Archive of Our Own

"The team's really been a mess ever since you left!" Huang Shaotian whined from the desk he had commandeered, "Coach's been managing so far but now that we're entering tournament season things are getting crazy! I mean just yesterday Coach was going around looking for his glasses and you might think 'oh hey they were probably on his head' but no! No they weren't! Guess where they were! Guess where they were!"

Yu Wenzhou paused in packing up his things while Huang Shaotian took the monumental effort to stop himself, looking like the suspense was killing him.

"His shoe bag?" Yu Wenzhou guessed.

"His shoe bag!" Huang Shaotian shouted gleefully at the same time. "Isn't-" He stopped. An entire paragraph's worth of chatter dying prematurely.

"Whatwhatwhat Wenzhou how'd you know?! We were there and we searched his duffel bag, the whole field, and the locker room three times and couldn't find them! Three times Wenzhou! Three! All that grass! All those shrubs! Every single pathway! People thought we were doing volunteer work for good karma! Did someone else tell you the story? Was it Yu Feng? Zheng Xuan?” He squinted hard at his friend’s face. “Fang Rui??? He hasn’t been in football training with us since Elementary! I can't believe it! I wanted to be the first one to tell you! It was so funny Wenzhou but so tiring and it was basically night time when they were finally found but here you are and you solved it instantly!"

Yu Wenzhou chuckled. "Don't worry Shaotian, you're the first to tell me. It's just that I know Coach takes his shoes off and places them in a bag beside him before removing his glasses to towel his face. It's not surprising they accidentally ended up together."

Huang Shaotian huffed, chin in his hands, cheeks squished like a hamster, "You see, you say that it's no surprise but everyone on the field was laughing so hard in surprise. We even took a picture of his shoe wearing the glasses and were joking that it was our new assistant coach." He slumped over the desk. “Wenzhou you're so smart. Like really, really smart. The kind that's not just memorization and stuff but also the memorization and stuff.” He pouted and muttered, “I can't believe auntie and uncle are making you take college review classes already…"

Yu Wenzhou took a breath to respond but what could he say? They'd had this conversation so many times they'd actually exhausted all the conversation routes he'd mapped out. Yes he was smart, but so were others. Yes he worked hard, but so did others. Being a varsity Team Manager was good life experience but this country still only focused on academic scores. The Gaokao was a nationwide exam that would single handedly decide the future of all college hopefuls and his parents hoped that their bright, bright son and his stellar grades, that had topped his school, their district, and their region, would then go on to top the nation. His parents, his grandparents, their overseas relatives, their neighbors, his teachers, their local grocer - all of them had such high, high hopes for him that he couldn't help but feel buried underneath them all.

A hand gripped his wrist.

"Sorry Wenzhou," Huang Shaotian said quietly, "I shouldn't have brought it up. It's just sad that we both have to take a break from football to study but we can't even study together."

Yu Wenzhou sighed ruefully, "It is sad in that funny kind of way." Though his leave wasn’t so much a break but a possible permanent severance. He latched his bag shut, "Ready to go meet your study group?"

"Uggggh," Shaotian groaned, before dragging himself off the desk. "This is gonna suck so baaaaad. Stupid class. Stupid grades. Stupid test. Stupid stupid stupid," he grumbled as they walked out of the classroom.

Yu Wenzhou clapped his friend's shoulder, "Just bring up your average with this test and you'll be back within the minimum required GPA to qualify for varsity. You have prodigious focus when you've got a clear goal in mind so I know you can do it."

Surprisingly, Huang Shaotian didn't have an immediate response to that. He stared sullenly at the floor as they walked, uncharacteristically silent. Eventually, he said, "I really miss you being our Team Manager."

Yu Wenzhou could only squeeze his friend’s shoulder. In reassurance or regret, he wasn't sure which.

-

They arrived at Huang Shaotian's assigned group study table to find-

"Chu Yunxiu? What are you doing here?!" Huang Shaotian yelped loudly.

Said Chu Yunxiu buried her face in her hands and groaned, "No no no, this can't be happening. Not him. Of all people, why him whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"

"Shaotian, indoor voice," Yu Wenzhou reminded calmly. "You know each other?"

