Episode 14
"What nickname?"
“XXX”
"What!"
"You deserve it... You're really not a lovable person."
That was the content of Benjamin's conversation with his entourage, but from that moment on, Benjamin understood that there was no need for him to continue the conversation. Moreover, Benjamin wanted to stay away from this person because he knew far too much.
"Benjamin?"
"Book......"
"I'm hanging up now. Let's talk tomorrow. Goodbye."
"Benjamin! Ben!"
From that day on, Benjamin simply stopped answering his calls, WeChat messages, and text messages. And surprisingly, he called Song Ran! He demanded that Song Ran get Sassin's phone number.
"Sashin's phone call?"
"Yes, can you get it?"
"I'll give it a try."
"good."
Because he knew a lot about Sassin's classmates, he struggled to get Sassin's phone number. He finally got Sassin's number, but the next second, Sassin received a text message—"Benjamin's phone number."
"Who sent the text message?"
"......"
After seeing the name Benjamin, what he couldn't understand was who had given him his phone number. Then he remembered that Benjamin was on good terms with his classmates in the same grade, so it was understandable that he would want his number. But the question was, what did Benjamin want by asking for his number and texting him? However, he wasn't currently on Benjamin's WeChat friend list, so he would only find out his purpose after verifying his identity.
"Benjamin."
"?"
How did you get my WeChat ID?
Ask your classmates.
"......"
I added you on WeChat because I have something to ask you.
"explain."
Which major do you want to study?
"reporter."
"Then I have even more reason to invite you to my home. I'm quite good at being a reporter, and I might even be able to teach you things you don't know in school."
"I refuse."
"Why?"
"I don't want to go, and I'm not familiar with you. If I clearly don't want to go with you, why are you being so kind as to teach me?"
There's no reason.
"......"
"Come on in? There's no tuition fee."
"I wouldn't come even if you didn't charge tuition."
"......"
"Anything else? If not, I'm going to sleep."
"good evening."
Although the conversation ended badly, Benjamin had a pretty good idea of what Sasin was thinking based on his manner and style of speaking, and the next second he also figured out Sasin's little scheme.
"A little trick?"
"Um."
This was the result of their first conversation with Sassin. However, after nearly two years of this method of communication, they were still not familiar with each other. But the only intimate thing Benjamin did with Sassin on that day was to sleep.
"What?"
"sleep!"
"don't want"
"Why? I sleep separately, and I don't want to sleep with anyone else. I don't want to mention the incident where I was thrown to the ground in the bathroom anymore, because I need to rest."
"......"
What's with that look you're giving me?
"It's nothing, I'm going to sleep on the sofa, goodbye."
This time it was Sasin's turn to "bully" Benjamin. Benjamin was just curious to see how Sasin would react. However, Sasin's antics caused Benjamin to catch a cold, while the person on the sofa bed was startled awake.
"..."
"What are you doing?"
"Sleeping".
"......"
"?"
"You're not sleeping, you're dreaming."
"Sleeping means dreaming, didn't you know that?"
"I am not highly educated."
"......"
—The next morning—
"Oh no! I'm going to be late!"
"Today is Saturday."
"The school needs extra lessons!"
"This morning, Lao Liu called and told the school that the Education Bureau had given them a direct warning, demanding that they immediately stop tutoring. That way, you won't be so tired on your weekends."
"You didn't report it, did you?"
"no."
"But how do you know so much?"
"Old Liu told me."
"Give me another reason."
"Old Liu has connections in the Education Bureau."
"Really?"
"Natina found out when she went out to eat with him."
"You're doing pretty well."
"......"
"I just want to know why Lao Liu was able to come back? What did you and Lao Liu agree on?"
"......"
This was the last thing Benjamin wanted to do, but he did it because of the promise. Just as Lao Liu said, he had taught Benjamin almost everything and there was nothing left to teach him. And the school could only support him. Therefore, Benjamin only lacked one thing - a diploma.
"What do you want from me?"
"Please go back to school."
"Why?"
"I'm not going to study anymore."
"?"
"That teacher was incredibly fierce, and I've mastered almost everything I learned in class."
"But your academic level is very low."
"At worst, I can take extra classes."
"It's obviously impossible."
"......"
"How about that? Even tutoring can't save you, kid."
"You're as mischievous as ever..."
"You're the same; you're just as unlovable as ever."
"......"
Their courage to speak to each other in this way is also closely related to his father—Old Liu. Old Liu's father was a victim of that war. He was rescued by Benjamin's father, and the rescue work was handled by Benjamin's mother. The volunteers were Lena, yes, Sasin's mother.
"I see, you have a son."
"Oh dear, didn't you know? Lena also has a son with her husband, but her growth rate has also disappeared. Not many people know about this, and even Lena herself kept it a secret."
"What exactly happened?"
"......"
Benjamin's mother knew about it, and so did her husband. They were honored to have died in battle, but to the other man it was not an honor; it was a matter of faith. He wanted to explain to Benjamin why he was so surprised when he saw Sashin.
"Lena, there's something I'm not sure if I should say. Would you like to come have dinner with me?"
"Going drinking again?"
"Drink black tea."
"......"
This was their secret code, and also the first time Benjamin and Sasin met. Later, they were both taken away by Old Liu himself, as a way of repaying a favor they had done after saving Old Liu's father.
"Benjamin has an ideal."
"To be a journalist?"
"It seems you already know."
"Because my son has the same dream."
"I see."
"By the way, I was looking for you about Old Liu's son attending a school nearby. He also told us that his school is all humanities students, which means Benjamin can go to and from school with your child."
"What does Benjamin mean by that?"
"He agreed."
"I'll go back and ask him."
At this point, Sasin also developed a very cautious attitude towards his life. He was a year younger than Benjamin, and his biggest fear was starting school early, while his mother wanted him to start school a year later.
