Four Realms College①
# Four Realms College①
When Jimo Shu was standing on the playground waiting for her head teacher to pick her up, she felt the worst she had ever felt in seventeen years.
Perhaps I should add an "one of" at the end. After all, after going through a series of terrible things like my family going bankrupt, my guardian disappearing, and being forced to transfer schools, standing in the scorching June sun for fifteen minutes and a half an hour was nothing compared to the worst.
She lowered her eyes to look at her baggy blue and white school uniform. Uncomfortably, she tugged at the cuff. The thread hadn't been cut, but it didn't matter. In the sunlight, a stone sculpture bearing the characters "Sifang Yizhong" stood within the school gate, clearly visible to every passerby. At the security post at the school gate, the wrinkled old man eyed her warily, as if she were about to burst through.
Jimo Shu made a "tsk" sound and became more and more agitated.
She had been educated by private tutors for the past few years and had no idea what a regular middle school was. She had no idea that in the eyes of these middle-aged and elderly people, her long hair, rosy lips, no schoolbag, and jewelry instantly equated her with a lazy, unemployed young woman. Furthermore, her hair was naturally light, looking more like it had been dyed.
"I told you, I just forgot to bring my badge. I'm a transfer student, and today's my first day here." Jimo Shu's patience was almost worn out. "Are you going to open the door or not?!"
Liu Chang, behind the door, controlled the button, determined to protect the good students of No. 1 Middle School like a hawk. He snorted coldly, "How could a student be so clueless? You didn't even bring your name badge on your first day of transfer?! Do you take me for a fool?"
Jimo Shu took a deep breath and said, "I'm from Class 4, Grade 3, and my homeroom teacher is Li Jianye."
Liu Chang raised his voice, "I've already informed the principal! Then wait for your homeroom teacher to pick you up. Seriously, don't you know the rules of No. 1 Middle School? Even if you didn't bring your badge, you're still late! No. 1 Middle School closes promptly at 7:50 every morning, and late students must stand outside for morning study while waiting for their homeroom teacher to pick them up!"
Jimo Shu: "..."
What kind of bullshit rules are these?! Get out!!!
The flamboyant girl fell silent. Liu Chang, thinking he had won a great victory, went back and just got a cup of tea when he heard a clanging noise outside. He looked out the window and was immediately furious: "Hey! Who allowed you to climb over?! This door is electrified, aren't you afraid of being electrocuted?! Hey! Stop right there!!!"
The enamel cup shook a few times and fell directly to the ground.
“…”
Half an hour later.
Li Jianye stood beside Jimo Shu and smiled at the panting Liu Chang, "Sorry to bother you, Teacher Liu. This is indeed a student in my class."
Jimo Shu was caught red-handed while running around, and now she stood there with a nonchalant look on her face, thinking that although the school uniform is so ugly that it makes people want to go blind, it is indeed very convenient for running. The pants are quite comfortable to wear.
"Teacher Li... you must... you must educate her properly!" Liu Chang said, "How could there be a student like this?! I wouldn't let her in, but she just climbed up the door. She even dared to climb up the door today, will she climb up the principal's head tomorrow?! Also, Teacher Li, there are too many problem students in your class lately. That who, yes, the girl named Ji. I caught her climbing over the wall last night, and she actually told me she was going to feed the dogs?! I really can't bear it..."
Li Jianye's smile remained unchanged, and he responded with "Yeah", "Yes", and "It's okay, I'll pay attention", and quietly took Jimo Shu away.
Jimo Shu was pushed forward by her warm palm. Her back was stiff. She pursed her lips again and again, and finally said, "I can walk by myself."
Li Jianye lowered his eyes and looked at the transfer student he had never met before. As if he had gained insight, he simply lowered his hand and whispered, "Teacher Liu is a retired teacher who has just taken up this position. He's usually quite concerned and talkative. Sometimes you just have to pretend you didn't hear anything."
Jimo Shu was stunned for a moment, and happened to meet the class teacher's gentle eyes, which were half-bent. There was a smile in them, but not much, and it was just the right distance.
She subconsciously looked away, and after a while she uttered a stiff "Oh".
