Lion King

, Under the orange sunset, our two virtual images reflected in the glass have dull eyes but some kind of determination, eating silently and persistently, as if to swallow all the dirty things.

After dinner, Kenji and I walked up to the platform before parting.When I was parting, I gave him a ticket to a stage play, and he promised me that I would definitely come.

As the train pulled away, Kenji stood near the entrance of the carriage and waved at me until the train started and I couldn't see him.

When I left Fujima's house for the first time, I said that I would never see each other again, but deep down I knew that the bond of blood would not be broken so easily. I hated him and liked him, and we would not separate easily.But this time, no matter what, we can't meet again.

It's ironic that the blood that unites Kenji and me is now the weapon that destroys our respective families.

I went home in a depressed mood. My mother knew about my meeting with Kenji. She asked me why I didn't invite Kenji to play at home. I didn't know how to answer.

She bought a new dress, perfume, bag and lipstick today.When I came back, she was trying on clothes, and the smell of the sweet girly perfume hit me like a gust of wind, and the sadness that I had been suppressing with all my might surged into my heart, and as soon as my knees softened, I fell to my knees. porch.

"Li Yang, are you okay, your face is so ugly..." Mom leaned over and hugged me, my face was pressed against her soft chest, my whole body was wrapped in a sweet atmosphere.Mom lovingly stroked my head, patted my back, and comforted me softly.

"Mom's baby~Mom's Liyang~"

When I was first divorced, I often woke up crying in the middle of the night, and she just hugged me like this, kissing my face and singing nursery rhymes that she improvised, sometimes out of tune.At that time, my mother was the only one in my world, and she was my everything. I loved her from the bottom of my heart and hoped that she would be happy.No matter how difficult the environment is, she never hesitates to give me love.

"If you believe in the existence of God, Li Yang and I must be hated by God."

"However, what if we are hated? We don't need to please the gods."

So why do such a thing?don't you love papaNot in love anymore?Why did you betray us?

There are so many questions I want to ask her, but they are all stuck in my throat, oppressing me like a lump.

There was a sudden sharp pain in my chest and tightness in my stomach. I pushed my mother away and rushed into the bathroom, throwing up on the toilet.

Spit it all out, spit it out, spit it out, I can't swallow the darkness of this house anymore.

That night I developed a high fever. My mother cleaned my clothes and wiped my body with water. After taking the medicine, she put an ice pack on my forehead and kissed me on the cheek.

"Call me if you feel uncomfortable, Mom is next door."

I nodded reluctantly, not even having the strength to speak.

After falling asleep for a while, the phone rang suddenly.I glanced at my mind, it was only nine o'clock in the evening.Through the door, I heard my mother's voice, she muttered "Who is it" in a low voice, and walked downstairs.I struggled to get up, picked up the extension and connected the call.

Is it dad?

It was very quiet on the other end of the phone, and I didn't speak.

Then came the voice of my mother, who had already run downstairs to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

There was an "oh" on the other end of the phone, and a familiar voice came.

"Hello, is this Aunt Fujiwara? I'm Xiandao, is Li Yang there?"

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm here."

Mom was surprised: "It's Zhang, long time no see~ How are you doing lately? Eh? Liyang, are you awake? Is it because mom is too noisy, sorry—"

Mom hung up the phone. I didn't hear her go upstairs. Maybe she went to watch TV.

"Auntie is still so energetic!" Zhang sighed. "How are you doing recently? Are you sleeping?"

I tried my best to restrain my desire to cry, and replied: "It's okay, I have a little fever, and I went to bed earlier."

Zhang’s voice was as cheerful as ever. I chatted with him about the school. When it came to the stage play, he expressed his desire to watch it, so I agreed to give him another ticket.

We chatted for an hour, and when we were about to close the line, Zhang suddenly asked, "Are you okay?"

"what happened?"

"Is there any trouble recently? Although you have been laughing, it sounds very reluctant. If you have something to discuss with me, aren't we brothers?"

Before I could answer, he laughed at himself again: "But if it's about girls, forget it. Girls are really hard to understand."

I managed to force a smile back to him.

"Then, good night."

