On Saturday, the sun shone brilliantly. When Lin Murun opened his eyes beneath the covers, he found himself staring straight into Xiao Bai’s round blue eyes.
The kitten gave a soft "meow" and burrowed deeper into the warmth of Lin Murun’s quilt.
Si Bin sat by the edge of the bed, chuckling as he ran his fingers through the strands of hair scattered across the pillow. "Murun, time to get up."
Lin Murun reached out to rub his eyes, catching a glimpse of the morning light peeking through the gaps in the curtains.
"What time is it?" he asked, sitting up groalily.
"Exactly eight o'clock," Si Bin replied.
Lin Murun let out a yawn and closed his eyes, leaning his head against Si Bin’s shoulder. "I’ll be up in a second..."
Si Bin reached out to pull him into his arms, laughing softly. "Alright."
Lin Murun nuzzled against Si Bin’s pajamas, which smelled faintly of laundry detergent, before finally crawling out from under the covers.
At nine-ten, the two arrived at the gates of No. 1 Middle School.
With the sports meet only a week away, the playground was swarming with students preparing for the mass calisthenics performance. In addition to the high school division, the junior high students were also using their day off to put in extra rehearsal time.
It wasn't quite time for the formal rehearsal yet. A few junior high boys, finding the colorful pom-poms used for the performance too childish, were huddled in a corner of the field. No matter how much their teacher shouted until her throat was hoarse, they refused to go pick up their props.
As they passed this small group, Si Bin spared them a glance and was immediately called out to.
"Brother Bin!" a boy stood up excitedly, his voice carrying the distinct rasp of a teenager going through puberty.
Si Bin stopped in his tracks. "Why aren't you at rehearsal yet? Your teacher and classmates are waiting for you."
The boy looked back at the teacher busy organizing the formations, curled his lip, and said, "I was dragged here against my will. I don't want to do this elementary school-level calisthenics."
Seeing Si Bin, the boy's companions all stood up. Some wanted to greet him but hesitated, worried that Si Bin wouldn't recognize them.
"Since you're part of the program, just do your best," Si Bin told him.
"OK! OK!" The boy made a gesture and reluctantly called his classmates over to join the main group.
"Impressive! You actually know Brother Bin from the high school division!"
Before they had walked more than a few steps, Lin Murun heard the junior high boys whispering among themselves.
"Yeah! I heard Brother Bin is a total legend. A lot of girls in our class like him!"
"He used to be a fierce fighter, and his family is rich. I really want to get to know him. Cheng Lian, you've gotta introduce us to Brother Bin sometime!"
It seemed this little clique took pride in knowing an upperclassman who was good at fighting and popular with girls.
Lin Murun turned to Si Bin. "Your image in their hearts doesn't seem very positive."
Si Bin laughed out loud and lightly squeezed Lin Murun’s hand. "During my 'chuunibyou' phase, I really wasn't much of a model student."
He continued as they walked, "But now I don't fight, I don't skip class, and I study hard. Aside from the puppy love, I’m as well-behaved as can be."
Noticing Lin Murun looking at him, Si Bin paused before adding, "Back then, I was about the same age as that kid." He pointed toward the junior high boy who had called out to him. "His name is Cheng Lian, the younger brother of a friend of mine. He probably heard about my dark history from his brother and thinks I’m someone not to be messed with—and therefore cool."
"In reality, I wasn't very happy during those days." Si Bin led Lin Murun to an inconspicuous corner and sat down. "Are you willing to listen? If you are, I want to tell you everything about the past."
Lin Murun nodded and sat beside him on the stone steps near the playground.
"When I was in elementary school, my parents divorced. My dad failed to get custody, so he lost contact with us... but one day, he suddenly came from Z City to see me, wanting me to go live with him there." Si Bin narrowed his eyes slightly at the azure sky, speaking slowly. "I had just started junior high then. I didn't understand why he had to separate from my mom and start a new family with another woman. To me, he had loved my mother so much and loved taking me on trips; his departure felt like a betrayal to both of us."
Si Bin withdrew his gaze, looking down at his fingers resting on his knees.
"He had a new child, and he brought that child to the gates of the Experimental Middle School to find me. In front of so many teachers and students, he said he didn't want his two children to grow up apart." Si Bin sighed. Sensing the warmth of Lin Murun’s hand covering the back of his own, he gently squeezed back. "At the time, he grabbed my hand and wanted me to hold my little sister. I was furious. I questioned why he hadn't cared about me all those years only to suddenly appear now. So, I shoved him away and told him to take his daughter and get lost."