"?"
"He has no concept of going to school yet."
"How is that possible?"
This year's honorary Sasin are at the age of graduating from junior high school, which is quite absurd, really absurd. But they're used to it; for them, not going to junior high school would be a bad thing.
"He told me that he was bullied by his classmates several times when he was in school."
"......"
"That's why he doesn't want to go to school. Of course, he has other reasons for not wanting to go to school, but this one is more obvious."
"Isn't that even better? He's taken a liking to the humanities, and there are reporters around. Benjamin can protect him, and Lao Liu can also be protective of his own. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Um."
Despite all the advantages Lena had mentioned, she only responded with a simple "hmm." Benjamin's mother already seemed to understand her perfectly. A few days later, Sasin was sent to the same school as Benjamin, and that was it. They were complete strangers; they only became acquainted after Sasin was beaten up.
What are you going to do?
"Nothing!"
"......"
"I don't like you, so I just want to hit you."
"......"
"Brothers! Charge!"
The glass was broken, and no one knew who threw it. But there was one thing Sasin handled quite well—he ran away. However, he hadn't run far before he fell to the ground, and when he woke up, it was right at class time.
"This child..."
"What's wrong?"
Old Liu came in. Fate is so wonderful. Sasin had just left when Old Liu came in right after, and they were just around the corner. Old Liu came to see Sasin. Those people found out. Some were from this school, and some were from other schools.
"From another school? How did they get in?"
"They borrowed our school uniform."
"......"
"They're under control now, those few at school."
"Confiscating the school uniform is the most direct and effective way. If we call the parents of the ringleaders to send them back, they will probably face even more severe retaliation, right?"
"yes."
"But who exactly is that student? The things he said don't seem to be the kind of knowledge a person his age should have."
His mother is a nurse.
"No wonder......"
"The students lying in bed probably don't know which student helped them."
"The person who brought the boy who was lying in bed over."
"?"
"Perhaps it's also a reminder to us and them?"
Are you sure this is a reminder and not a warning?
"Um."
But could we suggest a way to prevent those two individuals from appearing in front of Sasin because of their behavior in being summoned to the office? Of course, Benjamin got a scolding from Lao Liu for this.
"Old Liu?"
"You're late for class again. Okay, go stand outside."
"......"
Benjamin was punished by Lao Liu and made to stand in the school corridor. At that time, Class 1 of Grade 11 and Class 1 of Grade 12 were on the same floor of the same teaching building, so they could meet. Later, 20 minutes after class started, Benjamin unexpectedly saw Sasin. Sasin pretended to notice Benjamin casually.
"You will meet your junior."
"My junior? Who is that?"
"Sassin".
"......"
"Keep an eye on him. If he comes to me to tell on you, you can expect me to come home and deal with you."
"......"
Did you hear that?
"I heard you~"
At this point, Benjamin was used to his mother's usual way of speaking and thinking. Although he appeared somewhat impatient, he ultimately continued to carry out his mother's plan as she wished.
"She's there and she's worried about you. Actually, you're very lucky."
"Because I've let it go."
"?"
"At the beginning, my attitude towards my mother was more hatred. It would be normal for my father to be proud of fighting for the country. My mother could have come back if nothing was wrong, but she never came back to see me even once despite having the opportunity. And more importantly, every time she came back, she assigned me a lot of tasks."
"Taking care of people? It seems you've taken care of quite a few people."
"Only my junior."
"Junior?"
"Sassin".
"The one from Class 1, Grade 11?"
"You know him?"
“I also know his mother.”
"this......"
Old Liu also directly told Benjamin about Sasin and Reina. He thought he could easily understand the matter in his own way, but he was wrong, because in Sasin's eyes, the latter's father was his long-standing pain.
How much do you know about him?
"A little bit."
Just as Benjamin was about to say that he had let go of the matter, he did something else to him—following Sasin home from school.
"Following Sasin home from school?"
"Someone is watching him."
"Those guys today? I heard from others that some of them, along with outsiders, entered the school to bully Sasin. I thought it was just an exaggeration, but I never imagined it was..."
"Were those school uniforms confiscated by the head of student affairs?"
"As long as they are not picked up by their parents, it's okay, because one of those students has a lot of dark history, but that's not the worst thing."
"The scariest?"
"Group P, and some students can't be picked up by their parents because they keep finding fragments in the war."
"nausea."
"It's uncertain whether that fragment is from a bomb. If it is, then their purpose is quite obvious."
"I need to call 911."
"You need to."
"......"
Benjamin's idea was simple: to get Sasin home safely. Of course, if Benjamin failed to get Sasin home safely, he would be extremely ashamed, and Old Liu would be keeping a close eye on him.
"Old Liu?"
"Um?"
"Did we find out something about you, which is why you said those things?"
Benjamin and Sasin themselves didn't have any dirt on Lao Liu, but Lao Liu only reacted quite strongly the moment Benjamin learned about his background and made some guesses.
"What was the reaction?"
"Of course, it's your old stories."
"......"
"Okay, enough joking around. By the way, what homework did you assign today?"
After Lao Liu finished explaining the homework, Benjamin went straight home after school. They were in their second year of high school, and at that time, no one from the school had reported them to the education bureau, so they got out of school a little later than the first-year students.
"Did Lao Liu approve the leave request?"
"Yes, you can call him and ask him if you don't believe me."
Every time Benjamin went home early, he would ask Lao Liu to write a leave request for his approval. Since Lao Liu always used the same signature, it was easy for the security guards at the school gate to become suspicious. Benjamin always had a good temper, and today was no exception.
"Okay, okay, bye." (To a colleague: "It was approved by Lao Liu, and the signature is his too.")
"Alright, you can go now."
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