Pei Cangyu lay on the grass with his arms pillowed behind his head, leisurely enjoying the breeze. After a moment, he suddenly bolted upright. "The cat!"
Bai Shi glanced at him.
Pei Cangyu stood up and hauled Bai Shi up with him. "Did you forget? We’re looking for the cat!"
Bai Shi hadn't forgotten; he just didn't particularly care.
Pei Cangyu hopped back up to the embankment in a few strides. Bai Shi followed behind, struggling to scramble up the slope. Pei Cangyu turned back, extending a hand toward him. "Good lord, you really are a delicate little flower of the motherland, aren't you?"
Bai Shi gritted his teeth and gripped the grass to pull himself up, stubbornly refusing Pei Cangyu’s hand. "I’ll definitely be taller than you in the future."
Pei Cangyu chuckled. "Sure, sure. Work hard at it, then."
Bai Shi finally managed to scramble up and crouched there, panting. Pei Cangyu watched him with his arms crossed. "I should give you a nickname. I’m an expert at giving people nicknames."
Bai Shi stood up, leaning against a tree for support. "Did you give the others their nicknames too?"
Pei Cangyu nodded proudly.
"No wonder they’re so stupid."
Bai Shi watched with satisfaction as Pei Cangyu’s hair practically bristled with indignation. "That’s total nonsense! I’m great at naming things. Whenever cats or dogs are born in our neighborhood, plenty of aunties bring them to me to name. My old dog’s name was fantastic; it really stood out in the whole community..."
Bai Shi interrupted his endless boasting. "What was it called?"
"Madara."
Bai Shi frowned. "What kind of name is that?"
Pei Cangyu leaned in and pressed a hand on his shoulder. "Friend, don't you watch anime?"
For the next thirty minutes, Bai Shi regretted asking the question, "What anime?"
As Pei Cangyu pulled him along, he introduced the insights he had gained from years of immersing himself in mainstream shonen manga. He lectured on everything from "bonds" to "comrades," from "dreams" to "justice." Eventually, he got so hyped up that he insisted on performing a "Fire Style" jutsu for Bai Shi.
"Watch closely now, watch closely." Pei Cangyu stood straight, pressed his hands together, and began performing rapid hand signs.
Bai Shi looked utterly bewildered. "What is this?"
"Don't interrupt. These are hand seals." Having been interrupted, Pei Cangyu had to start over. He formed five seals and shouted, "Katon!"—being a man of culture, he used the Japanese pronunciation—and then blew a sharp gust of air at Bai Shi’s head, blowing the boy's bangs straight back.
Finally, he asked shamelessly, "How was it? Pretty badass, right?"
"..."
Badass? What was that just now? What style? Who was styling whom?
Seeing no reaction from Bai Shi, Pei Cangyu assumed his performance hadn't been evocative enough. "I only know two. How about a Summoning Jutsu?" Pei Cangyu started fiddling with his fingers, muttering to himself as he worked through the motions. "Or maybe I should just activate Second Gear." He spoke as if he could manifest whatever he wanted.
He was thoroughly enjoying showing off his reservoir of knowledge. When he got to the part about Second Gear, he was so excited that he stopped in his tracks, dropped into a horse stance, and thrust a palm out to represent the activation. He nearly knocked Bai Shi over, then quickly pulled him back. "You get it, right? It’s that kind of feeling..."
Bai Shi tugged at the hand Pei Cangyu was using for his "ultimate move." "Stop fighting the air. Let’s find the cat..."
Pei Cangyu finally snapped back to reality. "Right! The cat..."
Bai Shi stared at the joyful Pei Cangyu. "Is it the manga that made you this stupid?"
Pei Cangyu replied righteously, "No, I’ve always been like this." Then, after a thought, he added, "And I’m not stupid."
Bai Shi nodded. "See, you can't even focus on finding a cat. That perfectly explains why your grades are so bad."
Pei Cangyu’s face practically screamed *'that makes sense.'* He patted Bai Shi on the shoulder. "Hey, the way you can link anything back to studying... is that why you're so good at it?"
Bai Shi ignored him.
