I hold off on answering because I don’t actually see the city until we reach the shuttle bus outside the airport, where the teacher pairs us off according to our hotel rooms.

“Cyrus Sui—I saw your special request, but unfortunately this program does not allow for single rooms for any of the participating students,” Wang Laoshi calls over the rumbling engines, dabbing the sweat on his forehead with a folded plaid handkerchief.

I kind of wish I’d brought a handkerchief with me too, or at least a napkin. Though the afternoon sky is overcast, the skyscrapers disappearing into the gray clouds, the heat is closing in fast. We’ve only gone a few minutes without any air-conditioning, and I can already feel the humidity sticking to my cropped shirt and slicking my fingers. Even the wind is hot, simmering off the wide road.

“You’ll be sharing with … Oliver Kang,” Wang Laoshi continues, consulting the clipboard in his hand. “Don’t look so glum about it. This is as much an opportunity to make new friends as it is a chance to explore the city.”

Oliver hops up the bus steps first. He’s the only person here with the energy to hop anywhere right now; I caught him charming the flight attendants into sneaking him quality coffee straight out of business class. “Yeah, dude,” he says with a fully caffeinated grin, beckoning Cyrus over. “We’ll be bonding in no time. It’ll be like a sleepover—come on, I know that very deep down, you’re excited.”

I catch the look of dismay on Cyrus’s face before he follows Oliver into the bus.

“Leah, you’ll be with Daisy Yun,” the teacher continues.

More hot gusts of wind blow my bangs across my forehead as I shove my suitcase into the lower luggage compartment. I quickly flatten my hair back down and greet my new roommate.

“Hey,” I say, joining her at the bus door. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

She seems somewhat startled, as if convinced I might be talking to someone else. “Um, hi.”

Inside, I drop into the window seat at the front, squeezing over for Daisy to sit down next to me. She does so very carefully, hugging her bag tight to her chest, tucking her dress around her legs. She doesn’t say another word until we’ve left the glass maze of the airport far behind us, the city rising tall on both sides of the highway.

I’m really here.

In Shanghai. On the other end of the world, thousands of miles from all I’ve ever known.