Zhang hung up the phone.

This night I slept very restlessly, I kept dreaming, and I kept dreaming about the scene when I was still in Tokyo.I and Yi, and Zhang, and father, and mother.Kenji, his biological father, and his stepmother were also there, standing in the corner like blurred shadows, unable to shake off or get close to each other.

chapter44 Acting

The first performance of the stage play is after the opening ceremony of the cultural festival.

Oda asked the actors to go to school at six o'clock. We rehearsed in casual clothes for one side, and then entered the busy preparation stage.

Most of Catherine's clothes were made by the troupe using Takashiro Miyu as a model. Takashiro is a tall girl, so the skirts of the clothes are very long.I'm shorter than Takashiro, and Yuka and I rushed to work overnight to modify the skirt. When we saw her in the morning, we both had black shadows under our eyes.

The girl who was originally in charge of styling was still recuperating at home, so as one of the few women in the troupe, Oda and Yuka did everyone's makeup and hair, while I did Catherine myself.To be honest, this is the first time I have seen such a poor troupe. They don't even have wigs, and they have to curl their own hair.

Because Catherine's setting is the eldest lady, I also specially learned the style of the eldest lady. From the first day of rehearsal, I got up an hour early every day to curl my hair.My hair was originally curly so had to straighten and then re-curl.Now there is still a scar on his left hand from being burned by the electric rolling rod.

Mu Shenyi was probably the first time to meet a girl with curly hair up close. He sat behind me, and my hair was very long, so sometimes when I leaned back, my hair would hang down on his desk.Once in an English class, I suddenly felt that someone was pulling my hair, and when I turned my head, Amu was concentrating on pinching my hair.In the morning, the curls were not fully combed, and the hair was rolled up in bunches. He held one of the bunches, and the curled circles moved elastically, which surprised him.

This guy was so engrossed that I didn't even notice when I turned my head.The bundle of hair moved to the other side as I swung my head, and Mu Shenyi just followed it, fingering it non-stop.

Shame that I'm less attractive than a lock of my own hair.

After two hours of hard work, we rushed to arrange the scenery before the opening, and went through all the backstage processes.Catherine's clothes are hung on a special mobile hanger in my special dressing room.Yuka labeled the clothes according to the order of appearance.

I finished my makeup and did my final practice in tracksuit and Tokugawa.

The cultural festival officially started at nine o'clock, and the noise outside gradually spread into the auditorium.

"I heard that the sixth group has a haunted house this year. Fujiwara, are you interested? Let's go together after the performance?"

Tokugawa asked me when I was waiting backstage after changing clothes.

"Haunted house? It sounds interesting, but I have something to do later, let's go tomorrow."

I like haunted houses very much, because in this way I have a good reason to throw myself into Mu Shen's arms.So I'm sorry Tokugawa, I'll play with you tomorrow.

Amu is going to help with the class's art exhibition today, and I plan to go find him as soon as the performance is over.

As I said before, Arashi Hill has been changed beyond recognition, and the focus of the whole show is on Catherine's suitors.It was Soichiro who played today. He lived up to expectations and cried so loudly. Gong Yi accompanied him in the dance. Takasago took out a paper bag from his arms, which contained colored scraps of paper. The crumbs fell on Soichiro, and finally he simply put the paper bag on Soichiro's head.

The audience burst into laughter, and the protagonists Catherine and Linton looked at the group of supporting actors with complicated expressions.

"That bastard Takasago! It's hard to clean up paper scraps scattered on the floor!" Linton complained to me in a low voice when he left the stage.Behind him, Takasago is enjoying the cheers of the audience with her arms raised.

"Ah, ah, it's the first show today, it's very rare to gather so many spectators, just don't let him play next time."

After this scene, the plot returned to seriousness, Catherine and Linton got married, reunited with Heathcliff, and finally died of depression.

In the wedding scene, I accidentally glanced down the stage and saw Kenji, sitting in the third row, holding a DV video.

I winked at him, Kenji moved the DV away and waved his hand lightly.

Catherine and Linton swore their oaths in the presence of a priest, then exchanged rings and kissed.The kissing part was an excuse. Linton raised his veil, turned his head to block the audience's view, and then made a face at me. I couldn't help laughing until my tears almost fell.

