When Lin Murun walked into the classroom for Sunday evening self-study, he immediately sensed that the atmosphere was off. Some of his classmates—especially the girls—were covering their mouths and giggling the moment they saw him.
During the break, he and Si Bin stood in the hallway talking as usual. When a group of girls passed them on their way to the restroom, they too flashed meaningful, knowing smiles.
After self-study ended, Lin Qingqing grabbed her schoolbag and dashed straight over to the Arts class.
"Aren't you two being a bit too high-profile? That post on the Confession Wall has over ten thousand shares!" Lin Qingqing pulled Lin Murun into a corner of the corridor and whispered a warning.
"Not really. They all think we're just fooling around," Si Bin replied, walking over to join them.
Lin Qingqing thought about the reactions of the other girls in her class and nodded. "I suppose that's true."
School gossip moved fast. Three or four days later, the viral post on the Confession Wall was quickly pushed to the back of everyone's minds.
Aside from the graduating seniors, the topics everyone cared about most now were the class uniforms and the upcoming school sports meet.
Every class had to march past the rostrum in a phalanx formation. If the class uniform was chosen well, it could leave a deep impression on the entire faculty and student body.
Before ordering the uniforms, the Class Monitor, the Arts and Culture Coordinator, and the Sports Coordinator of Arts Class 2 had argued several times over colors and styles. They felt standard tracksuits were too ordinary, but considering the cold weather, skirts weren't suitable for the girls. Ultimately, they held a class vote and decided on custom-printed hoodies.
As for the color of the hoodies and what should be printed on them, another debate ensued.
Yu Qianyi wanted a little honeybee pattern, while Shen Hao wanted black-and-white block letters, suggesting the letters should be large enough to look "cool."
Lin Murun listened quietly to their discussions, never offering his own opinion. Instead, he fairly cast his votes for every classmate who made a suggestion.
During Tuesday's evening self-study, the Arts and Culture Coordinator and the Class Monitor hauled in two large boxes, distributing the new uniforms to everyone according to their sizes.
The class uniform was a fleece-lined white hoodie with a small, green, fire-breathing "chubby dragon" printed on the back.
According to the Class Monitor, Huang Hao, this design balanced cuteness with dominance, and both the boys and girls should be satisfied.
Everyone looked at the chubby, dot-eyed little dinosaur on the hoodies and let out a collective "Ehhh?"
The other box was opened to reveal a green, plush dinosaur onesie. The moment it was pulled out, the room erupted in laughter.
"What are you laughing at! What's so funny!" Shen Hao, who was responsible for carrying the class sign, flushed red and defended himself awkwardly. "Wearing this while holding the sign is the only way to look truly badass!"
Everyone imagined the tall Shen Hao wearing a dinosaur onesie and laughed even harder. Even the usually stern Teacher Li couldn't help but join in.
Compared to Class 2's eccentric style, Class 1's uniform was much more formal. That evening, when Lin Murun saw Si Bin's British-style trench coat and white shirt, he frowned slightly.
"Is the little dinosaur no good?" Si Bin had just showered and rested his chin on Lin Murun's shoulder as he asked.
Lin Murun imagined Shen Hao in his plush dinosaur suit marching behind Class 1's formation and shook his head. "It's exactly as Shen Hao said—our class uniform is certainly... eye-catching."
Si Bin let out a low chuckle against Lin Murun's ear, then turned to kiss his cheek. "Mm."
As the sports meet drew closer, all the students participating in the group calisthenics began leaving early and returning late. Yu Qianyi was so exhausted she did nothing but groan; during lunch breaks, she stopped reading novels and eating snacks, collapsing onto her desk to sleep the moment she finished her meal.
Lin Murun and Si Bin practiced the relay race as usual, with Zhou Xuan and Yu Wenbo joining in.
Time slipped away between the classrooms and the track. Before they knew it, the opening ceremony of the sports meet had arrived.
Lin Murun woke up early, put on his "little dragon" hoodie that smelled of fresh laundry, and went to the cafeteria to have breakfast with Si Bin.
