The next morning moved as predictably as always for Yi Fan. He woke up early, brushed his teeth, showered, slipped into his uniform, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
The smell of freshly baked bread hit him as soon as he entered the dining room. The long table was lined with options: warm bread, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, salad, fruit, a steaming tea kettle, and another filled with coffee. Yi Fan sat at the far end, tore a slice of bread, and bit into it. It was still hot, buttery, and soft.
"Good morning, Mr. Yi," came a gentle voice.
Yi Fan glanced up to see Martha in her neat black-and-white uniform. He swallowed quickly.
"Morning, Martha. This is delicious, as always. Thanks."
Her face brightened at the compliment.
"Well, I'm glad you like it. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."
Yi Fan nodded and dug into his scrambled eggs. Breakfast was one of his favorite moments of the day—it gave him energy, and he always liked talking to the staff.
As he sipped his coffee, faint voices carried from the hall…Mr. Hawthorne's steady tone, followed by the sharp click of heels against marble. Yi Fan froze. Great. Just great. He knew that sound.
"Baby, I'm back!"
His mother swept into the room, her navy suit as crisp as ever. She looked tired, but her energy was infectious.
"Mommy!" Yi Fan sprang up, laughing as he fell into her arms. No matter how old he got, he was still a mommy's boy, and her hug was something he missed constantly.
"Mom, I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, my baby." She pulled back slightly, brushing his cheek. "Headed to school already? Miles is waiting."
Yi Fan glanced out the window. Sure enough, Miles stood by the G-Wagon, perfectly composed.
"Yeah, I should get going. Don't want to be late."
"Alright. We'll catch up later. You can tell me everything about the new school. I'll be home the whole week."
Her words made Yi Fan pause. "Really? You're staying?"
She smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. "Yes. At least until Friday. And look at you, you've grown taller than me. What's Hawthorne feeding you?"
Yi Fan chuckled. "Just the usual stuff. See you later, Mom." He grabbed his backpack and headed for the door, waving as he went.
Rachel Lin stood there smiling, watching her son rush out. He wasn't the little boy who used to run circles around the hall anymore. He had grown, matured, changed. But he was still hers, and she was proud of him.
Yi Fan slipped into the car, and Miles pulled smoothly out of the driveway.
When they reached school, the atmosphere was calmer than yesterday. Without an assembly, students lingered in hallways, clustered at lockers, or chatted in doorways.
Yi Fan spotted Emma immediately. She stood with Ben and Anton, clearly in the middle of an argument. Ben looked annoyingly smug, while Anton flailed with animated gestures, trying to make his point.
Before Yi Fan could even approach, Emma turned, her expression brightening.
"Hey, Yi Fan! How are you doing?"
Ben and Anton also called greetings, though Ben's smirk didn't fade.
"I'm good," Yi Fan replied, though his tone was distracted as his eyes scanned the hallway for Kai's tall frame. Nothing.
Emma tilted her head. "Looking for someone?"
Yi Fan felt heat creep up his neck. "Uh, not really. Just… have you seen Kai?"
"Actually, yes. He's with the principal, sorting out some student council stuff."
Yi Fan nodded, relieved, though he kept it casual. Before he could say more, the bell shrilled through the building.
"Oh, that's me," Emma said, shifting her bag. "I've got physics first period. What about you?"
Yi Fan adjusted his strap. "Math."
"Perfect, that's with Kai. You'll probably see him there. Catch you later." She gave him a quick wave before heading down the hall, Anton trailing after her.
"See you," Yi Fan said under his breath.
A voice piped up beside him. "Well, guess what? I've got math too."
Yi Fan turned to see Ben grinning.
Anton shot Ben a glare over his shoulder before disappearing after Emma.
Ben chuckled, unbothered, and slung an arm loosely around Yi Fan's shoulders. "Come on, new kid. Let's go."
Yi Fan sighed but didn't shake him off. He just let himself be dragged along, already bracing for whatever nonsense Ben would throw at him in class.