After the wedding ceremony, I exited from stage left.Before leaving the stage, I took another look at Kenji's direction.We were so close that we could see our parents sitting next to him, and their clasped hands.

Kenji smiled at me without knowing it, and my mother blew me a kiss.

My stomach started cramping again.

The first performance ended without any risk.Oda bought condolences from a stall outside, and the cast and crew gathered in a corner of the backstage, chatting and laughing while eating takoyaki.I was afraid of dirtying the costumes, so I went to the dressing room to change, but I ran into Zhang at the door of the dressing room.

"How did you get in?"

This guy is tall and has a conspicuous hedgehog head. Staff are forbidden to enter the backstage. How did he do it?

Zhang made a V and pointed to the two big cardboard boxes in front of the locker room door.

"...No, can you get in?"

"of course!"

Seeing that I don't believe it, I performed a drill cardboard box on the spot.He buckled the box over and put it on his body with the opening facing down. There were two vent holes in the front and back of the box, which was just convenient for him to observe the movement outside.

"Kanagawa's super rookie, Wang Zuan, sneaked into the backstage of the troupe in a cardboard box, and you will be famous, Akira."

He walked a few steps quite proudly, and the cardboard box moved accordingly. Just like that, I entered the dressing room with a moving cardboard box.

"I saw Aunt Fujiwara outside." As soon as he entered the door, he looked around with great interest, chatting with me casually while fiddling with Catherine's costume.

"Ah, I'm acting, she must come. It's not like a bastard who will miss all family activities as soon as he sees you."

"Hahahaha, don't say that, Li Yang, I'm not your rival in love." He took off a floor-length dress and gesticulated on his body. "I called and said that he is going to a cram school today, and he will definitely come to see you tomorrow."

"Oh...he didn't even call me, it's too much."

Zhang put his arms into the sleeves of the long skirt. The sleeves were slim, and he got stuck halfway through them.

"Girls' arms are so thin..." He came to my side and squeezed my arm through the costume. "I used to be very fat."

I look at my feet, well, they are high heels.So I unceremoniously pressed the heel into his foot.

"Pain pain pain—"

Zhang hugged his feet and screamed in pain, his hopping on one foot was extremely funny.

"Fat is a forbidden word for girls—" I tapped his forehead and pushed him into a corner. "Come on, read to me—"

"Fat is a forbidden word for girls—"

He raised his hands in surrender: "Fat is a forbidden word for girls—"

I nodded with satisfaction.

I took off the costume that got in the way, and changed into the sportswear I wore in the morning. With his back turned to me, I stretched a lot.His hands and feet are very long, and his whole body is stretched out, and his hands hit the ceiling.

"I thought it was weird before," he said casually. "Why don't you go out and visit the garden with your aunt? Didn't you cling to her when you were young?"

He said something similar when talking to him a while ago.We have been friends since we were four years old, and I can't hide it from him and I don't want to hide it from him.

After a long sigh, I sat down on the cardboard box filled with foam boards and called Zhang to come over.

I briefly explained the family affairs to him, and he suddenly realized: "I always feel like I've seen the man next to my aunt before. It turned out to be your father. Your father and daughter look alike." He didn't mention Kenji, presumably Kenji also noticed their unscrupulous behavior just like me, so he didn't want to bear it and left first.

"It looks like a loving couple from a distance... It's hard to imagine."

Zhang let out a long sigh, and my mood became even more depressed.

"What should I do?"

I want to hear his advice.Zhang replied without thinking, "This has nothing to do with you."

"Aha?"

"The two of them cheating is their business. It doesn't matter whether they decide to divorce and get back together, or continue to cheat like this. It has nothing to do with Li Yang. Just be yourself."

He had absolutely no idea what the hell I was bothering about.

"No matter what they choose, my family will be broken again. If I reunited, I may be separated, or even never see each other. How can you say that it has nothing to do with me?"

Unlike Kenji, Ichi is not related to me by blood. Once my parents broke up, I would have no reason to see him again.I have lived with him for more than ten years. He is my beloved younger brother and relative, and the main reason why I cannot accept and hate my mother's cheating.

