Take me home.

“Piglet Bei, my bag is so heavy. I’ll just leave these books with you.” With a mischievous grin, Chuchu dumped all her textbooks onto my backpack without a second thought.

“Chuchu!” I looked up at her clear, luminous eyes with a hint of grievance. “Chuchu, listen—” But before I could finish, her thin lips curled up in a warning, and her hands flashed into a pinching gesture. Realizing the danger, I swallowed hard and forced the rest of my words back down.

“Stupid Bei, take me home later, okay? I’ll wait for you at the school gate, so hurry up!” With that, Chuchu dashed out of the classroom, pausing only to lean against the doorframe and flash me a smile before vanishing from sight.

Reluctantly, I shoved the hefty stack of textbooks into my already bulging bag, mustering all my strength to close the zipper. Then, I walked to a desk in the back corner of the classroom, where a boy with streaked brown hair was lost in a blissful slumber. Annoyed, I flung my bag heavily onto the desk and leaned down to bellow in his ear, “Haozi!”

Haozi jerked upright on reflex, wiping a long line of drool from the corner of his mouth. He rubbed his swollen, sleep-filled eyes and stared at me for a long moment. “Oh, it’s you,” he mumbled, stretching languidly before grabbing his bag and standing up.

Haozi and I had been classmates since elementary school. I never expected we’d end up together again in high school, and even less that his sister, Chuchu—the deskmate who bullied me daily—would be with us as well.

“Haozi, your sister is just too much…” As we crossed the playground, I rolled up my sleeve and thrust my arm under his nose. On it, a little turtle had been drawn with a water-based pen, and beside it, in neat print, were the words, “Piglet Bei.”

“Not bad, looks pretty accurate.” Haozi yawned gleefully, pushing my arm aside, his eyes still half-closed, as if lost in his dreamworld.

“Accurate, my foot…” I started to retort, only to realize what I was saying. “You idiot, Haozi!” I yelled, swinging my bag at him in frustration, then complained in a wounded tone, “See? All your sister’s books.”

With agile reflexes, Haozi dodged my attack, grinning mischievously. “Hey, it’s like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai—one’s willing to hit, the other’s willing to take it. What’s it got to do with me?”

I was left speechless by his words, unable to catch my breath for a moment. “She’s your sister!”

Haozi opened his mouth to reply, but just then, a basketball rolled our way. Haozi quickly stuck out his foot to stop it.

“Haozi! Bei! Over here!” We looked up to see a few of our classmates.

The sight of the basketball lit Haozi up like a cat spotting a mouse. Without a word, he scooped up the ball and dashed to the court. Tossing off his jacket and flinging his bag under the hoop, he called out energetically, “Bei! Let’s play a bit before we go!” Gone was any trace of his earlier lethargy.

“But… your sister’s waiting for me…” I protested, pointing toward the school gate.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” With that, Haozi bounced the ball in my direction. Instinctively, I caught it. Now there was no escape—I’d have to play. Watching Haozi’s sly grin, I sighed and trudged over. “Fine, just a bit…”

…

Night finally fell. When the time grew late, Haozi and I reluctantly said goodbye to the friends still battling on the court, grabbed our bags, and headed out of the school.

“Haozi, that block you just made was amazing! You really had a touch of Mutombo there! That junior girl who likes you couldn’t take her eyes off you…” I slapped Haozi’s shoulder with excitement, but his face was twisted with a strange expression.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I asked, worried he might be suffering from some aftereffects of being knocked over. But I didn’t realize that danger was creeping up behind me. Haozi subtly pointed over my shoulder, muttering, “Take care, Piglet Bei. I’m out of here…” Before he finished, he’d already bolted away at lightning speed.

Before I could react, Chuchu’s voice drifted eerily from behind, “Li Xiaobei, was Haozi’s block impressive?” Instantly, a chill ran down my spine. I turned anxiously, only to see Chuchu’s furious, ashen face.

“Ah… Chuchu… I’m… I’m sorry… I forgot…” I stammered, hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. “Ow! Ow! Stop pinching, it hurts!” But Chuchu ignored my apologies and dug her fingers into my arm with surprising strength. Tears sprang to my eyes from the pain.

“Please, have mercy, Chuchu—goddess Chuchu, beautiful Chuchu—I’ll buy you oden…” I begged piteously, carefully trying to pry her fingers loose. Heaven knows where she got such strength, but after a long struggle, she finally let go with a snort, her angry face suddenly making me feel a bit dazed.

“What are you staring at?” Chuchu asked curiously.

“You’re actually pretty cute when you’re mad.” As I said it, I must have looked like a complete fool.

“You idiot, stinky Piglet Bei, always picking on me! Now go get my bike, or are you trying to starve your big sister?” Chuchu, flustered, quickly changed the subject. Without waiting for my reaction, she grabbed me firmly and dragged me toward the bike shed.

The late autumn night carried a hint of winter’s chill as I pedaled down the familiar path, listening to Chuchu softly humming behind me. For a moment, I felt like the happiest person in the world. The streetlights cast a dreamy, hazy glow, shrouding everything in a gentle romance.

“Chuchu,” I called her name without thinking.

She was still humming, only replying with a distracted “Hmm,” lost in her own melody.

“It’s nothing,” I said, swallowing the words I couldn’t quite bring myself to utter. “I like you, Chuchu. Can you feel it?” I whispered silently in my heart.

“Dummy, why’d you call me for no reason? Looking for trouble?” Chuchu pinched my back, perhaps as payback for interrupting her song.

Yet beneath the sharp sting, I felt a trace of sweetness.

Good times are always fleeting. Before long, we reached Chuchu’s building. She hopped off the bike, waved goodbye, and said, “All right, Piglet Bei, I’m home! Don’t forget to bring my textbooks tomorrow, or else…” She mimed a chopping gesture, then dashed off into the stairwell.

In an instant, my world felt empty. Only the whistling wind beside me reminded me that I still existed in this mysterious world.

Countless lights shimmered in the night, as dusk softly descended.