Next day/April 11 •Field• Xu Minghao's class
 

All 25 of Minghao's students were lined up in two lines, 12 in the front and 13 at the back row. Minghao stood confidently his back straight and hands behind his back as he held a booklet . He slowly walks down the line while speaking "So I guess you've all read the email that the principal sent yesterday right?". The students replied with a long lazy "Yeeeess". Minghao nods and hums at their answer  "Does anyone remember what the first event on the schedule is?". Everyone remained quiet except Li Xikan who hesitantly puts his hand up. Minghao gestures Xikan to talk "Laoshi, the first event was 800m run" Xikan shouts out confidently. All the students' eyes widen and glared at Xikan. Xikan looks around wondering why everyone was glaring at him like that. His friend Xinchun beside him pinches his arm"You idiot he's going to make us run 800m!" Xinchun yelled in a hushed volume. "That's right!  So let's all line up at the starting point!" Minghao shouts out excitedly as he skips to the starting line before the students follow behind dissatisfaction on their faces.

"Ding Zeren, Fan Chengcheng, Wang Ziyi, Zhou Yanchen, Huang Xinchun and Li Xikan. At the starting point" Minghao called out. In response Li Xikan  looked at his teacher in shock. "I'm running with them?!" Xikan exclaimed pointing at the five boys who were already warming up by the line. Xinchun pats his shoulder giving it a tight comforting squeeze "Don't worry, though Chengcheng has gained weight he still runs hella fast and if you didn't know Zeren got 1st place in 100m sprints in primary, so don't feel bad if you're 10 meters behind them because I've experienced that before" Xinchun sighs remembering the old memories. Xian feels his eyebrow twitch at Xinchun's 'comforting' words "Dude thanks for making me feel useless" Xikan said sarcastically. Over at the start line Fan Chengcheng was excitedly warming up he was about to star jumps, as swang his hands he accidentally hits Ziyi and Zeren whose lane was next to his. Chengcheng gasps "Da-Ge(Big bro) I'm so so so sorry!" he apologized loudly"I didn't hit your face right?" Chengcheng asks Ziyi. Ziyi lifted his arm up "No you scratched my arm though but it's fine. You're lucky you're Bing laoshi's younger brother" Ziyi said in a monotone not saying the last part out loud. "Ah that's good that's good-" "Hey Fan Chengcheng shouldn't you care about your best friend? You hit my face!" Zeren interrupted. Next to him Yanchen notices tint red marks on Zeren's cheeks, he points at Zeren's face "Chengcheng look you've scratched his face" he stated. "Wahh how long are your nails?" asked Yanchen. Chengcheng observes his finger nails that he trimmed three days ago "They're not long they're just sharp I'll get Zhengting to file them later..."he pauses when he felt a pair of dangerous eyes on him "...and Zeren stop glaring your eyeballs will fall out" he joked giggling when Zeren rolled his eyes.

When the six boys were ready standing in their lanes and starting lines, Minghao then held the whistle near his lips "Ready..." the boys crouched down with their front knee over and hands at their starting lpoint. "Set..." they extended their legs so that their hips were slightly higher than their own shoulders. Minghao blew the whistle long and loud, the six boys pushed forwards and upwards from their crouching positions as they ran past their  line. Minghao watched as the faster runners (Zeren and Ziyi in particular) ran halfway through the track he calls out for Zhou Rui, Lu Dinghao, Xu Shengen, Jeffery, Zhang Yifan, and Jing Peiyao to get ready. After Xinchun and Xikan(the slower runners) have ran past the starting line and continues to run the remaining 400m Minghao blew the whistle and the six boys he just called out ran too.

Zhou Yanchen was on his second lap running the remaining 400m and he was nearing Chengcheng and Zeren, Wang Ziyi was way ahead. Yanchen could see he was catching up with Zeren but he was also losing energy.

Zeren could hear puffing behind him, he peeked over his shoulder and was surprised to see Yanchen. Yanchen's fringe was wet from sweat and cheeks a bit flushed from heat it reminded Zeren when he used to play tag with a little boy, Yanchen.

Yanchen saw Zeren slowing down, so that he was (slightly) shoulder to shoulder with him (*ahem*height difference). "Yanchen-ge are you okay?" Zeren asked between deep breathes. "I'm fine, you can keep running" Yanchen assured. Zeren weakly shakes his head "No, Let's run together" Zeren said firmly with an encouraging smile. Without noticing Yanchen stares at Zeren, his eyes get fuzzy as his brain suddenly shows another memory...

