Chapter 163 The Locker Room Incident During Physical Education Class
"Have you ever heard of sepak takraw before? Huh? People from your country don't really play sepak takraw much!"
The two girls pulled you to the small garden. Meiling and Huimin were surprisingly skillful; they quickly wove a small ball from the wild grass they picked at random.
“That’s how rattan balls are made—of course, nowadays they’re mainly woven from plastic strips, and they’re a little bigger than the one I have here.” Meiling weighed it in her hand. “Hmm…but not by much. They’re usually about 12 centimeters in diameter.”
But looking at the shape of the latitude and longitude lines on this grass ball, it looks so much like... "A volleyball?" you ask.
“Right! You think it looks like it too?” Meiling and Huimin laughed, their eyes sparkling as they looked at you. “Sepak takraw is a sport unique to Southeast Asia. It’s called Sepak Takraw. ‘Sepak’ is Malay for ‘kick’ and ‘Takraw’ is our Thai word for ‘ball’. So it means ‘a ball kicked with the feet’.”
As she spoke, Meiling stopped playing with the little ball in her hands and tossed it out. Huimin immediately caught it skillfully with her foot and kicked it back to Meiling.
Meiling caught it with her foot as well. She first kicked it a few times with the back of her foot, then kicked it high into the air with a sudden burst of force. Before it could fall, Meiling quickly spun around, used the heel of her other foot to lift the ball up, and finally caught it with her hand.
"Look, like this."
You clap your hands in approval of the two girls. The sport is indeed amazing, but the footwork is a bit like playing shuttlecock. Then look closer, and long-forgotten historical knowledge flashes into your mind: a ball sport made of woven rattan—this is more like Cuju!
Meiling continued, "If you're training on your own, you practice kicking it in fancy ways like we do. But if it's a competitive match, it's more like volleyball. There's a net in the middle, and you use your head, knees, shoulders, and heels to catch the ball, then jump up and kick it over the net, making it look like it's spinning in the air. It's super cool!"
It turns out it's different from Cuju (ancient Chinese football). As you digest this knowledge, you finally choose to change your destiny through technology: you take out your phone, search for videos of sepak takraw and rules and techniques summarized by others, and finally gain a concrete understanding of the sport.
"Then let's practice juggling the ball here for a while." Understanding is one thing, but it's only meaningful to actually try it out.
Mei-ling and Hui-min will share with you what angles allow the ball to stay stable on your feet, and what posture allows you to turn and receive the ball more quickly. This sport is actually quite challenging.
After making these preparations, you felt more confident, and the two girls finally overcame the nausea they felt from the scene in the cafeteria. The first PE class of the afternoon was about to begin.
Meiling was wrong. The first thing in PE class isn't doing those exercises, it's... changing clothes.
The girls went into the changing room one after another to change their clothes. They were laughing and joking, not really caring that their bodies were being exposed to others.
You felt a little embarrassed. You had previously confronted unknown forces naked in dungeons, and back then you weren't ashamed of that exposure at all, because you were defending your position. Your body didn't need to endure any symbolic gaze; you were simply yourself.
But now, being so casually surrounded by a group of little humans, with Mei-ling and Hui-min, who should also be considered your friends, right beside you, your very private feeling of "not wanting to be seen" wells up.
You find your complex emotions quite interesting.
"Forget it, forget it," you shake your head, turn your back to the crowd, and deftly take off your uniform and change into a short-sleeved sweatshirt. As long as you're not staring at others or being stared at, it's all perfectly normal.
Hehehe~
A burst of laughter came from the other end of the locker room, the voice as soft and sticky as sesame candy. You didn't want to use that word, but the words "coquettish laughter" just popped out of your head.
That laughter—it gives you goosebumps.
You were curious, but didn't want to look back; you just wanted to get dressed and leave quickly. Until suddenly your shoulder was bumped.
"Hey, be careful..." you whispered, frowning, as you turned your head to shield your shoulder.
Then you saw them.
There were three girls—duh, this is the women's locker room! But they—
They were wrapped in light pink towels, and their shoulders revealed bra straps that were more mature and sexy than most girls their age could afford.
It's not uncommon for Thai women to wear makeup, but their makeup is on par with beauty bloggers. Even with such heavy makeup, they can't hide their high, defined noses and slightly sharp facial features.
They laughed and playfully shoved each other, shoulder to shoulder, without offering any response to your complaints.
But you still subconsciously glanced at them a few more times.
Something's not right.