Zhang Zhang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.

He was born in a complete and harmonious family, let alone thinking about such a thing, he had never even imagined it.

The two of us are only connected by the ten years we have spent together, and this chain will gradually loosen as time goes by.It's the same with Yi and I. I didn't become his older sister out of initiative, it's just that our parents got married, and I was given the status of older sister.Once this constraint is gone, I have nothing to do with him.

There will be no one around me.

Just thinking about it makes me shudder, and I even get goose bumps on my arms.Zhang looked at me quietly and touched my knee.

"I'm sorry, Li Yang, I can't help you at all."

I escorted him out of the auditorium.Everyone else went to eat and didn't meet anyone on the way.

"I have a bad feeling..." Before leaving, Zhang turned his back to me and said, "Even if we haven't contacted for a long time, I wouldn't worry about being separated from Li Yang. Met. But now, although we are very close, it seems as if we let go—" He spread his five fingers and made a grabbing motion. "We'll never see each other again."

I tugged at the hem of his coat, lowered my head, and my vision became blurred.

"No, Zhang, we will always be good friends."

My voice sounded so shallow and feeble.

chapter45Heartbeat

On the second day of the cultural festival, the auditorium was full.

Yesterday's premiere was very successful. After word of mouth from the audience, the new version of Arashi Hill has attracted much attention.And today is also the day when I officially starred in a rivalry with Mu Shenyi for the first time.

After Zhang left yesterday, I was depressed for a while, and reluctantly went to class, but Mu Shenyi was not there, so I went home early.

I just saw him during the rehearsal this morning. Amu is trying on a tuxedo. It is said that the dress was made by seniors several years ago. It is too big for most actors. He is the only one who can wear it A neat and imposing man in a dress.

"It's so handsome..."

Even Oda, who has always been serious, couldn't help admiring.I am as proud as hearing praise for myself.

Teng Ji, who played the role of my husband Linton, helped Ah Mu to try on the costume. During the performance yesterday, he was very dissatisfied with the improvisation of these extras, and then lost his temper.But today he tried his best to help A Mu try on the clothes, and even put a number on the uniform for A Mu's appearance.

During the rehearsal before, this guy obviously kept complaining that Mu Shenyi gave him a cuckold.

I greeted the leading actors, didn't stop at Amu's place too much, and went to my dressing room early.

Mom came home late last night, and when I opened the door for her, I smelled smoke—don't worry, it was Dad's cigarettes.Fujima's house is non-smoking, and he has always been secretly smoking in the storage room of the other courtyard, for which Kenji complained several times.Kenji has a lot of things there, such as baseball mitts, bats, old basketballs from childhood, and our family portraits from a long time ago. They are all there.There are many things, and they are easy to catch fire.In order to prevent his father from hiding inside and smoking from time to time, Kenji would go in after dinner to take a look, and sometimes I would go too.

The pantry smells the same as Mom does.

Mom seems to have just gone to a more lively dance party, and while talking about how hot it is, she takes off her clothes and goes to the bathroom to take a shower.I stared at the white lambskin sandals she replaced, feeling completely exhausted.

Fortunately, she and Dad won't be here today, otherwise I really don't know how to face them.

Because I am the only female character, I also have the dressing room exclusively. I slowly face the mirror to cover up the shadow of my lower eyelid and a few pimples that popped up this morning.When I was drawing eyeliner, because I was absent-minded, the eyeliner poked my eye, and the pain made me tear up.

I can't go on like this... I looked at the electric curling iron in my hand and decided to find someone to curl my hair for me.

Oda readily agreed to my request, but it didn't take long before I heard a scream from behind me, the electric coil rod fell to the ground, Oda shook his right hand violently, and shouted "It's so hot, so hot!" .

Ok……

After taking her to the bathroom and flushing with cold water for 5 minutes, and asking Tokugawa to accompany her to the infirmary, Yuka volunteered to help me.

So 10 minutes later, I rushed out of the dressing room with half curly hair on my head, helping Yuka who was crying.

As we walked through the hall, we met Oda and Tokugawa who were returning from the infirmary.

