Chapter 19 Sunrise
A thin morning mist enveloped the entire mountaintop, and the headlights of passing cars outlined the clear silhouettes of pedestrians. When Kazama arrived at Kinomori Park carrying a half-person-high object on his back, someone had already arrived.
A figure in casual clothes, leaning against the streetlight, looked up at her. The morning mist dampened the tips of his hair, and the sharpness in his brown eyes was completely obscured by his lenses. Without the sharp edge of the court, the man before her was just an ordinary high school student with excellent grades.
Kazama was stunned for a moment, then walked over and said, "Senior Tezuka, you're here early."
"I'm used to getting up early for training," his eyes fell on the travel backpack at her feet, "this is it."
"It was actually my school uniform..." Feng Jian rubbed his nose, his shoulders slightly reddened by the backpack strap. "I tossed and turned last night and thought it would be more appropriate to wear my school uniform for the photo when we went hiking today. So I snuck in when the security guard was changing shifts. I memorized the passwords for every locker, so it wasn't too difficult."
Tezuka was stunned, but before he could say anything, other people arrived one after another.
"Hey, Kazama, I didn't expect you to arrive so early."
Momoshiro's voice arrived before his people did. Due to the angle, he didn't see Tezuka standing in front of her until his hand touched Kazama's shoulder. He immediately pulled his hand back and stood still, "Hand, Minister Tezuka."
Tezuka replied calmly, his gaze lowering slightly to the girl behind Momoshiro, her cheeks slightly raised. Her deep brown eyes, shrouded in a milky white mist, were as clear as amber. She raised her index finger to her lips, the corners of her lips curling up like a cat stealing a bite.
"Hey, Senior Tao is not bad either, she's only one minute later than me."
"What do you mean by arriving a minute later than you, Echizen? You were clearly walking behind me."
"Kazama, what are you carrying...ah, it's so heavy."
"A secret, a secret. You absolutely cannot tell me."
"Hey~ The more you say that, the more curious I am. Echizen, come and help me."
“Wait, wait…”
"Peach City."
"Yes, Minister Tezuka."
"It's too noisy. You are not allowed to open this bag until you carry it up the mountain."
"You must be kidding... By the way, Kazama, how did you carry this heavy bag?"
Feng Jian blinked, "It's very easy."
"Kazama, you're not as strong as Senior Aaron, are you? You'll never find a boyfriend."
"There are boys who like April everywhere, it's not your turn to worry about it," Yuan Qianye put his hands on his hips and stood up like a protective child, "Momoshiro, you should be concerned about why you don't have a girlfriend yet."
"Well, everyone, stop arguing," Dashi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "Let's discuss the climbing route first."
"By the way, early morning is the best time to absorb nutrients. Would you like a cup of the super-strength dry juice we just developed?"
"No, this thing will kill you if you eat it!"
Bu Er's eyebrows curved: "Why don't you let the last person who climbed up the mountain have some drink? I'm quite looking forward to it."
He pushed his glasses up and circled the word "penalty item". "You are indeed a good suggestion."
Tao Cheng suddenly took a half step back, his back hitting the back of the stone. He frantically held his arm and said, "You two are singing the same tune. You definitely have no good intentions. I need to stay away from you."
"Hey~~ I don't want to drink this!"
"Hey, you guys, wait for me!"
As expected, Taocheng fell in last place. However, no one drank the dry juice in the end.
Finally, they all reached the top of the mountain just before sunrise.
The mist dissipated, and the sky was filled with rosy clouds. The buildings at the foot of the mountain and even the nearby woods were shrouded in the golden morning sun. The young men's profiles were soft, brimming with youthful vitality.
In the record book filled with densely written data was inserted a photo of everyone wearing the uniforms of the Qingxue tennis team, arm in arm. The girl with long black hair stood in the front because she was the shortest, her smile framed by the bright morning sun.
——
The cicadas in Tokyo were already buzzing with activity, and the cool breeze of cold beer, mixed with the clink of ice cubes, shattered the last vestiges of late spring's coolness. Adolescent girls were eager to shorten their skirts, their hems billowing in the wind like beautiful musical notations dancing in a musical score.
Feng Jian sat on the sofa outside the dressing room, listening to Yuan Qianye muttering in his ear, "So, Senior Fuji gave a CD, Senior Gan gave a handmade data book, and you only gave two wristbands."
"Yes," Feng Jian looked through his phone, searching for a hospital suitable for Sister Ling's surgery. "You may not be able to buy a suitable wrist brace in Germany, but maybe this can be used."
"April, don't you feel that you have wasted a very, very precious opportunity?" Yuan Qianye pulled open the curtain, crossed his arms, and looked at her with disappointment.
"Hmm" Feng Jian looked up in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"I really lost to you," she stroked her forehead, "No wonder Senior Gan said you have a natural insensitivity. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
As she spoke, she turned and stared at herself in the mirror, looking dissatisfied. "This dress doesn't suit my skin tone..."
"Try on the pink one." Fengjian pointed to another pink tasseled long skirt on the hanger.
"As expected of you, April, your vision is quite good."
"By the way, Minister Tezuka actually said something to me before he left..."
Kazama's fingertips paused on the phone screen. She suddenly remembered the wind in the airport hall, blowing Tezuka's hair slightly. The words "I'll leave the future of Seigaku to you to record" were as light as a sigh, but it made her palms sweat as she held the phone.
The corners of the group photo taken on the mountain climbing that day in the record book were wrinkled by her rubbing. It turned out that those morning mist, rising sun, and noisy moments had been quietly stuffed into the shell of "responsibility".
“No more!”
"That's all." Fengjian looked up and saw Shangyuan's disappointed expression, as if he was staring at a piece of wood that would not make any progress.
"As expected of President Tezuka," she said, throwing up her hands in frustration, but soon regaining her composure, "Forget it, April, stop playing with your phone and help me choose which of these two ties is suitable for the singing competition."
As he said that, he pulled the person up from the sofa and pushed him to the clothes rack.
"I think this light brown one would go really well with that pink plaid skirt, and these tassel earrings too..."
The boutique's cabinets reflected the silhouettes of young girls, their heads pressed together, their chirping sounds like the indefatigable chirping of cicadas in summer.
A huge roar was heard in my ears, and the huge tail of the plane tore the flowing clouds into sparse cotton wool, leaving behind white traces.
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