Minty cool

     I nervously opened the sky-blue email, revealing a bright red corner that was so striking, yet a sense of relief washed over me.

    From the very beginning of high school, my only aspirations were to attend top universities. For three years, I had accumulated countless accolades: top three in my class, a key member of the student council, featured on campus radio, and active in sports competitions. My name echoed in every corner of the campus.

    Even the menopausal homeroom teacher, when educating her rebellious teenage child, would say, "Learn from Su He and Bo Tian..."

    Such words would make anyone feel like they'd sprout wings and fly to heaven, but the latter name slapped me from heaven to hell, and I had to put on a smiling face, as if I'd received some great favor.

    Yes, the names Su He and Bo Tian were always linked together. Bo Tian, ​​top three in her class, a key member of the student council, lived up to her name: shoulder-length black hair, sharply cut bangs, like a girl straight out of a novel. When she smiled, only a dimple appeared on her profile. Her voice was always calm, and her smile was unchanging. She was so warm, the kind of warmth that stays in your heart at first glance.

    I could never learn to style her hair so perfectly, rain or shine, always neatly and naturally falling down, while I could only wear a long ponytail, swaying gently, and rush out to dunk with the boys.

    I could never learn to use her hands, which could compose Beethoven's symphonies and depict the myriad aspects of the world, while I could only rely on my supposedly quick wit to act crazy and entertain the audience on stage.

    I could never learn to be flawlessly perfect, the way teachers looked at her with even more admiration—who wouldn't love a well-behaved girl? And I, on the other hand, would use the student council to unite students and openly oppose a teacher I didn't like.

    And yet, this outstanding girl was so close to me. On the surface, we were good friends, eating together, going to the bathroom together, studying together. Perhaps only we knew that there was no friendship between us.

    Whenever I think of this, it feels like a worm is crawling inside me, tightly constricting me like a rose vine suffocating me, the thorns of the vine mercilessly piercing my heart. I know it's jealousy.

    I could only tell myself, "Su He, you've gone bad!"

    And so, we secretly competed for three years. We both knew the real competition would come during the college entrance exam. Unfortunately, our school was allocated a spot for direct admission to Yenching University just before the exam. Upon hearing this news, my first thought wasn't about the exam questions, but whether Bo Tian would come.

    Ha, how could she not come? She participated in the preliminary round, and five people were chosen to give speeches a week later, to be judged by Yenching University professors. The electronic drafts of the speeches were stored on the student council's computer beforehand.

    After the notification came, a dark thought flashed through my mind, only for a moment, but it lingered in my mind.

    That day, I walked alone into the student council building, naturally heading towards the computer room, just like when I searched for buildings before. The door was ajar, and my palms were already sweaty. With a determined heart, I pushed the door open.

    The sound of skillful typing filled the air. It turned out Bo Tian's hands weren't just for playing the piano and drawing; they could also manipulate other people's speech drafts. A flicker of surprise and regret crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She spoke, her tone still calm and even.

    "Su He...do you hate me?"

    I remained silent, unsure how to answer.

    Perhaps she assumed I agreed, and continued,

    "But, Su He, I hate you! Why are you so popular? With both boys and girls? Why can you laugh so freely and easily? Why can you stand on stage and speak so eloquently? Why are you so outstanding? How could you! Why are you so indifferent to my achievements, even disdainful?!"

    I couldn't speak; the words were stuck in my throat, as if I couldn't utter a sound. I watched her express her jealousy, watched her run past me with red eyes. Later, we both withdrew from the competition.

    Actually, I came that day for her speech, but who knew...she was jealous of me? Why can't I believe this?

    I laughed self-deprecatingly. Jealousy, everyone experiences it. Those bittersweet lows are unique to adolescence.

    Suddenly, the acceptance letter in my hand felt both light and heavy.