"Wenzhou, how could I not know about Chu Yunxiu? She's-"

"Who hasn't HEARD Huang Shaotian-"

"-your classmate. Are you saying you don't know about her? She's-"

"Hey what the fuck is THAT supposed to mean!"

"Ah. Um. That. Ah. Uh," Huang Shaotian panicked in Yu Wenzhou's direction.

Ah, Yu Wenzhou winced internally, it seems they didn’t actually know each other. His friend really stuck his foot in his mouth.

A sharp knock on the table caught their attention, "While it seems that some people know of others at this table, it is not the same as actually being acquainted. I'm Ye Xiu, your tutor, this is Chu Yunxiu, second year student, and this is Zhou Zekai, first year student. Am I correct in assuming that I'm speaking to Huang Shaotian, second year student?"

Huang Shaotian and Yu Wenzhou turned to see a non-descript man and a younger teen who was doing a truly commendable job of blending into the wall paint because his breathtakingly handsome face looked like it could stop traffic.

"Oh my god! It's the Flower on the Mountain! What is he doing here? He's a freshman! There isn't some mix up is there? Chu Yunxiu and I are second years and-

"Huang Shaotian, talk to Xiao Zhou. Not about him. He's right here," Chu Yunxiu said sharply. She turned to their underclassman. "Sorry Xiao Zhou, this guy's basically your anti-thesis."

Zhou Zekai, who'd been watching the whole exchange, simply nodded.

"Oh, um, sorry about that," said Huang Shaotian, scratching his cheek and realizing he'd been chastised twice in a mere handful of seconds. "But wait wait wait, no seriously I'm here for second year literature remedial classes! Are we grouped by subject and not year? That makes sense I guess. Actually I'm surprised, Chu Yunxiu. I can't believe you need remedial classes for literature. Don't you like dramas and stuff? Isn't that in the same ballhouse? Or is it because it's reading instead of watching? Isn't there something about different learning types-"

"I'm here," Chu Yunxiu deliberately cut in with a finger to the table, "to do all the homework I haven't done yet so the second year teachers and I don't need to see each other again in the summer or worse, next year. The school just advised that I choose a study group to stay with for," she waved her hand and rolled her eyes, "Morale, or something. Miserable company."

"Encouragement," Ye Xiu said, dryly.

Chu Yunxiu rolled her eyes again but this time there was an actual grin included. "Yeah, sure." But then she frowned. "It seemed like it was gonna work out fine but if it's gonna be noisy I think I'll have to transfer." She looked around the table. "Sorry to be that person but somebody had to say it."

"An honest assessment," Ye Xiu mused, "Huang Shaotian?"

"Yes?" Then, belatedly realizing that he still had not introduced himself, "Yes, good afternoon, I'm Huang Shaotian, a second year."

Ye Xiu hummed, "It's nice to meet you. May I ask why you've decided to join a study group?"

"My teacher required-"

Ye Xiu stopped him with a hand. "If I may, the teachers can say anything to you but at the end of the day, it's still you who decided to show up. Why?"

Slightly taken aback, Huang Shaotian said, "Oh I…need to bring up my GPA in the upcoming exam to stay in the Football Varsity and attend the training camp. We're aiming for Nationals and I'm…uh…a key player. Maintaining a minimum grade per subject is a requirement for staying in the varsity and I don't want to get booted on a technicality.

"And this is important to you?"

"Yes," Huang Shaotian nodded. "Very."

"Are you willing to redirect the same level of dedication you would have used in football practice into bringing up your grade so you can return to football?"

"Yes!" Huang Shaotian shouted at football field volume, turning a few heads.

Ye Xiu chuckled, "Inside volume, young sir. But thank you, that should be more than enough. Hu-laoshi said that he's confident you'll be back in fighting form in no time and that he's cheering the whole team on. While he can't stay here for these remedial sessions due to schedule conflict, he did tailor fit the study plan to your strengths and needs as well as structure it in a way that will hopefully feel like training. The goal is for you to get in the same headspace you get for football to maintain focus. We'll continuously give feedback for the next two weeks to make sure it's effective for you. Sound good?"