It was the end of class, and the third-year students' floor was in chaos. Groups of people, cups in hand, headed for the water room. The water room was at the intersection of two corridors. In the summer, they kept buckets of herbal tea. It wasn't particularly tasty, but it quenched thirst. As Li Jianye and Jimo Shu headed towards Class 4, everyone's curious gazes suddenly turned toward them.
There were not many transfer students to begin with, and not many transferred nearly half a month after the start of school. Even fewer transferred in their third year of high school. Although Jimo Shu was wearing a school uniform, her unfamiliar face was more than conspicuous.
Just then, the bell rang and everyone no longer cared about the new transfer student. They all hurried back to their own classes.
Class 4 is at the very end of the corridor, unfortunately, right next to the bathroom.
It seems that the first class is taught by the homeroom teacher Li Jianye... Jimo Shu did not take the initiative to find out, she didn't even know what subject Li Jianye taught.
The sunlight shone on the glass window with blurry window paper on the bottom edge, reflecting a little halo. Jimo Shu could already see the iron plate with "Senior Three (Four) Class" written on it from afar, as well as the backs of heads in the dark in the classroom.
She suddenly felt that she couldn't move forward.
A strange environment, strange people, and an unfamiliar routine. Although she never showed it on her face, how could she not be nervous?
Jimo Shu consoled herself, it was only a year, and they would go their separate ways after the college entrance exams. In just one year, she might not even recognize everyone in her class... She just had to endure it for a year.
Li Jianye entered the classroom first, debugged his smart device, and checked if the microphone was charged. Without even looking up, he asked, "Who's eating breakfast in class again?"
"Eat some vegetable buns and bread, I won't say anything to you guys." She smiled, her eyes fixed on one person, "Bring in rice noodle rolls, are you testing my nose?"
The man chuckled twice, but couldn't help looking out the door.
For high school students, "the teacher brought a stranger" is already a very novel thing.
Li Jianye said: "Jimo Shu, come in."
Jimo Shu walked straight in without pausing, her eyes fixed on the world as she met the gazes of more than forty pairs of eyes of all kinds.
Surprisingly, this classroom was very clean and tidy. The hygiene tools were stacked by the back door, just like the desks and chairs, neatly arranged with ample space left at the back. The flowers and plants by the window looked healthy. And this blackboard newspaper...
The theme of the blackboard newspaper was "Celebrating the School Sports Meet". It was obvious to the naked eye that the person in charge of the main painting was very skilled. The painting showed several students in school uniforms sprinting on the track, but for some reason, a big-eared yellow dog flying over an obstacle was drawn next to it with clumsy chalk, and there were also a few small stickers that looked out of place next to it.
Jimo Shu had no idea when the regular sports meet would be held. But she couldn't imagine it would be held now. Was it going to be so hot that people would die?
Li Jianye asked her, "Do you want to introduce yourself, or do you want the teacher to introduce you?"
"...No need." Jimo Shu was not good at dealing with this kind of soft but hard attitude. She said, "My name is Jimo Shu."
The class was silent, as if waiting for her to say something next, like "my hobbies" or something like that, but Jimo Shu didn't say a word, just crossed her arms and stared back at them. The more she looked, the tighter her brows furrowed, as if she was unhappy.
When they met for the first time, Jimo Shu quickly found the more eye-catching people in the class.
At the very end of the second row sat a tall boy, leaning his head against his cheek as he gazed out the window, his expression unpleasant. Jimo Shu first noticed him, not because of his looks, but because of his hair. It was noticeably longer than the other boys', who either had buzz cuts or crew cuts, and it was neatly styled. He also seemed to have a clear resin ear tube in his left ear, for anti-allergic purposes.
Jimo Shu had rarely seen boys get their ears pierced, and she had never done it herself. Doesn't it hurt?
The summer uniforms at No. 1 Middle School are different for boys and girls. The girls' uniforms have buttons at the collar, while the boys' uniforms have a small V-neck. But as Jimo Shu walked along, she saw that everyone in the class seemed to be wearing mixed clothes, with only the collars being the differentiating features. This person's collar seemed to be a little lower than everyone else's...
His seatmate wasn't as casual as him, buttoning his shirt tightly, his collar barely showing. He had short hair and a smile, but it didn't seem genuine. ...Why was there so much stationery on his desk, all arranged so neatly? Was it necessary to buy twelve different highlighters for studying? Was it something to eat?