Small Yanchen was running laps around the backyard. He accidentally drew on his father's paper works so his father made him run as punishment. A boy suddenly appears next to him "Xiao Hua (little flower(YC's nickname)) you're getting punished again? Hehe how bout we run together?"

Yanchen shakes his head blinking a view times till his view was clearer. "Why do I keep getting visions when I'm with him"  Yanchen asked himself as he watched Zeren babbling on about something he couldn't keep up with. His head felt dizzy and his vision was foggy as his eyes were drooping , his legs were really weak. "I'll rest... for a moment..." was what Zeren heard before he felt a tug on his arm and heard a loud thump.
 

At the airport, small Yanchen's eyes were teary his lips trembled as he gave his friend a tight long hug. "Dingzi, wae do you haf to go" Yanchen cried out. Dingzi slowly lets go of the embrace to look at Yanchen's eyes "I already told you yesterday not to cry. You have to smile when I leave or else every time I try to think of you I'll only remember your snotty face" Dingzi laughs as Yanchen gave him a playful punch. "I only want to see your happy face, if you cry it means you're sad I don't want you to be sad I want you to be happy! So you need to promise me to always smile! When I leave or when I come back I must see you smile!" Dingzi proclaimed. Yanchen wipes his tears with his sweater paws the corners of his lips lifted as he showed Dingzi a wide bright grin. Dingzi mirrored the gesture, smiling and showing his dimples and crescent eyes. "Wait for me Yanchen...Yanchen ...Yanchen yanchen! " The scene changes and Yanchen sees himself in a car . Yanchen didn't have enough time to fully observe his surroundings as he heard a loud horrible crash and felt the gravity around him spin as his head hits something hard. Sounds of high pitched screaming travels into his ears.

*back to present*

Yanchen's eyes shot open as he gasped tightly squeezing his fists, that is when he felt the hand holding him. The hand belonged to Zeren "Dingzi, you look like Dingzi" Yanchen croaked out through his dry throat. Zeren was now facing all sorts of emotions now he was happy that Yanchen woke up, worried that he was injured, glad that Yanchen finally remembered something about their childhood but also sad that Yanchen didn't identify him as Dingzi, he said he only 'looked like'.  Zeren's jaw trembled as he tried to speak "I-I am Dingz-" Zeren didn't get to finish as Zhou Rui (who he forgot was in the room too) came back with water "Yanchen! You woke up! are you feeling okay? Should I get you anything? You dumb child how did you faint all of a sudden? Bingbing Laoshi said you had a headache and exhaustion.If you were tired then you could've told the teacher and this wouldn't have happened..." Zhou Rui nagged and nagged until he was stopped by Yanchen. Yanchen let go of Zeren's hand so he could shift his body to face Zhou Rui who sat on the left side of the bed. Zeren stared at his own hands and remained quiet his ears perked up at the sound of foot steps running closer to the nurse room.

"Yanchen-ge!" A very tall kid jogged in ,it was Zhang Yankai followed by Zhu Xingjie. "Ge are you okay? You scared me:( "  Yankai whined as he kneeled next to Zhou Rui. "Wah! kid stop growing you look taller than me by even kneeling gosh" Zhou Rui noted. "Anyone would be taller than you anyways, get used to it" they heard Xingjie mumble. The atmosphere in the room then got cold and tense. Yankai and Yanchen looked at each other using their eyes to communicate they tried to figure out a way to solve the situation."What now? They're going to start a fight again" Yankai signaled as he moved his eyebrows up and down. Yanchen furrowed his eyebrows and shrugged "I don't know". "Are you two okay?" Zeren asked startling the two "Y-yeah we're fine" Yankai lied.

"Oh! Yankai! Huba!"A loud voice boomed from the door.Xingjie didn't even have to turn to see and knew who it was "Stop.calling.me.Hu.ba" Xingjie growled. Xiao Gui pretended not to hear that and proceeded chatting "What are you guys doing here? We have next class together".  Yankai and Yanchen's eyes lit up "We're saved! ". "Gui-ge, Jie-ge lets go to class right now!" Yankai cheered and dragged Xingjie out the door. "Wait wait what happened to Yanchen?" Xiao Gui's voice echoed throughout the hallway as he also got dragged to class. "That's your room mate?" Zhou Rui asked "Hmm yeah"Yanchen hummed as he stepped out of bed. Zhou Rui nodded in understanding as his eyes wondered to the doorframe where Xiao Gui stood.




















 

°When I stood on stage for the first time°