"Hu Ming, don't be like this."

Li Yue stepped forward to persuade him, but Hu Ming helplessly waved her off, his expression barely shifting.

"I genuinely have no interest in this sort of thing. I won't change because of others' opinions, nor will I crumble because of their actions. So, can you let me in now?"

The two blocking the doorway were getting in the way—Hu Ming had wanted to enter long ago.

Han Shuyi sighed at Hu Ming's stubbornness.

Li Yue frowned, staring at Hu Ming's back, words stuck in her throat.

Finally, they left.

Hu Ming grabbed two bottles of water and paid for both.

"I'll pay you back later," Ye Qiuxue said, sensitive about money—she'd planned to cover her own.

But Hu Ming turned to her, a playful smile curling his lips.

"Maybe this water's for me to drink later?"

Under Ye Qiuxue's puzzled gaze, he headed toward the sports field.

...

After warming up, Hu Ming found shade under a tree to rest.

Classmates had long since claimed the courts—some playing basketball, others soccer. Everyone seemed oddly excited about events they weren't in.

Girls huddled under the trees, shielding their skin from the sun.

The neighboring class was doing long-distance running tests, drawing spectators as entertainment.

But when Ye Qiuxue stepped onto the track, many boys paused their games to stare.

Clearly, all attention was on her.

"Hey, how far do you think Ye Qiuxue will lap her classmates?"

"Who cares? They won't even see her shadow!"

Hu Ming leaned against the tree, hands behind his head, watching Ye Qiuxue with amusement.

The whistle blew.

A figure surged ahead from the crowd.

In just dozens of meters, she left everyone far behind.

Her strong, swaying ponytail danced in the sunlight.

Her focused eyes, graceful curves, and perfect running form drew countless stares.

"Holy crap, her legs are seriously long!"

"I wanna nap on them."

"Not me—I want her to step on me."

"Damn!"

Unaware of their thoughts, Ye Qiuxue simply aimed to excel.

In this, she seemed utterly unlike Hu Ming.

[But speaking of Han Huming... didn't I just see him napping under that tree? He usually joins others in sports.]

[Wait, why am I suddenly thinking about Han Huming?]

Ye Qiuxue found her own thoughts strange, but the fleeting idea vanished as she maintained her pace toward the finish line.

Classmates smiled at the scene—the despairing girls trailing behind her felt like dozens of bicycles racing a Ferrari.

Seeing Ye Qiuxue's crushing speed, Hu Ming lost interest.

As he'd said, he really just wanted to sleep.

At noon, he'd strained his brain to make wrong answers look convincingly accidental.

It was torture—why would anyone try to get questions wrong?

If Ye Qiuxue knew his thoughts, she'd probably twist off his head and hang it on the rooftop wind chime.

A warm breeze brushed past, stirring old memories in Hu Ming's mind.

A man in a black trench coat stood in a storm. He removed his mask, eyes utterly devoid of life.

He stared silently, like a soulless corpse.

Hu Ming instinctively reached out—but at the touch, the figure crumbled to dust, vanishing.

[Boring trick.]

Hu Ming withdrew his hand, coldly watching the horizon as if waiting for time to pass.

Suddenly, something cold pressed against the back of his head.

"Goodbye, Hu Ming."

*Bang!*

A deafening blast echoed behind him. Hu Ming stood perfectly still.

"Han Huming?"

"Han Huming..."

"Hu Ming!"

Voices yanked him from the dream.

He opened his eyes. A girl stood before him, backlit by the sun until she glowed.

Hu Ming recognized Ye Qiuxue and his surroundings.

Ye Qiuxue glared, hands on her hips. She hadn't expected him to fall asleep outside.

Had her noon assignments overloaded him? Maybe she needed to adjust her plans.

"President, is class over?"

"No—but someone got hurt playing soccer. Will you fill in?"

Hu Ming squinted where she pointed. A classmate clutched his leg, wincing in pain.

"Aren't there others in your class? Besides, it's your class versus ours. Wouldn't it be awkward for me to help yours?"

"You might actually like this—it was Han Shuyi's idea."

Hu Ming paused. Han Shuyi stood nearby, hands on hips, panting. Li Yue sprinted toward him, water bottle in hand, face flushed with excitement.

"From what I see, your class is losing?"

"We are. But we're short a player."

"Will your classmates agree? I'm pretty unpopular, after all."

Hu Ming stood, a confident grin spreading.

"I'm using my position's privilege for the first time. Don't make me regret it."

Ye Qiuxue turned and walked back to her class. Hu Ming followed like a page behind a princess.

...

No one protested Hu Ming joining—he was Ye Qiuxue's pick. They just hoped he wouldn't drag them down.

His own classmates knew his skills well. Already leading by two goals, they relaxed further.

A boy approached Hu Ming, grinning.

"Han Huming, don't embarrass our class. You're the first 'ally' to play for another class."

Hu Ming did the unexpected—he smiled back, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Then I'll grant your wish."