Qingtan High School 2: Jixu

The autumn rain in Seoul always came without warning, bringing a lingering, chilly dampness with it.

Bai Jina pushed open the heavy glass door of the familiar specialty coffee shop on the street corner, bringing in a gust of wind tangled with raindrops. The shop’s warm, dry air, rich with the aroma of coffee beans and the comforting sweetness of pastries, enveloped her at once. She took off her beige trench coat, slightly damp from the rain, revealing a simple black cashmere turtleneck and sharply tailored trousers. She draped the coat casually over her arm. Seven years had taught her to hide every sharp edge beneath her elegance. Only her eyes remained unchanged, like icy glass, their gaze keeping strangers at a distance.

She headed for her old seat by the window, a small round table for two with a perfect view of the city streets outside, blurred yet brilliant beneath the rain. But she stopped a few steps away.

Someone was already sitting there.

A tall figure sat with his back to her, wearing a dark gray wool coat with broad, straight shoulders. He seemed absorbed in watching the rain wash over the street outside. A steaming cup of black coffee sat beside him. It was only a silhouette; she hadn’t even seen his face. Yet in that instant, Bai Jina’s blood seemed to freeze, then rush, burning hot, through every limb. An instinct etched into her bones flashed through her like a current of electricity.

She stood still, her fingertips unconsciously digging into the soft fabric of her coat.

As if sensing her gaze, the figure slowly turned around.

Time seemed to slip into slow motion.

Cha Chenxu.