"Yup!" Huang Shaotian answered with two thumbs up.

"And you?" Ye Xiu turned to Yu Wenzhou, "are you going to join us as well?"

"Ah, no sir," Yu Wenzhou replied politely, "I-" was here for moral support? I was just dropping Shaotian off? I just wanted to see what his study group was going to be like? I have Gaokao review? Is that awkward to bring up in front of a remedial studies group? I've paused too long already, "My parents signed me up for Gaokao review," he grimaced.

Ye Xiu met his eyes with what felt like laser-like focus and Yu Wenzhou felt pinned beneath it, examined, and completely seen through in an instant. His mouth tightened. Ye Xiu's gaze flicked away.

"I can't say I don't know the feeling," the man said ruefully, "Do you want to be doing Gaokao review this early?"

"Ah…" Yu Wenzhou looked down.

Ye Xiu sighed, "Then it may be a bit presumptuous as you're not my tutee but let me offer some advice. Like what I said to your friend, your parents can make decisions for you but - even guided by the best intentions - it's still you who will be living your life. If it is possible to avoid living a life full of regret because it's not the one you decided on then do so. And," that gaze pinned Yu Wenzhou again, "many things are only possible if you carve a path to them." He turned to the rest, "If anyone here wants to talk, I'm here from 5 to 7PM everyday or mostly helping at the daycare behind the school from 8 to 4. Now please be seated Huang Shaotian and we can get started."

-

As he walked to his review center replaying that conversation, Yu Wenzhou recognized the reverse parallel that had happened. Shaotian had started with "My teacher-" and was led to "I" while he, Yu Wenzhou had started with "I" and then covered it up with "My parents."

It felt like a step backwards.

-

"So it's like a whole training menu! Mostly focused on time management and thought organization. Which is actually the reason why both I and Zhou Zekai are in the same study group. Chu Yunxiu’s just chosen this group because she already knows lao-Ye. But don't ask her about it, ok, because she just kept laughing at how Zhou Zekai's problem is that he explains too little in his essays that teachers don't know how he got his answers and my problem is that I explain too much. So much that I lose the point, apparently. And then she went ahead and told lao-Ye that it's my fault that no one’s allowed to use the back of the test sheets for essays! All because of that one test! Just that ONE test Wenzhou! Where - yeah - I filled up all the margins, and the back of all the papers to fit my essays. But really! What was our teacher thinking asking us to summarize the whole first arc of the story and how it set up the fall in the third arc? That was thirty plus chapters of the book! And if I'm going to have to explain how they were a setup for the third act then of course I have to discuss those chapters too! And that was like twenty plus chapters! Fifty plus chapters total Wenzhou! What was Hu-laoshi thinking!"

"Shaotian," Yu Wenzhou's eyes crinkled in mirth, "what about the training menu?"

"Ah," Huang Shaotian froze with his chopsticks inches from his mouth. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH," he groaned at having proved the whole point of this training.

-

Back at Huang Shaotian's classroom, Yu Wezhou flipped through Shaotian’s practice tests.

"So it's mock exam after mock exam?" 

"Yeah, with everything a normal test would have. So that's quick multiple choice, some identification, and then essays.  I don't have a problem with the stories themselves, just the mechanics of taking exams. Zhou Zekai and I are both training to use pre-memorized outlines for essay writing like a checklist of what info teachers look for. Which - Wenzhou - that's apparently what they do! Our teachers DO have an outline checklist of what to look for in our essays and as long as you hit those points that's it! You're fine! No one gets extra points for how nicely worded it is apparently, as long as it's understandable. Which, wow, do you think I should tell our batchmates? I know Liu Hao has really flowery essays. Like, obscure big word stuff."

Yu Wenzhou shrugged. “Let him write how he wants. If our teachers want to coach him then that's their business. But going back to you and Xiao Zhou, is it that you just need one sentence per idea and that's enough?

