INVISIBLE STRING - Duan Jia Xu

ONE

"Yeah." Sang Zhi spoke, her head nodding.

Hui Ying looked at her watch, noticing that the lecture was going to begin in eight minutes. She gasped lightly, probably scarring her friend on the other line. "I need to go, I have this lecture about Algorithms & Problem Solving." Hui Ying spoke, a sadness being hinted in her voice.

She had to admit that she was kind of sad to leave Sang Zhi alone, she liked talking to her.

It was refreshing to hear her voice on the other line of the phone, it felt like home. A home that she kind of missed. "I'll call you tomorrow or tonight?"

"Tonight's good!" Sang Zhi said in a sort of excited voice, it was obvious for the both of the girls that they needed each other in a way. "You cal tell me all about your drama in school then."

Hui Ying laughed. "I think i'll be going on forever." She spoke while laughing, pausing for just a second. "But we'll do it." she spoke with  a nod.

After a quick goodbye, Hui Ying placed her phone in her pocket. She cleared her throat before entering the lecture hall.

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      HUI YING WALKED TOWARDS THE DESK WHERE SHE USUALLY SITS, Hae Rin was already sitting there with her planner. She was probably preparing to write down all the things that will be said in this lecture.

Hui Ying smiled as she started walking over towards the girl. "Hey, here are your papers!" Hui Ying handed over the papers she needed to give from Yoon Ji.

The girl smiled, taking her backpack from the chair so that Hui Ying could sit down next to her. She nodded her head, the warm smile warming up her face like it was the sun. "Oh, thanks! i thought Yoon Ji had them." She spoke, slightly raising her eyebrows.

Hui Ying nodded her head. "Oh yeah, she did." Hui Ying spoke, pausing while she sat down as she placed her bag at the end of her chair. " She asked me to give them to you, she knew you'd be in this class."

Hae Rin nodded her head, finally understanding how Hui Ying had gotten her papers.  "Oh, well say thanks from me." She smiled softly, playing the slightest bit with the tips of her hair.

"I will!" Hui Ying smiled, obviously noticing but not commenting on it. "How has you french classes been?" The girl asked in curiosity, her hands grabbing out her notebook to also make notes from the class.

This wasn't in any books that she got from lessons so she needed to make sure she was writing down everything important.

Hae Rin frowned lightly, the smile on her face fading as so did the excitement in her eyes. "You know I thought if i studied french i'd be able to live there and all that stuff but. . ." She paused, biting her lip as she shook her head. "i've realised it's a lot harder than i thought."

Hui Ying frowned, she felt bad for her friend that the classes she so much adored in the beginning where punching her back. "What do you mean?"

"Well i want to obviously live in country where i speak the language."

"So your saying it's not going good?" Hui Ying let out a soft laugh, hoping to find some light in the situation as it wasn't fun for the girl.

"No, it's not. And the teacher is really mean, and i just don't understand it." She spoke, letting a hand run through her hair.

Hui Ying knew about Hae Rin's dream to live in the south's of france with her family and dogs, but she wanted to speak the language first before going somewhere. Hui Ying understood it though, her older sister had to study the language for years until she was able to actually speak it.

Once you figure the twists the french have in their language, is the moment you start to understand it.

"If you want I can give you my sister's contact?" Hui Ying suggested, a genuine smile on her face as she meant well. "She studied in france for like a year so she kind of understands the language." Hui Ying laughed, really wanting to help her friend.

Hae Rin's eyes glistened, like Hui Ying was her saving grace. "You'd be angel if you did."

Hui Ying nodded her head, writing down her sister's number on some sticky note. "Of course!" She spoke, in the back of her mind she made a reminder to herself to text her sister about it. That way her sister wouldn't think it was some random number.

Shin Ae Rin shushed them quickly, placing a finger on her mouth as she leaned over slightly. "Hey be quiet, it's starting!" She spoke with a snarky accent.

Hui Ying raised an eyebrow, looking at Hae Rin with her mouth slightly opened.  "Well she's very uptight." She laughed lightly.

Hae Rin nodded her head while shrugging her shoulders. "It's Shin Ae Ri, She's known for that."

Hui Ying nodded her head, her eyes going over towards the front of the class. And she had thought she had seen it wrong, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Like the kind of tricks where you'd see a shadow in the corner of your eye, or the kind of trick where you'd see a monster instead of a pile of clothes in the dark.

There was no way he was here.

"Hey. I'm Duan Jia Xu—you can just call me Mr. Xu. I'll be filling in for Mr. Argon today. He's not feeling well, so I'll be taking over for a bit." He spoke.

Hui Ying knew who he was, of course she knew who Duan Jia Xu was. Sang Zhi had spoken millions of stories about the male and Hui Ying had enough experience with him. She had met him a couple of times, had talked to him some times, Had felt stuff for him even.

But she couldn't believe he was there, teaching people.

And Hui Ying could tell by the way Duan Xu looked at her, that he also couldn't believe she was there.

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