A seat further ahead was an equally tall girl. She seemed even taller than the person behind her, judging solely by height. Jimo Shu didn't scrutinize her because she stared at her coldly, seemingly harmlessly, but Jimo Shu didn't like that kind of scrutiny.
The girl's seatmate was a quiet and ordinary boy.
There was another table next to the boy and girl. The girl was quietly doing her homework. Her classmate gave it to her to copy while watching the head teacher's movements. I don't know if it was because she was too lazy or because she had to obey, but she was almost so nervous that she kept one eye on guard with the other.
There was a silence, somewhat awkward, with many people tentatively unsure whether to applaud. Jimo Shu pursed her lips nervously, her face still cold and hard, when she heard a voice from beneath her nose: "Jimo Shu? Is it Ji, Mo Shu. Or Jimo, Shu?"
The voice was crisp, and Jimo Shu subconsciously looked down and met a pair of black eyes that shone brighter in the sunlight.
It was really bright. It was obviously very dark, yet it was as clear as a glass bead. Jimo Shu could even see his own nervousness in her eyes.
Jimo Shu: "...My last name is Jimo."
The girl laughed and said, "So it's a double surname! Fortunately I asked, otherwise it would be so embarrassing if I called it by the wrong name."
"Yun Xian, you have something to say again?" Li Jianye asked, "Did you make Teacher Liu angry again yesterday? He's old and his arms and legs aren't very agile. He's already a few years old, why are you arguing with him?"
"He was the one who started to criticize me, saying I wasn't well-groomed. But what was wrong with me?" Yun Xian said confidently, "And you can't say that, Teacher. Teacher Liu is in good health and full of energy. He'd be even more upset if you called him old."
There was a rustling of people in the first row, and Jimo Shu vaguely heard some of the cause and effect:
"Teacher Liu chased her so hard that his pants got out of line and he still couldn't catch her..."
"Let's get to the point. Where does the line start? At the top or at the bottom?"
"I don't know, but it is said that some people say that this year should be Teacher Liu's zodiac year."
"Oh my god...why hasn't Yun Xian been beaten yet..."
"Why do you think Mr. Liu is pursuing her? Go to the English corner with her to practice speaking? I'm fine, thank you, and you?"
Jimo Shu: "..."
How could someone sit right next to the podium table?! How cheeky are you?! It'd be embarrassing if someone called you by the wrong name, but you seem to be taking to this place like a duck in water, not awkward at all!
The atmosphere suddenly relaxed, and amidst the chatter, Li Jianye said to Jimo Shu, "Find an empty table and sit down."
Jimo Shu was forced to swallow back the words "I don't want a deskmate" before she could even utter them. She looked at the mature wrinkles at the corners of Li Jianye's eyes and thought, adults are really scary.
-
Jimo Shu didn't concentrate on the whole day's classes. She was in a state of stress and didn't want anyone to talk to her or say a word to her.
It seemed that her aloof demeanor had worked. As she wished, no one came to talk to her the whole day, and no one even looked at her.
But even though it really went according to her wishes, Jimo Shu's mood didn't improve at all, but became even worse.
This is fine. She doesn't want to know anyone, and no one wants to know her.
It's only been a year. Is there any hope of developing a deep friendship in just one year?
But she always unconsciously kept her eyes on Yun Xian's round head at the front... After watching eight classes, she might know why this person was taken to sit in the front alone.
She sat there, welcoming guests from all directions, as festive as a dancing welcoming pine tree. She could chat with anyone, her little mouth never stopping, and she even chatted enthusiastically with the teacher.
But she's just talkative, not emotionally incompetent. She's also incredibly adept at judging people and understanding propriety. Jimo Shu can tell which teachers are easygoing and which are serious simply by looking at how she treats them. The most talkative teacher right now is probably the Chinese teacher, a near-retirement grandfather named Mingguang. He has a quick laugh and a jade Buddha adorning his chest.
I think he also works as the Dean of Academic Affairs. Is he a good candidate for the position with this personality?
Oh. Li Jianye, the homeroom teacher, taught biology, and the physical education class was occupied by Liu Xin, the English teacher, for a dictation. Jimo Shu had no idea what the dictation was about, so she just wrote a few words on a piece of white paper and handed it in.
