A Pernicious Facade

The Beginning

The hallways of Jiangxi High School buzzed with energy as students hurried to their next classes. Among the sea of faces, Zhen moved with an air of confidence, his popularity undeniable. To the outside world, he embodied the ideal student — smart, charismatic, and effortlessly cool. However, behind this facade lurked a darker truth.
In contrast, Xie navigated the corridors almost like a ghost, his presence easily overlooked. Top of his class but always on the periphery of social circles, he carried the weight of a secret he dared not reveal. His days were spent buried in books, his nights lost in silent struggles.

As Xie sat in his desk quietly, Zhen was talking with the students crowded around his own. All was good, until Mei-Ling noticed Xie. As Mei-Ling glared at him, she whispered in Zhen's ear.
"That arrogant geek is here, why don't you have some fun before class starts?" Mei-Ling smiled, making eye contact with Zhen.
Zhen smirked, stalking over to the desk at which Xie sat. He snatched the book from Xie's hands, earning a sigh and a glance upwards.
Zhen flipped through the pages mockingly. He spoke, his tone cold and harsh, "What do you think you're doing, loser?"
He was met with a face of pure confusion. Xie's voice was mellifluous, despite his words, "Are you stupid? What does it look like I'm doing?" He shrugged, meeting Zhen's cold gaze.
Zhen's black eyes bore into Xie's as he responded, "It looks like you're trying to get your ass beat." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, challenging Xie to act assertive. He threw the book to Mei-Ling, who promptly tossed it out the window.
"Oops!" She acted as if he hadn't done it on purpose.
Xie rolled his eyes and sighed, "Did you need something, or did you only come over here to do that?"
"That's all."
"Okay." Xie watched as Zhen walked back to his desk, taking a deep breath. He was frustrated, knowing he'd have to buy a new copy of the book. He could see through Zhen like glass. He knew someone as smart as Zhen would never truly behave like that. Xie understood that he was hiding something, but didn't care enough to figure out what.

Class started and Chang laoshi walked in, greeting the class. The students stood up, responding in chorus before taking their seats. The laoshi cleared his throat before speaking, "We have something new today. A project over the next nine weeks, where you will be partnered with a polar opposite of yourself. I've already figured out the pairings and from now until Christmas, you will get to know each other. Once you've understood your partner, you will assemble a portfolio on the balance between academic success and social integration." Chang Laoshi's eyes flickered around the room, a grin on his face. He knew the students wouldn't like the project, but he figured it was a good way to force them to understand other perspectives.
Zhen glanced around the classroom, trying to figure out who may be his partner. He could think of many students who were the polar opposite of himself, it was practically everyone he disliked. A sense of dread washed over him as he continued listening to the laoshi.
Chang laoshi paused before adding, "Now, I'll write out the pairings and you will move desks to sit with them." He grabbed a paper from his desk and began writing the pairings on the chalkboard.
Afterwards, students began crowding around the chalkboard, trying to find their partner.
"Chen-Wei and Liu
Huang and Miko
Lihua and Yue
Aihan and Li-Na
Lin-Jie and Xu-lan
Xiao and Tai
Mei-Ling and Xianfei
Jian and Qing
Zhou and Fan
Xie and Zhen
Futa and Eirein"

Zhen's face dropped when he saw that his partner was Xie. His gaze flickered over to the boy, who was still sitting in his desk and waiting for the crowd of students to dissipate. Xie noticed his expression and almost screamed at the realization. He watched as Zhen approached his desk and sat down beside him.
Xie spoke first, "I assume this means we're partners."
"Let's just get this over with." Zhen replied, his voice cold and harsh.
"Okay."