Si Bin was tall with long legs, and in his trench coat and white shirt, he immediately drew a lot of attention standing at the cafeteria entrance.
As Lin Murun and Si Bin walked inside, many girls turned their heads repeatedly.
"It's so strange. The same clothes just look better on Si Bin," one girl whispered.
Lin Murun glanced sideways at Si Bin, silently agreeing.
"What is Murun looking at?" Si Bin met Lin Murun's gaze.
"Nothing." Lin Murun carried his tray and whispered, "I just think you look handsome."
Those words caused a ripple in Si Bin's dark eyes. He suppressed the stirrings in his heart, looked into Lin Murun's light-colored peach-blossom eyes, cleared his throat, and murmured, "You look better."
After breakfast, the two returned to their respective classes.
In the Class 2 classroom, the girls were laughing in a heap. The moment Lin Murun pushed the door open, he heard Shen Hao, already in his plush onesie, shouting, "Close the door! Close the door!"
Shen Hao was tugging uncomfortably at the plush fabric, shrinking into his seat in a desperate attempt to minimize his presence.
"I don't want to wear it! This is too humiliating!!" Shen Hao cried out, looking like he had lost all will to live.
"Don't be like that!" Yu Qianyi coaxed. "You'll look so cool out there!"
"Class 1 is right in front of us." Shen Hao huddled in his seat and pulled off the dinosaur hood. "Their uniforms are so high-end, they practically walk with their own background music. If I follow them in a dinosaur suit, I'll look like an idiot!"
"Is 'high-end' useful?" Yu Qianyi huffed. "As long as we leave an impression on the whole school, it's fine. Besides, do you think everyone is Si Bin? Look at that chubby guy in their class—he looks ridiculous in a trench coat and shirt. It doesn't suit him at all."
After much persuasion, Shen Hao finally put the dinosaur hood back on and ran out of the classroom carrying the class sign.
The effect was, naturally, immediate. The moment the "little dinosaur" holding the Class 2 sign appeared, it drew the gaze of every teacher and student in the school.
Students who had been dozing off woke up; those who had been chatting stopped. From the middle school section to the high school section, the students let out honks of laughter.
Lin Murun walked in the middle of the formation. He couldn't see Shen Hao's expression, but he could hear that his voice was trembling as he shouted the slogans.
When the opening ceremony finally ended, Shen Hao couldn't wait to rush into the restroom to change out of the dinosaur suit, vowing never to try being "unique" ever again.
As the formations dispersed, the sprint and long jump events began. Lin Murun was pulled aside by Si Bin to start warming up.
Si Bin had changed into athletic gear and tied his slightly long hair back with a black band, making his sharp jawline even more prominent.
Lin Murun handed his glasses to Li Menglai for safekeeping. His nearsightedness wasn't severe, so taking them off didn't affect him much. Standing beside Si Bin, he looked at the crowds on the field cheering wildly. "It's our turn at ten-thirty."
"Mm." Si Bin looked down and asked, "Nervous?"
Lin Murun spoke hesitantly. "...A little."
"It's okay. You're not slow." Si Bin reached out and naturally draped an arm around his shoulder. "Just leave it to me."
"Okay." Lin Murun looked into Si Bin's dark eyes and nodded. "I'll try to run as fast as I can so there's less pressure on you."
Hearing this, Si Bin couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile. He glanced left and right, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he quickly leaned down and brushed his forehead against Lin Murun's.
At 10:10 AM, the check-in for the Men's 4x100m Relay began.
The stands were packed. Yu Qianyi and Li Menglai had snagged a good spot; when they saw Si Bin and Lin Murun, the two girls smiled and waved at them.
Yu Wenbo and Zhou Xuan also returned from their warm-up. When Yu Wenbo saw Yu Qianyi, he flashed her a bright, toothy grin.
"Good luck!" Yu Qianyi shouted.
"Don't worry!" Yu Wenbo waved and headed to the check-in desk.
