“I’m sure everyone has heard that this school is a little different from other schools. We place a great deal of importance on developing students in every respect. To put it bluntly, that’s also for the sake of the school’s further-education and employment rates. To train your ability to live independently, the on-campus military training originally scheduled for three days from now will be changed to camping military training in the nearby mountains. The school will ensure everyone’s safety, so please don’t worry. You’ll form groups of seven, regardless of gender. You may choose your group members from among the first-year students yourselves. This is meant to help you develop better social and teamwork skills before entering society. Alright, that concludes today’s class meeting. Use the remaining time to discuss your groups.” After the class adviser finished speaking, she left the classroom. The room immediately erupted as everyone began pulling together teammates.
So was it camping or military training? Was no one curious about the strange new phrase “camping military training”? Apparently the novelty only made everyone more enthusiastic than usual.
Gong Zhu walked over with a grin. “Ke Bu, let’s be in the same group?”
Ke Bu gave him a look of disgust. “Why should I be in a group with you?”
“You don’t want to be the one left behind in the end, do you?” Gong Zhu had a point. Ke Bu thought in silence. Asking people to join him himself really would be difficult, and when it came to socializing he was nowhere near Gong Zhu, that social butterfly. He might as well dump the troublesome part on him. After thinking it over, Ke Bu agreed.
“Then could I trouble you to invite Chu Hao Yu and Lord Zhi Li? We need seven people, and it’s better to group up with people we know.” So this was Gong Zhu’s real plan. Ke Bu had tried to save himself trouble and somehow dragged himself into more of it instead. Whatever. Being with people he knew was still better than being with strangers. Ke Bu curled his lip and called toward Chu Hao Yu, “Hey, Yutai.”
Elio’s Notes: “Yutai” (宇态) is Ke Bu’s clipped insult combining the 宇 (Yu) from Chu Hao Yu’s name with the 态 (tai) from 变态 (biantai), “pervert.”
Chu Hao Yu’s face filled with disdain. “Who are you calling that?”
“Chu Hao Yu, you huge pervert. Shortened to Yutai. I’m asking whether you and Zhi Li want to join our group.”
“If you want to invite me, get in line. I’ve already decided to join the Boob Group. Right, Zhi Li?” Zhi Li raised his head and stared straight at Ke Bu. The stare made Ke Bu’s skin crawl. He had a feeling Zhi Li was about to say something terrifying again. “Undecided.”
“Come on, Zhi Li. Look at Ke Bu’s flat chest. Forget military training, I wouldn’t even be able to eat.”
“If I actually had a pair of huge breasts, nobody would be able to eat!!” Ke Bu ground his teeth. Why did he have to do this? He forced on a smile, almost as if an invisible tail behind him were wagging. “Lord Zhi Li, join our group. We offer warm, attentive, considerate service.” Zhi Li gave no response. He picked up a pen, tossed it away, and made the sound one would use to send an animal off. “Shoo~~”
“You think I’m a dog?!!!”
And just like that, Zhi Li was inexplicably dragged into the group by Ke Bu. Then again, Zhi Li himself was an inexplicable person. Chu Hao Yu naturally joined too. The four of them sat together to discuss the remaining members. Having completed his mission, Ke Bu merely sat to the side playing a game on his phone, while Zhi Li kept reading the freshman handbook as though no one else existed. What could possibly be in that thing that makes you keep reading something so boring? Ke Bu kept the irritation to himself.
Every so often, Gong Zhu would glance at Zhi Li with an enthusiastic gaze. Chu Hao Yu spoke first. “Since we’re camping, every group member has to be useful. I’ll be responsible for providing dirty magazines so everyone has something to do in the boring mountains.”