She just watched coldly, or thought she was "watching coldly", all the way until the evening study get out of class was over and she was about to go back to the dormitory.
Her luggage had been checked in to the dormitory a long time ago. I wonder if the two people helped her pack it.
Jimo Shu was standing downstairs of the dormitory building when she suddenly thought of something.
You can go to school without a deskmate, but living in a dormitory is impossible without roommates.
She might have to live in a room with three people every night.
Jimo Shu's expression became increasingly grim. She had no idea who she was going to live with.
In Room 405 of the East Building, Jimo Shu took the elevator and squeezed together with many laughing strangers. Finally, she slowly walked to the door. There was no light on inside. She was the first one to come back - after all, she was in her third year of high school, and some people would study in the classroom for a while.
Jimo Shu turned on the incandescent light. The light flickered a few times before finally lighting up with difficulty.
There was a dormitory roster posted at the door, and her name was written in black pen on the blank space at the bottom. Jimo Shu looked up and recited the names one by one.
Qiao Lingshan.
Ji Rongxue.
... Yun Xian.
Her eyes stopped at the name, and she didn't know what expression to make.
To be fair, the accommodations at No. 1 Middle School were quite good. There were beds with desks underneath, private bathrooms, and balconies. Around the corner from the hallway was a laundry room and bathroom. It was a newly renovated building a few years ago, so the facilities were all brand new. Jimo Shu stood there for a moment, then slowly walked back inside and opened her closet.
Her bed was on the left side of the balcony. Two sets of school uniforms were already hanging in the closet, and in the cabinet below were daily necessities, laundry detergent, toothbrushes...
The soundproofing wasn't very good, and from the dormitory next door came the sound of girls laughing happily: "Hahahahahahaha!! Is this true?! Say it again, say it again..."
Jimo Shu sat down, looked at the empty dormitory, and suddenly felt her eyes sore.
Although no tears came out, she was still afraid that the air would find out, so she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve and exhaled.
Just one year passed quickly.
Steady footsteps were heard at the door, and someone pushed it open. Before the person arrived, a voice came first, "The dormitory manager said that the excellent dormitories would be given milk. I brought it up first, you guys..."
Jimo Shu looked at the person who came. The person had neat short hair and a listless expression. He was very tall, but there was a fluffy dog keychain hanging on his schoolbag.
It should be Ji Rongxue.
Jimo Shu didn't say anything, and she didn't say anything either. She just looked around the room, took off her schoolbag, and asked casually, "Are they not back yet?"
Jimo Shu: “…Yeah.”
There was a moment of silence in the air, and she added something unnecessary, "At least I didn't see it."
Perhaps the new list hadn't been submitted to the dorm manager yet, as Ji Rongxue only had three large bottles of yogurt. Jimo Shu knew that the excellent dorm had nothing to do with her. Turning to clean her desk, she heard the shuffling of tables and chairs nearby.
Ji Rongxue placed the yogurt on Yun Xian and Qiao Lingshan's tables respectively, then turned around and quite naturally put a bottle on Jimo Shu's table.
Jimo Shu: “…”
Wouldn't it be better to say "thank you" at this point? But why couldn't she say it? And wasn't it already past the time to say thank you? Ji Rongxue had already sat down, wouldn't it be strange for her to say thank you now?!
"Lights out at 11, and you have to go to bed at 10:50." Ji Rongxue flipped open the exercise book in her hand and said, "So I suggest you go wash up first. We come in order of bed number, so whoever comes back first goes first."
"You are in 405, bed number three."
Jimo Shu opened the new toothbrush with a stiff face, making a loud noise.
"If there's no trash can, just throw it at Yun Xian's place first." Ji Rongxue said, "You know who Yun Xian is, right? He's the noisy one."
Jimo Shu: "I know. ...But you can just say the one next to the podium table."
Ji Rongxue twitched the corners of his mouth lightly, "Haha."
When she walked to the balcony with the cup of water, the night wind blew Jimo Shu's hair. She looked at the unfamiliar scenery below and the still crowded crowds of people, and suddenly felt.
It doesn't seem that bad...right? Probably.
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