This might sound weird and conceited, but this is one of my works that I'm most proud of. So I guess I'll just post it in case anyone happens to want to read it. :) And I don't think I'll be able to update very quickly; I haven't really even finished writing the whole thing yet. ^^'

Please go on!

Sometime around one month into the semester, something momentous happens. I hear it all over the university grounds.

"Did you see?" girls ask excitedly in their high voices.

"Yeah, just for a moment, though," guys reply back, sounding sort of miffed.

From all of this, I gather that there's a new student; it's a guy, and he's foreign. I become interested too; I'm curious about the world outside our little island. I've been to another country only once, and that was America. I wonder where this new student is from. So I go to one of my friends, Lien; she should know something.

"Hey," I greet her, walking over. "Did you hear about the new student?"

She puts down her book and looks at me in that serious way of hers. Lien's from Vietnam; her Chinese is adequate but not entirely perfect.

"Ah," she says, finally comprehending what I'm asking. "Yes, I did. I have not met him yet."

"Me neither." I shrug. "But do you know where he's from or anything?"

She looks thoughtful.

"No. But I know that he majors in engineering." Like me, I marvel silently. "Perhaps you will see him?"

"You think so?"

"Perhaps." Lien smiles. "Now, I must go back to studying. Good luck."

I thank her and realize that I have to be at the lecture hall in five minutes. Normally, I would be pretty anxious. But now, I feel some trepidation, some curiosity. I've never seen a foreigner study before, as stupid as that sounds. I want to observe this new person, see how he fits into this school. With that in mind, I set out at a trot across the campus, wondering what will happen.

Nothing happens.

In fact, I don't even see the new student. At first, I think that maybe he isn't in this class after all. I deflate a little. Then the professor, at the end of the period, suddenly announces,

"Tomorrow, we will be welcoming a new student into the class."

I'm suddenly feeling much happier. It's going to be the new student, I'm sure of it. If that's the case, then I have to go find out more about him.

Ever since Ma and Ba died, I've felt perpetually depressed. And now that Ge has left for China, I can add lonely to my list. I have friends, yes, and they're all very supportive, but somehow I just can't seem to feel at ease. But with this new student, I feel like something different will happen. A strange thing considering that I haven't met him yet, but still. This new student, a foreigner in a sea of Asians, will surely know how it feels to be lonely like I do. Maybe we'll have that in common, at least.

My heart is dancing staccato beats against my ribcage. I can hear liberation coming for me.

The next day, I walk into class and see the new student! He sits in the middle of the room, and though I usually get one of the front seats, I decide to sit in the back today. Luckily, there's a seat right behind him. I take that one and begin observing.

He's tall.

This immediately poses a problem. I'm short and a little far sighted. Smart, Mei, I berate myself. Still, I put on my glasses and do the best that I can.

Halfway through the class, I realize this isn't going to work. The new student is way too tall and his hair is spiked up. There's a vacant seat next to him, but I don't want to get that close yet (I'm hoping that I can make a smooth, cool introduction to piqué his interest later). Still, as class goes on, I have to put aside my pride. Education is the top priority, after all. So I move next to him as unobtrusively as I can. He flicks his eyes toward me (they're a unique amber-green color) and then turns his focus back to the professor. I'm glad about that; he seems like a hardworking student and someone who respects privacy.

Then class ends and everything turns around.

I'm packing my things, preparing to greet him outside, when he suddenly turns to me.

"What made you decide to move up front in the middle of class?" he asks in English. Though I'm not proud of my own English-speaking abilities, I try to answer him.

"I am far-sighted. I cannot see from behind you."

"Is that so?" His voice is indifferent. Cold.

"Well… yes?" He isn't exactly how I thought he would be…

"Hm. Well then. So long." Then he gets up and walks away. I'm stunned.

"W-Wait!" I call after him. He turns around with an almost annoyed expression.

"Yeah?" What the hell? This guy isn't at all what I thought he would be like. He's so… rude! I want to give him a piece of my mind, but my English isn't good enough for that. Then I realize that he has to know Chinese in order to make it through class.

"I was talking to you!" I tell him heatedly in Mandarin. He pauses, a concentrated expression on his face. When he doesn't say anything for a while, I catch on. "You do not know Chinese, do you?" I ask smugly, in English this time. He averts his eyes, frowning.

"I know some. I have to use a translator the rest of the time."

Then he couldn't have made too much progress during the lecture. The notebook in his hand is open; the page is only half-filled. When I look at him again, he's raising an eyebrow at me.

"What are you looking at?"

"I–"

"Are you two finished yet?" It's Professor Wu, getting ready to leave. I quickly flutter out a "Yes, we're going" as the new student just stands there. I can see he doesn't quite understand, so I drag him out of the room.

"What was that?" he growls, flexing his wrist (I might have gripped him too hard). I scoff.

"The professor was telling us to go. Did you want to stay in there and talk?"

He makes a "hmph" noise and turns away. After a moment, he mutters,

"Thanks."

I'm taken by surprise.

"W-Wha…?" I stammer. But he's already putting distance between us, walking away in the direction of the lunch hall. On impulse, I blurt out,

"At least tell me your name!"

At first I don't hear a reply. He's brushed me off again; what a–! Then, his voice drifts over to me almost inaudibly (that's how far away he is).

"Lars van Vliet."

I am stock still for a moment. Then I shout,

"I'm Wang Mei Ling!"

I don't know if he can hear me or if he even cares. Despite that, a grin works its way onto my face. I'm not sure why.

Hope it was okay!