Liangcheng No. 2 High School.
"This exam was seriously messed up. It’s just a regular monthly test, so why do they have to send the exact results to our parents? Is the school worried I’m living too long? Are they trying to issue my death warrant?"
"No, no, no, this is clearly an 'immediate execution.' I’ve already prepared myself to go hang from the school gates at midnight."
"Crap, it’s just a test. Do you really have to turn it into a horror movie to scare people?"
Only a month into the new semester, the school had arranged a large-scale monthly exam to give the newly promoted sophomores a wake-up call.
Exams were always a matter of joy for some and sorrow for others.
For the struggling students, they hadn't even shaken off the lingering vibes of summer vacation before this sudden blow struck them over the head.
As soon as Su Jingming stepped into the classroom, his seatmate, Ren Wei, blocked his path.
"What is it?" Su Jingming raised a hand to push up the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose. Most of his face was obscured by the frames, and his bangs were a bit long, making him look like he lacked the youthful energy typical of his age.
Ren Wei glanced at him. "I just wanted to ask if anyone’s home tonight? Can I go hide at your place for a night?"
Su Jingming let out an "ah." "Someone’s home. What did you get this time?"
This wasn't the first time Ren Wei had made such a request. Hearing Su Jingming’s answer, his face immediately crumpled. "Ming-ge, can you save me? I’m a dead man. You’re about to lose your dear seatmate."
Su Jingming raised an eyebrow slightly, walked to his seat, and picked up Ren Wei’s paper to take a look.
"The scores are very consistent. Your life shouldn't be in any immediate danger."
Hearing this, Ren Wei was on the verge of a breakdown. "Ming-ge, these scores in the thirties are practically whipping me!"
Su Jingming curled his lips into a faint smile. He straightened the papers for Ren Wei, sat back in his own seat, and looked Ren Wei up and down. "I think at your age and with your build, you should be able to withstand a few beatings. Maybe after a few more rounds, you'll learn how to study properly."
Ren Wei didn't give up. "Brother, just let me stay at your place for one night."
Su Jingming gave him a cool look. "Not today. He’s back."
Upon hearing this, Ren Wei immediately shut his mouth and scurried back to his seat. He pulled out a brand-new notebook and began writing his final will and testament.
Su Jingming sighed. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand, kneading it firmly a few times before picking up his pen to dive into the sea of practice problems.
the twenty-minute break between classes was enough for Su Jingming to solve an International Mathematical Olympiad problem.
Just as he stopped writing, the bell rang. Su Jingming looked up lazily and happened to see Wen Yan walking past the teacher's podium. Wen Yan’s gaze also seemed to linger on Su Jingming.
"Wen Yan is seriously impressive..." Ren Wei was also watching Wen Yan. "He’s first in the grade again for this monthly exam." He turned to ask Su Jingming, "Brother, how does it feel to be constantly pressed down by him?"
"..." Su Jingming clicked his tongue but didn't answer.
Aside from being bad at studying, Ren Wei had one other trait: he was incredibly stubborn.
Failing to get an answer, Ren Wei took advantage of the teacher’s absence to ask again: "Being pressed down year after year, doesn't it feel particularly frustrating?"
"..."
Su Jingming slammed his exercise book shut. Through his black-rimmed glasses, he stared coldly at Ren Wei. "I think your body won't be able to handle a 'mixed doubles' beating from your parents, let alone a unilateral thrashing from me."
Ren Wei rubbed his nose and pretended to look through his desk for the textbook for the next class.
Su Jingming reached into his desk and pulled out his chemistry book. Before he could open it, someone’s index finger tapped lightly on his desk. Su Jingming looked up.
Wen Yan said with a smile, "Teacher Zhou wants to see you in the office."
Su Jingming’s eyes darkened slightly. He gave a brief "mm," stood up, and followed Wen Yan out of the classroom.
Zhou Hong was a mathematics teacher and the head teacher of Class 1, Grade 11.
Wen Yan and Su Jingming entered the office one after the other. Zhou Hong took a sip of scalding tea and, before he had even recovered from the heat, gestured for the two of them to sit.
"Sit down first. Let me catch my breath before I tell you what this is about."
Wen Yan and Su Jingming subconsciously glanced at each other and sat down simultaneously. Zhou Hong huffed a few times before pulling out two registration forms from the side. "These are the registration forms for the Mathematics Competition. Do either of you have any interest?"
