The early spring breeze carried the scent of cherry blossoms into the classroom. Teh Lim propped his chin on his hand, bored, staring out the window. On the blackboard of class 5SKB2, the bright red letters "ONLY 60 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE SIJIH PERJABAT MALAYSIA(SPM)" were glaring and irritating.
The classroom was filled with the soft scratching of pencils on paper. Everyone buried their heads in their exercise books, as if lifting their eyes even for a moment would cost them their chance to succeed. Teh Lim glanced down at his math paper—the last question remained blank. He sighed and looked back out the window.
Just then, the class teacher, Mr. Liu, broke the silence. "Class, we have a new student joining us."
Teh Lim turned his head to see a girl in a faded light-blue school uniform standing by the podium. Her hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, a few stray strands framing her forehead, and her eyes held a certain distance, as if she didn't belong to the bustling room around her.
"Lin Min is transferring from Chengnan High School. Everyone, give her a warm welcome."
Amid the sparse applause, Mr. Liu scanned the classroom. "Lin Min, you'll sit next to Teh Lim, in the last row."
Lin Min nodded silently and walked toward the empty seat beside Teh Lim. 5SKB2's classroom wasn't large—only seven steps from the podium to the last row—but she moved slowly, heavily. When she sat down, Teh Lim noticed a faint scent of soap, a stark contrast to her pale complexion.
Being a science class, 5SKB2 had thirty-two students, most of whom had come directly from the junior high. A new transfer in the final year naturally sparked curiosity.
"I heard she's really good, otherwise Mr. Liu wouldn't have accepted her," Teh Lim's friend Ah Ming said at lunch, nibbling on his coconut rice.
"But she's so strange, always alone," whispered Xiaoli across the table. "I saw her eating by herself in the corner of the canteen yesterday. Someone tried to talk to her, but she didn't even look up."
Teh Lim's gaze involuntarily drifted to the other side of the canteen. Sure enough, Lin Min sat alone by the window, a single slice of bread and a glass of water in front of her, completely out of sync with the lively surroundings.
During biology class in the afternoon, Mr. Liu announced the lab groups. When Teh Lim realized he was paired with Lin Min, he felt a strange tension in his chest.
"Can I borrow your notes?" he asked cautiously before the experiment began. "I was sick last time and missed the cell division section."
Lin Min was silent for a few seconds before sliding a neat notebook toward him. Teh Lim flipped through it and was amazed—the handwriting was precise, almost like printed text, key points highlighted in different colors, with detailed annotations and personal insights in the margins.
"Your notes are amazing," he said sincerely.
Lin Min just murmured "Hmm" and went back to preparing the lab equipment. Throughout the experiment, she was quick and precise, barely needing to look at the instructions. While other groups fumbled, theirs was already complete and flawless, earning a nod of approval from the teacher.
"You're really good at science?" Teh Lim asked while packing up.
Her hands paused. "I just like it," she replied.
It was the first time Teh Lim had heard her speak more than three words. He was about to continue when the bell rang, and Lin Min packed her bag and left the lab in a hurry.
By the third week of her transfer, Lin Min's absences had increased. On rainy Wednesdays, she seemed especially likely to be absent.
"Mr. Liu, is Lin Min absent today?" Teh Lim asked during break, gathering courage.
Mr. Liu adjusted his glasses, a complicated look crossing his face. "Her family… has some issues. Teh Lim, please take care of the new student, but don't ask too many questions."
This only piqued Teh Lim's curiosity. After school, he lingered in the classroom, waiting until most students had left. Just as he was about to leave, Lin Min rushed in.
Her appearance made his heart tighten—there was a faint red mark visible at the collar of her uniform shirt, and her right cheek was slightly swollen. Despite her long hair trying to cover it, something was clearly wrong.
"Lin Min!" Teh Lim called out.
Her body stiffened, and she didn't look back.
"What happened to your face?" he asked, walking closer. For the first time, he saw the fear and exhaustion in her eyes.
"I fell," Lin Min whispered, avoiding his gaze.
