Bucktooth, the Luo brothers, and I assembled on the school field for the flag-raising ceremony. From a distance, I spotted our homeroom teacher Linda standing out in the crowd. She wore a flowing white dress and high heels, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Unlike usual, she wasn't wearing makeup today. Without the layers of glamor, she looked more elegant, though slightly pale—as if she hadn't rested well.
She stood at the front of our class formation, glancing around like she was looking for someone. When she turned her head and saw me, her eyes lit up momentarily, almost in relief—but her expression quickly stiffened. She looked at me coldly, offering no warmth at all.
"Good morning, Miss Zhang," Bucktooth and the Luo brothers greeted as they passed her. I pretended not to see her and walked straight by. Linda also ignored me, returning their greetings but pointedly excluding me.
Bucktooth, being observant, sensed something odd and whispered, "Hey Andrew, why didn't you say hi to Miss Zhang? And she didn't even acknowledge you either. That's weird."
I shot him a glance. "So what if I didn't? What's weird about that?"
Bucktooth replied, "If it were someone else, fine. But you and Miss Zhang are from the same hometown, maybe even relatives, right? She's always been kind to you, but today she didn't even say a word. Doesn't that seem off?"
I paused. "She's been kind to me?"
"You really don't notice? She always calls you to the office, gives you extra exercises, and tutors you. Even during study sessions, she often sits next to you for a long time, patiently going over problems. No one else in class gets that kind of attention."
His words stunned me. I couldn't help glancing at Linda again. A strange mix of emotions surged in my heart, along with a fleeting sense of regret. But the regret faded as soon as I remembered the condom in her handbag.
Just then, Linda ordered everyone to line up—boys in one row, girls in another. Since I was tall, I stood toward the back of the boys' line. Harper, at 162 cm, was also one of the taller girls, and ended up beside me.
She greeted me proactively, "Morning."
Today she had her hair tied in a ponytail, looking both spirited and charming. I noticed two of her fingers were bandaged. Could she have pricked herself yesterday while sewing my jacket?
"Morning," I replied.
As I greeted her, I instinctively tried to cover the torn area on my sleeve, but she had already spotted it. Her smile faded instantly. She looked at me calmly and asked, "Didn't I fix your jacket?"
"I tore it off," I admitted, panicking a bit at her expressionless face. I wanted to explain.
But just then, Linda's cold voice rang out, "Quiet down. The flag-raising ceremony is about to begin. No talking."
I had no choice but to shut up as the national anthem started and the flag was raised.
After the ceremony, the principal gave a speech. When it finally ended and we were dismissed, Harper ignored me completely and walked off. No doubt, she was mad.
Bucktooth and the Luo brothers came over laughing, teasing, "Serves you right. You really don't know how to appreciate kindness, do you?"
I hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Especially seeing the bandages on Harper's fingers—I felt deeply guilty. I asked them if there was a way to fix this.
Bucktooth smirked. "You want to make it up to her?"
I nodded. "Yeah, any ideas?"
He said, "It's easy. She's mad because you tore off the pink kitty patch she sewed. Just sew it back on and apologize. She'll forgive you—Harper isn't a petty person."
"You want me to sew back that *pink Hello Kitty patch*?" I shook my head furiously. "Can't I just apologize instead?"
If I sewed that patch back on, the jacket would look completely feminine. And those guys would never let me live it down.
Bucktooth and the others rolled their eyes. "You clearly don't understand girls. Forget it, figure it out yourself."
I didn't find a chance to apologize all morning. At lunch, I finally worked up the courage to approach Harper. "Harper, are you still helping me with tutoring at noon?"
She was laughing and chatting with her deskmate Xu Jie while packing up. When she saw me, her face went blank. She said calmly, "You've caught up on your lessons. I don't think you need my help anymore."
Then she and Xu Jie walked off, leaving me standing there like a fool.
Bucktooth came over and patted my shoulder. "Dude, better find a way to make it up to her soon."
I agreed—this *was* my fault. After lunch, I climbed over the school wall and went to the Belgian chocolate shop *Suoai*. I bought a heart-shaped box with 12 assorted chocolates inside, all fancy and pretty.
I asked for a card but had no idea what to write. Eventually, the salesgirl—after hearing my situation—suggested I simply write: *I'm sorry.*
I followed her advice, returned to school during lunch break while the classroom was empty, and quietly placed the gift on Harper's desk. Feeling proud of myself, I returned to the dorm to rest.
Bucktooth and the Luo brothers were still awake. Bucktooth grumbled, "Where've you been? We were just discussing how to help you apologize."
I grinned. "Relax, I've got it covered."
They looked curious. "Did Harper forgive you? What did you do?"
"Not yet," I admitted. "But I think she will by lunchtime."
In the afternoon, I returned to class and immediately glanced at Harper's desk. She was already there, head down studying. Her expression was calm, giving nothing away.
As I passed by, I greeted her deliberately. She looked up briefly and said lightly, "Oh, good afternoon."
Her tone was so casual that I was confused. *Hadn't she seen the chocolate? Or had someone taken it?*
I slumped back to my seat, disappointed. What I didn't see was that, once I passed by, Harper's lips curved slightly into a sweet smile—before she quickly composed herself and resumed her calm demeanor.
Bucktooth noticed my slumped shoulders and asked what happened.
I told him about the chocolate and asked, "Do you think someone else might've taken it?"
He hesitated. "I doubt it…"
I glanced at Harper again and muttered, "Then what's going on? Is she going to forgive me or not?"
Bucktooth said, "Simple—go ask. If she's not mad anymore, then she's forgiven you."
I thought that made sense. After school, I approached her again and asked, "Class Rep, I feel like without your tutoring, I'm still falling behind. Could you keep helping me?"
She replied, "Midterms are coming up. I need to study too, so I probably won't have time."
Though she didn't seem as angry as in the morning, it was clear she hadn't fully forgiven me. The gift hadn't worked either.
Back at the dorm, I found it empty—probably the guys were out playing basketball. I sat down in frustration, wondering what else I could do to earn Harper's forgiveness. Then my eyes landed on the trash bin.
There it was—the pink *Hello Kitty* patch I had torn off.
I picked it up and turned it over in my hands. Thinking again about the bandages on Harper's fingers, I realized she must've pricked herself while sewing it for me.
After a long internal struggle, I finally made a decision. *Damn it. If that pink patch is what made her mad, then I'll just sew it back on!*
I borrowed needle and thread from the dorm manager and clumsily stitched the kitty patch back onto my sleeve. Just as I finished, Bucktooth and the Luo brothers came back from basketball.
When they saw me holding the patched-up jacket, they froze—then all burst into laughter.
Bucktooth wrapped an arm around my shoulder, laughing, "Hahaha! Didn't you say that pink kitty patch was too girly? Why'd you stitch it back yourself?"
Blushing, I pushed him away. "Shut up. Mind your own damn business."