"You guys..."

Tokugawa sighed heavily, and put the ice pack that Oda had just replaced on Yuka's burned left hand, just as Soichiro came in through the gate, he arrested Soichiro and asked Soichiro to send Yuka to the infirmary.

Teng Ji and A Mu had finished trying their costumes, and they were talking to each other's lines. Seeing the commotion here, A Mu came over and asked what happened.

Tokugawa briefly explained the cause and effect, and Amu looked at me, hesitating for a moment.

"Well, Fujiwara, if it's possible—" he carefully poked my curls with his hand, and asked, "Can I help?"

Tenji and Tokugawa on the side waved their hands again and again: "No need, Amu, you don't need to come for this kind of trivial matter!"

"I'll be careful not to burn myself."

Amu made a serious promise.

"It's not you I'm worried about..." Tenji realized that he had said something wrong before he finished speaking, and quickly covered his mouth.

Amu nodded to him knowingly, and assured him: "I won't hurt Fujiwara either." He turned to look at me, asking for my opinion with his eyes - I have no objection, today's condition is not good, I If you roll it, you may burn your face.

Seeing Amu's face eager to try, I nodded unconsciously.

...This decision is very wise.

why?

Because I am the only one who uses the dressing room, A Mu came, and it was our two-person world.

This is the first time I've been face to face with him in a small space since being discharged from the hospital.

I feel so excited just thinking about it!

I ignored Tokugawa and Tenji's protests about "it's weird for boys to curl girls' hair", and took Amu to the dressing room.

"Here is the switch, turn it on and preheat it—well, it's already preheated now, you can roll it directly."

I taught Amu how to use the electric rolling rod hand in hand. He listened attentively to my explanation. The electric rolling rod was as small as a toy in his hand.

"Because my hair itself is a bit curly, so I have to straighten it first and then curl it." I demonstrated to him the different uses of straight hair and curly hair, and then divided my hair into strands, motioning him to try it.

"Don't test the temperature with your hands!"

I don't want you to get hurt in front of Qiu Guo.

Amu carefully opened the curling iron, clamped my hair, and then slowly pulled it down.

His strength is relatively well controlled, and he didn't pull my scalp.Then came the curls, which were also nicely done, albeit slow.

"It's done~"

Satisfied with admiring the curly hair in the mirror, I couldn't help shaking my head, which surprised Amu.

"Does it look good?"

"...Well, very, very nice!"

I don't know if it was my illusion, but his face seemed to be red.

After the hair was curled, my mood also became clearer. When I picked out the headgear and tied my hair up, Amu let out an exclamation.

"So fast!"

"What?" I bit my hair pin and turned to ask him, Amu looked admiring.

"The speed at which you comb your hair is so fast. It's amazing that such a complicated hairstyle can be done in an instant."

I wanted to smile at him, but I still had something in my mouth, so I winked at him.

"Girls with long hair can do it. If you have long hair, Amu, I will teach you."

Fixing the bun with hair pins, I smiled at Amu in the mirror.He also let out a cheerful laugh.

You are—— my savior at all times.

After dressing up, and there is still some time before the opening, we and the other two leading actors quickly went through the script, ready to welcome the full audience in the auditorium.

Like yesterday, Catherine's suitors steal the show from the main character.And because of the pre-rehearsal this time, Tokugawa and Tenji, I, and I all have a role in interacting with the suitors, so we won't be on the sidelines as human flesh.

The landlord's son played by A Mu won a lot of applause.When he pushed Heathcliff away to present flowers to the deceased Catherine, there was sobbing from the audience, and even I, who was watching in the background, couldn't help my nose sore.

"What a persistent love..." Oda, who was in the background with me, sighed with emotion.

"If only I could talk about a relationship like this."

I couldn't help correcting her: "Tanaka and Catherine are not in love. It was Tanaka's unrequited love from the beginning to the end. In love, only one person can't do it..."

That's right, only one person can't do it.

No matter how much Tanaka likes Catherine, as long as Catherine doesn't love him, this relationship will not have a beginning, let alone a result.