As they took off their towels, you caught a glimpse of a very faint knife scar on one of their backs, while the other, as she bent down to wring out a towel, seemed to have a neck with a thickness and muscle definition that was... quite different from that of ordinary girls.
You don't want to fall into the trap of judging people by their appearance, but they just look... a little strange. It's more like a sense of incongruity stemming from your intuition, and you can only try to correct this awkward perception by looking at some more obvious, universal characteristics.
You couldn't help but glance at it a few more times. Ah! You suddenly realized what this might be, and belatedly realized the offense your gaze might have caused, wanting to quickly turn your face away.
But the three people who had been ignoring you suddenly fell silent.
The girls in the entire changing room fell silent, quietly forming a circle and watching you.
These three stunningly beautiful girls all turned their eyes to you, their smoky eyeshadow-covered eyelids remaining motionless, but the corners of their mouths slowly curling up into smiles.
Besides you, the only two people who weren't caught in this bizarre stalemate were Meiling and Huimin. They were right next to you, having just finished dressing and tying their hair up. When they turned around, they were just as shocked as you were by the scene before them.
"What's going on?" Meiling whispered to you.
“I don’t know,” you replied in the same volume, “but I need you to apologize to me in Taekwondo.”
Meiling has learned not to ask too many questions, and simply to do as you say: "Katoka." (I'm sorry.)
But this didn't work at all. One of the three approached you, moved his lips, and said a string of words in a dialect that came out of his throat in a tone completely different from the low voice when they were laughing and joking.
"They...they are..." Huimin's voice trembled. She dared not speak in Cantonese, only in the language of flowers to plead for your help, "They are Sao Shuang! They are usually very easy to get along with, you must have offended them! What the hell is going on today?!" — Yes, everything is usually fine, why are strange things happening at this school today!
Although Huimin's complaint was about the language of flowers, there were quite a few students in this school who chose the language of flowers as their second foreign language. In addition, there was a Thai word mixed in with her flower language that you could guess even if you didn't know its meaning. Well, now almost everyone in the locker room turned around to look at you.
They seem to be waiting for your next outburst of screams, waiting for a storm of humiliation and rejection that tears apart the truth.
"Meiling!" you call out to her as fast as you can, "Translate this for me! Just say I really didn't mean any harm, I was just surprised, I'm just not experienced enough, I really didn't mean to humiliate anyone!"
Meiling quickly replied in Cantonese, but the "girls" didn't care about any of that. Their hair was getting longer, they were getting taller, and their manicures were becoming more vibrant and sharp! Soon, you'd suspect they weren't just going to strangle you with their long hair, but also skewer the three of you into a meat skewer with their nails.
what to do? ?
— We must use the rules.
You remember that Meiling always carries a small mirror to check her face—a common occurrence during puberty—you quickly open her storage compartment, take the mirror out of her school uniform pocket, and point it at them.
"Rule #8: Boy? Girl? Look in the mirror."
Out of a fear that you might misuse the rules, you whispered this passage, hoping that your abilities would help the rules take effect.
Sure enough, the figures in the mirror changed instantly.
The women in the mirror still had impeccable makeup and beautiful features, but their expressions were extremely distorted. That "fierceness" wasn't anger, but an almost instinctive malice, a desire to tear apart the observer. Yet their lips were still curled up in a smile, while their eyes held no warmth whatsoever.
Meiling and Huimin are seeing the same scene as you—you can be sure that these two girls are in a completely different situation from all the other ordinary students! They are bewildered and helpless, clinging tightly to your arm like two little squirrels.
You calmly continue holding the mirror, even though the three people opposite you are already twisted together like snakes, pressed against the mirror in your hand.
The three women exchanged a glance and suddenly burst into laughter. In the blink of an eye, they had retreated to a short distance away.
They put away their "inappropriate" expressions and put on almost seductive, perfect smiles again. They gently patted your shoulder with the back of their hand, and one of them rolled her eyes in annoyance and said something in a coquettish tone, but it seemed to be a warning.
"Don't look at people like that anymore. You're so annoying and rude!" Meiling translated for you.
You gave an awkward laugh, unsure of what to say.
They turned gracefully, changed into their sportswear, and walked out of the locker room. Their backs and gaits were as proud and elegant as models on a stage, but neither you, Meiling, nor Huimin said another word. The other students watching seemed oblivious, instantly returning to normal and going about their business.
Only when the three of you were left in the locker room did the two of them look at you with eager eyes, as if they were staring at you with longing.
