The atmosphere in the classroom felt off.
It was like a crooked little tree in the corner of a yard that no one ever noticed-until one day, a bright, beautiful flower bloomed beside it. After that, glances naturally multiplied, and even the crooked tree received attention by association.
Lu Mingfei's head felt muddled.
The crooked little tree didn't feel honored by the sudden interest from boys and girls. He knew the attention wasn't for him. It was all for the "flower" next to him.
Even so, he couldn't help feeling constrained. Like an ordinary student who had never stood on a podium suddenly being dragged up to give a speech, hands shaking before he even opened his mouth.
At the center of all those gazes, the "flower" himself didn't care at all.
With a calm expression, he put away his bag and books, pulled out a piece of paper, and started doodling. Lu Mingfei was curious about what he was writing, but then he remembered something and instinctively wanted to peek toward Chen Wenwen.
He stopped himself.
Things were different now. Before, a nobody could hide behind a stack of books and look in a certain direction without fear. Now, with people glancing over nonstop, wouldn't everyone immediately know he liked Chen Wenwen if he got caught?
When he came back to his senses, there was a slip of paper in front of him.
On it was a single line, written in elegant, flowing script that wouldn't lose to a professional calligrapher. But what mattered wasn't the handwriting.
It was the content-
[Sir Lu, the Organization is calling you. Are you ready to save the world? - Your desk-mate, Morin]
What the hell was this supposed to mean?
Lu Mingfei froze.
He had always had fantasies like this. They'd even become very localized. Every New Year's Gala, Liu Miaomiao would play piano onstage while boys in navy suits danced around her. Or Chen Wenwen would recite poetry under everyone's gaze. Lu Mingfei would be sitting in some unnoticed corner, chin in his hand.
Then suddenly, a helicopter would descend.
Fully armed men would fast-rope down, secure the area, and a group of black-suited, sunglasses-wearing agents-hair stiff with gel like characters straight out of The Matrix-would walk in. Their leader would speak in a deep voice:
"Sorry to interrupt the gala, Mr. Lu Mingfei. But the Organization needs you. The world needs you."
They would dress him in a black military uniform and long trench coat, escorting him out under everyone's stunned eyes. Outside, a pitch-black helicopter waited, rotor wind tearing through decorations. Even the Old Boss wouldn't dare scold him.
Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen would both stop and watch his lonely, proud back as he left.
Whether he saved the world didn't matter.
That back was cool enough.
But he never imagined it would happen like this.
A sunny boy, better-looking than a movie star, wearing the most ordinary clothes, transferred into his class. Ignored Chen Wenwen completely. Dragged a chair over to sit next to him.
Then wrote him a note telling him to save the world.
Could we not be this down-to-earth?
Lu Mingfei snapped out of it. He pulled out a pen and wrote back:
[What does this mean?]
After hesitating, he passed the note over.
Compared to Morin's handwriting, his own was painful to look at.
[Saving the world, obviously! ヽ(￣▽￣)و]
Morin returned the note instantly, even adding a cute emoticon.
Lu Mingfei stared at it for a long time.
This vibe is completely wrong.
[You're joking, right?]
[Everyone needs dreams. What if they come true? (～￣▽￣)～]
[What are you actually trying to say?]
[You like that girl, don't you? The one in the white down jacket I asked about when I took the chair? -(￢∀￢)σ]
Lu Mingfei stiffened.
Like a fruit hidden underground that had suddenly been exposed to sunlight. Panic, mixed with an inexplicable sense of loss.
[No matter who it is, if you don't pursue her, she'll never like you, brother. You're not as good-looking as me! (￣︶￣)]
Lu Mingfei lowered his head, sinking into gloom-then snapped back.
He gripped his pen and carved out a line with unprecedented force.
[None of your business! So what if you're good-looking!]
[Of course it's my business. You're Sir Lu! (￣▽￣)~*]
[Don't think I don't get the "Loser" pun!]
[Damn, I got exposed? Looks like I'll have to take you out then!]
[Wait! I think we can still negotiate!]
...
After a full round of paper warfare, Lu Mingfei finally understood something.
His new desk-mate-
Was a full-on chuunibyou idiot.
A chuunibyou idiot whose wavelength matched his perfectly.
Damn it. Does being chuunibyou cost this much nowadays? With that face and those grades, how were other delusional youths supposed to survive?
Lu Mingfei suddenly thought of a legendary species.
The kind who laughed and joked before exams without ever studying. Who sighed and complained afterward, saying they probably failed. Then when the results came out, you were at the bottom-and they were at the very top.
And the one beside him was probably city first place.
Damn normie.
...
"Wanna play a round?"
On QQ, an avatar of a handsome man holding a book flashed. In Lu Mingfei's head, he automatically filled in the di-di-di sound.
He didn't even need to click the name.
Very few people used their own photo as an avatar. Even fewer had the looks to pull it off. And fewer still would actively invite Lu Mingfei to play games.
There was only one answer.
Despite meeting only about a month ago, Lu Mingfei and Morin had bonded quickly over their shared chuunibyou tendencies. Lu Mingfei wanted to call it "two peas in a pod," but Morin rejected it outright. They settled on "long-lost friends."
