Xiao Zhan

The last bell is already behind us.

Just that morning, they'd been sitting in the familiar classroom where they'd spent so many years, laughing at teachers, taking photos, and leaving messages on each other's shirts. Now, school seemed completely different. That evening, the graduates gathered in the banquet hall. Loud music, camera flashes, glasses, laughter. Girls in dresses, guys in suits. Some had already had too much to drink and were dancing in the middle of the room, others were sitting at tables and reminiscing about the funniest moments of recent years. You were there, too. And Xiao Zhan, too. They'd been eye-to-eye all evening, sometimes finding themselves close, but each time they'd found some excuse to leave. There was too much you wanted to say. And too scared to start. Especially after you accidentally overheard a classmate say:

• Zhan is leaving in a week, isn't he?

You didn't even know about it. And now, for some reason, you couldn't stop thinking about it.
The music gradually shifted to a slower tempo. Several couples moved to the center of the room. Xiao Zhan stood by the window, glass in hand, observing everyone. Until he finally noticed Vita. For a few seconds, he simply stared at her. Then he placed his glass on the windowsill and walked straight toward her. Stopping next to her, he chuckled slightly and extended his hand.

• Let's go dance?