The teachers in charge of clearing the field ushered the remaining students off the synthetic track.
Everyone took their positions at the starting lines. The Experimental Class had been assigned to a middle lane. Lin Murun, responsible for the third leg, looked up and saw Si Bin in the distance, a hundred meters away.
As if sensing something, Si Bin also turned around.
The distance between them was too great for Lin Murun to see Si Bin's expression clearly, but he could feel that Si Bin was looking at him too.
The wind blew Lin Murun's bangs, and occasionally a long strand would brush against his eyes. He squinted and reached up to tuck the stray hair away.
"Ready!" The referee at the starting line raised the starter pistol.
Hearing the command, Lin Murun pulled his focus back.
Holding the baton, Yu Wenbo bent his knees slightly, his leg muscles tensed and ready to explode.
*Bang!* At the sound of the gun, Yu Wenbo shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
A thunderous roar of cheering erupted from the stands.
"Go! Go!!" Yu Qianyi and Li Menglai stood up excitedly, screaming at the top of their lungs.
The school radio station began reading out the submissions sent in by various classes. Students from other grades craned their necks, tensely watching the situation on the track.
Shen Hao, who had just sworn never to be "unique" again, had somehow borrowed a trumpet from somewhere. He planted one foot on a chair, let out a full-throated "Go!" and blew the horn.
The "honk-honk" sound traveled across half the field to Zhou Xuan's ears. Seeing Yu Wenbo charging toward him in the lead, he hurriedly reached out, grabbed the baton, and sprinted toward Lin Murun.
Unfortunately, his running speed was only average. Seeing the students from the Science classes catching up, Zhou Xuan panicked and buried his head, sprinting with all his might.
Just then, a student in the adjacent lane slipped and fell toward Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan was shoved, stumbling and nearly falling.
"Ah!" The cheers from the Arts Experimental Class cut off. Everyone was so shocked by the sudden accident that they didn't dare breathe.
Fortunately, Zhou Xuan didn't fall. After stumbling out of his lane for a few steps, he managed to steady himself, hurried back to his track, and continued running.
By now, the advantage Yu Wenbo had fought for was completely gone. Delayed by the accident, Zhou Xuan had fallen into last place.
Despite this, the students in the stands breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he didn't fall, there was still hope!
"Lin Murun!" Zhou Xuan's face was flushed bright red as he handed the baton to Lin Murun.
Lin Murun took the baton and broke into a sprint.
The wind whistled past his ears. Even under a clear sky, the winter wind bit at Lin Murun's cheeks, making them cold.
The school radio began reading a new submission.
"...Hard work! Struggle..."
In the high-speed sprint, Lin Murun couldn't hear the content of the message clearly, but he heard the cheers of his classmates and Shen Hao's trumpet blaring across the entire field.
"Lin Murun is so fast!" Li Xi shook Yu Qianyi's arm excitedly, pointing at him. "He's overtaking them!"
The eyes of everyone in the Arts Experimental Class were fixed on Lin Murun.
One, two, three.
Lin Murun overtook three people, jumping from last place to the middle of the pack.
"Go!! Go!! Lin Murun!" Yu Qianyi screamed in excitement.
With his heart racing, Lin Murun looked up and saw Si Bin reaching out his hand toward him.
Sunlight glinted off the tips of Si Bin's hair, illuminating his deep features. Unlike the other students nearby who were shouting excitedly before even receiving the baton, Si Bin looked calm. The accident on the track hadn't affected him; he seemed to have anticipated this situation, or perhaps he was certain he could make a comeback at the final moment.
When Lin Murun pressed the baton into Si Bin's hand, he saw a gentle smile bloom on Si Bin's lips—it was both an encouragement and a comfort. Miraculously, Si Bin's smile allowed Lin Murun's racing heart to settle.
The smile was gone in an instant. Gripping the baton, Si Bin turned and sprinted forward.
Carried by his momentum, Lin Murun ran a few more steps before coming to a halt.