Lin Murun patted his hand.
"I actually have a bit of a temper..." Si Bin said softly. "He looked very hurt then, holding my sister with his eyes all red. Actually, in that moment, I really wanted to apologize to him, but the words stayed stuck in my throat."
"Later, he kept bringing my sister to see me, trying to ease my hostility. Gradually, I stopped hating their visits and even started learning how to play the role of a good older brother. Everything was starting to move in a good direction, but then one day, I got a call from my grandfather..." At this point, Si Bin subconsciously tightened his grip.
"Grandfather told me to go back with my father. He said as long as my surname was Si, I was their grandson and should return to Z City. He wanted me to live with my stepmother and then demand a large sum of child support from my biological mother."
Lin Murun frowned slightly upon hearing this.
"I hung up that phone and arbitrarily decided that my dad only wanted custody for the money." Si Bin’s eyes were shadowed by his lashes. He spoke again: "So that weekend, when my dad came to the school gates to pick me up again, I said some very nasty things."
"I asked him what right he had to fight for my custody. I told him two months of his salary couldn't even buy me a pair of shoes." Si Bin paused, then continued, "Most of my friends were second-generation rich kids. Hearing that he was there for child support, they started jeering along. My dad was so angry he turned around and left. You’ve probably heard what happened after that..."
Si Bin shook Lin Murun’s hand. "I stubbornly wanted to kill any idea he had of getting high child support, so I started learning how to skip school, fight, and drink... I thought that as long as he saw me as a rebel beyond saving, he wouldn't come to bother me anymore."
"After that, he never came to find me again." Si Bin gave a self-deprecating laugh. "During the winter break of my second year of junior high, after drinking with those shady friends, I passed out drunk in a flowerbed in our residential complex. It was the Little New Year’s Eve. My mom and Shen Xingzhi were abroad, and my maternal grandfather was hospitalized. No one was there to spend the New Year with me. I just lay there on the fallen leaves, watching the fireworks blooming in the sky, not knowing where I was supposed to go."
"That’s when my dad called me," Si Bin said in a low voice. "He hadn't contacted me for over a year. I thought the call was unimportant, so I hung up."
"I only found out later that he was sick. He was admitted to the hospital on that very night. His desire to bring me to Z City wasn't a whim; it was because... because he knew his time was running out and wanted to fulfill his duties as a father one last time at the end of his life." Si Bin murmured, "I regret so much that I didn't go to the hospital to see him that day. If..." He paused for a moment. "If I had picked up that call, maybe the relationship between us wouldn't be what it is today."
"It wasn't entirely your fault," Lin Murun comforted him.
"But I did do wrong." Si Bin held Lin Murun’s hand. After a long while, he gave it a light shake. "Sorry for telling you so many unhappy things."
Lin Murun shook his head. "No need to apologize. If there’s anything making you unhappy, you can always tell me."
A faint smile appeared in Si Bin’s dark eyes. "Thank you."
"If it's possible, can I go to the hospital to see Uncle Si?" Lin Murun asked.
Si Bin thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay. I'll take you there after graduation."
As more people gathered on the playground, the two instinctively let go of each other's hands. They sat for a few more moments before standing up.
The junior high calisthenics formation was beginning to take shape. A group of half-grown kids held multi-colored pom-poms, scrambling to change positions according to the teacher's commands.
"This is actually quite good." Si Bin watched the boys who were reluctant but forced to keep up with the group's movements. He smiled at Lin Murun. "Fitting into a collective and doing what you're supposed to do at this age is much more refreshing than fighting, drinking, and making so-called 'social' friends."
"Si Bin! Lin Murun!" Yu Qianyi’s voice came from behind them.
Lin Murun turned and saw Yu Qianyi, dressed in a down jacket, running toward them with Li Menglai.
"Are you here to practice the relay race?" Yu Qianyi asked.
"Yeah," Lin Murun said. "What about you?"
"We were selected to participate in the high school calisthenics performance," Yu Qianyi answered. "The sports meet is next Friday, so everyone is rushing to practice now..."
"High school calisthenics students! Assemble! Assemble!" The gym teacher, holding a megaphone, interrupted Yu Qianyi.
Yu Qianyi hurriedly waved to the two. "We have to go then!"
As Li Menglai was pulled away, she glanced back at Lin Murun.
"Congratulations," she said softly.
"Congratulations for what?" Yu Qianyi asked as they ran.