... Mom and Dad, too, as long as one of them rejects this relationship, neither slippers nor divorce will happen.

Love has never been a matter of one person-until then I deeply understood the darkness and sweetness contained in it.

If... I like Mu Shenyi, but Mu Shenyi has never been tempted by me, then my love is nothing.

Alas... Looking at it this way, my mother's achievements in love are very outstanding, and neither I nor Kenji can hold a candle to her.

After the performance, I went back to the dressing room to remove my makeup. The curling iron on the dressing table reminded me of the scene when Amu helped me curl my hair in the morning.

I was playing with the electric reel that had become cool after the power was cut off, and suddenly I had a plan.

"MAKI!" I called to A Mu who was about to enter the men's locker room to change clothes, and shook the electric rolling stick in his hand at him.

"Do you want to change your hairstyle?"

We went back to the dressing room together, and after pushing him on the chair, I combed his hair with styling water and a comb, and asked in the mirror, "May I ask this guest, what kind of hairstyle do you want to change?"

Amu stared at the mirror very cooperatively, stroked his hair with his hands, and asked me seriously: "Is there any hairstyle that can make me look younger?"

"..."

"Does parting the hair down the middle like this and curling it make it look younger?"

He gestured carefully in front of the mirror, and I couldn't help but sigh.

"Guest, I think the mature route is very suitable for you, please don't modify it at will, it's good to keep it like this."

So I disregarded his ideas and made him a curly hair without authorization.

After spraying it with setting water, it looks like a bohemian elite who has returned from studying abroad. With that black dress, it can't be more stylish.

I asked Yuka to take photos with this kind of Amu many times.

Although no one recognized his shepherd—except for his hair all day long, I also applied a little makeup on him in the name of skin care to reduce his self-effacing aura.

The result of this is that more people come to me to curl their hair.

In the evening, when everyone was going home, my electric coil rod broke.

After confirming that it can't be repaired, I plan to buy a new one.When I go home, I will pass by a supermarket, so let's go in and have a look.

Before leaving, I saw Amu carrying a bag to the gymnasium to participate in club activities. After a day of running around, his hair curls disappeared long ago, and he turned back into the emperor Mushenyi again.

I haven't had a good talk with him today. There are many things I want to tell him, but when I stand in front of him, I don't know what to say.

I ran all the way and blocked Mu Shen on the road leading to the gymnasium.

"Hey, Amu—"

I took a deep breath, and a series of images quickly flashed through my mind - mother and father holding hands tightly, Tanaka kneeling in front of Catherine's tombstone with a sad face...

I want to know whether I am the former or the latter.

"Oh, Fujiwara, haven't you come home yet?"

As usual, Amu greeted me kindly.When he smiles, he shows his perfectly aligned white teeth, so white they shine like he's happy for anything I do.

I took a step forward, leaned in front of him, and could see the distance between his eyes just by looking up.

"Today... when you are with me, are you happy?"

"Well... happy."

He lifted his backpack up and looked down at me.

"Fujiwara, your eyes are so red, what's wrong?"

"……No la."

I wiped away tears that weren't there and took a deep breath.

"I'm very happy too, Amu."

He smiled reassuringly.

I heard my heart beating uncontrollably, and my esophagus was shaking.

I like you, Amu.

I wanted to tell him, but couldn't.

Whether it is the former or the latter, my love for him is an indelible fact.

This attachment is as important to me as love, and it doesn't disappear just because it doesn't get a response.

"Fujiwara?"

Amu called me, and I came back to my senses.

"Ah, what's wrong?"

"Please teach me tomorrow."

He raised his fist and touched me lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh, yes..."

Watching him walk into the gymnasium, my knees softened and I knelt on the ground, my heart was still beating violently, with no intention of calming down.

chapter46Punch

When I was scolded when I was young, my mother would always say: "Do you know what you are doing?"

I and Yi usually bow their heads and remain silent.

Now I want to ask my mother, do you know what you are doing?

On the last day of the cultural festival, I watched my performance with my mother, and my father was also with me.

After the performance, I asked Yi if he wanted to go to the garden, but he refused with a pale face.Before leaving, he grabbed the corner of my clothes and hesitated to speak.

