For You

Tract 1: One Meter

Disclaimer: The title of the fic and each chapter's title are all credited to the Jerry For You producers and of course to Jerry himself.

For you, who loved secretly, this chapter is dedicated to you.

......

It was pure torture. To sit everyday on this forsaken chair. This forsaken chair that was so frustratingly close to him.

Him. Liao Yang Zhen.

And as I thought about his name, I heard one of our classmates call out to him oh so sweetly.

"Ah Zhen," the prettiest girl in our class cooed, smiling widely. It was a smile that was obviously intended to impress 'Ah Zhen' with her pearly whites.

Through my peripheral vision, I saw Liao Yang Zhen raise his head from the book he was reading to look up at Yi Lin who was now standing in front of his desk.

He gave her a slight smile.

"Yes?"

His voice was as husky as always, and the 'yes' that came out was fairly innocent; yet Yi Lin's face quickly began to blush. From one corner of our classroom, Yi Lin's friends sighed enviously.

Rolling my eyes, I bowed my head to return reading my Science book. Though I had already memorized the following three chapters by heart, I knew I still needed to study. If I hoped to ever beat Liao Yang Zhen in any of our subjects, I need to study more. Much much more.

"You. . . did. . . great at gym class yesterday, Ah Zhen," I heard Yi Lin stammer from my right.

I ignored it. After all, I was used to it.

Yes, that's what annoyingly perfect Liao Yang Zhen could do. Turn a sophisticated sixteen year old to a stuttering little girl.

But then again, even I, little nerdy Xiao Mei who vowed studies before anything else, found my own heart pounding in awe yesterday while watching Liao Yang Zhen dribble around the court. And everytime he would do a lay-up, which he made looked so effortless, I would lose my ability to breath too.

For months, I tried to deny it but sadly it was true. Like almost all girls of our class. . . of our school, I too, have a crush on Liao Yang Zhen.

But unlike most of the girls, I never tried to pursue him. Not in my wildest imaginations would I ever dream of pursuing him.

"Thank you," Liao Yang Zhen said politely to Yi Lin. He absentmindedly went back to reading his book, forgetting all about the girl standing before him.

And that was why I'll never pursue him. After all, if beautiful Yi Lin couldn't get his attention, how could I?

Biting my lower lip, I tried to stop the sudden tears in my eyes. I was being silly, I had a little crush, why should I feel my heart burning like this?

On the next moment, I found out my answer as I thought why I hated so much sitting next to Liao Yang Zhen.

It was because sitting one meter away from him, I get to have a first row seat of him turning down girls. . . Sitting one meter away from him, I never could put my full attention on my professors and their lessons. . . Sitting one meter away from him, my heart would stubbornly refused to stop its heavy pounding. . .

Fortunately, my train of thought was interrupted as our Science teacher entered the classroom. Everyone scrambled back to their own seats.

Then trying my best not to think about the boy sitting next to me, I turned my attention to my teacher.

"I'm giving back your last test," I heard Mr. Chan say. As much as I tried to focus on him, I couldn't pull my thoughts away from 'Ah Zhen' who had his chin on his hand. He seemed to be deep in thought and it made him looked so definitely cute.

I was only startled out of my reverie when I heard Mr. Chan call my name.

"Ah yes, sir?" I asked as I got on my feet.

Our normally stern-looking professor smiled and to my surprise pulled out a paper. My paper! I got the highest score!

As if walking on a dream, I walked over to the front and took my test paper from Mr. Chan. I stood there a second longer than necessary; the moment felt so surreal to me.

But I quickly gathered my wits as Mr. Chan called out the student who got the second highest score. Liao Yang Zhen.

As he walked towards the front, I hurried back to my seat. Halfway, we brushed each other and my heart leaped as the slightest touch of his shirt touched mine. I glanced up at him.

His lips were drawn into a straight line; my heart sunk.

Was he mad that I got a point higher than him? He was known to be a perfectionist after all.

Feeling a pit of disappointment forming on my stomach, I hurried with the last few steps to my desk. Sitting back on my chair, I thought how ironic I felt right now.

Here was the top score I wanted for so long and yet I still felt disappointed. Once more, it boiled down to annoying Liao Yang Zhen.

Trying not look at him as he sat back next to me, I tried thinking about my achievement instead. I should be happy, I told myself. More importantly, I should forget *him* I added in my mind as well.

But all those thoughts vanished all together as I felt a soft tug on my hair.

"Xiao Mei."

My eyes widening in surprise, I turned to Liao Yang Zhen. I didn't thought that he knew my name because though we had been seatmates for months, I don't think we had ever really talked before.

"Yyees?" I breathed. For the first time, I had my share of getting flustered because of Liao Yang Zhen. And if I was to judge why, it knew it was because of those eyes.

Through his long lashes, you could drown within the serious brown orbs shaped so perfectly. I felt my face getting redder by the second.

If he noticed my discomfort, he made no show of it. Instead he just smiled at me, showing his dimpled cheek.

"Congratulations," he said, his voice was soft but they reached my ears just fine.

And at that moment, I felt my achievement was something really worth it. I may not have realized it before but even though Liao Yang Zhen could be my distraction at times, he was also an inspiration to me.

Everytime, he would get the highest score, I would sulk afterwards, though in my mind, I tried to be annoyed, in my heart, I was always impressed with him. How he goes all out in everything he did. Subconsciously, he taught me the same thing. And now, this highest score was a fruit of all my efforts.

Very shyly, I returned his smile. After a whispered a soft thanks, he nodded politely and turned back to his own desk.

My heart tingling with warmth, I turned back to my own paper as well.

The Liao Yang Zhen sitting one meter away from me might never know my feelings for him but it doesn't matter because in my heart, I'll be keeping him anyway. Keep him and the inspiration he has given me. Putting a hand over my chest, I whispered a soft thank you to the Liao Yang Zhen there.

For the rest of the class, I unabashedly stole glances at the boy sitting next to me. I smiled to myself when I found him listening earnestly to our teacher who was now discussing the test answers.

'No wonder you are much loved', I thought to myself. 'Not only are you good-looking. You have much endearing qualities would make many more girls fall for you.'

Shaking my head and turning back to my papers again, I didn't realize that my words had been a premonition that in time would be proven so very true.