The classroom felt unusually quiet. Su Nian's eyes drifted to the empty seat beside her—Jiang Moxi wasn't in class today. Calm, sharp, and always punctual, Moxi skipping school was rare. Something must have happened.
After class, Su Nian wanted to ask Wang Zixuan first, but as she walked toward him, her heart raced. Talking to him first… felt intimidating. Zixuan's cold, unreadable expression always made her second-guess herself.
Instead, she quietly approached Minghao and Chenbo. "Has anyone seen Jiang Moxi today?" she asked.
Minghao frowned. "I texted her, but no reply."
Chenbo added, "She usually never misses practice… this is odd."
Su Nian nodded, still uneasy. Her eyes flicked toward Zixuan, who was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Maybe I should… just talk to him last…
After gathering a bit more information, she finally mustered the courage to ask Zixuan. "Um… Zixuan, have you… seen Jiang Moxi this morning?"
Zixuan's gaze met hers briefly. "Nope. Didn't see her."
Su Nian's stomach fluttered. Okay… that's fine. At least now I know. She took a deep breath. "I'll… go check on her house, then," she said quietly.
---
When Su Nian knocked at Jiang Moxi's door, the first thing she noticed was the stormy expression on Moxi's face.
"What do you want?" Jiang Moxi asked, clearly upset.
Su Nian hesitated, then spoke gently. "I noticed you weren't at school… is everything alright?"
Jiang Moxi crossed her arms. "It's… nothing serious. You wouldn't care anyway."
"Try me," Su Nian said softly, stepping inside.
Jiang Moxi sighed and gestured toward her room. "Yesterday night… my stepmother was cleaning, and she accidentally broke my music box." Her voice was tight with frustration. "It's my favorite one. I… I got so mad, and we argued. Even my father tried to calm us both down, but… yeah."
Su Nian's eyes softened. "Ah… so it was an accident?"
Jiang Moxi nodded, cheeks flushing. "Yes. She didn't mean to. But still… I really liked that music box."
Su Nian offered a small smile. "I get it. Losing something special… it hurts. But it's not worth staying angry forever, especially with your family. Maybe we can figure out a way to fix it—or at least make a new memory with it."
Jiang Moxi looked at her silently for a moment, then exhaled. The storm in her eyes softened, replaced by a faint, reluctant smile.
---
Su Nian stayed a little longer, sitting on the edge of Moxi's bed while they talked.
"You know," Su Nian said softly, "I was worried when you didn't come to school. I thought maybe… something serious happened."
Jiang Moxi leaned back, arms crossed but visibly relaxing. "It was just the music box… really stupid, but it ruined my mood. Thanks for coming, though. Not many people would bother."
"Of course. You're my friend. I can't just ignore you," Su Nian said, feeling a small warmth in her chest.
For a moment, silence fell, comfortable rather than awkward. Then Su Nian shifted the topic. "By the way… about sports practice, Zixuan, Minghao, and Chenbo were wondering how we should plan it. We thought it might be easier to meet here. Would that be okay?"
Jiang Moxi raised an eyebrow, a small smirk forming. "You mean you want all four of us here?"
"Not exactly in your room," Su Nian clarified, cheeks slightly pink. "I meant in your house, so we can discuss who's strong at what and make a proper training schedule."
Moxi's lips twitched into a small, reluctant grin. "Fine… but only after lunch tomorrow. I need some time to calm down today."
Su Nian's eyes lit up. Then she had an idea. "Wait—why don't I just call Chenbo? He can bring Minghao and Zixuan over. That way, we can talk about everything together right now."
Jiang Moxi tilted her head, surprised. "You… want them all here now?"
Su Nian nodded eagerly. "Yes! We can plan the practice schedule and figure out everyone's strengths."
Moxi's lips twitched into a small grin. "Fine. Let's see if your friends can handle this."
Su Nian quickly pulled out her phone and called Chenbo. "Hey, can you bring Minghao and Zixuan over? We need to plan the sports practice… at Moxi's house."
"Now?" Chenbo's voice sounded over the speaker.
"Yeah, it's important!" Su Nian said, excitement bubbling in her chest.
---
A short while later, Chenbo arrived, followed by Minghao and Zixuan.
"Why did you call us here all of a sudden?" Chenbo asked, stepping into the living room.
Su Nian pointed toward Jiang Moxi. "We need to plan the sports practice schedule. Figure out who's strong at what. Moxi suggested we meet here—it's easier."
Minghao clapped his hands together. "Alright… so who's fast, who's strong, and who's terrible at everything?"
"Terrible at everything?!" Chenbo groaned, glaring at Minghao. "You mean you?"
Minghao shrugged. "Hey, at least I admit it."
Jiang Moxi rolled her eyes. "Focus. Everyone state your strengths. No jokes."
Su Nian took out a notepad. "Okay… I'm going to write everything down. Let's start."
Minghao leaned back dramatically. "I'm the fastest runner. No contest."
Chenbo smirked. "Fast, yes. But stamina? We'll see if you collapse halfway."
Minghao made a face. "Collapsing? Impossible. I can run circles around both of you!"
Su Nian stifled a laugh. "Let's keep it realistic. Just state your strengths."
Jiang Moxi pointed at Chenbo. "And you? You're strong, right? Don't lie."
Chenbo flexed one arm jokingly. "Of course. But let's be honest… I'm also the brains of the team. That counts as strength."
Minghao snorted. "Brains? You mean bossing everyone around? That doesn't count!"
Chenbo shrugged. "Hey, someone has to make sure you don't trip over your own feet."
Su Nian scribbled notes, trying not to laugh. "Brains count, but only if the others actually follow instructions!"
Zixuan remained silent, jotting down notes, which made everyone else even more animated.
Minghao nudged Chenbo. "See? He's probably thinking, 'These idiots are wasting my time.'"
Chenbo smirked. "Maybe. But at least Su Nian's trying to keep order."
Jiang Moxi shook her head, suppressing a smile. "Honestly, you all are ridiculous. But fine. Let's get this done. I'm not letting you mess up practice just because you think you're funny."
Chenbo added jokingly, "Okay, fine… but if Minghao falls on his face, that's not my responsibility."
Minghao gasped, pointing at Chenbo. "You're out of your mind! Watch, I'll beat all of you in the first sprint!"
Su Nian rolled her eyes but smiled quietly. "Alright, alright… let's just focus on planning. Humor included, but maybe… don't get too competitive yet."
Despite the strict tone, laughter kept breaking out as the boys teased each other, Moxi shook her head at their antics, and Su Nian scribbled down notes. The room buzzed with energy, chaos, and camaraderie.
For Su Nian, it was a perfect moment—broken music boxes, worries, and all. Friends working together, planning, and joking… it felt like everything had finally settled into place.