"what happened?"

He shook his head, muttered "It's okay", and ran away without looking back.

I probably... know what he's trying to say.

Although I have been with Mu Shenyi for three consecutive days, even he can hardly drive away the haze over my head.

After the cultural festival, there was Qiu Guoti. Hainan was once again defeated by Sanno Industry and stopped in the semi-finals.

When eating lunch with Yuka on the rooftop at noon, Soichiro rarely said a word, and hurried back to the classroom without exchanging pleasantries with us after the meal.

I heard from Amu that Soichiro was one of the few members in the first grade who did not retire from the club, and the second battle between Akiko and Sanno was a great stimulus to Soichiro.

After the end of the Autumn National Sports Club, various associations changed their positions one after another, and Amu became the new basketball team leader without any suspense.

"Good morning, Fujiwara."

In the blink of an eye, it was already early winter, and as soon as I stepped into the school gate, I heard someone calling me.Following the prestige, two meters away, Amu was waving at me.

"Oh, good morning, Mu."

After becoming the captain, he was busy with club activities, and I only had a few minutes between classes to talk to him.It is very rare to meet early in the morning like today, because the basketball team has training in the morning, and I submitted the application for withdrawal from the track and field department a month ago.

"Why, Li Yang?" the minister asked me confused. "Your performance is gradually improving, maybe you can catch up with the winter competition."

I am very aware of my body. Although my grades have improved, I don't have the lightness I used to feel—I'm just practicing desperately to avoid going home.

As soon as he moved back home, he gave up the idea of ​​applying for Lingnan, and instead prepared for the entrance exam in Hainan according to his family's original idea.

He goes out very early every day, and sometimes I just get up when I hear movement in the hall.I came back very early in the evening, and sat silently in the living room watching TV.Mom brought him fruit juice and snacks as usual, but he refused to eat them, always looking preoccupied.Kenji would come twice a month, but he had never entered the house—after a while to calculate the time, he stopped Kenji at the gate and dragged him to play basketball.

"Mom and sister are not here, shall we go play ball?"

At that time, I was standing in front of the window on the second floor. I grew a lot taller, and I pressed Kenji's shoulder with a little force, trying to push him out.Kenji began to struggle a few times, maybe it was telepathy again, he suddenly raised his head and looked towards the second floor, our eyes met, Kenji sighed, and left with Yiyi.

The stepfather will be back in a while, and I hope my mother will change her mind by then.

Amu and I walked to the classroom side by side, the air in early winter was already chilly.I rubbed my hands together, only to hear Amu ask me:

"I heard that you have retired? Are you feeling unwell?"

He looked at me as he asked, and I remembered the time when he helped me to the health room in the first grade. At that time, his arms were strong and powerful, but he held my waist gently, and the heat of the skin was transmitted to my waist through the material. body.

It's like being held in my mother's arms when I was young, so safe and reassuring.

"Amu, can I touch your arm?"

When I came back to my senses, the words were out of my mouth, I stopped and stared blankly at his arm.

"Eh? Oh, okay..."

He raised his arm in front of me, and I clung to it, leaning half of my body against it.Amu staggered, then stood firm again.

"Let me lean on you, please."

I haven't been here for a long time. It's the peak time for school now, and there are people coming and going. I don't want to embarrass Amu.

"What happened?"

After releasing his arm, Amu asked me in a low voice.

"Your face has been so ugly recently, are you sick?"

I didn't know how to answer, the anger and sadness I had been feeling for the past few days turned into tears, and they were about to well up.

"...it's nothing serious, you know...girls are always upset by things like this, and so am I."

Quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand, and suddenly something hot was stuck to his back.

"..."

Looking sideways, Amu's hands were covering my vest, moving up and down slowly, as if trying to comfort an upset child.

"Adults will always do some head-scratching things, but... that doesn't mean we will do the same."

He suddenly said such a sentence, and I couldn't help staring at him blankly.

A Mu's eyes flickered, and he lowered his head: "Sorry, I said something superfluous, if I offend you—"

"will not."

I interrupt him, shaking my head.

"Why do adults always emphasize not to act willfully and recklessly, while doing