School

Three years past of the same things happening everyday. Except, for this day, was his fifth birthday, but no one remembered. He got up and walked to the kitchen to do the chores again like every other day. However, today was different from the other days.

"Alright, pack your backpack." His mother had made him put things inside a bag and made him wear a pair of black shoes.

Tian Xiao also wore a white jacket and black pants. 'Why am I wearing shoes?' He knew shoes were for going outside with, but he never went outside and only looked through the window.

"You're going to preschool. Walk home after that." Mother had a frown on her face.

'School? Why? I'll have to watch in order to make it home safe and sound.'

Tian Xiao clearly heard that he had to walk home by himself, so he prepared himself to observe everything he saw on his way. The door opened and he took a step outside. Tian Xiao was amazed.

The wind was cool, trees and plants swayed. The sun was warm on his skin. People walked around and bikes zoomed past them. He started looking around at everything and memorizing what they looked like. Tian Xiao even saw real life puppies and dogs for the first time. Everything was so new.

They walked around for about twenty minutes before he saw the school in front of him. Many other small children walked and waved goodbye to their parents. They looked from three to five years old, most of them were four.

'Mother...?' Tian Xiao's mother had turned back without saying anything. She left him there to go in on his own.

He started to panic and flipped his hoodie up quickly. So many people surrounded him. He knew none of them, not a single person talked to him either. Tian Xiao turned around. The gate was open and he was one of the last to still be standing outside.

"Come on in before I close the gate." A teacher saw him standing there and signaled for him to enter.

Tian Xiao just gave a slight nod and then bowed, before walking in. His hoodie was still flipped over his head as he walked inside. He saw a few small children changing their shoes after walking in, so he did the same. The shoes were a light blue and he placed his black shoes inside a cabinet thing.

He didn't know what to do after that. The kids that replaced their shoes walked down the hallway into different rooms with happy smiles on their faces.

'Oh. The piece of paper that mother gave me.' Tian Xiao pulled out a paper slip out of his pocket and started to read what was on it.

[ 1-A ]

The things similar to the sheet of paper was above the doors, and it didn't take long before he found the same thing above one of the doors. Once he opened the door, a tall man was happily talking to a group of kids.

Everyone had looked at him the moment the door opened. The room was colorful with blue and pink walls, toys inside of drawers and shelves. He also looked like the oldest one hear, since all the kids were shorter than him.

"Oh, today we have a new student, please welcome him. Introduce yourself."

The teacher is very cheerful, was Tian Xiao's first impression of him. However he knew it could change, just like his father's change in attitude after two years.

'Introduce myself?' He hadn't spoken to anyone outside of his family before. Introducing himself was something he wasn't very good at.

However, he still had to do it, and walked to stand next to the teacher.

"Tian Xiao." The only thing he said was his name, and his voice was still a child's, but it was very monotone. Like he didn't care about anything around him. Then, he did a small bow afterwards.

"...Alright~ any questions?"

None of the children raised their hands. Tian Xiao was then assigned to an empty chair in the back corner of the room. No one paid him any attention and the teacher started teaching them how to write. It was boring for Tian Xiao, who already knew how to read and write for the past year or two.

"Alright class~ thirty minute break time~"The moment the teacher finished speaking, the entire classroom filled with chatter. Before was too quiet, but right now it was too noisy. Tian Xiao almost couldn't take it. So many other kids around, but they were all idiots. Tian Xiao just put his head down and wanted to take a nap.

"Not going to play with the other children~?" While he was trying to nap, the teacher had stood beside him.

He didn't want to talk, so he just lifted his head and shook it, meaning that he didn't want to.

"But, look at all the fun toys~!"

"You're not playing with the 'fun' toys either." Tian Xiao didn't know why the teacher wanted him to play with the boring toys. Playing with toy cars wasn't fun for him either.

The teacher just let out an awkward laugh and continued watching the small children playing with Legos and rainbow xylophones. Tian Xiao couldn't sleep either and observed the little children running around. 'How can that be even a little fun?'

"Mr. Wan, Tian Xiao, can you play with me?" A small girl with short brown pigtails tugged on the teacher and his shirt.

"Sure~! Well both play with you!" Mr. Wan gave a happy smile and dragged along Tian Xiao with him.

"We're going to play house! I'll be the daughter, Mr. Wan is the father, and Tian Xiao is the mother."

"Alright~ My little princess of a duaghter~~!" Mr. Wan picked up the little girl in the air and spun her around a few times.

"..."

Tian Xiao only stood and watched the two playing together. It didn't look anywhere near his family at all. He still decided to play his part and went back to his desk, completely ignoring Mr. Wan and the little girl.

Of course Mr. Wan noticed him going back to his desk and put the girl down. Coincidently, the girl's other friends invited her to play with dolls, so it worked out for both of them.

'Why does he bother with me so much... ' Tian Xiao just wanted to be unbothered by anybody.