Chapter 07

Even though Cactus and I are electronic boyfriend and girlfriend, the communication between us has always been normal. We have almost never been as affectionate as other couples, calling each other "baby" all day long, let alone sending such cute and corny emoticons.

This is the first time.

So don’t ask, because if you ask, it means you really want to disappear right where you are.

However, what has been said cannot be undone.

I started typing on the keyboard in a hurry, intending to tell the other party that I just slipped and did not mean to send this emoticon.

However, he was the first to slowly send out a '?'

I was so ashamed that I wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

If I block him now, it should be too late...

[Senior Cactus: Can’t sleep? ]

[Senior Cactus: [cat patting head jpg.]]

So his question mark was because he saw that I was not asleep?

Also, how come this guy also has the Black Cat emoji set? This emoji set was made by a fellow comic con enthusiast I met, and only I and a few other people I know have it. Did I send it to him at some point?

I watched the honest and cute little black cat stretch out its chubby paws to touch the head of another white cat, and my face turned red, as if the other cat's hand was also stroking my head through the screen.

I began to hallucinate that I had turned into a cat, making a comfortable low rolling noise.

No, what am I thinking!

I am a human being, not a cat or a Tamagotchi!!!

In short, this simple sentence instantly dispelled my embarrassment, and without even bothering to reply to Ryoma Echizen, I started chatting with him.

[I like Fujiya very much: Yes, the senior is really smart. ]

I love Fujiya: I'm a little sleepy...

In fact, it is not just a minor insomnia. It is already one o'clock in the morning, which can be called severe insomnia.

Maybe I'll have to keep my eyes open until dawn...

[Senior Cactus: Is there something on your mind? If you don't mind, you can tell me. Maybe it will make things better? ...]

I stared at his words and fell silent.

Where do I begin?

Is it because I haven't seen my mother for a long time, and I see her living a prosperous life after leaving me, a burden, behind, or is it because I am deeply hurt by her happy and complete family, or is it because I feel unfair and wronged that she treats her stepdaughter better than she used to treat me... Everything makes me feel upset?

Actually, I can’t explain it clearly myself.

I have never been used to pouring out my true feelings in front of others.

Perhaps it was because he was someone I had never met in real life, separated by an Internet cable, which made it easier for me to let down my guard and say things that I would be unlikely to say in real life. Or it might be because the little black cat patting the head that Senior Cactus sent was so cute, and I felt a strange urge to pour out everything in my heart.

But I kept my fingers on the keyboard of the phone screen for a long time, but couldn't type anything. I didn't know where to start.

The story of the past is long, but there are few words that can be expressed.

After waiting for a while without seeing my reply, Senior Cactus seemed to have given up and changed the subject.

Cactus Senior: It's okay, junior, do you want to hear a sleep story? It's super useful. [Image: Cat highlights.]

Like those bedtime stories told by the bedside in TV shows and movies?

Cinderella? Or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?

He doesn't really think I'm a kid who can be easily dealt with, does he?

I chuckled while holding my phone in bed, then typed the next line -

I love Fujiya: Really? [Image of a surprised cat.]

I love Fujiya: What if it doesn't work?

[Senior Cactus: Just try it and you’ll know.]

I love Fujiya so much: I often feel out of place because I lack your confidence...

Then Cactus senior called me. I took a deep breath and answered his call.

"Good evening, Senior. Is it okay for you to stay up so late?"

"Well, with the important competition approaching, I'm a little nervous and sleep deprived..."

I was a little surprised. "Hey, if it's an important game, and you still want to tell me a sleep story, won't that bother me too much, senior?"

"I thought the word 'disturb' wouldn't apply to our relationship?"

Perhaps because he stayed up too late, his voice sounded a little lower than last time, and it sounded reassuring and heavy.

And...the relationship between us...

I was a little hesitant to respond to his words.

"...You don't have to worry about me. Telling you sleep stories will help me adjust my mindset and help me review..."

What kind of competition? Could it be an English storytelling competition or a speech contest?

I have a vague feeling of foreboding.

He asked, "Are you ready?"

His voice brought me back to my senses. I immediately fluffed up the quilt, then wrapped myself in the soft and comfortable quilt, lay down and covered my head.

After completing a series of preparations, I spoke: "I'm ready, come on."

After hearing all the sounds of my movements on the other end of the phone, his voice was tinged with a smile, "Okay, then I'll start..."

I listened quietly, with my mind focused. I felt like I was about to do some reading comprehension, which was both novel and nervous.

