Chapter 1 First Encounter · The Gears Begin to Turn
The chirping of cicadas was like crumpled tin foil, rustling under the scorching September sun. Lin Yan stood at the door of Class 3, Grade 2, carrying a schoolbag in his left hand and clutching a half-eaten mung bean popsicle in his right—the convenience store owner had stuffed it into his hand, saying it was a "sweet start for the transfer student."
A burst of laughter erupted from the back of the classroom. He looked up to see a girl standing on tiptoe under a ceiling fan wobbling wildly on the third gear, her ponytail sweeping over her flushed ears as her blue school uniform skirt lifted slightly in the airflow.
"Su Wantang! Get down from there!" the homeroom teacher shouted from the podium, holding a thermos cup. "We let it go when you broke the projector last time, but if you fall this time—"
"Almost done!" the girl called back without turning, her fingertips finally snagging the loose screw. Just then, the fan suddenly "clicked" to a halt, and the喧闹 (noise) in the classroom froze with it. Lin Yan noticed a small light brown mole behind her ear, like a coffee bean fallen on snow.
"Classmate, who are you looking for?"
A cold fingertip suddenly poked his wrist, and Lin Yan jerked back half a step, smearing popsicle on the girl's white canvas shoes.
"Ah!" Su Wantang stared at the cream stain on her shoe tip, her eyes widening.
"S-sorry." Lin Yan fumbled for tissues, but a tin box fell from his bag, spilling several gear parts that clattered across the tile floor.
"Lin Yan?" The homeroom teacher's voice came from behind. "Come in quickly—this is our new classmate."
Sparse applause rang out in the classroom. Su Wantang knelt to help him pick up the parts, her thumb brushing the edge of a gear: "Are these... clock parts?"
"Mn." Lin Yan nodded softly, noticing cream on her palm and adding, "I'll buy you new shoes."
"No need!" Su Wantang waved her hand, pulling a fruit candy from her pocket and pressing it into his palm. "Here—lychee flavor."
During lunch break, Lin Yan sat on the playground parallel bars, nibbling a bread. In the distance, he heard the debate club discussing strategies. He watched Su Wantang hurry past with a stack of homework, her short hair fluttering in the wind like a butterfly about to take flight.
"Hey! New guy!"
A basketball thudded at his feet. The boy in the No. 11 jersey scooped it up with one hand, sweat trickling from his forehead down his chin: "Wanna play?"
Lin Yan shook his head. But the boy suddenly tossed the ball to him: "Chen Ye. Remember it—no one's gonna mess with you here."
The basketball spun on Lin Yan's fingertips. He stood up, walked to the three-point line, and flicked his wrist—the ball arced through the air and landed squarely on Su Wantang's head as she watered the flower bed.
"Lin Yan!" She chased after him, spray bottle in hand, sunlight weaving rainbows through the water droplets on her hair. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
Chen Ye collapsed with laughter, slapping his knee: "Uh-oh, Wantang—looks like that's your 'welcome gift'!"
Lin Yan looked at her indignant expression and suddenly remembered his mother's words: Every gear has its own path—collisions are inevitable when they meet. Just then, the wind chimes in front of the teaching building stirred, and he heard his own heartbeat, clearer than the ticking of clock gears.