In the name of summer, let's fall in love
*
It was early September, and the summer heat was still clinging on. Cicadas screamed overhead like they had no off switch.
Emily Summers stood at the front gate of Linhai No.7 High, eyes slightly lifted, gazing at the grand school entrance. Behind her, the sky was gloomy, as if a thunderstorm was about to crash down any second.
She took a breath, pulled herself together, and started walking. Past the gate stood a towering building with "Teaching Building" written across the side in huge characters.
Rows of honey locust trees lined the path on both sides. To her left was the sports field, where a few girls were teamed up cleaning the track. On the right, groups of students in uniforms were parking their bikes in the shed.
Emily walked into the building. It was circular, five stories high, and completely surrounded her. She looked up, scanning the place, feeling a bit lost in the middle of it all.
This place was massive. She had no clue which floor held the teacher’s office.
Just as she started to get anxious, a tall, fair-skinned guy walked up to her, a friendly smile tugging at his lips.
"New junior? Can’t find the teachers’ office, right?" he asked.
She paused for a beat, then quietly said, "Yeah. I’m kinda lost."
He pointed ahead. "Stairs are that way. Go up to the third floor and follow the hallway. It’s at the end over there."
Emily listened carefully, then nodded and softly said thanks.
Third floor. Got it.
She knocked on the door marked "Teachers’ Office." A voice inside called out, "Come in."
She pushed open the door and was instantly hit with the strong smell of ink. "Hello, teacher," she said.
A female teacher looked up and glanced at her, then turned to the man sitting across from her. "Mr. Rivers, this girl’s probably one of yours, right?"
David Rivers looked over with a smile that made his eyes squint. "Emily Summers, isn’t it?"
"That’s me, sir," she replied.
He cleared off some papers from his desk and got straight to the point. "Alright, Emily. Let’s get you registered first. After that, we’ll grab your uniform and books, then I’ll take you to meet your new classmates."
Emily agreed and followed him out.
The hallway outside was wide and clean, but with the bad weather, it felt kind of dim. Thick clouds hung low like they were ready to burst at any moment.
As they walked, David said, "Our school’s big. Since you’re new, don’t go wandering just yet. I’ll get someone to show you around this afternoon. Once you get the lay of the land, then you can explore all you want."Emily Summers nodded cooperatively. “Alright, got it. Thanks, Mr. Rivers.”
They walked one behind the other as David Rivers led her down a long hallway, into the administrative building, and stopped outside an office door. He shouted inside, “Hey, Mr. Li! Get me a registration form!”
After filling out the form, Emily handed it back. Mr. Li gave it a quick glance before disappearing into a smaller room and coming back with two neatly folded sets of uniforms.
Emily took them politely. “Thank you,” she said, as usual, calm and polite.
On the way back, David Rivers glanced at her hair, hesitated a bit, and then carefully chose his words. “Emily, just a heads up—there are a few kids in our class who can be a little... rowdy. Try to stay alert, okay?”
Emily paused for half a second, eyelashes flickering slightly before replying in a flat tone, “Okay, sir.”
David rubbed his nose awkwardly and added, trying to ease the vibe, “But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean the whole class is like that. Most of them are really nice, you’ll get along just fine. And hey, I’m here if anything ever comes up, alright?”
She glanced up. The man in front of her didn’t have a particularly tall or commanding figure, but his words somehow sparked a small sense of reassurance in her.
Suddenly, David shouted, loud enough to startle Emily. “Hey! You guys! Stop right there! What time do you think it is? Strolling around like it's a mall! And where are your uniforms, huh?!”
The volume made Emily jump a bit. She steadied herself and looked over to where he was yelling. A group of students was loitering nearby, and because they were close, she caught a faint whiff of smoke in the air.
Her eyes instantly landed on the boy leading the group.
His face—damn, he was good-looking.
Wearing a black T-shirt, with surprisingly pale skin, his eyes were sly and deep-set, and that defined jawline didn’t hurt either. A breeze caught his shirt, showing off his broad shoulders and lean frame.
He was twirling a lighter in one hand, flicking it on and off. His whole vibe screamed disinterest and rebellion.
In the next second, before anyone could react, David swiftly snatched the lighter right from his hand.
“Confiscated!”
The boy blinked. Like—what just happened?
David launched into his usual lecture mode. “Oliver, come on. You’re still young, take care of yourself, your body’s your real wealth. And the rest of you—get back to class, now!”
Emily silently repeated that name in her head. So, he’s called Oliver Fields. Fits him—wild with no brakes.