"Nothing." Li Menglai shook her head.
While the calisthenics rehearsal proceeded in an orderly fashion on one side, the track on the other side was occupied by many students practicing for sports meet events.
Si Bin had borrowed a relay baton from somewhere and handed it to Lin Murun.
"The most common mistake in a relay is dropping the baton. So, the hand-off is crucial." He held Lin Murun’s hand, explaining patiently, "When you pass it, you must hold it steady." Si Bin pointed to the junction of the two colors on the baton. "During a race, everyone is in a hurry. If you grab the middle of the baton during the pass, the next person might not find a good spot to take it. So, when I run relays, I usually hold one end and hand the other end to my teammate."
Lin Murun nodded, gripped the white end, and handed the red end to Si Bin. "Like this?"
"Yes, exactly." Si Bin took the baton from him. "I discussed it with Yu Wenbo. He’ll run the first leg to build a lead. The second and third legs will be Zhou Xuan and you, and I’ll take the final leg."
Lin Murun thought about it. "Neither Zhou Xuan nor I are very fast. There will be a lot of pressure on you for the final leg."
"It's fine," Si Bin chuckled. "I'll do my best."
After warming up, they found a section of the track with fewer people. Si Bin pointed to the starting line. "You start from here in a bit. I'll be waiting for you over there."
"Okay." Lin Murun nodded.
"We'll just do a trial run. Don't feel pressured." Si Bin patted his shoulder, crossed the plastic track, and stood on the other side of the field, waving to Lin Murun.
Lin Murun took off his glasses, gripped the baton, and ran toward Si Bin.
The students stretching, doing long jumps, and practicing calisthenics became mere silhouettes falling behind him. The wind blew back his bangs, whistling in his ears. Lin Murun looked up, squinting, and saw Si Bin at the other end of the track. Si Bin reached out toward him, his navy blue sportswear fluttering in the wind.
Lin Murun quickened his pace. As he got closer and closer to Si Bin, he extended the baton. When he looked up, he saw the gentle smile on Si Bin’s face.
Si Bin didn't move, nor did he strike a pose to receive the baton. Instead, he opened his arms wide and caught Lin Murun, who hadn't had time to stop his momentum.
The sound of the wind in his ears ceased.
Under the force of the impact, Si Bin stumbled back several steps before finding his footing.
The girls nearby erupted in screams.
"Holy crap! Do you have your phone? Quick, take a picture!"
"Got it, got it!"
Lin Murun looked up amidst the girls' cheering. Still pressed into Si Bin’s chest, he frowned. "Why didn't you run? That was dangerous! What if you fell..."
Si Bin tightened his embrace, leaning down to rest his forehead against Lin Murun’s shoulder with a low laugh.
His action triggered another wave of screams.
"Oh my god! They look so good together!! I ship it, I ship it!"
That shout drew even more attention.
"Murun, I wanted to hug you," Si Bin whispered. "Not secretly, but like this—out in the open."
Lin Murun froze, but Si Bin’s arms loosened at that moment.
"Student Lin threw himself into my arms," Si Bin said, taking the baton from Lin Murun’s hand. He smiled at one of the girls holding up a phone to take a photo. "So I had no choice but to catch him."
That afternoon, the school’s Confession Wall posted a photo with an incredibly eye-catching caption: "Shocking! Si Bin and Lin Murun from the Grade 11 Liberal Arts class actually did THIS in public!"
When Yu Qianyi scrolled to this post, she spat out the water she had just sipped.
"What's wrong?" Li Menglai asked.
Yu Qianyi laughed loudly and handed the phone to Li Menglai. "Look at the Confession Wall, hahaha!"
Several girls nearby who were also in the calisthenics group gathered around curiously.
The photo was captured at a perfect angle. Lin Murun, in his white hoodie, was lunging into Si Bin’s arms. Si Bin, half a head taller, had his arms wide open, his lashes lowered, and a faint, lingering smile on his lips.
Behind the two boys was the tile-blue sky. The sunlight was just right, dancing on the tips of their black hair.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
成连 | Cheng Lian | A junior high student, younger brother of Si Bin's friend.
Z城 | Z City | The city where Si Bin's father lived.
表白墙 | Confession Wall | A common social media page/space for Chinese students to post anonymous (or non-anonymous) messages, crushes, or school news.
小年夜 | Little New Year's Eve | A traditional Chinese festival occurring a week before the Lunar New Year.
接力棒 | Baton | The object passed between runners in a relay race.
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