Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 4 | A Hardcore Introduction | Novela.app

Wen Yan didn’t quite know what had come over him since the day Su Jingming stepped in to help Wen Miao. He had seen the seventeen-year-old Su Jingming wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, clutching his school uniform jacket, his black hair messy enough to reveal his eyes. They were clean eyes, untainted by any filth. Bathed in backlight, Su Jingming had walked out of that filthy, narrow alley with steady strides. From that moment on, Wen Yan became curious. He wanted to know what kind of person Su Jingming really was. He admitted his actions over the past few days had been clingy and childish, but he simply couldn't help himself. Wen Yan leaned one hand against the doorframe, his uniform sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He tossed the bag of bread into Su Jingming’s lap. Faced with Wen Yan’s calm declaration of wanting to "get to know him," Su Jingming felt a twinge of embarrassment. "What is there to know?" Su Jingming looked at him. "I’m just an ordinary high school student." Wen Yan countered, "An ordinary high school student who can knock five thugs to the ground?" "..." Su Jingming sighed. Since the other boy had put it that way, it was clear he wanted to be friends. It wouldn't be right to refuse—especially since the guy had brought him bread and even offered to buy him an Ultraman figure. Rejecting him now would be truly uncalled for. After finishing his internal pep talk, Su Jingming met Wen Yan’s eyes and spoke slowly. "Su Jingming. Male. Seventeen years old. 178 centimeters tall. Chuunibyou attributes. No special fetishes." "I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I don't go clubbing." As soon as he finished, Wen Yan’s eyes flickered. This was the first time he had heard such a hardcore self-introduction; he was momentarily stunned. Su Jingming awkwardly scratched his cheek with his index finger. Was there something wrong with his introduction? Why did Wen Yan look so shocked? Was "no smoking, no drinking, no clubbing" too lame? Was it too late to revise it now...? For every minute Wen Yan remained silent, Su Jingming’s anxiety grew. Aside from his childhood friend Ren Wei, he hadn't really made any friends. When they were younger, it was fine because everyone’s interests were equally childish. But as they grew older and Su Jingming still loved Ultraman, boys his age started talking about which girls were pretty. Later, during the stirrings of puberty, the boys around him began to experience young love. They were either in a relationship or on the way to a breakup every single day. Meanwhile, Su Jingming remained true to his original heart, loving Ultraman Tiga and maintaining his resolve to be an incarnation of justice, refusing to be troubled by the trivialities of romance. Over time, everyone who interacted with Su Jingming realized he was a "chuunibyou" with whom they shared no common language. Gradually, his circle of friends dwindled until only Ren Wei remained. Just as Su Jingming was wondering how to resolve the current awkwardness, Wen Yan finally spoke. With a hint of a smile, he said, "Wen Yan. Male. Seventeen years old. 182 centimeters tall. I don't smoke, don't drink, and don't go clubbing. As for hobbies..." He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over Su Jingming. Su Jingming: ??? Wen Yan chuckled. "None." Friendships between boys often develop quickly. After chatting for a while, Wen Yan had a rough idea of what kind of person Su Jingming was: a chuunibyou youth who was bad at socializing. The two of them chatted idly for most of the period. It wasn't until the bell rang that Su Jingming realized he had been talking with Wen Yan for so long. Wen Yan stood up and reached out a hand to pull Su Jingming up from the floor. Su Jingming rarely had such physical contact with others. The moment Wen Yan touched him, it felt as if a cluster of bubbles had popped in his heart. Wen Yan and Su Jingming returned to the classroom one after the other. As soon as Su Jingming sat down, Ren Wei nudged him twice with his elbow. "Where did you go while you were cutting class?" "Looking at the scenery." Su Jingming pulled out the textbook for the next lesson. "What, a high school boy isn't allowed to skip a class?" "Of course you can. You're second in the grade; missing one class doesn't matter. But you don't know—Wen Yan wasn't in class either. Do you think him missing a lesson means you'll take first place in the next exam so you won't be held down by him