"Basically,” Huang Shaotian nodded, “It's summary statement, three main points, one to three supporting details per point, and then finish with summary statement again but worded differently. For Zhou Zekai he needs at least one sentence each for the summaries and main points and then one sentence is okay for all the supporting details. For me it's the same but max one sentence per supporting detail. And no," he did air quotes, "funny ideas about getting away with one long run-on sentence that takes up a whole paragraph."

Yu Wenzhou chuckled, "Good that they made that clear."

"Hey!"

"Then how about time management? Right now you're allowed an extra 15 minutes, right? Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, so for time management, every five I need to mark where I am. This first batch of practice tests is for me to test how long I take on average in the multiple choice and identification parts and how much time I have left for essays. Hu-laoshi promised to keep the numbers constant to help."

"You've been timing yourself?"

"Yeah," Huang Shaotian brought out a small notepad and waved his wrist with his stopwatch, "I'm averaging eleven minutes on part one and fourteen on part two. Thirty-five minutes for essays seems like a lot but…"

“That’s only seven minutes per question,” Yu Wenzhou finished. He nodded in approval, "It's systematic. I like it."

His friend laughed, "I thought you might. Talking this over with lao-Ye reminds me of making game plans with you and Coach."

Yu Wenzhou smiled despite a sudden pang in his heart.

That afternoon, he dropped Shaotian off at his study group, went to cram school, ate dinner alone, finished his homework, and slept.

-

The next morning, Yu Wenzhou made his way to the back of the school where the football field was as the varsity members did their morning drills. The sky was an almost piercing blue and the clouds a searing white against them.

He tried to catch Shaotian’s eye to wave good morning but 5 minutes passed without his friend looking to the side. He thought about shouting to get his attention or approaching and maybe even hanging out but…he didn’t want to be a bother. And wouldn’t it be weird for him to just sit and watch the team do their drills without having anything to contribute? He’d only seen people’s girlfriends and boyfriends do that. And doing that was like sitting under a spotlight for the entire school to watch you from the windows (all facing the football field). And even they eventually got bored watching the drills everyday and stopped showing up. He quietly left for his classroom. Maybe he could catch Shaotian before the 1st period started.

Watching them from his classroom’s windows, a few hypothetical tactics came to mind. He started writing them down in his notebook before he remembered that he wasn’t on the Team anymore. but the first bell rang right as the football team members tumbled into their respective classrooms calling ‘sorry!’s and ‘safe!’s.

Lunch was a little better because he was at least able to start eating with his friend. But Huang Shaotian quickly inhaled his food before hurrying back to his classroom to finish homework for his afternoon classes. Yu Wenzhou wasn’t close to the people who settled down to eat around him so he just finished his food in silence.

After classes, he dropped Shaotian off at his study group, went to cram school, ate dinner alone, finished his homework, and slept.

-

The days fell into a routine. Yu Wenzhou would go to school, go to cram school, go home, do his homework, and then sleep. The only times he and Shaotian were able to hang out were during lunch. But even that would be shortened by one or both of them finishing up homework for the next subjects or doing last minute studying for quizzes or Shaotian doing practice drills for football to maintain form. And even during the times they spent together it was filled with chatter about-

"Hey, hey Wenzhou! Did you know? - Well you probably don't - But lao-Ye used to study here too! Also, apparently Chu Yunxiu first met him in the daycare he mentioned and is friends with his sister! It just feels so weird, you know? I thought pre-school teachers needed to have that fluffy, sunshine and daisies vibe. That would be so funny to see ahahahaahaha!"

-

-and then, and then, and then the guy turned to Tian Sen and called him ‘teacher’! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! We could probably get away with having Tian Sen pretend to be our guardian to sneak into movies and stuff. Too bad he's too straight laced to-

-

"Wenzhou, Wenzhou! Apparently lao-Ye isn't just a daycare teacher! Or well, he is now. But normally he's actually a lawyer! And, and! Get this! He has a twin brother who's a doctor! Isn't that so funny? Their parents actually gamed the system and got the only two acceptable jobs in all of China! What the actual fuck!"