“That’ll be a huge help,” Ke Bu said sarcastically. Chu Hao Yu ignored him and looked at Gong Zhu, who returned his gaze with clear, innocent eyes. “As for you, when the group needs it, use your looks to swindle food and drinks from the other groups, then trick a few girls into coming over too. As for Ke Bu, well, every group has someone who drags everyone down, so we’ll just have to put up with it. Next we need someone in charge of logistics who can cook well. We also need someone who’s good at fighting. If a black bear shows up, they can hold it off. If they can’t and get eaten, that’s fine too. At least we’ll already have run away. And we need someone powerful and well connected so we have support when things come up.” Apparently Chu Hao Yu had thought the whole survival thing through rather thoroughly. Gong Zhu picked up the conversation. “I do know a girl in the class next door who’s really good at cooking. She hardly ever eats food from outside and always cooks at home and brings it to school. As for someone who can fight, there seems to be a delinquent who’s already giving the teachers headaches. School just started and he’s already picking fights with upperclassmen. I heard his father is a boxer too. Someone powerful is harder. The most powerful person in school should be the chancellor. Freshmen haven’t joined the student council yet. The chancellor does have a daughter who just enrolled, but that one would be way too difficult.”
“Are you putting together a team for the Olympics? Why do you need so many amazing people? Do you seriously think that if you shamelessly invite them, they’ll be so excited their hands shake while accepting? Stop dreaming. If things were that easy, would it even be your turn?” Ke Bu shattered both of their fantasies.
Chu Hao Yu shrugged and laughed. “Leave the women to me. If we’re forming a group, of course we should make it the best one. Otherwise, such a dull school life would be meaningless.” Gong Zhu seemed moved by his words and nodded hard. “Then for the next three days, let’s all do our best together.” Ke Bu shifted his gaze to Zhi Li, who had not spoken the entire time. That guy was still reading the freshman handbook. Just how bored are you? Noticing Ke Bu’s gaze, Zhi Li turned his head, picked up the pen in his hand, and tossed it forward. “Go~”
“I already told you I’m not a dog!!” Ke Bu shouted fiercely.
Walking out of the restroom, Ke Bu shook the water droplets from his hands and noticed a small group from the neighboring class gathered around watching something. Then he heard Chu Hao Yu’s voice. “Come on, young lady, don’t be scared. Come to uncle.” Anyone would be scared after hearing something like that. Ke Bu went to the window. A girl was backed into a corner, her whole face red and her eyes full of fear.
“Uncle isn’t a bad person. Come join our group. Uncle will take you to a paradise of pleasure you’ve never experienced before. Come on, don’t be shy. Uncle’s embrace is your warmest harbor.”
Ke Bu abandoned the horrifying scene and hurried away. He really did not want anyone to know he knew Chu Hao Yu.
That afternoon, the lunatic Chu Hao Yu actually managed to recruit Zhou Xin He, a girl from the neighboring class. Zhou Xin He was unusually shy, her eyes constantly darting away while she stood there uneasily. Ke Bu looked the petite girl with the cute round face up and down. Her timid personality had probably left her without friends and unable to find a group, which was why she had agreed to join Chu Hao Yu.
Chu Hao Yu rubbed his chin. “Next is that problem student. Looks a little difficult. Ke Bu, you go fight him.”
“Why should I do something that dangerous? Do you think the two of us will trade punches beneath the sunset, sweat flying, one punch from you and one from me, until we both collapse exhausted on the ground, panting as we smile up at the brilliant sky and say, ‘Didn’t expect you to be so strong,’ and from then on form a deep friendship? Stop dreaming.”
“I also think fighting is a bad idea. We only just entered the school. If we’re caught, we’ll be punished,” Gong Zhu said quietly. Zhou Xin He simply looked restless, as if she wanted to say something, but no matter how she stammered, she could not get the words out.
“Um… what about Lord Zhi Li?” Gong Zhu asked.
“It’s better if he doesn’t show up,” Chu Hao Yu said. Ke Bu looked up at the blazing sun hanging in the sky and agreed. “Yeah.” Gong Zhu had no idea what the two of them meant.