shivers.

I’M CURRENTLY IN ONE OF MY UNIVERSITY’S HUGE PRACTICE ROOMS. The first session for the taekwondo group is about to start, I think, because everyone has gathered here with their white uniforms and rainbow belts—mine is white, obviously.

My uniform is looking extra lovely today for it's free; Yuxi borrowed it from her senior. She loves making me not having to do anything—which I totally love.

---

A black-belted girl with long ponytailed hair and a very long body is standing in front of us. “Welcome to Taekwondo Group!” She yells, in a charismatic way.

People cheer.

I lowkey see Lin Yanjun on her. They're too similar, the eyes and the lips....

Cool. I can just imagine that he’s here and talking. I’m going to enjoy this view.

“Good afternoon everybody, I’m Lin Yiyang.”

“As the head of the group, I hope all of you have a great time for the year ahead. Always remember that Taekwondo is not only a sport, or an art, but a way of life.” Smooth.

People cheer.

“I’m going to quote one of my favorite legendary sayings; A black belt, is a white belt who refused to quit Taekwondo. I promise I’ll assist each one of you to become a better fighter. Taekwondo is not about being the best, but being better than you were yesterday.”

People cheer.

I can’t believe that until now, I’m literally not doing anything here.

I’m a little terrified... that maybe I’m starting to like this group.

“Before we begin today’s session, we’re going to perform simple warm-ups and stretching, then we’ll continue with few basics, namely: moving forward and backward, and also hand and kicking techniques.”

Geez I take that back.

So the long-haired Lin Yanjun’s begun demonstrating some movements while giving instructions to us. They’re actually not that complicated, but since my mood is already down—because turns out I have to do something here—thus my body refuses to give its all.

Uh-oh. I think she’s noticed that there’s something wrong with my poses. She’s coming to me.

Ok, she’s getting near.

I’ll just randomly bow to her.

“Hi, aren’t you Xiao Xin?”

I look up to her. “Yup, how did you—“ Of course it’s just a form of formality. I know Yanjun calls me that.

“I’m Lin Yiyang, Lin Yanjun’s younger sister. Nice to meet you!” She grabs my hand and shakes it.

Speaking of this moment, I find it weird that she calls me Xiao Xin. I believe Yanjun is around my age, so... she must be...

I grin, awkwardly. “Oh, nice to meet you too..” I clearly know that she’s Yanjun’s sister. But, seeing her up close like this, I feel even weirder. She’s way too familiar; her face, her attitude and even her voice.

I probably should stop “enjoying” Lin Yanjun too much in my brains.

“Anyways, your hand should be like this.” She’s moving my hand, placing it to the right angle. “You should remember this detail because it’s important to prevent injury.”

“I see, thanks.”

“Wait, have you injured your hand before?”

Crap. Why are you such an attention-seeker, hand?

“Kind of... but it’s been a long time.”

“Does it still hurt?”

“A bit sometimes, but it’s ok.”

“You shouldn’t be here then, I’ll ask someone to—“

“No, no, it’s really fine. I’m good.” I clear my throat. “What I meant was, that.. it did hurt, but in the past tense, you see... haha.”

“Every dancer usually has their own special old injury, right?” My fingers—index and middle—were actually twitching on the special part, to emphasize the meaning. “It’s really normal.” I add.

She seems to be a caring person. Ok... I acknowledge that.

But I have this feeling that there’s still a huge difference between her and Yanjun.

Both have shown to be two caring people—I agree that they’re somehow similar in this.

Yanjun is like a total tsundere heartthrob, really a softie inside, although his voice, his look, his everything is fierce—he said that himself.

Wait, I actually think the opposite. He looks flat when he's in his default mode, not fierce.

Meanwhile this girl, she talks in a girl's voice—well, she's indeed a girl—and she often smiles for no reason, to probably radiate a girly vibe.

But her aura is the more uptight version, in my opinion. She seems to be a firm and bold someone. It’s likely because she’s a black-belt in martial arts.

For an unknown reason, I feel like I'm more into Yanjun than her and I'm happy about that.

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

I nod.

“Cool then.” She smiles and claps few times, to gain everyone’s attention. “Next, I’ll be showing you all how to do the turning kick.”

“Before that, I need someone's help to hold this mini punching bag.” She’s taking a red punching bag.

Wait, her hand is heading to me. No—

“Miss Xiao Xin here will be holding the punching bag. Would you, by the way?”

Duh, no.

