Standing Next To You

"Fei Chuan, is your bag brand new? I have never seen it before!"

"Wow! Your pencil case is like a real car!"

"When did you buy it? I'll ask my dad to buy me one as well!"

Fei Chuan's chair was surrounded by children. As usual, he got the attention of the whole class.

Bei Sangyun, who was seated beside him, glanced at his fashionable bag.

This bag was different from the one he used last year. His last school bag still looked new but he still changed his schoolbag every semester. No wonder her classmates were amazed.

Bei Sangyun glanced at her cloth bag. The original white cloth bag that Grandma Bei made for her was now colored yellow due to constantly washing with well water. It had undergone many repairs and if one looked closely they would see visible stitches here and there.

She had used this cloth bag since kindergarten. This was the only bag she had. She was proud of it before and bragged about this when she was in kindergarten. Because her bag was the only one that was made by hand, it was particularly unique for those little children who knew nothing.

However, as time passes, this cloth bag lost its peculiarity and did not look different than an old shirt sewn together. Especially, when it was seated beside a brand new fashionable bag, it looked no different than a rag.

Bei Sangyun could not help but place her cloth bag far away from Fei Chuan's bag. She took out her only pencil and started practicing writing.

Ever since she had become Fei Chuan's deskmate, she become aware of how deep Fei Chuan's knowledge was. His handwriting was beautiful and neat too. He also knew a lot of characters and even wrote words in other languages.

Sometimes, Bei Sangyun who was determined to be smart as him could not help but be dejected. Would she never be able to be smart as him in this lifetime?

Was their distance really too great?

As she was about to start writing with depressed thoughts, another child exclaimed again.

"Wow! You are wearing new shoes! What happened to your shoes with wheels?"

"Does it have wheels too? Or does it make you fly?"

"Can you change its color?'

Bei Sangyun was affected by the atmosphere and was curious too. She glanced at his shoes and sighed in her heart again.

This young master was too wealthy. She hadn't seen this pair of shoes from him before, this must be brand new. How many pairs did he own?

Fei Chuan noticed her gaze. He tapped his shoes then suddenly the heels around his shoes lit up. Different colors appeared on his shoes. It was particularly cool and handsome.

"Wow! It shoots different lights!"

The children exclaimed in shock and amazement. Bei Sangyun also opened her eyes wide.

She had never seen shoes like this! Isn't this so extravagant?!

Fei Chuan tapped his shoes again. The lights blinked. The colors and their frequency changed.

The children 'wowed' again.

Fei Chuan stood up and jumped. The lights in his shoes changed again.

He made a set of moves and the LED around his shoes reacted to it.

Bei Sangyun and the other children gasped in awe.

When Fei Chuan returned to his seat, Bei Sangyun woke up from her daze. She hurriedly looked away. Even though she was curious how the lights come out of the shoes, she held it in.

It was the other children who were enthusiastic and asked him different questions. Which Fei Chuan answered in a clear voice.

"There are LED lights installed in the heels of these shoes. It is sensitive to vibration. Every time there's movement, the shoes will light up."

Listening to Fei Chuan's explanation, the children became more in awe of him. His status in their hearts was just second to their parents, some even thought that he was smart like their parents.

As they praised Fei Chuan, a little girl who had a crush on Fei Chuan, exclaimed.

"Fei Chuan, I want to be your deskmate!"

When the little girl spoke, the others expressed their wishes too.

"Me too! If I seat with you I can play with your pencil case!"

"I want to sit next to Fei Chuan. He is so smart..."

The children clamored.

Bei Sangyun who was trying to be invincible paused.

She held her pencil tightly but did not speak.

The little girl who first spoke got angry at the others. "I am the first one who said it. Don't copy me!" She then turned to Bei Sangyun.

"I'll sit here. You changed seats with me."

This little girl was a spoiled princess in her house. She was used to getting everything in her way, so she thought that when she said it she could have her way as usual.

But Bei Sangyun did not move.

Although she did not like seating with Fei Chuan because he made her feel pitiful and poor, this seat was something she earned.

They were seated based on their ranks. As the second in the class, she was seated beside Fei Chuan, the first rank in the whole grade.

She glanced up at the little girl who wore matching pink clothes and shoes. "I can't change seats with you."

The little girl did not expect that answer. She was shocked, "Why?! I want to seat beside Fei Chuan!"

Bei Sangyun titled her chin, "Because I am ranked second. If you are smarter than me then you can have this seat."

The little girl bit her lips. She did not study kindergarten here. She grew up in a big city and had just recently moved into the town.

She transferred at the start of the school year. And was ranked fifteen in the whole grade. She also heard of Bei Sangyun from other classmates who went to kindergarten with Bei Sangyun. They said that Bei Sangyun was smart. However, she was not smart as Fei Chuan.

This little girl who came from the big city had a natural haughty air. She don't want to play with other children because she felt they were not worthy of becoming her friend. Only the handsome and smart Fei Chuan entered her eyes.

This Bei Sangyun who wore an old shirt was nothing worth mentioning at all.

"So what if you are second? I want to change seats with you. So move." The little girl's appetite had become even bigger after coming here. Everyone conceded to her because she was from the big city.

Bei Sangyun pursed her lips. She stood up and faced the girl with an equivalent stubborn attitude. "Then talk to the teacher. I won't move until you got the teacher's approval."

When did ever the little girl get rejected so strongly?

She stomped her feet. "The teacher will approve of me! So this seat is mine."

Bei Sangyun's face was stubborn, "Go and ask the teacher then."

The little girl had never felt so aggrieved. She felt like she had faced a wall. Her eyes turned red as if she was about to cry.

Fei Chuan stood up suddenly and said irritatingly, "Noisy."

He then left the room.

Bei Sangyun and the little girl both froze.

Both of them thought that the one who had been scolded as 'noisy' was themselves.

Children were sensitive. Especially at the age when they were starting to become aware of some things.

The little girl burst into tears. While Bei Sangyun clenched her hands into fists.

....