"I'll participate."
"I won't."
The two answers blurted out at almost the exact same time.
Zhou Hong’s hand holding the forms paused. He hadn't even explained yet—how could one agree and the other refuse so decisively?
Zhou Hong handed a form to Su Jingming first. "Su Jingming, your logic in solving math problems is excellent. Why don't you want to participate?"
Su Jingming gave it a cursory glance. Before he could voice his second refusal, Zhou Hong spoke with deep earnestness. "Su Jingming, at your age, this is the time to show your true self. Such a competition might seem no different from a regular exam to you, but you must realize that you are a rising star of No. 2 High. You possess infinite potential. You must use this opportunity to magnify that potential and become the best version of yourself."
Su Jingming fell silent after hearing this speech.
It had been a long time since he had heard such blood-pumping, positive energy. It felt as if he could be ignited by Zhou Hong’s words at any second.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; it was a bit of a waste that Zhou Hong was a math teacher.
With a smile playing on his lips, Wen Yan listened to Zhou Hong’s words and laughed silently. He picked up a nearby pen and briskly filled out his information on the registration form.
Then, he handed the pen to Su Jingming.
Su Jingming seemed to still be in a state of shock. When he took the pen, he subconsciously began filling out his information on the form.
Only then did Zhou Hong nod with satisfaction. He stood between the two of them and patted their shoulders.
"You are the rising stars of No. 2 High. The starlight of the future will be lit by you."
It wasn't until Su Jingming left the office that he realized—damn it, he had been too hasty.
On the outside, Su Jingming looked like a nerd, but in his heart lived a *chuunibyou* youth. It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved by Zhou Hong’s words, but he had sold himself out before he even regained his senses!
Wen Yan looked at the dazed Su Jingming and kindly reminded him, "If we go back now, we can still make it for twenty minutes of chemistry class."
Su Jingming pursed his lips. He brushed back the somewhat long black hair in front of his eyes and glanced at Wen Yan. Without saying a word, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward the classroom.
Wen Yan shook his head helplessly. Watching Su Jingming’s figure, he strode to catch up. Trailing behind Su Jingming with the gentle aura of a youth, he asked, "Su Jingming, can I treat you to a meal?"
Hearing this, Su Jingming didn't even pause his steps; if anything, he walked faster.
"If it’s about that thing with your sister, don't bother. Any normal person would have stepped in to help."
Su Jingming responded without looking back. His voice carried a cold detachment, as if it were an insignificant trifle to him.
In Su Jingming’s eyes, it truly was an insignificant trifle. In Wen Yan’s eyes, however, it was very important.
Su Jingming hadn't expected that the beautiful girl he had saved from a group of thugs while playing the hero would actually be Wen Yan’s sister.
That story had to be told from the beginning.
That day, Su Jingming was heading home after school as usual. However, he’d had a lapse in judgment and decided to take a shortcut through the back alleys.
While passing through a narrow, filthy alleyway, he heard several young male voices using foul language.
Following his principle of not looking for trouble, Su Jingming had intended to keep walking.
That was until the sound of a girl sobbing drifted out. Su Jingming stopped in his tracks, a raging fire suddenly igniting in his heart.
Damn it, in broad daylight, under the bright sun, several grown men were bullying a young girl?
No normal person could tolerate this, let alone Su Jingming, whose soul was filled with the spirit of a *chuunibyou* hero.
Su Jingming shouted, "Hey!"
The thugs turned around to see a youth wearing black-rimmed glasses. He was slowly and methodically unzipping his school uniform jacket as he walked toward them.
His pace was steady, but his glasses were too large, hiding the raging fire in his eyes.
The girl standing among the thugs saw him like a savior and immediately cried out, "Save me!"
One of the thugs said impatiently, "Where did this kid come from, acting tough in front of your daddy?!"
Su Jingming slowly looked up. He said with a calm face, "I am the incarnation of justice! I’m here specifically to teach you unfilial sons a lesson for bullying a weak girl!"
"Crap, where did this idiot come from?!"
"Get him!"
With practiced ease, Su Jingming snatched the black-rimmed glasses off his nose and stuffed them into his pocket. He narrowed his eyes and sidestepped a punch.
He glanced sideways and snorted, "Is that all?"
