Chapter 13: Running for Class Committee

Song Xingran’s breath brushed past Lin Yumo’s ear, carrying the cool sweetness of mint candy.
“Little Jasmine, what position are you thinking of running for?”

The girl’s fingertips unconsciously fiddled with the buttons of her uniform, her gaze tangled with indecision.

Lowering her eyes, Lin Yumo stared at the math key points circled in highlighter in her notes. A memory flashed through her mind—the opportunity she’d missed in her previous life because of cowardice.

“Math class representative,” she said at last, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable firmness.

She remembered the sharp look in the homeroom teacher’s eyes. Running for math class rep now would be both a challenge to herself and a step closer to her goal.

“You sure about that?” Song Xingran bit her pen cap, doodling messy patterns on her scratch paper.

“Math is taught by Old Zhang…” she suddenly lowered her voice. “I heard when he gets angry, he can make girls cry.”

“I’m sure. I’ve already decided.”

Turning her head, Lin Yumo looked at the worry between her friend’s brows. She could read the desire hidden in her friend’s heart.

Song Xingran opened her mouth, then shut it quickly, her fingers pinching at the hem of her uniform and wrinkling the fabric. “You’ve already decided, but I still don’t know if I should run for anything.”

Her fingertips rubbed along the edge of the desk, her nails pressing pale marks into the skin.

She lowered her eyes, thick lashes casting a small shadow on her cheeks. “Actually… maybe art committee wouldn’t be bad…”

Her voice grew softer and softer, the last few words almost swallowed.

“The last time I was on the class committee in junior high,” Song Xingran suddenly looked up, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, “I messed up the New Year’s performance…”

She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. “The program list ended up being printed in the wrong order. Even though it worked out okay in the end, still…”

Turning toward her, Lin Yumo met the mix of yearning and timidity in her friend’s gaze.

She reached out and smoothed the wrinkled fabric in her friend’s grasp, the warmth of her palm seeping through the cloth. Her eyes were gentle yet resolute.
“It’s fine. The end result wasn’t bad, was it? Just try. Think of it as experience.”

“After this exam,” Mr. Zhang suddenly turned around, the piece of chalk in his hand hitting the desk sharply to wake a dozing boy, “we’ll be rearranging seats based on grades.”

His eyes swept meaningfully over a few students who were still giggling. “And of course, we’ll also be reconsidering class committee positions.”

“Alright, let’s start. First up, Li Xuanxuan!” Mr. Zhang’s voice cut through the classroom as he tapped the chalk heavily against the blackboard, startling the shoulders of the students in the front row.

Li Xuanxuan stood up smoothly, her ponytail swaying with each step. She walked lightly to the podium, the blue-and-white uniform crisp in the sunlight.

“Hello, everyone, my name is Li Xuanxuan. I’m from Hongye Middle School.” The girl’s voice was clear, carrying a natural confidence.

“I’ve served as class monitor during the two weeks of military training, and I’m already familiar with the role. I hope to continue serving everyone!”

As she bowed slightly, the loose strands at the back of her neck fell forward, revealing faint tan lines left from training. The class responded with scattered applause.

One by one, names were called. Some students were so nervous they forgot their lines, their faces flushing red on the podium. Others had prepared polished speeches, winning rounds of applause with their confident pacing and delivery.

When the name “Wang Changyu” was called, the scholarly boy adjusted his glasses. His uniform collar was buttoned tightly, his Adam’s apple shifting under the fabric.
“In junior high, I served as study committee member for three consecutive years and organized over a dozen study group activities…”

His voice grew steadier as he spoke, ending with a firm, “Please trust me,” which drew quiet murmurs of approval from the girls in the front row.

“Next, Lin Yumo!”

The classroom suddenly erupted into noise. Some students whispered to each other, some clapped excitedly, and someone even let out a loud whistle—instantly silenced by one sharp look from Mr. Zhang.

When Lin Yumo stood, the sunlight happened to fall right on the crown of her head, casting a warm glow over the blue-and-white of her uniform.

She walked slowly to the podium, her back straight like a young poplar.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Yumo.”
Her soft, sweet voice carried a quiet, reassuring strength. She let her gaze sweep lightly over the audience—some eyes expectant, some scrutinizing.

“I attended B University’s Affiliated Middle School for junior high, scored full marks in math on the high school entrance exam, and served as math class representative for three consecutive years.”

At this, the corners of her lips curved into a shallow dimple.
“I believe that experience and enthusiasm will allow me to do this job well.”

Applause rose like a tide.

Before going up, Song Xingran clutched Lin Yumo’s hand nervously.

Her palm was damp with sweat, but under her friend’s encouraging gaze, she slowly loosened her grip.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Song Xingran, from No. 1 High School’s junior division!”
She took a deep breath, her voice shifting from a tremble to something firm.

“Although I don’t have much experience as a class committee member, I’ll put one hundred percent of my enthusiasm into planning every single event!”

As she spoke more passionately, her raised arm pulled up her sleeve, revealing the word “Jiayou” (“You can do it!”) scrawled in black pen on her wrist. The small detail drew a wave of good-natured laughter and even warmer applause from the audience.

When the election results were announced, the afternoon sun slanted across the podium.

Chalk dust drifted softly from the edge of the podium as Mr. Zhang pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his gaze sweeping over the breathless, tense crowd.

The room was so quiet you could hear the rustle of camphor leaves outside the window. Even the faint sound of pages turning from a distant desk thudded in the heart like a heavy drumbeat.

“After tallying the votes,” Mr. Zhang’s voice suddenly rose, startling a drowsy boy in the back row into sitting bolt upright, “Class President—Li Xuanyan!”

The classroom erupted in cheers. When Li Xuanyan stood, her ponytail swayed high, and she strode toward the podium with the crisp gait she’d honed in military training. Her back was ramrod straight beneath the blue-and-white uniform, and even her fingertips radiated confidence as she accepted the appointment letter.

Lin Yumo noticed her secretly flashing a victory sign under the desk.

The appointment of Wang Changyu as Study Committee drew friendly teasing from the class.

The scholarly boy adjusted his glasses, and for a moment, his eyes behind the lenses shone.

He instinctively glanced up toward Lin Yumo’s direction, only to meet her gaze halfway—he quickly ducked his head.

“Math Class Representative—Lin Yumo.”

At the sound of her name, she rose. A few hushed exclamations came from the back row. Sunlight filtered through her falling hair, scattering tiny glimmers across her blue-and-white uniform.

The appointment of Song Xingran as Arts Committee was the most dramatic.

When her name was called, she was still holding Lin Yumo’s hand, her palm sweaty again.

The girl took a deep breath, as though to expel all her nerves.
“Arts Committee—Song Xingran!”

She leapt to her feet so quickly that she knocked over her pencil case, sending pens rolling across the floor amid the good-natured laughter of her classmates.

Finally, Mr. Zhang’s tone held a note of appreciation:
“Sports Committee—Zhang Suo!”

The tall, broad-shouldered boy with sun-bronzed skin stood from his seat with the clean, decisive motion of a leopard.

As he reached for the appointment letter, the muscles in his arm shifted subtly under the uniform fabric, drawing gasps from the audience. Someone whispered, “With a build like that, he’s definitely a seed player for the school basketball team.”