Geographical distance
On the first day of high school, Lin Weixi stood in front of the class list and felt her blood freeze. She checked three times over—her name and Chen Wang's name were indeed listed in different classes. Science Class 3 and Science Class 4 were separated by only a wall, yet it felt like an unbridgeable chasm.
She walked into the new classroom, feeling lost, and found a seat near the back. From the window, she could see the hallway of the classroom across the way. Several boys were gathered together, chatting and laughing. Chen Wang was among them. He was wearing his new summer uniform, the sun shone on his slightly curly hair, and his smile remained as bright as ever.
During the break, Lin Weixi pretended to go to the bathroom and deliberately took a detour past the entrance of Class 4. Chen Wang was discussing something with his new deskmate, gesturing on the textbook with his fingers. He seemed to have adapted to the new environment quickly and became friends with his new classmates.
This realization caused Lin Weixi to feel a sharp pain in his heart. It turned out that even without her in the class, his life could still be so fulfilling.
At lunchtime, she habitually walked to her old seat, only to see Chen Wang already sitting with the new students from Class 4. They were chatting animatedly, laughing from time to time. Lin Weixi hesitated for a moment with her plate in hand, and finally chose a seat in the corner.
"Wei Xi! Over here!" Shen Siyu waved from a distance. She was lucky enough to be in the same class as her old classmates.
Lin Weixi walked over and ate the rice without any taste.
"Don't be sad," Shen Siyu lowered her voice, "It's just a wall between us. We can still see each other after class."
But the reality is not that simple. Different classes mean different schedules, different teachers, and even different sleep and rest times. Lin Weixi soon discovered that even their school dismissal times were staggered by fifteen minutes.
On Wednesday afternoon, she returned from the teacher's office, her homework in hand, and saw Chen Wang playing basketball with several boys from Class 4. They had clearly formed a new group, with a strong sense of chemistry. When Chen Wang made a three-pointer, his smile as he high-fived his new teammates in celebration stung her eyes.
Even more depressing was the disappearance of their casual interactions. No more borrowing and returning notes, no more casual glances between classes, no more time on duty together. Even when they met in the hallway, they would often just nod briefly before heading off to their separate classrooms.
Friday's physical education class was the only class they had in common. Lin Weixi arrived at the playground early, her eyes unconsciously searching for that familiar figure. When she saw Chen Wang and the boys from Class 4 walking towards her, she subconsciously straightened her back.
During free time, she sat in the stands, her eyes following the players on the court. Chen Wang's skills seemed to have improved, his movements more fluid. When he leaped for a shot, the sunlight outlined his slender figure, as if his entire body was glowing.
"Don't you want to say hello?" Shen Siyu sat down next to her.
Lin Weixi shook her head: "He's having fun with his new friends."
There was a bitterness in these words that she herself was not aware of.
The most difficult thing for her to adjust to was collecting homework every morning. As a new study committee member, she had to go to each class to collect science homework. Every time she walked to the door of Class 4, she would unconsciously feel nervous.
"Please hand in your physics homework." She stood at the podium, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
Chen Wang usually sat in the third row by the window. Sometimes he would look up and smile at her, and his fingers would accidentally brush against hers when handing her homework. These brief encounters became the moments that Lin Weixi looked forward to most in the day, even though they were fleeting.
After the mid-October monthly exam, the report cards were posted on the grade bulletin board. Lin Weixi squeezed in the crowd, eagerly looking for a comparison of the grades of the two classes. When she saw that Chen Wang's name was still in the top ten of the grade, while her own name was still hovering outside the top 30, a feeling of powerlessness came over her.
The gap between them seemed much wider than a wall.
One rainy evening, Lin Weixi stayed up late because of her duty. As she packed her bag and prepared to leave, she heard the sound of a basketball hitting from the classroom next door. As if by some strange coincidence, she walked to the back door of Class 4 and saw Chen Wang practicing basketball alone in an empty classroom through the glass window.
He dribbled, turned, and shot a jump shot, his movements flowing like water. The rain pounded against the windows, making the room exceptionally quiet. Lin Weixi stood outside the door, mesmerized by what she saw.
Suddenly, the basketball rolled towards her. Chen Wang chased the ball to the door and met her gaze, which she had no time to dodge.
"Lin Weixi?" He was a little surprised, "You haven't returned home yet?"
"Duty," she whispered, her heart beating faster.
Chen Wang wiped the sweat off his face and smiled familiarly: "Would you like to come in and sit for a while? I'll leave after I finish this set."
This was the first time they were alone after the class division. Lin Weixi sat in the audience, watching him practice in the empty classroom. Every footstep and every dribble echoed in the silent space.
"Are you used to the new class?" she asked courageously.
"Not bad," Chen Wang shot a three-pointer, "but the physics teacher lectures a little too fast. I need to spend more time preparing."
This discovery made Lin Weixi feel a little warm in her heart. It turned out that he also had difficulties that needed to be overcome.
After practice, they walked out of the teaching building together. The rain had stopped, and the setting sun shone through the gaps in the clouds, painting a rainbow on the horizon.
"I heard there's a grade basketball game next month," Chen Wang suddenly said, "Will you come and cheer?"
Lin Weixi was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Of course."
This simple promise filled her with anticipation for the following week. She began to pay attention to the basketball game schedule and even secretly prepared cheering banners.
On the day of the match, she arrived early and chose a spot with a clear view of the Class 4 rest area. When Chen Wang came on the court, her heartbeat quickened. He was wearing a brand new uniform, the familiar number 7.
Throughout the game, her eyes followed that figure. Every score, every assist, thrilled her. When Chen Wang scored the game-winning shot in the final moments, she couldn't help but leap up and cheer, completely forgetting her proper composure.
After the game, the students from Class 4 gathered around to celebrate. Lin Weixi stood outside the crowd, looking at Chen Wang who was surrounded by people. When he looked up, his eyes met hers for a second through the crowd, and then he smiled faintly.
At this moment, she felt that all distances were no longer important.
That night, she drew two adjacent classrooms in her diary, with a dotted line connecting them with a heart. She wrote next to them:
"It turns out that geographical distance isn't scary; it's the psychological distance that's scary. As long as we can still smile at each other in the crowd, as long as we can still cheer for the same goal, what does a wall between us matter?"
Closing the diary, the moonlight outside the window was just right. Lin Weixi thought of Chen Wang's focused expression during the competition, and that smile that penetrated the crowd. This autumn, because of the distance of a wall, some things became clearer.
Maybe youth is just like this, always between close and distant, teaching us to cherish every encounter.
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