Unhappiness and Unhappiness.

"The sun is shining~"

"The flowers are smiling at me~"

"The little bird says, 'Early, early, why are you carrying a bag of explosives?'"

"I'm off to blow up the school~"

"The teacher doesn't know~"

"Pull the fuse, run away fast, boom—the school's gone in a blast!"

On a day brimming with resentment, Lin Yu trudged to school with his backpack, humming this widely sung nursery rhyme on the quiet, deserted road. His irritable mood eased slightly.

Question!

What wakes up earlier than a rooster and sleeps later than a dog?

High school students, of course!

Lin Yu gazed at the pitch-black sky and let out a weary, resigned sigh.

Whether he slept later than a dog was debatable, but at this hour, even the roosters weren’t up yet.

Adjusting the strap of his single-shoulder bag to keep it from slipping, Lin Yu continued his heavy-footed march toward school.

Just endure it.

Only half a year left.

As long as it doesn’t kill you, endure it like your life depends on it!

"Hey hey hey!"

Gu Yue popped out from some hidden corner, blocking Lin Yu’s path. Her hands raised high above her head, her pretty face beaming with cheerful energy—it was an exuberant way to greet someone.

Lin Yu lifted his eyelids and gave her a look that screamed, "Are you an idiot?"

The perpetually gloomy Lin Yu couldn’t stand Gu Yue’s sunshiney demeanor, so he went straight for the kill.

"Did you finish your winter break homework?"

Gu Yue’s grin vanished.

Like an inflatable mascot at a mall suddenly deflated, her lively, youthful energy drained away in an instant, leaving behind a tiny, sulking version of herself.

"Nope."

Her voice sounded hollow, as if all vitality had been sucked out of her.

"My mom signed me up for a bunch of cram classes over the break. By the time I got home, I was so exhausted I felt like melting into a puddle."

"Still got a ton of homework left."

Hearing this, Lin Yu’s face lit up with glee. He flashed a peace sign beside his cheek, adopting a mischievously girlish pose.

"I finished mine~"

"Hehe."

Gu Yue pouted, her plump lower lip jutting out as she tilted her chin down and glared up at him with eyes full of resentment.

Adorable, really.

But she quickly bounced back.

Shaking her head, she said breezily,

"No big deal~"

"Our homeroom teacher never checks our homework anyway."

"What if she does this time?"

Lin Yu, the relentless villain, pressed further.

"Hmph!"

Gu Yue snorted dismissively.

"Even if she does, it’s fine!"

"Half the class didn’t do theirs."

"Sure, I still have some left, but..."

"Even then, I bet I’ve done more than anyone else!"

Lin Yu smacked his lips, wanting to argue but finding no opening.

She had a point.

If his own classmates—those lazy old geezers—couldn’t be bothered to finish the mountain of winter break assignments...

...then what did his all-nighter, slaving away until 1 AM, even mean?

Dammit!

So frustrating!

He wanted to bite someone!

Lin Yu shot Gu Yue a sinister look, grinding his teeth—not subtly at all.

Gu Yue, sensing danger, stifled a laugh and subtly inched away.

Lin Yu was just messing with her, adding some spice to their dull commute.

As they walked, the distance between them shrank again until they were side by side.

Lin Yu glanced at Gu Yue, then got another wicked idea.

He studied her with exaggerated seriousness before nodding sagely.

"Looks like you ate well over the holidays."

"You’ve gained weight."

"Ah!"

Gu Yue’s mouth fell open in horror.

She frantically patted her thighs, hips, waist, and finally her cheeks, as if the world were ending.

With a devastated look, she whined,

"Really? Where?!"

Lin Yu, barely containing his laughter, mumbled,

"Dunno, just a... feeling!"

"You seem a little rounder now."

"Ugh!~"

Gu Yue’s face crumpled further. She pinched the soft flesh under her uniform, her expression growing more tragic by the second, as if on the verge of tears.

Lin Yu, the heartless villain, was thoroughly entertained.

Watching her poke at her stomach, he "comforted" her with another jab:

"Hey~"

"Don’t worry~"

"You’re not fat."

"You’re just... subtly un-skinny."

His "consolation" had the exact opposite effect. Gu Yue let out a dramatic, tearless wail—equal parts hilarious and pitiful.

One cheerful, one miserable, they trudged on until they reached the gates of No. 3 High School.

Lin Yu’s attention soon shifted from the sulking Gu Yue to a slender figure by the entrance.

Let’s be real.

Some people are just born to be protagonists.

In class photos, they’re the first ones your eyes lock onto.

On crowded streets, they’re walking magnets for attention.

Sometimes, even as supporting characters, they effortlessly steal the spotlight.

Like Tang Manman standing there now.

At 18 or 19, everyone wore the same baggy, outdated winter uniforms.

But Tang Manman stood out.

Like a red sun in a monochrome ink painting—she didn’t even seem to belong to the same layer as the bustling crowd around her.

Lin Yu noticed her.

She noticed him too.

Her smile faltered for a split second when their eyes met, but she quickly recovered. Rising on her tiptoes, she waved brightly.

Lin Yu waved back, and they moved toward each other.

Even Lin Yu, who prided himself on being talkative, found himself at a loss for words. Drawing inspiration from his earlier teasing, he recycled a topic:

"Did you finish your winter break homework?"

Tang Manman nodded, giving the expected answer.

"All done."

"What about you?"

Her face clouded with concern.

"If you didn’t finish, you can give some to me. The teacher probably won’t collect it right away."

"Of course I finished!"

Lin Yu puffed up with pride.

"Only idiots don’t finish their homework!"

Tang Manman’s eyes crinkled as she chuckled softly.

The two walked into the school building together, Gu Yue trailing behind—close enough to follow, far enough to be alone.

She was the same as before, yet different.

Still unhappy.

But earlier, her whines were tearless.

Now, silent and red-eyed...

...