Pei Cangyu whistled to lure the cat as they walked. Maria didn't show up, but he did attract several tomcats. The bolder ones even rubbed against Pei Cangyu’s legs. Bai Shi watched him. "You should reflect on yourself."
Pei Cangyu shooed the cats away one by one and rolled his eyes. "Piss off."
Just as they were about to turn the next corner, Pei Cangyu’s phone rang.
It was Apple.
"Pei Cangyu, did you find the cat?"
"No. Did you guys find her?"
"...Sort of... Listen, can you come over here for a bit?"
Pei Cangyu had been planning to check down by the river, but hearing this, he changed his mind. "Sure. Where?"
"The pool hall."
Bai Shi saw Pei Cangyu’s brow furrow.
***
The pool hall wasn't far from the barbershop. As soon as Pei Cangyu showed his face, a man at the front desk with a nose ring let out a sarcastic "Yo" and asked who he was looking for. Pei Cangyu said he was looking for a cat, and the man pointed dismissively toward the upper floor. "Second floor."
When they arrived, Apple, Pig Dog, Airplane, and Monkey were all crouching by the wall with their heads in their hands. A few high schoolers were gathered around a pool table. One was using the tip of his leather shoe to poke at Pig Dog’s flamboyant belt. Pig Dog didn't dare look up, pretending he didn't notice. The one sitting down looked particularly "cool"—mostly evidenced by the fact that he was smoking two cigarettes at once. This boy on the table had a face that still held some childishness, yet he was holding a woman a decade older than him, clumsily kissing her chest in an attempt to look sophisticated. His ears were bright red, while the woman laughed and played along.
As Pei Cangyu walked in, the four friends snapped their heads up, their eyes shining as they looked at him.
A guy who looked about two years older than the high schoolers was chalking a cue. He seemed to be the leader. He set the cue down and walked over with his hands in his pockets. "Yo, yo, Pei Cangyu..."
Pei Cangyu spared him a glance before turning to Apple. "Where’s the cat?"
Apple shifted slightly to the side. The white cat was lying there, asleep.
The high schoolers called the guy with the cue "Brother Six." As they called his name, they pointed at Pei Cangyu. "He’s the one who started the fight in the pool hall last time."
Brother Six looked down at Pei Cangyu. "So it’s you? Just a middle schooler?"
Pei Cangyu gave him a sidelong glance. "I’ll be in high school next year."
Watching Pei Cangyu, Bai Shi felt that the kid who had been acting out his "eighth-grader syndrome" on the riverbank was now even deeper into the persona. However, he had never seen Pei Cangyu look this alert at school.
Brother Six reached out, lightly slapping Pei Cangyu’s face with the back of his hand—a mocking, repetitive gesture. He bared his teeth in a malicious grin. "Let me tell you something, you little—"
He didn't finish. On the third slap, Pei Cangyu swung his palm and struck him across the head. The high schoolers sitting by the pool table gasped in unison.
Pei Cangyu was a powder keg with no intention of holding back. He had been suppressed his anger the moment Brother Six swaggered over. Taking advantage of the proximity, he struck. The slap was loud and crisp, leaving Brother Six dazed. Hearing that sound, the four crouching boys jumped up as if hearing a bugle call. The people at the pool table dropped their cues and rushed forward. In an instant, the group was a chaotic mess of shouting and fighting as they tried to overpower one another.
Bai Shi stepped back, watching the brawl. He realized that the other four only had courage when Pei Cangyu was present. Whether it was fighting or arguing, they became brave the moment he appeared, even if Pei Cangyu wasn't directly helping them at that second.
Apple was the loudest but stayed the furthest back; he wanted to move forward, but he couldn't push his way in. At the center was Pei Cangyu, single-handedly suppressing Brother Six. He had rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms that lacked muscle but possessed surprising strength. He focused entirely on Brother Six, ignoring the blows others landed on him. He was extremely skilled at "dirty" fighting, his punches always finding their mark. He even landed a couple of hits on the throat. After the second blow to the windpipe, Brother Six lost his strength. Pei Cangyu seized the opportunity to kick him into a corner and pinned him down for a relentless beating.
However, the other four weren't faring as well.
Before long, a clear divide emerged. The high schoolers were pinning the four friends against the left wall and beating them, while Pei Cangyu was pinning Brother Six against the right wall and beating him.
