It felt like rebirth, yet also like a dream that refused to end.Hao was still dazed when his mother's sharp voice rang out again:"I'll count to three!"
By instinct, he rushed to the bathroom to wash up. When he lifted his head, the mirror reflected the young, tender face of his childhood. It was familiar, yet distant—like a ghost from a forgotten past. His heart skipped a beat.Maybe this time, I can change the parts of my life I once wished I could.
After washing, he put on his school uniform. As his fingers brushed against the fabric, countless memories came flooding back. Walking back to his room, his mother called out:"Hao, come have breakfast. Today's your first day—I'll drive you to school. Tomorrow, you can take the bus."
"Okay," Hao replied flatly.He knew the first day was usually just about classroom assignments and meeting new classmates—nothing particularly eventful.
After finishing breakfast, his mother drove him to school. Watching the scenery pass outside the car window, Hao couldn't shake the feeling: it was as if he was merely being transferred from one prison to another.
About thirty minutes later, the car stopped at the school gate. Hao stepped out, staring at the campus.This place… this place is where my entire life changed.A sour, indescribable feeling welled up in his chest.
He entered the assembly hall and walked to the registration desk. The teacher checked his name and pointed him toward a line of students. Hao remembered it all too well—how in elementary school, his grades had started off average, always hovering around the passing line. For the first three years, he'd been placed in middle-level classes. But in the later years, he had slipped to the very last class.
Maybe… this time, things can be different. Maybe…