anymore?" Su Jingming was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond to Ren Wei. Ren Wei continued, "Have you never thought about beating Wen Yan just once?" Su Jingming shook his head. He really hadn't. After three major exams in their first year, Su Jingming had realized one thing: Wen Yan wasn't just a top student; he was a top student who could control his scores. One shouldn't fear a top student who tests well; one should fear a top student who can manipulate his results. Su Jingming didn't know Wen Yan's motive for doing so, but he was certain that Wen Yan’s true strength went far beyond what he showed. He was simply hitting the mark exactly where he wanted it. Su Jingming lacked any competitive drive anyway. As long as he was happy with his own scores, that was enough. Over the next few days, a steady drizzle fell over Liangcheng. Su Jingming felt like an old man; whenever it rained, his body would ache. The bruises on his back seemed to be working against him, refusing to heal. The rainy alleys always felt a bit more mysterious. Su Jingming ate his usual bowl of rice noodles in clear broth at a downstairs stall before heading out through the alley with his backpack. He carried a transparent umbrella. Just as he stepped out of the alleyway, he heard someone call his name from behind. "Su Jingming!" It was a girl's voice. Su Jingming turned around to see Zhang Jia. She looked a bit disheveled, having no umbrella. Her hair was damp from the drizzle, and her face looked somewhat pale. After a moment's hesitation, Su Jingming walked over with his umbrella. Zhang Jia gave a shivering smile. "What a coincidence." Su Jingming nodded. He didn't know about coincidences, but in the two years he had walked this path, this was the first time he had run into Zhang Jia. "You..." Su Jingming tilted the umbrella toward her. "It's been raining these past few days. You don't bring an umbrella?" Zhang Jia hadn't expected Su Jingming to be so blunt. She said awkwardly, "I was in such a rush to leave that I forgot it." Hearing this, Su Jingming pulled out his phone to check the time. There were still thirty minutes before class, and the school was only a five-minute walk away. Without thinking, Su Jingming blurted out, "It's still early. No need to be in such a rush." Zhang Jia: "..." She knew Su Jingming wasn't easy to approach, but she hadn't realized he was such a "straight man." At seventeen, one should be experiencing the first stirrings of love, yet from Su Jingming, she got absolutely no sense that he was capable of dating. Zhang Jia sighed, her fingers trembling inside her sleeves. Seeing her like this, Su Jingming asked, "Are you cold?" Hearing this, Zhang Jia thought he had finally caught on. Su Jingming nodded to himself. "It really is quite cold today. Even I'm cold, and I'm wearing long sleeves." As he spoke, he didn't forget to free a hand to push up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, shivering for emphasis. Zhang Jia shut her mouth. She felt that if she kept talking to this "straight man," she would explode on the spot! Due to the weather, most of the students already in the classroom were boarders. When they saw Su Jingming and Zhang Jia enter together, the subtle chatter in the room came to a sudden halt. At some point, the drizzle outside turned into a light rain. The grey sky grew even darker, giving off a faint end-of-the-world vibe. Zhang Jia and Su Jingming sat down at their respective desks. She was quite frustrated; Su Jingming was clearly good-looking, yet he insisted on acting like a nerdy shut-in. Under the watchful eyes of her classmates, she turned around and asked Su Jingming for the math homework. "I forgot to do mine. Can I take a look at yours?" Su Jingming looked up. The refusal was on the tip of his tongue when he noticed many eyes gathered on them. To reject Zhang Jia now would be to embarrass her in front of everyone. A person of justice would never do something so ungentlemanly. Su Jingming nodded and pulled his notebook from his bag. "Just remember to turn it in for me later." The corners of Zhang Jia’s mouth curled up. She said beamingly, "Then I won't be polite!" To the other students and Zhang Jia, this ordinary exchange took on a different flavor. Su Jingming didn't care what others thought of him. He pulled out another exercise book and sat quietly at his desk, working through problems. The students in the classroom looked at one another. Finally, someone pulled out a phone and posted a thread on the school forum: *Regarding the Nerd and the Class Beauty.* *** Glossary: