Xia Yao watched him, their eyes locked in a silent exchange amidst the insistent drone of cicadas.

He suddenly reached out, plucked a leaf from her hair, and offered it to her. "I saw you struggling to open your water bottle with that leaf stuck on your head. Don't hesitate to ask for help next time. You can always come to the class president."

Xia Yao paused, her clear, dark eyes seeming to speak volumes, their depths easily readable. "Are you the class president? I don't think we've elected one yet…"

"I'm pretty sure I'll be elected. Just consider it an advance favor from your class president."

"Zhou Ye, hurry up! There are a few more boxes over here!" a rough male voice shouted from behind them. Zhou Ye glanced back, replied with an "Oh," gave Xia Yao a quick wave goodbye, and jogged away.

Xia Yao watched his retreating figure, moving so quickly he disappeared in moments. She looked down at the open water bottle in her hand and the leaf he'd removed from her hair. A cool breeze suddenly kissed her face.

Looking up, she saw the trees lining the path swaying gently, their branches releasing the fresh, subtle scent of camphor. She would always remember that sudden, lingering breeze on that afternoon.

***

The summer heat had been oppressive, even the rain offering little relief. A sticky humidity clung to everyone.

Xia Yao hung her backpack on her desk and sat down, pulling out the textbooks she needed for class. After a moment's hesitation, she turned and glanced at the desk behind hers.

It was piled with textbooks, the chair empty.

She turned back, touching her forehead. Her temperature was normal, yet she felt flushed all over.

She still couldn't quite process everything. Their relationship had been so simple, so quiet. Many of their classmates didn't even know they were dating.

Yet yesterday afternoon, after school, they had gone to a hotel and done things some adults hadn't even done.

Xia Yao lowered her head, her face burning as she pretended to study. She recognized the words, but her mind was filled with images of herself n4ked, spread out on a pillow, her legs open for Zhou Ye.

She remembered him pressing his c0ck, thick and hard, poking out from his pubic hair, deep inside her. She remembered the look on his face as he thrust into her, his weight pressing down.

He had brought her to org4sm multiple times, and the lingering tingling between her legs kept distracting her.

Last night had awakened her to the intense sensitivity of her body. She felt different, changed. She'd even taken off her panties during a video call with him, opening her legs and showing him her pvssy.

Xia Yao covered her face for a moment, trying to banish the er0tic images from her mind.

She needed to focus on class.

Their first class was math with their homeroom teacher. Two minutes after the bell, the teacher arrived, carrying a stack of papers, accompanied by Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye taped two sheets of A4 paper to the wall while the teacher instructed students to pass out the tests.

"The scores and rankings are posted up front. You can check them after class. Many students in our class have improved…"

He spent a few minutes discussing the monthly exam. As Zhou Ye finished helping and stepped down from the podium, Xia Yao avoided his gaze, staring down at her test paper.

The boy brushed past her, a faint breeze swirling around him. He casually tapped her desk as he passed, not pausing, and continued to his seat in the back.

Xia Yao stared at the folded piece of paper he'd left on her test.

After last night, she saw Zhou Ye in a new light. She wondered if he'd written something suggestive, something that would make her blush.

Perhaps an invitation to meet somewhere during lunch or after class, to do something secret.

She glanced around, making sure no one was watching, and carefully unfolded the note. Zhou Ye's message was simple.

[The teacher asked me to help organize the rankings this morning. Sorry. Want to have lunch together? What do you feel like eating?]

It was a normal message...just like how they used to talk before they had s*x.