Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

"Your class is in Grade 11 Class 16, dormitory number 201 in building one; it's at the end of the path straight out from the cafeteria," the teacher said, emphasizing a bit more because of his grades.

[Still in Class 16, huh? I wonder if Xiaoxiao will be in the same one as me?]

"Um, teacher, I plan to commute to high school, and my parents have agreed," Xu Qingfan said with a smile, nodding as he took the enrollment instructions handed to him.

"Hm? High school is different from middle school; morning study begins at seven o'clock. Your home... is in Donghui City; it will take half an hour round trip by bus. Are you sure you don't want to stay in the dormitory?"

For a regular student, commuting if they wished would be fine, but for this Qingbei potential, the teacher couldn't help but try to persuade him a bit: "Our high school dormitories have a good environment, and the food in the cafeteria is delicious—us teachers eat there too. The dormitories are eight-person rooms with air conditioning and provide hot water 24 hours a day."

"Don't worry, teacher, I can handle it. I've been commuting all three years of middle school," Xu Qingfan continued, smiling and nodding.

If it had been him in the first year, he probably couldn't have resisted bragging about having bought a house across the street, but as he grew older, Xu Qingfan felt it was best to keep a low profile.

"Alright then, if you can't adapt, you can ask your homeroom teacher to reapply for dormitory housing after school starts. Our school assigns one bed to each student."

The middle-aged teacher shook his head helplessly and accepted the four hundred yuan that Xu Qingfan offered.

Licheng implements twelve years of compulsory education; the four hundred yuan includes a hundred yuan for the meal card, as well as the cost of two sets of school uniforms for both winter and summer.

"Thank you, teacher." Xu Qingfan, with all his stuff, smiled and left the line.

[Class 16, Class 16, Class 16!]

The second one to register was Lin Wanning. After repeating it three more times in her mind, she stepped forward.

"Teacher, I'm also from Licheng Middle School, Class 96, Lin Wanning."

[I have to be in Class 16!]

"Lin Wanning... Grade 11 Class 2, and your dormitory is Building 5, room 106."

"Ah~" Lin Wanning immediately became despondent, hunching over as if her spirit had been drained away.

"Thank you, teacher.... weewee Brother Qingfan!" After registering, she walked up to Xu Qingfan, looking pitiful.

"It's okay; we can still go to school together," Xu Qingfan said as he rubbed the girl's head.

He couldn't quite describe his own feelings; there was both a sense of relief and a touch of melancholy.

"Weewee~ Okay then." Lin Wanning pouted, looking aggrieved, and stood by his side, awaiting Zhang Yiyi's class assignment.

[Yiyi has to be in Class 16!]

[Even if I can't be in the same class as Brother Fan, being in Class 2 with Wanning would be okay.]

"Zhang Yiyi, Grade 11 Class 2, and your dorm number is the same as the little girl before, Building 5 room 106, if you're staying in the dorm," the registration teacher said as he looked up at the girl before him. Teaching for more than twenty years, it was his first time to see such a beautiful student, and there was more than one.

Zhang Yiyi felt both disappointed and relieved.

"Thank you, teacher; I'll be commuting," she said, nodding politely.

"Weewee~ I'm glad that Yiyi is also in Class 2; otherwise, I would've been all alone!" When Zhang Yiyi left the line, Lin Wanning immediately felt the urge to hug her, moved.

"It's because of a promise," said Zhang Yiyi, her smile blooming as she gently touched the girl's hair.

[It's so great to have Wanning here!]

"Teacher, I'm also from Licheng Middle School, Class 96, Xiao Ruawen." Perhaps because Wanning and Yiyi were in the same class, Xiao Ruawen also felt hopeful and wanted to be with everyone.

"Xiao Ruawen... Student Xiao Ruawen, you're in Grade 11 Class 16; are you commuting too?" The registration teacher was somewhat immune to the excitement by now and simply omitted the dorm number at first.

"Wow!!!" Xiao Ruawen jumped on the spot, her expression as exuberant as if she had won five million.

"Brother Fan, we're in the same class, Brother Fan!"

Xu Qingfan helplessly put a hand on his forehead and gestured to the still-waiting teacher, signaling her to pay attention to her demeanor.

"Ah... hehe, yes, teacher, I'm commuting too!" Xiao Ruawen then remembered she might have been too excited and, scratching the back of her head, gave an embarrassed chuckle.

"Okay, take care of your meal card, and when the student card is issued, you can take it to the window on the second floor of the cafeteria to get ten yuan back."

"Thank you, teacher!" Xiao Ruawen accepted the meal card, full of energy, thrilled to be in the same class as Brother Fan.

Xia Xiaoxiao watched her leave with some envy, then stepped forward with her last bit of hope.

"Licheng Middle School, Class 96, Xia Xiaoxiao." She spoke in an even tone, trying to seem as indifferent as possible.

"Grade 11 Class 1; are you commuting too?"

Even though she had anticipated it, Xia Xiaoxiao's heart still ached when she heard the result.

[Why do I compare myself to him? I knew I shouldn't have written that composition in Chinese.] She regretted it afterward.

"Commuting, thank you, teacher," Xia Xiaoxiao spoke with the same indifferent tone, her expression neither joyful nor sad.

For some reason, learning that Xia Xiaoxiao hadn't been placed in Class 16, Lin Wanning felt a secret gleefulness.

She felt so bad for thinking this way that she quietly slapped her own hand and then approached Xia Xiaoxiao with a smile: "Heehee~ Xiao Xiao is in Class 1; Wanning and Yiyi are in Class 2. We can hang out more often now, huh!"

"Weewee~ I would have been so far from Class 1 if I were in Class 16; I won't be able to go to the bathroom with Xiao Xiao during breaks." Xiao Ruawen hugged the girl before anyone else could.

Xia Xiaoxiao pinched her face with a touch of melancholy: "You could just ask Xu Qingfan to go with you."

"Stinky Xiao Xiao, what nonsense are you talking about!" She playfully teased in the girl's ticklish spot and whispered in her ear, "I'll keep an eye on Brother Fan for you."