“Sure...” I take the bag from her, lazily—but I’ve put my brightest face. I think.

“Hold it like this, ok?” She places my right hand that’s holding the punching bag, about 20 or 30 cm in front of my right shoulder.

She yells, “So, you have to stand like this; basically you’re facing your left side, but turn your upper body and your head to the punching bag.”

“Then, do the kick like this—“

“OW!” The kick was so hard that I felt like I wasn’t holding a thing.

SCREW EVERYTHING!

My body unconsciously falls on the floor and start curling itself like a worm.

“I’m sorry, are you ok?” She asks.

I believe my face is curling too because it’s quite painful. At least it doesn’t feel like the usual—when I forgot to take my medicine.

She grabs my hand and takes it out of the ing bag. “Oh no, you’re bleeding!”

No, no, please no. It has too many stitches already. Lin jie’s been mocking me a lot about how I’ll be forever alone because no guy would ever want to put a wedding ring there.

“You there, take her to the infirmary!”

I don’t know—and don’t ing care about—who she’s talking to. But I can feel that the person's trying to support me to stand up.

“Thanks, by the way.” I murmur.

“You’re good?” A guy’s voice. The person is a guy.

“I guess.”

I’ve stood up, attempting to blink many times, but my vision is just... blurry.

No, I don’t feel good at all.

I feel that he’s trying to carry me.

“No, I can walk. I’m quite heavy, you know...” I gently brush his hands off of my body. “—according to a stupid someone.” I whispered the last one.

So we start walking slowly—but sure—to the infirmary.

---

“What happened?” The nurse asks.

“Her hand is bleeding because of Taekwondo’s kick stunt, Mam.”

“Ok, I’ll take it from here.” She grabs my arm, to support me walking to a bed there.

Wait, before the guy leaves, I should take this chance to thank him again.

“Thanks a lot, I owe you!“ He’s probably left already. “—dear whoever you are...” I whisper that as I lay my body on the bed.

“How are you feeling, Miss?”

“Fine..”

“I mean, please describe the pain in details.”

“There’s a tender feeling on my hand, and my vision is a bit blurry.”

“Any sign of dizziness?”

“I guess...”

“By the way, Mam, why do I feel like there’s a brief rain going on my hand? What’s happening?”

“There’s a scratch on your palm, and it’s bleeding. I’m going to clean the wound and wrap it.”

“Ok...”

She starts cleaning my hand, from the palm, then every finger....

“OUCH!”

She’s touching the area below my thumb.

“Does it hurt here?”

“Y-yes..”

“You seems to have muscle swelling here. I’m going to apply a cream first to cool it down.”

Few minutes later, once she’s finished with everything plus wrapping my hand, she asks, “How are you feeling? Still dizzy?”

“Yes.... the rain feels like it’s going to stop soon but everything is still blurry and moving...”

Why am I describing things like a kid... do I want a mom?

“I see. I’ll give you something to drink.”

She starts searching for it in her cabinet. I can hear that she’s opening some shelf right now.

“Where is it...” She mumbles. “Did she forget to report the stock, again? Why did they hire her?!” Basically, she’s groaning to herself.

“Sorry, Miss, I have to get it in other infirmary room. I’ll be back as soon as possible. If you need some—“

“Mam, it’s ok... take your time, hehe. I’ll just chill here. I’m having a good time, it’s comfortable.”

“Well, I’ll get going, then.”

“Alright, jia you, Mam!”

I start blinking few times, trying to get my eyes back to business. I feel bad that she's busy panicking by herself meanwhile me, still laying on bed, totally not helping.

---

But all of a sudden, the lights go off. I don’t think the sun's left the sky by now, but this room's become really dark already. I can’t see a thing.

What’s up with the architecture? This isn’t ergonomic at all. They should’ve designed this room specifically extra safe and comfortable. Sick students come and go around here, you know.

Why is there no light source at all? Maybe windows?

The atmosphere is too dark and scary that... I think I want to pee.

“Where’s the ing bathroom, my dear goodness...”

I slowly try to support myself to stand up and start walking like a blind person.

My left hand is currently trying to touch everything, to like mentally map the way.

I think I manage to walk few steps away of the room by now.

But, wait, I feel like I’m touching a person. He/she’s right in front of me.

“Hi there, do you have your phone with you? Could you turn the flashlight on, I need to—“

“OWWW!” 2.0

The person just kicked me right on my stomach! It’s crazily full of force that I fell on the floor.

I [still] can’t see anything.

I feel funny.....