After about a minute of this, both sides realized something was wrong and stopped, staring at each other.
Bai Shi rolled his eyes.
Brother Six raised his swollen eyes and shouted at the high schoolers, "Dammit! Get over here and help!"
Pei Cangyu turned and delivered another kick, shoving Brother Six further into the corner. The high schoolers rushed over, cursing. The four who had just been cowering with their heads covered looked at Pei Cangyu and were suddenly filled with strength, jumping up once more to pull the high schoolers back.
Bai Shi checked his watch. It had been four or five minutes.
Finally, they stopped. Pei Cangyu had his arm around Brother Six’s shoulder, and Brother Six was leaning against Pei Cangyu’s back, both sides panting for breath. Brother Six spat on the ground, the saliva tinged with blood. He reached out to slap Pei Cangyu’s face again, but after catching Pei Cangyu’s gaze, he thought better of it.
"I’m saying, why did you start swinging right away? You didn't even let me finish."
Pei Cangyu looked at him askance. "You touched me first."
Brother Six shook Pei Cangyu’s shoulder. "Hey, you want to say that again?"
Pei Cangyu let out a sharp "Huh?", and the four panting middle schoolers stood up again. The high schoolers extended their arms and started pointing fingers, and both sides began shouting once more. The high schoolers pinned the four middle schoolers to the ground again. This time, two people came to help Brother Six, finally knocking down the most arrogant middle schooler on the scene.
The shouting and scuffling continued.
When they stopped this time, a winner had been decided. The five middle schoolers were crouched in a row. Brother Six counted heads: "One, two, three, four, five... not bad." As he spoke, he slapped Pei Cangyu’s head again. Pei Cangyu lunged upward but was pressed back down by several high schoolers with their jackets tied around their waists. Only then did Brother Six step forward.
His rough, large black hand grabbed Pei Cangyu’s golden hair, forcing him to look up. Blood flowed from a cut on the corner of Pei Cangyu’s eye, trailing down to his chin and following the line of his bobbing Adam's apple. Bai Shi was momentarily stunned. He stared at the winding trail of blood and swallowed hard.
A high schooler walked up to Brother Six and whispered, "Brother Six, there’s one more..."
Brother Six turned around impatiently and saw Bai Shi standing to the side. Seeing the boy's gaze—which was excited to a point of being eerie—he frowned. "Freak." Then he ordered his men to bring him over.
A high schooler yanked Bai Shi, nearly knocking him over. Pei Cangyu glared ferociously at Brother Six. "Hey!"
Bai Shi walked toward Pei Cangyu, his eyes fixed on the blood. He licked his lips, thinking that if the dirty hand forcing Pei Cangyu’s head up were his, it would be better. It would probably look even better from that angle. There was nothing else in his eyes but Pei Cangyu’s wound; this intense focus made Brother Six feel quite disgusted.
Bai Shi followed the command and crouched next to Pei Cangyu, watching as Brother Six took satisfied pleasure in humiliating him. "Look at this. A middle schooler whose hair hasn't even fully grown in yet, coming out here to act tough. Do you regret getting beaten?"
Pei Cangyu glared at him.
Brother Six waved a hand magnanimously toward the high schoolers. "The grudge from last time is settled." Then he turned back and flicked Pei Cangyu’s forehead a few times. "Got it?"
Pei Cangyu looked like he was ready to bite him.
Bai Shi reached out and wiped the blood off Pei Cangyu’s Adam's apple. Pei Cangyu didn't notice; he was too busy glaring indignantly at Brother Six. The other four remained silent. Though they looked cowardly now, Bai Shi knew that if Pei Cangyu made a move, they would follow suit.
Before their confrontation could conclude, a commotion erupted from downstairs. Brother Six and Pei Cangyu both looked toward the stairwell. A moment later, several people came up. The leader was a bald man who looked at least thirty—clearly an adult. In his presence, Brother Six suddenly looked very young. The bald man wore a leather jacket and sunglasses despite the dark night. A woman with heavy makeup beside him was chewing gum and cursing, followed by about a dozen older, unemployed-looking youths.
The bald man took one look at the scene and pointed a finger at the wall. "Everyone, get in a crouch."