-

I just can't believe it! Fang Rui was Basketball Varsity all through middle school and first year! But he suddenly shifted to Baseball?? Maybe it's because of those two first years? I heard their coach favors them so-

-

"It's been really nice, Wenzhou. Makes me feel like either Hu-laoshi or lao-Ye did sports seriously, you know? Not just fans of sports but like, actual serious training kind of stuff."

-

Ugh, who wants to do a stupid skit anyway? And for Chemistry?? Like what the fu-

-

"Okay so it's definitely lao-Ye who's done sports before," Huang Shaotian said between bites. "I was asking Hu-laoshi about some stuff and he was like- 'oh yes! Those were actually Ye Xiu's suggestions!' and 'How are you finding them?' and 'Would you be interested in joining a study sample on alternate learning methods' and stuff and stuff…I don't know Wenzhou, do you think it's a good idea? Right now Zhou Zekai and I are just training on how to take tests better but this sounds like it would be about the curriculum itself and I just don't think I have time for that…"

-

So it turns out Zhou Zekai is actually our age but got delayed back in elementary. But Chu Yunxiu and I are still older than him HA. Though now she doesn't know if it's okay to still call him xiao-Zhou…

-

“Okay so remember how I said lao-Ye used to study here and probably did sports seriously? That's not everything! He was actually the Vice-Captain of the legendary era where our tennis team won Nationals three years in a row!”

-

Sorry Wenzhou, gotta go, Yu Feng said he'd teach me some stuff they practiced yesterday. See you later!

-

"Wenzhou, I'm starting to think lao-Ye is actually an alien. I went to the trophy room and he's got multiple awards for different stuff! As in acads, sports, and music?? Like bro what the heck? And like, sometimes it feels like he can read minds or something. That would make a lot of sense. So so so much sense. Don't you think, Wenzhou?

Piercing gaze aside, Yu Wenzhou hadn't spent more than 10 minutes total in Ye Xiu's company, so he had nothing to say to that.

-

It was another day of eating lunch alone and Yu Wenzhou was beginning to realize that aside from people asking him for help with academic questions, no one really talked to him and he didn't really talk to anyone either. Turns out, the everyday conversations that seemed so commonplace were actually people talking to Shaotian and Shaotian bringing him into the conversation. To them he was ‘Yu Wenzhou, our smart classmate, Huang Shaotian’s friend’. Shaotian had been his link to normalcy and now that he was busy, Yu Wenzhou felt like he was going back to the silent, wallflower classmate he used to be before they became friends. He thought he had finally changed but it turns out he hadn't. He'd only been caught in the spillover from Shaotian’s spotlight.

He wondered when he'd gotten so used to feeling included that life without Shaotian now felt lonely instead of normal.

-

"-since we’ve got a pretty full schedule. Do you remember Xu Boyuan?" Huang Shaotian asked as they walked to the library.

Immediately a young, earnest face popped up in Yu Wenzhou's mind, cheering avidly from the bleachers. "The one who’s consistently attended all the games since Middle School?"

"Yeah! Well, he plucked up the courage to apply to be our new Team Manager!"

A pang went through Yu Wenzhou's heart. They had all expected xiao-Xu to join them eventually and he couldn't begrudge the team for hurrying to find someone to fill in his position, but the sting of being replaced so quickly remained.

"…Or well, at least a team manager,” Huang Shaotian continued, drawing Yu Wenzhou out of his thoughts. “We might need more senior ones for authority since he’s just a first year. You know how the others can be. Plus the school’s paying more attention this year, so the pressure on everyone is escalating."

Yu Wenzhou sighed. "Too bad, I was looking forward to working with him eventually."

-

They came upon Chu Yunxiu and Ye Xiu mid conversation.

"Well then, what are you interested in?" the tutor asked.

"Dramas."

"Acting?"

"Fuck no," she said in disgust.

"Language,” Ye Xiu said drily. “Then the production side? Filming, lighting, editing…"

She hummed in negative.

"...Costume, make-up..."

The teen furrowed her brows, "Interesting…but like," she looked up at the ceiling, "it's more like I'm not really interested in clothes and make-up for their own sake. Like, I watch people craft clothes just because they want to and talk about fabric and cut and technique and stuff. And I watch people test make-up and do transformation vids. It's cool to see them do their thing and be nerdy about it but it's not something I want for myself, if that makes sense.

