymore?"

It was a tradition at Tingnan Middle School.

At the start of every month, seats were reassigned according to grades.

Pu Yu was stumped.

Faced with Xu Suiran's determined insistence on spending money on her, she only wanted to move past the subject. The words came out without a moment's thought.

"Then I'll tell the teacher I'm not changing seats anymore!"

"I want to keep being Yuan Su's deskmate forever and ever!"

Her words fell.

It was as though someone had hit mute on the bustling electronics market.

Xu Suiran's eyes widened, her mouth falling slightly open.

Yuan Su had clearly heard her, too.

She wanted to be his.

Forever and ever.

Deskmate.

The boy turned his head, sunlight outlining the contours of his face.

A flicker of unmistakable surprise crossed his usually indifferent eyes, and his tightly pressed lips relaxed almost imperceptibly.

But he quickly concealed every trace of emotion and said coolly:

"What?"

"Going to saddle me with you now?"

Only then did Pu Yu realize what she had said.

Suddenly unable to meet his eyes, she looked away in a panic.

The noise around them came rushing back.

"The b-bus will be here soon!"

"We need to get to the bus station!"

Pu Yu stammered nervously, clutching Xu Suiran's hand.

This time, Xu Suiran stopped pushing for another visit to the bookstore. She cleared her throat softly and gathered her courage. "Um, Yuan Su, what brings you to the county town?"

"Deliveries."

His answer was as brief as ever, carrying a chill that kept everyone at arm's length.

Xu Suiran's gaze moved between them before she ventured:

"Then... do you want to go back to town with us?"

Pu Yu looked up almost instinctively, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes without her noticing.

With Yuan Su's solitary, even distant personality...

He would definitely turn her down, wouldn't he?

After all, she had never seen him walk with anyone at school.

Yuan Su lifted his eyes. His gaze swept lightly over the girl's fingers, twisting in nervous circles, then moved to her eyes, which looked moist with apprehension.

A refusal was on the tip of his tongue.

Then, suddenly, the words changed.

"What time is the bus?" he asked.

"What time is the bus?" Xu Suiran echoed.

Pu Yu froze for a moment, then hurriedly answered, "Three thirty."

Yuan Su raised his wrist and glanced at his slightly worn digital watch.

"Fifteen minutes left."

He slipped his hand back into his trouser pocket and lifted his chin toward the bus station. "Let's go."

"Huh?" Pu Yu hadn't quite caught up.

Yuan Su didn't look back. His voice drifted to them on the breeze, casual and languid. "Didn't you want to go together? We'll miss it if we don't get moving."