You Are Still Here

Chapter 12

During the summer vacation, Form 3(3) organised a class gathering. Somehow a resourceful person managed to contact Yun Jin and insisted that she attend. Yun Jin had no intention of going but then thought "What am I afraid of? If I really want to break out of my shell, I have to start somewhere."

So on the day of the gathering, she left home early to take a train to the city. The get-together was held at a barbeque pit in a park. By the time Yun Jin arrived, there were already quite a few people milling about. It appeared that attending university was a form of renewal; the senior high kids who were previously constantly stressed out by the university entrance exams were in high spirits. When they saw Yun Jin, a group of boys teased excitedly: The terrible university years have tortured the dinosaurs into pretty girls.

Yun Jin smiled and didn't think much of it. Mo Yu Hua was not attending so she made small talk with other classmates.

Cheng Zheng was here though. She had spotted him immediately when she arrived but he did not see her.

Out of courtesy, Su Yun Jin had fully intended to greet him. After all, she couldn't have attained her highest ever Mathematic score in the national examinations without his help. When their eyes met, Su Yun Jin smiled and nodded at him but he looked away. They didn't look in each other's direction again.

His hair was shorter now which made his features more striking. His lips were pursed at the corners and he had more fine lines than before. Even at his university where the cream of the crop gathered, this boy must surely still be the centre of attention, Yun Jin thought to herself. But maybe all he really needed was the undivided attention of one individual – Meng Xue was seated close to him and was barbequing food for him continuously. They looked really close. But this was to be expected, the two of them were childhood sweethearts and now were studying in the same city; one was handsome, the other was pretty, them being a couple was expected.

Yun Jin prepared to barbeque some food for herself when a flawless pair of hands offered up a plate piled high with meat. She looked up to see Zhou Zi Yi grinning widely. While she didn't feel any sense of goodwill towards him, she uttered her thanks.

"I love serving pretty girls." He said candidly as he sat beside her.

Yun Jin chuckled. "Mister Zhou, you're too direct. This 'little miss' can't handle your compliment."

Zhou Zi Yi laughed with her and didn't take her words to heart. "That's the spirit! So you can joke as well. Funny, I never noticed your beautiful eyes before."

Yun Jin half teased and was half serious as she said "It's not the only time you've missed the beautiful things around you."

"Is that so?" Zhou Zi Yi arched his eyebrows slightly before teasing "Well, why don't you give me a chance then?"

Yun Jin was just about to respond when she heard a stiff chortle coming from nearby. She looked over and saw Cheng Zheng staring at Zhou Zi Yi "Such chances will only land you in trouble with Jie Jie."

Zhou Zi Yi scrunched up his nose in annoyance "Now that we're here having fun, can we not mention that fierce woman?"

So he had a girlfriend. Yun Jin thought of Yu Hua and felt bitter. For the past year, Yu Hua may have appeared to have put him behind her but she knew that first loves would invariably leave a scar.

Following that, Zhou Zi Yi cracked a few jokes but on seeing that Yun Jin was not in the mood, he left. Cheng Zheng on the other hand, was in surprisingly high spirits and was joking openly with Meng Xue. Even till the moment Yun Jin took an early leave, he never looked at her again.

All through summer vacation up till the commencement of her sophomore year, Yun Jin struggled over the dilemma of informing Yu Hua. Finally, one night in the dormitory, she dialled the familiar number. After mentioning a few casual events, she blurted out "I hear he's with someone." There was no proper opening to what she said, neither did she furnish other details but the person on the other end had no need for clarification. Yu Hua was silent before saying calmly "That's perfectly normal. I have the right to like someone, so does he."

"But why must the person you like be him?" That boy with a frivolous attitude, how could he have attracted someone as innocent as Yu Hua?

Yu Hua said: "Sometimes rationale tells us what the right thing is but the heart remains resolute on its course."