Before the thug could react, Su Jingming grabbed the man's shoulder and drove a knee into his stomach. The thug collapsed, clutching his gut, looking at the youth—who seemed to be about their age—with shock.
The strike was too ruthless; he was clearly trained.
Su Jingming slowly exhaled. Standing tall at the mouth of the alley, he gestured toward the others with one hand and asked with a solemn expression, "One by one, or all at once?"
Su Jingming felt he was incredibly cool at that moment, exactly like the protagonist of a movie, carrying a "golden finger" and a hero's aura to save weak, innocent humans.
The girl watched Su Jingming move nimbly among the group. The words of worry at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down.
He was definitely strong, but what was with this overwhelming *chuunibyou* vibe...?
Su Jingming’s strikes were harsh, specifically targeting vulnerable spots, yet he controlled his strength with remarkable precision. He glanced at the several people groaning on the ground, silently brushed the hair from his forehead to reveal his eyes, and approached the girl with the posture of a victor.
The girl swallowed, her face still showing signs of fright.
Su Jingming asked with a harmless expression, "Are you okay?"
The girl nodded. Just as she was about to thank him, she saw a familiar figure behind Su Jingming.
"Brother!"
Su Jingming was startled for a moment before realizing she wasn't calling him. He turned around.
It was his classmate—Wen Yan.
Wen Yan had his hands on his knees, panting heavily. He looked at the "delinquent youths" lying on the ground, then looked up at the person standing next to Wen Miao.
—Oh, it was Su Jingming. The nerd who was perpetually ranked second in the grade and was known only as a bookworm in black-rimmed glasses.
Except this top student looked quite different from how he appeared at school. If it weren't for the fact that his uniform was the same as Wen Yan's, and the black-rimmed glasses he had just pulled out of his pocket, Wen Yan might not have dared to be so sure.
As they walked out of the alley, Su Jingming held his discarded uniform jacket. During the scuffle, some idiot had stepped on it.
He frowned. For the "Incarnation of Justice" to get his clothes dirty—if word got out, it would be a scandal!
Wen Miao walked beside Wen Yan. She tugged on his sleeve and whispered, "Brother, is he your classmate?"
Wen Yan gave a somewhat distracted "mm."
Wen Miao asked again, "How are his grades?"
Wen Yan: "Second in the grade."
"..." Wen Miao frowned. "That shouldn't be right."
"What’s wrong?"
"Someone second in the grade should have a high IQ. Why does he feel a bit... *chuunibyou*?"
Wen Yan stopped walking. He said gently, "Miao-miao, you shouldn't say that. Su Jingming just saved you. If he hadn't, do you know what the consequences would have been? Also, didn't I tell you not to take the back alleys after school? Why didn't you listen?"
Wen Miao was about to argue, but Wen Yan gripped her wrist tightly. He still hadn't recovered from the shock; he didn't even dare to imagine what would have happened to Wen Miao today if Su Jingming hadn't been there.
Seeing Wen Yan’s expression turn grim, Wen Miao fell silent. Su Jingming, walking ahead, hadn't noticed that the siblings had stopped.
As they left the alley and headed toward the main street, a nearby shop happened to be playing the song "Miracle Reappearance." Su Jingming’s footsteps faltered, and he looked toward the sound.
His entire *chuunibyou* soul rose like a new sun, filling his whole body.
Suddenly, he heard a gentle voice drifting from behind him.
"There is no light in this world."
If there is no light, then! There! Are! No! Ultramen!
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
凉城市二中 | Liangcheng No. 2 High School | The setting of the story.
苏景明 | Su Jingming | The protagonist, a top student with a secret "chuunibyou" side.
任伟 | Ren Wei | Su Jingming's seatmate.
温言 | Wen Yan | The top student in the grade, Su Jingming's rival/love interest.
周宏 | Zhou Hong | The math teacher and head teacher of Class 1.
温妙 | Wen Miao | Wen Yan's younger sister.
中二 | Chuunibyou | "Middle School Second Year Syndrome"; refers to dramatic or delusional behavior, often involving "heroic" fantasies.
奇迹再现 | Miracle Reappearance | The iconic Chinese theme song for the show *Tiga Ultraman*.
精神小伙 | Delinquent youths | Slang for young men with a specific "thug-lite" aesthetic (often involving tight clothes and social media posturing).
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