"What exactly did you do?" Meiling began, her voice trembling. Compared to Huimin, she was far bolder and more meticulous, but the series of events had likely deeply affected her reason. "What exactly did you do? What... what's going on with them?"
“Yes, yes!” Huimin was even more so; she had practically become a robot that could only agree.
Meiling continued cautiously, "Is what we saw the same as what you saw? They became...like that, last night...like that thing."
You lowered your eyes, slowly returned Meiling's mirror to her, and then gently took a breath.
You want to tell them the truth—because the place you're in is just a "copy".
But you can't.
Furthermore, you've read the logs of seasoned outsiders who have cleared six instances and are now likely back in the real world. You've also experienced it yourself; you know that instance rules can't be revealed to locals, and you can't even mention the word "instance." How dare you gamble?
So you just rephrased it: "Maybe... they act that way because you've been with me for so long that you're starting to see 'what this school is really like'."
You paused for a moment after saying that.
"What this school is really like."
The moment those words were spoken, a chill ran down your spine, as if the sharp fingernails of one of the three men had grazed your shoulder blade.
"I feel... there's something about you... that's beyond our comprehension. I've met people like you; you guys... always manage to trigger some special phenomena..."
This was the last thing Anbo said to you in the last world, and after that, her face contorted for a moment.
You consider this her last sentence because subconsciously you don't believe that anything she says after that is related to Anbo, who disregarded his work responsibilities and insisted on taking you to the airport.
"See the real world."
Yes, that's your guess about their situation: the reason they've realized and seen these things is because they were so deeply involved with you that, at their level of understanding, they're probably no longer completely "locals" who are oblivious to the rules of the world.
But why was Anbo's perception forcibly reversed, while these two girls' perceptions were not?
You can't understand it.
Meiling didn't notice your hesitation, and just muttered softly, "We...we won't get into trouble too, will we?"
You quickly snapped out of it—you're now the "big sister" of this small group of three, so you need to stand up straight and focus on the task at hand.
You shook your head and said, "No. I'm here."
You said it very calmly, but to them it was like taking a reassuring pill.
You cleared your throat, no longer dwelling on these issues, and changed the subject, asking, "Speaking of which, what exactly is their situation? Are transgender people common in your schools? I'm sorry, I'm not very familiar with some of the technical terms, but I'll just call them that for now."
Meiling finally regained some composure and nodded.
"
“They’re called ‘sweeping doubles’,” Mei-ling said, her smile brightening as if she had found a safe topic. “The literal meaning is ‘second type of girl,’ but it’s actually just transgender women. Here, ‘sweeping doubles’ is quite common, especially in art classes and fashion classes.”
"But you...we are still minors, isn't this legal?"
“Whether it’s legal or not…” Meiling frowned. “Well, in daily life, they are actually quite accepted. Buddhist teachings have the concepts of ‘reincarnation’ and ‘karma’, and some people believe that transgender people are the result of karma from their past lives, while others say it’s a misplacement of the soul and body. So, at least on the surface, people are very tolerant, and no one would openly discriminate against them.”
“But people do gossip behind people’s backs, right?” Huimin added, “Especially the pretty ones who are good at swindling; many people are a little afraid of them. They’re probably more sensitive because of that.”
“Not every student in our school can live with the same confidence as them,” Meiling thought for a moment. “Those few are quite… outstanding, and their personalities are very, very ‘feminine.’ Or rather, a bit too… In short, sometimes they can be quite difficult to handle.”
You nod. Outwardly accepting, inwardly rejecting—this is the most fundamental conflict in human nature, especially when the label of "beautiful" is attached but no longer conforms to people's "habitual" perceptions of gender, role, and body.
The key issue is that many women, by their biological sex, do not fit these labels.
You look down at the tips of your shoes and suddenly remember the "perfect girl" look of those three girls before they left.
General Rule 3: Beautiful things shouldn't be exposed. Okay, maybe that extra glance you gave because you felt something was off was a violation of this rule, which explains why everything became so strange.
The sound of a teacher blowing a whistle came from outside the changing room.
You pat the two girls' arms and force a smile: "Okay, don't overthink it. Let's go to PE class."
Stepping out of the locker room, the scorching sun beat down.
You followed Meiling and the other two and found a place to stand.
The male PE teacher was a very serious-looking person. He stood by the track, his face stern as he scanned each of you students. He was quite displeased with some of you wearing makeup, and thus lingered longer in front of those students.