"What kind of fall leaves marks like this?" Teh Lim asked, his courage surprising even himself. "And every time you're absent or late, you come back with new injuries. Lin Min, if someone's hurting you…"
"None of your business!" she snapped, her voice sharp despite its softness. "This is my matter… don't get involved."
She grabbed her bag to leave, but Teh Lim instinctively held her wrist. Lin Min gasped, and he noticed her wrist was wrapped in thick bandages.
"What's this—"
She yanked her hand away as if burned, and bolted out of the classroom without another word.
That night, Teh Lim lay awake. The bandages, the fear in her eyes, her frequent absences—all the clues swirled in his mind, forming a truth he didn't want to believe.
On Friday, it rained lightly after school. Teh Lim walked out with his umbrella and saw Lin Min standing at the bus stop, soaked in the drizzle, without an umbrella. When a bus arrived, she got on.
Without thinking, Teh Lim followed.
The bus left the busy city streets and entered an old district. Teh Lim sat at the back, watching Lin Min's thin figure. After twenty minutes, she got off at a desolate stop.
He followed at a safe distance. Lin Min entered a narrow alley, lined with old, peeling houses, laundry hanging between them. She stopped in front of a dark green house, fumbled with her keys, and seemed hesitant. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Finally, she opened the door.
Inside came the sound of something thrown and a man's angry shout. Lin Min froze.
"Damn girl! Coming home this late! Where's my dinner? I'm hungry!"
"I'm sorry, Dad, I'll make it right away…" Her voice was weak and trembling.
"Always reading! What good is all that studying! Just like your mother!"
A loud thump followed, and Lin Min stifled a cry of pain.
Teh Lim's heart raced. Without thinking, he ran forward and banged on the old wooden door.
"Open! Open!"
The room fell silent. Heavy footsteps approached, and the door swung open. A middle-aged man, reeking of alcohol, glared at him.
"Who are you?"
"I… I'm Lin Min's classmate," Teh Lim stammered. "I'm here to deliver some study materials from school."
The man squinted at him, then stepped aside. "Come in, then."
Inside, Teh Lim's breath caught. The small living room was littered with empty bottles. A haggard woman slumped on an old sofa, staring blankly. Lin Min curled up in a corner, her hair messy, her face marred by a new bruise.
"Give me the materials, then leave," the man growled.
Teh Lim noticed that the bandage on her wrist had loosened, revealing a shocking injury—deep bruises and broken skin, not ordinary scratches.
"What happened to her wrist?" Teh Lim demanded, his voice cold.
The man's face darkened. "Mind your own business. She got hurt by accident…"
"Accidently tied like this?" Teh Lim shot back. "I'm calling the police."
"You dare!" The man lunged, grabbing Teh Lim's collar, the smell of alcohol overwhelming.
At that moment, Lin Min stood up, shouting with all her might: "Let him go!"
Time froze. The man stopped, and even Teh Lim was stunned—this was the first time Lin Min had raised her voice like this, a voice full of desperate courage.
"Dad, please…" Tears streamed down her face. "Please leave us alone…"
The woman on the sofa sobbed. The man looked at his daughter, then Teh Lim, then the mess around him, and suddenly seemed drained. He released Teh Lim.
"Get out…" he muttered.
That night, Teh Lim escorted Lin Min away. The rain had stopped, and moonlight gleamed on the wet streets.
They sat on a park bench, silent for a long time. Finally, Lin Min whispered, "My mom… she's sick, depression. Dad used to be good, but after he lost his job, he started drinking… Every time he gets drunk, he blames me for everything…"
"That's not your fault," Teh Lim said firmly. "You haven't done anything wrong."
Lin Min lifted her head, tears glistening in the moonlight. "Teh Lim, why did you help me? We aren't even friends…"
Teh Lim thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe because you're in 5SKB2. Or… I just can't stand seeing anyone hurt."
They fell silent again. In the distance, dogs barked.
"I want to go to university," Lin Min said suddenly, her voice filled with newfound determination. "I want to leave here, take my mom with me. I want to be a doctor, to help her and others like her."
