Chapter 47
A rustling sound.
My dream was pitch black. I thought so. An incomprehensible voice echoed in my ears, until finally I could hear every word it was saying.
It was during a Chinese language class, I think. What was the teacher's lesson called? "...Tragedy." I didn't know what kind of tragedy it was, but the story was very sad. Before the teacher even asked the students a question, they were already buzzing and whispering among themselves.
"What are we having for lunch today?... Of course, I'm not giving you any. I'm going home for a big meal, you can stay at school and eat in the cafeteria, hehe."
"Do you think I'd look better with a different hairstyle? My bangs look a bit weird right now... Shh, did the teacher just look at us?"
"You really need to remember to pay me back! I'm almost out of money to eat at the school gate! Dude, please have mercy on me, I'm begging you, can you bear to see your deskmate go hungry?"
"Reading comprehension still relies on intuition. But let me analyze this passage for you..."
"Is this a class for you or for me?! You! The one talking the loudest! Can't you learn anything from such a noble spirit?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Wow, you're so fierce... You haven't replied to me yet. What are we having for dinner?"
"Actually, I'd like to dye my hair. What do you think of that dark brown color? Okay, I still prefer blue. Would an inner highlight look good?"
"Thank you so much! This money is a lifesaver!"
"You still don't seem to understand. ...Am I a bad teacher?"
The teacher paced unhappily on the podium: "The article says at the end..."
"I……"
"……copy……"
"……take an exam."
"……earn……"
"……product!"
"……drama?"
"Newly released..."
"National Day..."
"……Play……"
"……go home."
"It stinks!"
"think……"
Fragments of words echoed in my darkened vision. A middle school student doesn't have grand dreams: get into a good high school, travel, and eat fancy meals.
What am I doing standing here?
"You're not home yet, my darling?" A pair of warm hands rested on my shoulders, and a soft female voice said, "I'm sorry Mommy is late... I hope you weren't waiting too long. You look just like a little prince. Good boy, you know not to run around. How about Mommy takes you out to play this weekend? I was delayed by work today, it wasn't on purpose that I broke my promise... Will you still trust Mommy in the future?"
“I won’t disbelieve you.” I heard the voice escape my throat. “I didn’t wait long. They all chose to go home on their own, which is why it seemed like I was the one who waited the longest.”
"Good boy/girl, Mom. But next time you can be a little more flexible, okay? For example, call Mom and say you're going home by yourself, and you can ask Mom and Dad to reimburse you for the taxi fare when you get home. Got it?"
"As long as I can wait for you, I don't mind waiting for a long time." The person who could speak thought, but he pursed his lips, wondering if not calling his late family would make them very nervous and anxious on their way, and cause them to have blurred vision, a car accident, or something else, or encounter danger?
“Okay, Mom. I will.” He said with a smile, “I will try to make my own decisions in the future, don’t worry.”
The rambling dream was quickly forgotten. Mo Huaizhen sent me quite a few messages, and I noticed that I replied to some in the middle of the night, but I probably forgot about it later.
Hua and I made breakfast together again, and it wasn't hard to notice that Hua was awake for longer than usual this time. I decided to ask them next time if they had any cures. Would planting seeds for them have even a slight effect? Speaking of which, would the seeds leave any aftereffects during their growth? I didn't have time to think about it anymore. I slung my backpack over my shoulder, swallowed a dumpling in my mouth, and rushed out the door: it was 8 a.m. today, and I overslept.
How did you learn this verbal tic?
I arrived at the classroom even before the 8 AM bell rang and saved a seat for Tachibana Miki. My phone popped up with a message: the counselor had announced a class meeting after class for a certain class. Was it about what happened yesterday? I looked around but didn't see anyone around me with a lingering sense of shock.
When Tachibana Miki arrived, she asked me, puzzled, "What are you looking for? That's weird."
I looked at her, and she put down her bag: "Just say what you have to say. Staring at people like that is creepy."
I tentatively asked her, "Have you watched the news?"
"Why would I look at that thing?" she asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Didn't you hear what your housekeeper or parents said? The driver could be one too?"
"What's there to say?" she said impatiently. "Fine, fine, I admit, I'm the most talkative person in the whole family. Is that all you wanted to say to me, so I won't bother you during class? Let me tell you, I don't care about your little tricks. Today I'll show you what I can do, so you won't hear a single word you say..."
"Besides, you know I hate serious things the most."
I hesitated and looked her over again, until she brought her face close to mine, which startled me.
"I'm not ugly, am I?" she looked at herself in the small mirror, puzzled. "You must be shocked by how beautiful I am."
"Yes, yes." I nodded repeatedly, then changed the subject, "Have you checked your phone? We have to go to the class meeting."
Tachibana Miki pouted: "Boring."
While she was getting her book, I observed the expressions on the faces of each of the students who came in. Sleepy, joyful, calm, furrowed brows. No one seemed afraid; perhaps they didn't live nearby. I put my phone under the table and started browsing news headlines on different apps.
"You're acting strange," Tachibana Miki whispered in my ear. "What's wrong with you?"
I shook my head, unsure how to tell her what happened yesterday. The counselor might have mentioned it; I'll talk about it later.
Things quickly disappointed me. The counselor only spoke about the midterm exams, reminding students not to cheat.
None of the people present seemed to be listening; a few nodded nervously. Seeing my dejected look, Tachibana Miki asked me for the second time, "What's wrong?"
The young lady's temper wouldn't allow her to ask twice and be rejected each time. I hesitated for a moment without hesitation: "...Haven't you heard? It's an accident."
"What happened? The exam papers were leaked?"
“Someone is dead,” I said.
Tachibana Miki's face went blank. "What?" she chuckled dryly. "This joke isn't funny. My dad watches the morning news every day and even wakes me up to watch it. The driver always tells me about any threatening news he comes across, and the housekeeper has been teaching me self-defense..."
It wasn't hard to see the words "Are you delusional?" in her eyes. But she also knew I wouldn't lie about something that couldn't possibly happen.
"You watched the news this morning just for this?" she asked incredulously. "You didn't even know this yourself?"
“That’s precisely because I’m not sure either,” I said, frustrated. “I saw it happen with my own eyes, but I didn’t receive a single message, except for inquiries from people who were with me there yesterday… Don’t you find that strange? The whole ground cracked, how could no one know?”
Tachibana Miki looked at me with pity. I knew that if I kept talking, she would really think I was delusional, so I waved my hand at her: "But you have to be careful too. Even if there is no danger like this, there will be other dangers. Be careful."
A shadow crossed her face, and I didn't know if she had taken it to heart. She nodded at me and gave me a high five: "Then you must be careful too, and always put yourself first no matter what happens."
"Definitely." I laughed, my tone very firm. "My life may not be worth much, but it shouldn't be taken away so easily."
I have no classes this afternoon, so I plan to go to the orphanage.
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