The school bell rang, and students began filing in, lining up with their respective classes.
The discipline officer walked onto the stage.Buzz, buzz— the microphone screeched with static.Then came the endless lecture about rules and regulations.
Down below, Hao drifted off in thought. To him, it felt exactly like the Monday morning assemblies he remembered from the past—monotonous, predictable, and far too long.
After nearly thirty minutes, the officer finally stepped down, looking satisfied. The principal took over, speaking quickly—mostly words of welcome and encouragement.
At exactly 8:00, the class bell rang. Teachers gathered their students and led them back to their classrooms.On the way, they passed the basketball court, the pavilion, and the cafeteria.Hao couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. Every corner of this place was etched into his memory.
Back at the classroom, the students lined up outside. The teacher arranged them by height before assigning seats.Hao ended up in the second-to-last row, by the window.
It was exactly as he remembered.And his deskmate was once again that familiar figure—"Big Head."
Looking at him now, Hao felt a swirl of emotions.In his previous life, he'd heard about Big Head's fate—how he'd grown into a man who spent nearly every night in bars and nightclubs, lost in a haze of indulgence.
But here and now, Big Head was just a silly, innocent kid.It was almost impossible to connect the two images.
Hao sighed inwardly.Perhaps… perhaps appearances truly deceive. And perhaps… this time, I can change something.