❝ ──chapter prologue
GEOGRAPHY. ❞
𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐔𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 literature is a weird thing. the threaded words together have the ability to absolutely shatter your heart and mend it and then shatter it even more. she truly felt when jane austen wrote 'I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading' in pride and prejudice. and which is also why she is blamimg literature for not allowing her to pay attention in geography class.
you see her last literature class was over almost 30 mins ago but she still couldn't get over the chapter called the address, which they were taught today. she wonders how much the jew had suffered throughout the hiding, when her mother died, and when her possessions were taken away and kept in such a distasteful taste.
she ponders what the alternative endings could be and how the what ifs could've changed the story. her eyes were on the black board where the teacher explained something about weather but her mind was still in last class.
hence when the bell rung she softly gasped at the loud noise. "sang yue" the teacher called making her afraid that he caught her not paying attention. "i need to talk about your marks so meet me in the staff room" he said leaving her and the whole class stunned.
because sang yue was one of the topper students it was rare for teachers to complain about her marks. a recent practice test was taken and the marks were not out yet making her even more nervous.
so when she knocked the door of staff room the middle-aged teacher gleefully welcomed her. she went and stood next to him. he showed her a book. her marks from previous test and exams were noted down in it. not only of geography but also of all other subjects. "you see in all the subjects you got between 18 to 20 out of 20 in class tests and 38 to 40 in exams but in geography it's 13/12 or 25/27. i need you work on geography more because if not it will eventually bring down your percentage in your final report card." sang yue nodded occasionally to show she was listening.
"which is why i need to meet your parents" sang yue almost scoffed. it seemed a ridiculous reason to call her parents when he already told her. he was probably just gonna repeat it to them so why call them when he already told her.
upon being dismissed she immediately texted sang yan.
yue🌙: gēgē can you come home today?
sāng yàn gēgē 👽: no
yue🌙: tomorrow?
sāng yàn gēgē 👽: no
yue🌙: can you not be mean?
sāng yàn gēgē 👽: no
she sighed at her brother's uncooperative behavior. the whole walk to home she was thinking of ways to appease him. "I'm home" she announced throwing her bag on the couch and walking over to her mother in the kitchen. "māmā-" her mother cut off her sentence as she handed her a fruit bowl. "sang yan is home and he brought a friend-" sang yue bolted upstairs with excitement not bothering to hear the full sentence.
"gēgē" she called out as soon as she opened the door of his room. instead of her brother there was another guy dressed in white shirt and t-shirt. he looked back meeting her chocolate brown eyes. but before anyone could say anything the youngest walked in also searching for the oldest sibling.
"gēgē did you get plastic surgery?" sang zhi asked. "come over and see if the results are good" the older said making sang yue roll her eyes. "idiot he is sang yan gēgē's friend" she correct her sister. the oldest sang was quick to walk in bumping into sang yue who handed him the fruit bowl.
sang yan sat down already ready to hear what his little satans of sisters did. "now what did you two did?" he asked. the two shared a look before denying the allegations. to the newcomer this was comic situation. he asked sang yan if they looked alike as his youngest sister mistook him as his real brother.
sang yan looked at sang zhi with betrayal. "you think guy is me? a tweaked version of me?!" he yelled. sang zhi opened her mouth to defend herself but sang yue, who was a head taller than her, covered it. "gēgē i need your help" sang yue admitted. "what did you do?" the oldest sang asked already tired of this bullshit. "nothing but-" sang zhi removed her older sister's hand and started blabbering her problem.
the siblings got into a fight in no time. sang yue and sang zhi arguing whom their brother was gonna help while the said brother was not ready to help neither of them. sang zhi started crying making yue widen her eyes. sang yan pushed sang zhi pushed to the middle sibling "calm her" he ordered. "why should i you made her cry" she pused her sister to sang yan. they kept on pushing her back and forth before sang yue handed her to jiaxu, "sush her" she said.
"me?" the male asked with shock plastered all over his face. "yes?!" the sang sibling answered as if it was the most obvious thing. their mother eventually came up to hit sang yan because he was the one being framed. sang yue let out a breathe of relief.
"gēgē do you have time tomorrow?" sang yue asked to jiaxu, with the most suger coated tone she could muster. "tomorrow?" he asked making sang yue nodded. "i am not free tomorrow" he said. "no you have to be! you said sang yan gē about the the plastic surgery thing now he won't help me!"
"well you have point. what help you want" jiaxu asked again. now noticing how sang yue and sang yan's eyes were a similar shade of chocolate brown, just hers were a shade or two deeper brown. "can you come to my school as my real brother?" she said innocently. "are you in trouble at school?" he asked once again.
"well no" sang yue answered. "then gēgē is not free tomorrow" jiaxu replied nonchalantly standing up to grab his things. "well the teacher wants to talk about how my marks are not so good in geography compared to other subjects" she blurted truthfully.
"do you expect me to belive that?" the charming male asked with a raise of brow. "well even if i lie you will find out tomorrow by my teacher" jiaxu nodded understanding her side. "my name is sang yue, grade 9 class 2 at xuri middle-high school. tomorrow at 3pm" she said revealing the relevant information.
"grade 9? that means you're 15 right?" jiaxu asked again as sang yue nodded pulling her lips in a thin line which made her cheeks puff up. she skipped downstairs not bothering to hear his fianl verdict. because he messed up so that means he has to come! right?
sang yue sighed as the last bell rung and jiaxu was nowhere to been seen. she had already met sang zhi's teacher who talked about the usual and said she would help her sister with it. she packed her things ready to leave after waiting for 15 minutes.
frustrated, she ruffled her hairs. "sang yue" she turned as she was called. she saw jiaxu running towards her. "I'm sorry my lectures ran abit late. let's meet your teacher" he announced. "this way" she said leading him to the staff room.
the teacher repeated the same thing he said to her and goddammit that jiaxu made an impression on the teacher. she didn't it how because of his real acting or just his charming personality but either way she was satisfied. on the way back jiaxu praised her grades and made her promise to work better on geography. for some reason her heart fluttered. she gaslighted herself into believing it just because of his handsome face. because there was no way she would be crushing on a university study and a middle school student right? maybe yes or maybe no. only god knows.