Rise

Lin Feng ran to Su Xue’s room and poked his head inside. “Xue Xue! I’m going out! Meeting up with BunBun! See you later!” He didn’t wait for a reply as he charged to the front door. He quickly put on his shoes and grabbed his coat before slamming the apartment door shut behind him. Then he ran down the stairs and through the streets, all the way to the subway station in downtown Shanghai where he’d agreed to meet up with An Xin.

Lin Feng looked around. Where is she? Why isn’t she here yet? We agreed to meet up here right away! What’s taking her so long! He tapped on his watch, double checking the time, then took out his phone and looked if there were any messages. There was no word from An Xin. It felt like she’d disappeared from the face of the Earth. The minutes ticked by, each next one slower than the last. He impatiently walked back and forth, searching the crowd for a sign of An Xin. Come on! Where are you? Hurry up already!

It was almost 30 minutes later when Lin Feng finally spotted An Xin. He waved at her and shouted, “BunBun! What took you so long? You’re never this slow! I’ve been waiting for 30 minutes! It’s already six!”

An Xin waved back at Lin Feng and walked up to him. “Hey. Sorry. I couldn’t decide what to wear and lost track of time.”

“What to wear?” Lin Feng asked, confused. He looked An Xin up and down. Is that jacket new or something? It looks fancy, but didn’t she wear that to school the other day too? And I can’t really see what she’s wearing underneath… Looks like a blouse and vest? What’s so special about that? She always likes to wear a blouse and vest combo... He kept searching for an answer to his question, his eyes following down the curves of her body to her long, slender legs. That skirt is short, but it isn’t all that different from the school uniform. Maybe it’s her leggings? Did she worry that it’s too cold for them? It is kind of chilly… He scratched the back of his head and sheepishly asked, “Uh, is it because you didn’t know if it was warm enough for leggings? It’s kind of cold, you know…”

An Xin glared at Lin Feng. She’d known something was up when he looked confused. And she definitely knew something stupid was coming when he was inspecting her clothes. But he still managed to catch her off guard. She yelped, “The leggings are warm!” She puffed in annoyance and continued, “I won’t argue with a blockhead like you! Come, we’re going to find a birthday present for Tang Tang!”

✹

An Xin walked Lin Feng to the shopping district. She glanced at him and noticed that he was looking at the shops they walked by in amazement. Go figure. He hasn’t been here since moving to Shanghai. How typical. She nodded at him and asked, “So have you thought about what you want to get Tang Tang? Is there anything specific you’re thinking about?”

“Oh, me? Uhh…” Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. What should I get her? What do people get for their friends’ birthdays…? He suddenly stopped and said, “Oh! Right! What about that mall in Pudong? You know, the one we went to for the tournament? They should have something! Let’s go and see what they have!”