The September breeze still carried the lingering warmth of late summer, wafting the fragrance of camphor trees over the red-brick walls of Mingde High School. The sports field was packed with new students in blue-and-white uniforms. Lin Jianwan stood in the middle of her class's line, the wisps of hair over her forehead swaying gently in the wind. She kept her head slightly bowed, unconsciously twisting the hem of her uniform between her fingers.
The opening ceremony dragged on, long and tedious. The principal's speech buzzed through the loudspeakers, but Lin Jianwan's attention drifted involuntarily toward the front to one side. Maybe it was when someone turned around, or when the wind lifted the hem of a uniform skirt, or when the host paused after reading a certain name. Whatever the moment, her gaze unexpectedly collided with someone's.
