Upon their return to school on September 1st, the third-year students at the First High School rejoined their peers from other grades. The entire school engaged in an assessment exam on the first day back, which meant that by the time all teachers and students gathered on the field for the opening ceremony, it was already September 3rd. The results and rankings from the assessment exam have been released.
After the principal and other leaders delivered their speeches, the climactic moment came, marking a classic and traditional moment of the school's "democratic" ethos. Each year, one freshman from Grade 10 and one senior student from Grade 12 were randomly selected as student representatives, sharing their perspectives on high school life and delivering the senior class oath, respectively. This segment was officially recorded and archived by the school. Since the speeches were self-prepared without school intervention, the archive room contained many "impressive moments," making the event sound somewhat dull but eagerly anticipated.
The freshman representative selected by random draw was a male student from Class 15. With a youthful look and a hint of shyness on his face, he appeared a bit nervous as he clutched his speech tightly, delivering his words one by one.
"In conclusion, I hope that every freshman like myself can leave their mark during their three years of high school, living up to their efforts. Thank you all."
In the area where the seniors were gathered, many individuals peeked towards the stage while engaging in discussions.
Having spent three years together in the same school, potentially find themselves paired with student representatives selected through blind selection as distant relatives, such as the secret crush of a friend's classmate.
Although identifying this year's representative was not difficult, this year's chosen student remained a mystery.
"Bro., who do you think will be the representative this year?" Nie Hai turned to Zhiyi, curious, "I have no idea what the school is up to; there is no information available."
"Turn your head back," Zhiyi, not particularly interested in the representative, reminded casually, "If you don't, Mr. Wang might take you to figure out what the school is up to."
Mr Wang is Wang Kai, the homeroom teacher of Class 2 in Grade 12, an English teacher at the school. Approaching his forties with a tendency towards baldness, he favoured wearing a variety of plaid shirts, giving off a peculiar vibe somewhere between a college student and a middle-aged teacher.
At this moment, Mr Wang stood at the end of the class lineup, observing the various antics of the students, thinking to himself: "This is the most mischievous group I've ever taught."
At the steps of the platform, Yin changed into the newly received school uniform, clenching her hands tightly in the cuffs.
She was truly... quite nervous.
Yin didn't have to participate in the assessment exam, but a week before, she received a call from her new homeroom teacher, Mr Wang. She was selected as this year's senior student representative for the opening ceremony as part of a blind selection process.
Claims of being unprepared were false.
Mr Wang reassured her not to be nervous, emphasizing that the speech could be of any style, without the need for approval, aiming to boost morale at the start of the school year. Over the past week, she had written numerous versions of her speech. Yet she overturned and rewrote it again last night.
Hence, the piece of paper she held was all crumpled.
Taking a deep breath, Yin ascended the steps and stood in front of the microphone. Below her lay a sea of people, but standing on the platform seemed to offer a clear view of every face. She took the microphone from the stand, walked to the platform's railing, her gaze fixed on the seniors, occasionally curled her lips, then withdrew her gaze.
"Hello, everyone. I am the senior representative selected this year. Before I begin my formal speech, I would like to ask a few questions to the twelfth student in the male group of Class 2 in the senior year." Yin's appearance stirred intense discussions in the senior area as no one had seen her before. This unexpected turn of events - who was she and why was she speaking on their behalf? Starting with questions rather than introducing herself first?
Who is the twelfth of the boy line in class 2 of senior grade three?
Oh, it's their class leader, Xu Zhiyi.
It is widely known that Xu Zhiyi has the looks, the grades, and the family background. Yet, this person, who exudes self-confidence and charisma, always manages to restrain his sharpness despite of shining brightly, occasionally sharp-tongued but always maintaining a sense of propriety.
"Bro. Yi, you..." Hai turned to look at the expression of Zhiyi who was stunned seeing the podium.
Upon hearing the discussions around him, Zhiyi looked up from his lowered gaze towards the platform, surprised and filled with many questions.
Before he could ponder further, he noticed Yin's gaze directed towards him. Regaining his composure, he suppressed his thoughts, adjusted his school uniform, and stepped out of the line, making his way to the front of the platform.
As he looked up, his eyes met the people on the stage.
Yin's palms were sweating profusely, almost losing grip on the microphone, but she still smiled at Zhiyi with raised eyebrows and a slight smirk.
Collecting herself, Yin asked, "Student Xu Zhiyi, since the last time we met, how long has it been?"
Zhiyi furrowed his brows slightly and then replied, "46 days."
"Next question, what position did you rank in the recent assessment, "
"3rd, 12th."
Ranking 3rd in the class and 12th in the year.
It was a stumble in his academic journey.
The ongoing dialogue, bewildering thousands of onlookers, does not hinder the instant formation of one thousand and one imaginative stories and the curiosity behind the onlookers' "stories of curiosity".
Before the story could be imagined in full, Yin asked again, "Last question. Can we not be serious?"
Onlookers: "???"
"Not serious." Zhi's gaze never faltered.
After concluding her inquiry, Yin received the answers she sought.
Her gaze shifted past Zhiyi, stepping back a few paces and expressed, "Rather than counting down the days to the College Entrance Examination, I prefer to think about the lush summer, an autumn, a winter, and a spring yet to come. Many individuals have clear goals they tirelessly strive for and uphold. Conversely, I acknowledge that not everyone possesses grand ambitions; some simply aim to become the best version of themselves." Pausing briefly, Yin softly averted her gaze, "Perhaps, there is someone like me have a 'sun' within the heart, desiring to walk alongside, hence reaching this juncture. I lack grandiose promises to offer, only wishing to convey that each individual in this world is uniquely irreplaceable, born different, and daring to dream. I sincerely hope that each one of you can transcend mountains and seas, pursuing your aspirations with unwavering determination."
Yin's words were succinct, her voice as clear as unsullied snow, spoken with earnestness and devotion. It seemed as though these words were not meant for the audience below, but rather for her own.
Upon finishing these words, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I would like to take this opportunity to declare my personal manifesto," then, she cleared her throat and began introducing herself to the audience. "Hello everyone, I am Meng Yin, a new transfer student in Class 2 of Grade 12. My pledge for Grade 12 is to strive hard to catch up with my classmate Xu Zhiyi. I also hope that he will continue to work hard and achieve first place, bringing honour to our class."
"Thank you."
Even the school leaders were surprised by the unexpected speech from this year's Grade 12 representative.
After stepping down from the stage, Yin wiped the sweat from her palms, lowered her eyes, and took a deep breath. Without a tissue at hand, she hesitated to wipe her salty sweat on her new school uniform, so she patted the sides of her thighs instead. When she looked up, Zhiyi stood about ten meters away, observing her series of actions.
Yin sheepishly smiled, walked up to him, and the nearly 20-centimetre height difference required her to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze.
The morning sun at nine o'clock cast a slanting light on the young man, revealing the fuzz beneath his falling hair. Against the light, she also noticed his faint smile and the swirls barely visible on his left cheek.
"Hello, classmate Xu Zhiyi," Yin extended her hand and said, "I am Meng Yin, Future exhibitions please."
Zhiyi didn't ask anything, just shook Yin's hand and replied, "Hello, I am Xuzhi. Let's learn from each other this year."