Chapter 68：New Friend

Time flies by and the summer holiday ends. In a bright morning of early August, Xiao Ping excitedly walks toward an announcement board at her school's front yard. She intentionally comes really early in the morning so she doesn't need to fight with her friends to see the class distribution list. Eventually, she made the right decision. There are only a few people stand in front of the three meters long board.

Xiao Ping's eyes quickly scanning papers stuck on the board. On a paper that written 2B there is Tian Er Hua, while her own name is on 2D list. Xiao Ping softly sighs. She can not decide whether it is a relieved or disappointed one. Her relationship with Er Hua has not been back to normal. Though she has tried to make up, but Er Hua still keeps distance. Xiao Ping has run out of idea. She just hope that someday everything goes back normal between them.

"Hi, you're Xiao Ping, right ?" a friendly greet retrieves Xiao Ping back to reality and turns to the voice. "Right," Xiao Ping answers as friendly though she doesn't know the person. "Hi, I'm Zhen Xu Qian," the person says while handing her hand. Xiao Ping shakes her hand and replies her with a sweet smile, "I'm Yuan Tai Ping."

Zhen Xu Qian has an egg-shape face with narrow chin. Her eyes are small, as small as her nose and lips. Her hair is a chin-short and now moving in rhythm with her nod. "I knew it already. You're in class 2D, right ? We're classmate!" she informs so cheerful.

Xiao Ping's smile widens. "What a coincidence," she joyfully replies. "What if we become bench-mate ?" Xu Qian offers that quickly replies by Xiao Ping's nod. "Come on, we better pick the bench now or we will have front row," Xu Qian pulls Xiao Ping's hand and take her to their class.

"How could you know my name ?" Xiao Ping asks while trying to follow Xu Qian's fast steps. Xu Qian turns to her and smiles. "You are the girl who got replied by Takeshi Hasegawa, right ? All girls in this school know you," Xu Qian answers lightly but definitely widens Xiao Ping's eyes in surprise. "Really ? I've never knew it was widespread," Xiao Ping says.

Xu Qian widens her smile until she lose her eyes, but says no word. "So.. are you also Takeshino tomodachi ?" Xiao Ping asks. "Takeshi what ?" Xu Qian asks back while slightly tilts her head.

"Oh.. it is a call for Takeshi Hasegawa's fan. He thinks his fans as his friends, so he calls us 'tomodachi'," Xiao Ping explains then grins, "It looks like you're not, aren't you ?"

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While carrying a backpack on his shoulder, Yu Jin opens his apartment door and finds a brown paper bag on the floor, neatly leans on the door frame. Yu Jin takes the bag. Without opens it first, Yu Jin puts the bag in his backpack and walks to the elevator.

He knows exactly what is in the bag. A lunch box that is filled with rice and dishes, and a bottle of coffee latte. He also already knows who is the person who does it. Couple days ago when he watched the cafe repairmen, he saw his uncle ate from the similar lunch box. His uncle said he received it from A Lin. Mr. Bai giggled when Yu Jin showed him his mysterious lunch box. They had the same dishes. Knowing that, at first Yu Jin wants to confront it to A Lin, but he finally decides to let it be and waits for A Lin to reveal it her self.

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Once hearing the bell rings, almost all students of 2D class close their mathematics exercise book, including Xiao Ping. Cudgeling brain to work on the hard mathematics questions in a hot day was not a fun activity.

"Thank you, Teacher Ma," the students say it together to deliver their mathematics teacher out from the class. Once the teacher is out, the class becomes noisy with chats and the students clean up.

"Xiao Ping, let's go to the mall," Xu Qian suggests while putting her books in her bag. "I can't," Xiao Ping's refusal makes Xu Qian's head turns to her. "Why ?" Xu Qian asks. "Ehm.. I have an appointment," Xiao Ping says.

"With whom ? Your boyfriend a ?" Xu Qian asks with interrogating look and teasing smile.

Xiao Ping's cheeks are blushed. "Ehm.. Yes, kinda," she says shyly. "So, you have a boyfriend ? What's his name ?" Xu Qian enthusiastically asks. "Ano.. ehmm," Xiao Ping can only play with her bag strap.

Understand that Xiao Ping doesn't want to answer Xu Qian widely smiles. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me. I'm not sure I know him anyway," Xu Qian says it lightly. It makes Xiao Ping relieved.

"Then I'll go first," Xiao Ping asks for her leave. Xu Qian nods. With a thin smile on her face, she delivers Xiao Ping with her gaze until Xiao Ping gets through the door.

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Xiao Ping locks her bicycle on a bar in front of the apartment parking space. She wanders her sight for a moment to search Yu Jin's motorcycle. Of course she can not find it. It is only 2 PM. Yu Jin may still be in his campus or watching the cafe repairmen.

With full spirit, Xiao Ping enters the apartment building and push the elevator's button. Soon the elevator's door is opened. Xiao Ping goes right in. When the elevator's doors is closing, a girl opens the apartment building front door. She walks toward the elevator with her eyes is staring at the number display above the elevator's door. When the display shows number 6 and does not move for some times, the girl turns her body back and comes out of the apartment building.