Transfer Student Jingliu

Yasushi got out of bed as the sun came up, following the same schedule he always did, like clockwork. He brushed his teeth in the quiet of his house before going downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast.

He lived on his own, and his parents only visited every now and then, usually for special occasions when they weren't too busy with work.

He got money from them every month, which helped him pay for what he needed. But they didn't know that he'd actually won the lottery twice, a secret he was determined to keep to himself.

The thought of telling them made him uneasy because he knew how people could change when money was involved.

While he made breakfast and packed his lunch, Yasushi looked forward to the weekend. Knowing it was Thursday made him excited for Friday, which meant he could finally relax and do whatever he wanted.

After carefully making his breakfast, which was a mix of Japanese dishes and some classic English breakfast stuff, Yasushi sat down to enjoy it. The different tastes blended together, reminding him of his background and how he connected to both the past and the present.

While he ate, Yasushi mindlessly scrolled through his phone, checking out what was happening on social media.

He saw a bunch of regular updates and then some excitement in a group chat on LINE where his classmates — mostly the guys — were talking about the new transfer student and what they hoped she'd be like. It was the same conversation from yesterday, and Yasushi still wasn't interested.

He finished eating quickly, cleaned up, and then went through his usual morning stuff: showering, putting on his school uniform that was made for the cold weather, and making sure the house was locked up before he left. He looked up and saw that the sky was covered in dark clouds, a silent preview of the day ahead.

As Yasushi walked to school, snowflakes started falling from the sky, catching his attention as they twirled around him. He reached out and caught one in his hand, smirking slightly. Winter had always been his favorite season, a feeling that came from his memories of his past life as an Englishman.

England, known for being damp and cloudy most of the time, with only a few sunny days and hardly any snow, had made him appreciate the season. The gentle way the snowflakes fell always brought him a feeling of peace and quiet, something Yasushi really liked.

Walking through Ginsukimura, a city that he'd never seen when he was alive before, Yasushi passed by tons of shops, businesses, and tall buildings, all opening up for the day. He checked his watch and saw that it was the time he usually got to school, a part of his schedule that he found comforting — a quiet place to be before the school day got crazy.

While Yasushi walked up the hill, with cherry blossom trees on either side that seemed to be whispering secrets to each other, he noticed someone standing ahead. He stared at her, watching as the breeze played with her hair and snowflakes danced around her.

She just stood there, looking both powerful and unreal at the same time. Her snow-white hair stood out against the wintery background, and her deep red eyes seemed to hold so many secrets.

Yasushi felt drawn to her for some reason, like an invisible force was pulling him closer. He couldn't take his eyes off this mysterious person. Even though he didn't know her, there was something familiar about her that sparked in the back of his mind, like he was trying to remember a name.

"Jingliu..." he whispered to himself, the name barely audible. His feet stopped moving without him even thinking about it, and he just stood there, watching the captivating girl in front of him.

Right away, Yasushi knew who she was: a character from a game he used to play in his past life called Honkai Star Rail.

He was a little shocked by this unexpected meeting since he'd never experienced anything like this, where two different realities seemed to cross over. He couldn't stop looking at her, silently acknowledging this strange connection.

As if she could feel him staring, the girl turned around, and her face changed from peaceful to annoyed. Her eyes, which had seemed so lively before, now glared at him so intensely that Yasushi took a step back without thinking, surprised by her reaction.

It was clear that she hated being watched, and she made sure he knew it.

Without saying a word, she kept walking, disappearing through the school gates and inside the building. Yasushi watched her go, frowning thoughtfully. "Looks like she doesn't like being the center of attention. That might be a problem since she's definitely going to get a lot of attention today," he muttered to himself, starting to walk up the hill again with a mix of curiosity and caution.

+-+

The morning went by quietly as Yasushi sat in his seat, still thinking about his meeting with "Jingliu." The minutes seemed to drag as he got lost in his music, finding some peace amidst the excited whispers of his classmates.

Rumors were spreading around the room like wildfire, talking about someone who'd been seen earlier — a mysterious girl who had caught the attention of all the guys and started a buzz of excitement.

As the clock ticked closer to the start of the day, the bell finally rang, ending all the chatter and signaling the start of homeroom. Senbarisu, their homeroom teacher, walked in.

She was a woman in her early thirties with a graceful figure, long black hair in a ponytail, and warm brown eyes. She had a way of commanding attention, bringing a sense of calm and authority to the classroom as she got ready to start the day's lessons.

"So, as you guys might have heard—"

"It's a girl! A transfer student!" one of the louder guys interrupted, making all the other guys laugh. But their laughter quickly stopped when Senbarisu gave them a stern look.

Clearing her throat, Senbarisu continued, "Like I was saying, we have a new transfer student, and yes, it's a girl. Let's all make her feel welcome." She gave them a warning look, making it clear that she meant it, and the whole class nodded in agreement.

Just then, the mysterious person from earlier walked into the room, immediately grabbing everyone's attention. With her snow-white hair falling around her shoulders and those piercing red eyes, she seemed like she wasn't from this world.

She was wearing the school uniform — a cool black and red blazer, a black and gray skirt, knee-high socks, and black shoes — but she still stood out from everyone else, drawing everyone's attention like a magnet.

She bowed politely and introduced herself in a very direct way. "My name is Jingliu Yang, and I'm from China. Both of my parents are Chinese and Japanese, and we just moved here because of their jobs. I'll be going to this school and in this class for the rest of high school. It's nice to meet you all," she said, her words clear and simple.

The class went completely silent, with everyone staring at her, some with their mouths hanging open in surprise. Yasushi pretended to be uninterested and looked out the window like always, but he still glanced over at her every now and then. He was surprised to see that she looked at him for a moment before looking away.

"Wait, you're mixed!?" one of the students blurted out, immediately getting scolded by Senbarisu.

Jingliu answered without any emotion, "Yes, I am."

The whole classroom was holding its breath when another person spoke up, "Are you single?"

"Yes, I am," she answered bluntly, not showing any emotion at all as she responded to the question.

"Will you go out with me!? Please be my girlfriend!" another voice shouted, breaking the awkward silence that had filled the classroom.

Jingliu's reply was quick and harsh. "I'm going to have to say no. Honestly, that's pretty disgusting," she said, glaring at the boy so fiercely that he actually flinched.

The tension in the room was uncomfortable until Senbarisu stepped in, telling Jingliu to take the empty seat in the class. It was in the same row as Yasushi, but two seats to his right, so she sat down there.

With the introductions over, the school day began, but everyone was still curious and fascinated by the mysterious new transfer student, Jingliu Yang — who was seen as strange, cool, but also cold, as some people whispered.

When Jingliu sat down, she subtly glanced over at Yasushi, who had gone back to staring out the window, pretending not to care. But Jingliu had already noticed him earlier, and there was a quiet sense of resolve in her eyes, suggesting that she wouldn't easily forget their quick meeting.