I only heard him begin to tell today's sleep-inducing story——

"The algebraic expression that multiplies numbers and letters is called a monomial. The sum of several monomials is called a polynomial. Monomials and polynomials are collectively called integers. In a monomial, the sum of all the exponents of the letters is called the degree of the monomial. In a polynomial..."

I froze in the bed, feeling that this cozy 30-degree warm bed couldn't warm up my heart that was frozen to zero degrees.

It turns out that Cactus Senior's competition tomorrow isn't an English storytelling competition or a speech contest, it's a math competition...

Sure enough, I fell asleep quickly that night, but it wasn't a good sleep at all.

I slept, but it felt like I didn’t sleep.

However, there were two other people who had the same trouble sleeping as me.

*

The next day, I came to the classroom with a tired face.

Sister Xiong asked me if I went out to steal at night.

I shook my head, a look of deep sorrow on my face. "It's worse than being a thief... Woohoo, I'm dirty..."

Sister Xiong pricked up her ears: "Huh? It's dirty?"

Under her shocked gaze, I let out a long breath, then pointed to my head and said:

"Yesterday, knowledge forced its way into my brain in an extremely evil way..."

The corners of Sister Xiong's mouth instantly lost their arc: "If you are sick, go get treatment."

Woo woo woo——

*

Ryoma Echizen was in a bad state today. He made frequent mistakes during the daily sparring training and looked absent-minded. After finishing the training, he returned to the rest area and immersed himself in his mobile phone.

That guy didn't reply to the message after making the earth-shattering statement "Who said I don't have a boyfriend?"

It goes without saying that she must have fallen asleep, and he, the only one waiting for a reply, would have been sleepless all night...

Thinking of this, Echizen Ryoma unconsciously clenched the soda can.

Seeing Echizen Ryoma's appearance, Kikumaru Eiji came up to observe him with curiosity, "Little guy, what did you do last night? The dark circles under your eyes look like a panda..."

As he was about to reach out to touch it, the latter dodged it with his quick eyes and hands.

"Kikumaru-senpai, I'm not a giant panda in the zoo."

"Hehehe, it really looks like it!"

"Eiji, stop teasing Echizen," Oishi said, coming in to smooth things over, immediately becoming a concerned motherly figure. "Did you get enough rest last night from training?"

Echizen Ryoma shook his head. "...It's because a good friend of mine suddenly got a boyfriend... Well, I was a little surprised."

Upon hearing this, Kikumaru Eiji's eyes lit up instantly, and he came closer, smelling the gossip.

"Nena, the girl that little one likes got a boyfriend. You were so sad and heartbroken that you couldn't sleep all night?"

"It's not the girl I like, it's just my childhood sweetheart... and suddenly she said she has a boyfriend..."

"And then what?!"

"Then I asked her who it was and when it happened... but she didn't reply to me all night... so I couldn't sleep."

Kikumaru Eiji suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly, saying, "You couldn't sleep well because you couldn't hear the gossip all night long. Yeah, I understand your feeling."

Echizen Ryoma: No, you don’t understand, that’s not how I feel.

The truth was, he himself couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Although he was younger, he knew a little about Koizumi Na's situation. Not to mention that she was just a junior high school student, she hardly opened up to anyone, and it was hard to imagine her falling in love with a specific person...

Besides, he bet that guy had no idea how terrifying men were. What if he got cheated?!

Thinking this way, he didn't even notice that the jar in his hand was completely deformed by the squeezing.

Coincidentally, at this moment, Fuji Shusuke, who arrived late, also appeared in the rest area.

"Hey! Fuji has panda eyes today too. Are panda eyes a fashion trend these days? Why is it that Xiao Budian is like this, and Fuji is like this too?"

Oishi knew a little about this, so he said, "Is it because of today's city math competition? Did you stay up late studying last night? Even if you're studying, you should make sure to rest well, Fuji. Your health is your most important asset..."

Facing Oishi's concern, Fuji Shusuke just shook his head and said the most shocking words in the calmest tone;

"No, my girlfriend had a bit of insomnia yesterday, so I spent some time with her... Of course, I also reviewed some key points..."

One word can cause a thousand waves.

No, how can you review knowledge points while chatting with people to relieve boredom?

etc--

Everyone in the lounge area who had been just listening to the gossip suddenly stood up and asked in unison:

"What girlfriend? Fuji, you have a girlfriend?!"

"When did this happen?!"