Brother Six slammed his cue on the ground. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
The high schoolers shouted and moved forward. The situation was on the verge of exploding.
One minute later.
Pei Cangyu and his group shifted over to make room for Brother Six and the high schoolers. The newly joined high schoolers crouched next to the middle schoolers. Over a dozen people were now crouched in a row against the wall, all looking at the pool hall’s newest leader: the bald man.
The bald man expertly puffed on a cigarette and counted heads. "Who the hell are you all? Speak up one by one, starting with you." He pointed at Pig Dog, who was at the very end.
Pig Dog instinctively looked at Pei Cangyu.
Pei Cangyu felt his gaze. "Just say it."
Pig Dog whispered, "Pi Dongzheng."
The woman with heavy makeup laughed. "They’re fucking middle schoolers."
The bald man laughed too, looking at Brother Six. "And you lot?"
Brother Six was perfectly well-behaved. "High schoolers."
The woman walked over and pulled Brother Six up, staring at his prematurely aged face. "You’re a fucking high schooler? My dad doesn't look as old as you."
Brother Six was extremely polite. "I was held back."
Pei Cangyu let out a low laugh. "Dumbass."
Bai Shi glanced at him.
Pei Cangyu turned his head away. "Fighting back and forth, small-time thugs fearing big-time thugs. What’s the point?"
Eventually, everyone reported their names. The bald man wanted to play pool, so he told them to get lost. The woman wasn't satisfied; she insisted they all walk out holding hands. The bald man indulged her twisted sense of humor, so everyone held hands and walked out the door, still glaring at each other. The moment they were outside, they shook their hands free. A few discordant words nearly sparked another fight, but a glance from the bald man’s men at the door sent them scurrying in two different directions.
Only then did Pei Cangyu realize something. "Let go of my hand."
Bai Shi released Pei Cangyu’s hand.
As the group walked back, cursing, Pei Cangyu stopped again.
"What is it?" Apple asked.
Pei Cangyu paused. "Nothing. You guys go ahead. I just remembered I need to go buy a bottle of vinegar."
Airplane’s teeth ached from the beating. He clutched his face and hissed through the pain, "Do you want us to go with you?"
Pei Cangyu waved them off. "No, no need."
With that, they split up and headed in different directions. Bai Shi looked back once.
After walking a short distance, Bai Shi parted ways with the others at an intersection, saying he was going home. Instead, he doubled back to find Pei Cangyu. He knew exactly where he would be.
Sure enough, Pei Cangyu was standing in front of the pool hall again because the cat was still inside.
Just as Pei Cangyu was about to go back in, someone grabbed his clothes. He turned around and saw Bai Shi. "What are you doing here?"
Bai Shi didn't answer, instead peering inside. "Forget it."
Pei Cangyu was getting impatient. "Don't worry about it. Go home." He started to head inside.
Bai Shi gripped Pei Cangyu’s clothes so hard they began to deform, pulling him back. "When you guys were fighting, I sent a text to the man from the barbershop. He’ll be here soon."
Pei Cangyu blinked in surprise. "You have his number?"
Bai Shi nodded. "I saw it on his flyer."
Pei Cangyu blinked again, then smiled. "You’re actually pretty smart."
Bai Shi took the compliment in silence.
Pei Cangyu looked down at Bai Shi’s hand, which had somehow found its way back to his own. "Could you please let go?"
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
祖国的花骨朵 | Flower bud of the motherland | A common Chinese metaphor for children/the youth.
火遁 | Fire Style / Katon | A fire-based technique from the manga *Naruto*.
结印 | Hand seals | Hand gestures used to perform techniques in *Naruto*.
通灵 | Summoning Jutsu | A technique to summon creatures in *Naruto*.
二档 | Second Gear | A physical enhancement technique used by Luffy in *One Piece*.
民工漫 | Mainstream shonen manga | Literally "migrant worker manga," a slang term for extremely popular, long-running series like *Naruto*, *One Piece*, and *Bleach*.
六哥 | Brother Six | A respectful/intimidating way to address an older male peer or gang leader.
中二病 | Eighth-grader syndrome / Chunibyo | A term for young teens who have grandiose delusions or act out anime-inspired fantasies.