Teh Lim felt a warm surge in his chest. "Then let's do it. Together."
The next day, Teh Lim left two breakfasts on their desks—one for himself, one secretly for Lin Min. She looked surprised, then glanced at him. He pretended to focus on his vocabulary, his ears slightly red.
Classmates soon noticed the pair—they arrived early, left late, discussed problems at lunch, and studied shoulder-to-shoulder at the library.
"You two…?" Xiaoli teased one day.
"We're studying," Teh Lim said seriously. "And she's amazing—my math score went up fifteen points last test."
Under Lin Min's tutoring, Teh Lim's science grades soared, while he helped her with language and history. Gradually, her bruises faded, and her smiles became more frequent.
One rainy Friday evening, they left the library together.
"I forgot my umbrella," Teh Lim said, annoyed.
"I brought one." Lin Min hesitated, then held out a folding umbrella. "Walk together?"
They huddled under the small umbrella, shoulders close. Teh Lim could smell her faint scent and feel her subtle tremble.
"Your father…" he asked carefully.
"I moved out," she said calmly. "The social worker helped. Mom and I live in a temporary shelter. Dad agreed to rehab."
"Thank you, Teh Lim. Without you, I wouldn't have had courage…"
"You found the courage yourself. I just… nudged you."
By exam month, the blackboard counted down—"10 days," "5 days," "1 day."
The day before the exam, they studied on the school rooftop, watching the sunset.
"Nervous?" Teh Lim asked.
Lin Min nodded. "Yes. But more than that… excited. Like standing at the starting line, waiting for the gun."
"Me too. Lin Min, no matter the results, we've already won," Teh Lim smiled.
"Won what?" she asked.
"Over so many obstacles, and we made it here," he said.
The exams lasted two weeks. After each, they would meet outside the exam hall, exchanging smiles, not discussing questions.
When the final bell rang, Teh Lim saw Lin Min waiting. The sunlight fell on her, her smile radiant—the most beautiful he had ever seen.
"Done," she said.
"Yes, done," he replied.
On results day, 5SKB2 erupted—both had scores enough for the University of Malaya Medical School. Lin Min's science scores were nearly perfect, ranking third in the school.
At graduation, Lin Min, as an outstanding student representative, addressed the audience. She wore her uniform neatly, scanning the crowd before lingering on Teh Lim.
"I once thought the world had closed all doors on me," she said, clear and confident. "But in 5SKB2, I found the key—hard work, perseverance, and most importantly, kindness and warmth between people…"
Teh Lim watched proudly.
After the ceremony, classmates took photos and said their goodbyes. Teh Lim found Lin Min standing alone under a cherry blossom tree. Four months ago, they had first met when the blossoms were just opening; now, the trees were lush.
"Lin Min," he approached.
She turned, eyes glistening with tears.
"I have something to tell you," he said, taking a deep breath. "These four months, you've changed me. Life seemed dull before I met you. Now I understand true courage and persistence…"
She looked at him silently.
"I like you, Lin Min," he finally confessed. "Not out of sympathy, not pity, but because I am drawn to you—your strength, your kindness, your unwavering light in adversity."
He paused, voice trembling. "Will you… be with me? Not just as study partners, but as…"
His words were cut off by an embrace. Lin Min hugged him gently, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I like you too, Teh Lim," she said, a mix of laughter and tears. "I was afraid to admit it… afraid it was just a dream…"
Teh Lim held her tightly. Though the cherry blossoms had fallen, their hearts had just bloomed.
Months later, at the University of Malaya Medical School orientation, Teh Lim and Lin Min walked side by side, student IDs in hand. Sunlight filtered through leaves, casting dappled shadows.
"Remember when we first met?" Teh Lim asked.
"I remember. You were daydreaming by the window in 5SKB2, cherry petals on your shoulder," Lin Min smiled.
"I never imagined that quiet transfer student would become the most important person in my life."
Lin Min stopped, looking at him seriously. "The world is big, but meeting you… was the most beautiful thing in my youth."
Teh Lim intertwined his fingers with hers. "Then let's walk through it together, and see just how big the world can be."