The cheering continued. Lin Murun stood where he was, his eyes following Si Bin's figure. He saw the athletic gear on Si Bin's body puff up in the wind, forming a dark blue bulge behind him.
Si Bin was incredibly fast. He easily overtook two people at the curve, breaking into the top three.
"Charge! Grade 11 Arts Experimental Class!"
The announcement came over the radio at that exact moment.
Si Bin overtook another person, moving into second place.
"Si Bin! Si Bin!!" In the stands, the students of the Arts Experimental Class shouted his name with everything they had.
There were less than twenty meters to the finish line. Teachers were already holding the red tape, waiting for the first student to break through it.
Lin Murun's gaze never left Si Bin. He saw him clutching the baton, getting closer and closer to the runner in first place!
"Si Bin! Go!"
The trumpet blared "honk-honk" with earth-shattering volume.
Finally, with less than ten meters to go, Si Bin surged ahead and took the lead.
"Aaaaaah!" The students in the stands erupted in screams. Not just the Arts Experimental Class, but students from other classes were so shocked by the reversal that they had been holding their breath.
In the blink of an eye, Si Bin was the first to burst through the red tape!
Many students stood up from their seats in excitement.
Lin Murun ran across the field to Si Bin's side.
Si Bin turned and met Lin Murun's eyes.
"We won!" Before he could even catch his breath, he smiled and pulled Lin Murun by the shoulder. "We won, Murun."
The heart in Si Bin's chest was still pounding violently. His burning body heat made Lin Murun smile as he echoed, "We won."
Yu Wenbo excitedly hugged Si Bin from behind and threw an arm around Zhou Xuan's shoulder, shouting, "We won! We're first in our heat!"
Zhou Xuan scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I..."
"What are you apologizing for!" Yu Wenbo interrupted him. "Celebrate first!"
Lin Murun looked up and saw Yu Qianyi and Li Menglai running down from the stands.
"Heavens! I can't believe it!! We're actually first in the heat!!" Yu Qianyi shouted excitedly.
"Don't get too excited yet. There are two more heats for the Men's 4x100m. The one with the shortest overall time will be the Grade 11 champion," the referee said while ushering the students off the track.
"It's enough, it's enough! We're satisfied!" Shen Hao said, jumping down from the stands. "The Experimental Class is usually at the bottom. Teacher, you should be proud of us!"
"It won't be too late to celebrate once the final rankings are out," the referee said with a smile to the students who were reluctant to leave. "Don't crowd around. Those with upcoming events, go warm up. Those with no events this morning, get some rest and save your energy. Keep up the good work in the afternoon."
Once the crowd dispersed, Lin Murun and Si Bin walked off the field.
"The 3000-meter is this afternoon. Let's have lunch and go back for a nap," Lin Murun suggested.
"Mm." Si Bin smiled and brushed his fingers against Lin Murun's hand hanging at his side, resisting the urge to hold it.
"Murun, can you wait for me at the finish line this afternoon?" Si Bin asked.
"Okay." Lin Murun nodded and replied softly, "I'll wait for you."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 表白墙 | Confession Wall | A social media page/wall for students to post anonymous messages or photos. |
| 班服 | Class Uniform | Custom outfits chosen by a specific class for school events. |
| 方阵 | Phalanx / Formation | The organized marching block of students during the opening ceremony. |
| 文艺委员 | Arts and Culture Coordinator | A student officer in charge of artistic and cultural activities for the class. |
| 体育委员 | Sports Coordinator | A student officer in charge of physical education and sports events. |
| 班长 | Class Monitor / President | The lead student representative of a class. |
| 接力棒 | Relay Baton | The stick passed between runners in a relay race. |
| 实验班 | Experimental Class | An advanced or honors class in Chinese schools. |
| 文科 | Arts / Humanities | The academic track focusing on literature, history, etc. |
| 理科 | Science | The academic track focusing on math, physics, etc. |
| 桃花眼 | Peach-blossom eyes | A specific eye shape considered very attractive in Chinese culture. |