"Nope," Lu Mingfei replied.
"I swear I'll use a mouse this time!"
"I can't even beat you when you use the red nub. If you use a mouse, how am I supposed to play?"
"Then I'll turn on the monitor."
"Does StarCraft require eyesight?"
"Fine, fine. Forget it," Morin paused, then sent another message. "I heard you're applying to study abroad?"
"Just applying. Who would want me?" Lu Mingfei typed. "You know what the Old Boss says-I'm a lead weight dragging down the class average."
"It's fine. I pulled back what you dragged down," Morin replied.
"Well, thanks for that."
Lu Mingfei smiled. Morin's comfort always landed in a strange place.
"You could get into any domestic university you want, right?" Lu Mingfei asked after a pause.
Morin's city-wide top rank wasn't fake. Since transferring, Shilan High's mock exam first place had permanently changed surnames. The gap was massive.
Even Lu Mingfei's grades had gone up-mostly from copying.
"That's true," Morin replied. "But I haven't decided yet. You're applying abroad? Then I'll apply too! We'll conquer endless blonde paradises together!"
"I didn't know that was your fetish!" Lu Mingfei typed rapidly. "No wonder you avoid the girls at school. I thought your orientation was questionable!"
"Wrong. As long as they're beautiful, they qualify. It's just a special period. I don't want to affect other people's studies. Not everyone's a genius like me."
"Yes, yes. Your Majesty reigns supreme," Lu Mingfei typed, then froze. "Don't actually apply. I've been getting replies these past few days. All the same: 'Dear applicant, we regret to inform you...' I think they're mass-produced."
"Drop the 'I think.' Any left?"
"One."
"Which?"
"University of Chicago."
Lu Mingfei waited for laughter.
It didn't come.
"If you give up on yourself," Morin replied, "then there really is no hope."
Lu Mingfei fell silent.
He understood the logic. But hope didn't just appear because someone told you not to give up. Was he supposed to believe UChicago would suddenly go blind?
"Hahaha," Morin sent. "Wasn't that philosophical? But seriously-before the results come out, anything's possible."
"And after they come out?" Lu Mingfei replied without thinking.
"Then change the result. My fate is determined by me, not by heaven!"
Lu Mingfei could almost see his expression. Slightly raised brows. Absolute confidence. That sunny smile.
Must be nice.
"Your chuunibyou is terminal," Lu Mingfei typed.
"A man is a youth until death. How can one not be chuunibyou?" Morin replied. "Alright, go check your mail. Maybe a miracle happens. I'm out."
"Still using the red nub?"
"Only idiots use the red nub. Mouse is superior. Tell me when you get the results. Peace."
"..."
Morin's avatar went gray.
Lu Mingfei stared at the screen. He didn't type, It'll definitely be a rejection.
He wasn't sure why.
But a tiny sliver of something stirred in his chest.
"Buy bagged milk, half a pound of Cantonese sausage, and the new issue of Story for Mingze. Pick up the celery on the table! And check the mailroom for letters from America! Still on the computer? Sitting with the city's top student won't help you in the college exam!" His aunt's voice thundered from the next room.
Lu Mingfei answered while running out, slamming the door behind him.
It felt like entering another world.
-
At an internet café, Morin switched his QQ to invisible mode. Just as he rolled up his sleeves to start StarCraft, another di-di-di sounded.
The icon flashed again.
He clicked it and raised an eyebrow.
A big-faced cat avatar.
Name: Nono.
"Wanna go a round?"
"Who are you?" Morin replied. "I remember everyone I add. You're definitely not one of them."
"Just say yes or no."
"I'm in."
...
More than five hours later.
"You definitely switched players or turned on cheats four hours ago," Morin sent.
The game had ended with his voluntary surrender. They could've continued, but he knew better than to challenge the world's strongest supercomputer with an ordinary café PC.
"Switched people. Cheats on. Only maphack."
"Maphack doesn't work on me."
"I noticed."
"I could keep playing," Morin typed, "but my internet budget's gone. I can only afford instant noodles now."
He maintained his persona naturally.
After all, Norma wasn't easy to fool.
Some details hadn't been given by the system. From the Old Boss's words, Morin pieced things together. In this world's data, his grades had exploded since sophomore year. Multiple city-first rankings. After supervision by teachers from three schools, it was confirmed as "personal ability."
That explained why he could transfer to Shilan High.
They probably paid to snatch him.
A guaranteed top scorer was something every high school wanted.
"So you want me to treat you?" A tall girl wearing a silver four-leaf clover pendant sat cross-legged in a luxury suite, laughing softly.
"What are we eating?"
"..." Nono paused for two seconds. "Street stalls?"
"Sure. Which one?"
"Norma, which stall's best?"
A shop name appeared.
Nono sent it.
"Not far. I'll walk," Morin replied.
His avatar went dark-this time for real. Nono confirmed it through the surveillance feed as the sunny boy checked out and left.
"Norma," Nono said, grabbing her keys. "Send me his file. Everything."