You've been standing here for so long, your feet must feel like they're about to melt. Finally, after expressing his dissatisfaction with his eyes, he blew a whistle, walked to the front, and led the whole class in warm-up activities.
Leg presses, shoulder circles, wrist rotations—these are the same old routines, but after only two rounds, a fine sweat has already beaded on my forehead. The cicadas' shrill chirping on the playground is making me a little dizzy.
"Run two laps!" the male teacher commanded.
You run while trying to catch your breath. You get hungry quickly—vegetarian food really doesn't keep you full!
Meiling noticed that you weren't doing well and asked as she ran, "Are you alright? You look terrible."
You nodded gently, not forcing yourself to say, "I used to eat a lot of meat, so I'm still not used to eating vegetarian food today."
Meiling winks at you: "Later I'll treat you to Carabao, our domestic energy drink, it's really good. You've definitely never had it in Korea. I heard that your Pink Bull drinks are carbonated? We don't have that here."
"Red Bull in Thailand comes in all shapes and sizes, both carbonated and non-carbonated." Even though you've already experienced five different scenarios, you've never learned about another country through conversation with a local like this before, and it's quite a novel experience. "Don't you Thai people like carbonated drinks?"
"No!" Meiling said, catching her breath as she ran, but she stubbornly continued, "It's just that people prefer to drink sparkling water as a beverage or in cocktails. Energy drinks with sparkling water...it's weird, weird..."
"Hey, slow down, stop talking!" You started panting heavily too. "I'm about to get a stitch too!"
Huimin laughed beside her.
Running while talking was indeed more tiring, but the feeling of being relaxed made it less unbearable.
After running two laps, while everyone was gathering in the middle of the track, Meiling quickly ran to the vending machine and bought three bottles of Carabao.
It's really delicious! It's sweet and sour, like apple juice, with absolutely no harsh, artificial sweetness.
The PE teacher over there was taking out a list and calling out names, preparing to divide the students into groups.
It really is a sepak takraw.
“Sepak takraw practice, three people per group,” he said (Huimin translated in your ear), while quickly scanning the crowd.
At that moment, Meiling suddenly raised her hand, ran over, and whispered a few words to the teacher. You saw the teacher frown, his gaze falling on you with a subtle mix of doubt and assessment, before glancing at the three of you. He seemed about to say something, but in the end, he simply nodded.
“Okay, Meiling, Huimin, and…” He paused, then pointed at you, “you, the three of you form a group.”
You looked at Meiling with some surprise. She gave you an "OK" sign and whispered, "Don't worry, I told the teacher you want to adapt slowly, and you can't speak Cantonese anyway. We're good friends and can help each other. He agreed."
Very good.
Immediately afterwards, the teacher dragged a large bag of rattan balls out of the equipment room and distributed them to each group.
The rattan ball looked very similar to the ones woven by Meiling and Huimin. It wasn't heavy, but it felt rough and prickly to the touch. Luckily, it was kicked with the feet...
The three of you find a corner of the playground and begin training.
"See, it's only a little bit bigger, isn't it? Right now, you're still using your feet, head, shoulders, and knees to control the ball," Meiling said, demonstrating as she slowly kicked the ball to you. "Receiving the ball should be easier from now on."
You immediately kicked it, but it flew quite a distance. Wow! How come the bounce was so much stronger than you expected?
You sheepishly picked up the ball, and with Meiling's encouragement, tried to push it up with your knee again. The ball bounced back, almost hitting your nose. You rubbed your nose helplessly: "This ball is so disobedient."
You practiced like this, stumbling and bumping along, but luckily your teammate was a sepak takraw "expert." Unfortunately, even an expert can't beat a newbie like you, and your team was quite chaotic, with the ball either flying off the field or landing in the flowerbed. But even so, you still had a lot of fun playing.
The laughter never stopped, and the sunlight shone on each other's hair. You truly radiated youthful energy.
If physical education class is just about playing around like this, it doesn't seem dangerous at all. Maybe you're just worrying unnecessarily.
"Beep—!" The teacher blew the whistle again, "Practice is over, now we'll have a match!"
Competition.
You shouldn't try to put your mind at ease in advance.
You looked at the three girls who were assigned to the opposite side of your group and nervously grabbed Meiling's arm.
“Don’t worry, I’m here,” Meiling said.
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Author's Note: I'm here! I'm going to sleep now, really! But I'll probably update again after I wake up today. Love it!!! ^^
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