"Hmmm," Ye Xiu tilted his head, "Well management is always useful no matter where you go."

Chu Yunxiu looked the very opposite of enthusiastic at the idea, "I don't want to go to college for management. And besides, isn't that a Masters course?"

Ye Xiu chuckled, "There's a college course called Management Engineering but like any type of specialized study, I'm firmly of the belief that you should get some experience first. Classes about management are very systems focused. Which helps when you've already experienced the problems they aim to solve. At its very core though, management is still a very people focused job. If you don't know how to handle people, they'll just feel resentful if you try to force systems on them like you know better.

"Bro-...lao-Ye, I thought you were helping me think about college courses…"

"No, I was helping you think about your future, told you that management is always useful, but stipulated that you should try it out first before you spend time and money on getting a degree in it."

"You didn't say that part about time and money," she said, just to be contrary.

Ye Xiu just gave her A Look.

Chu Yunxiu rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine, management work experience. Now where the heck would I find a job that will make me a manager trainee without prior work experience? And prior, prior work experience for my prior work experience?"

Ye Xiu laughed, "You-"

"You could sign up as a Team Manager for the Football Varsity!" Huang Shaotian interrupted excitedly, bounding up to their table. "Things are pretty busy now since we're preparing for Nationals and Yu Wenzhou was our former Team Manager but he had to leave because of cram school and now we have a new manager but he's still new- ah - and a freshman so like extra new and he maybe needs some help getting everyone in line cuz he's so - uh - new…”

Chu Yunxiu and Ye Xiu stared.

"Sorry, Ye-laoshi," Yu Wenzhou said, walking up. "We were waiting for a good time to greet you."

Ye Xiu waved away the apology, "Don't mind, don't mind."

"Were you serious?" Chu Yunxiu asked Huang Shaotian, "I don't know anything about football though."

Yu Wenzhou decided to answer this one. "While knowledge of football would be a definite plus, you'd be there to assist the coach in admin and logistics. Considering the upcoming events, these would be things like arranging the bus transportation to the training camp, coordinating with the school doctor on whether he'll come or has someone he can recommend for the trip, making arrangements for parent chaperones if any, making sure there's enough food and drink for three meals each day and that it conforms to player's dietary restrictions, helping coach keep track on their progress on their individual training menu…" he drifted off at her dumbfounded expression, "if you're really interested, I can give you a run down of the process by email and walk you through it." He’d already started compiling all the data before he had to leave. It would still be good to hand it over.

"You said a freshman is supposed to be handling all that?" Chu Yunxiu asked, incredulous.

"Well, Coach is doing his best to guide him through it but he's also busy with everyone's training…" Huang Shaotian defended.

"You know what? Fine. I'll do it.” said Chu Yunxiu, discovering a previously unknown protective streak. “I'm nearly done with my backlog of homework so I can help that poor freshie out.”

“Yeah you will? Great! You’ll need to come around to practice and…” Huang Shaotian chattered on.

Yu Wenzhou shifted on his feet, waiting for an opening. His eyes drifted curiously to Ye Xiu, the ever growing enigma in Shaotian’s stories. Only for him to look back at him and raise his eyebrows in a silent, but not unkind “Yes? What is it?”  Yu Wenzhou snapped his gaze back to his friend. “Shaotian, I’ll just-” He pointed a thumb to show he needed to go.

“Okay bye, Wenzhou!” his friend paused to call out cheerfully before picking up right where he left off.

Yu Wenzhou hesitated a bit more, but then he caught lao-Ye’s eye and quickly turned around to exit before he could figure out why he hesitated in the first place and what lao-Ye’s expression meant. If it meant anything at all.

-

To his surprise, Yu Wenzhou got a message from Yu Feng the very next day.

[Yu Feng]: Wenzhou, Chu Yunxiu's your classmate right? She submitted an application to be a team manager. Do you think she'd be a good fit? Shaotian says she's with him in study group but she's just catching up on homework. He says she seems to be finishing them quickly but I'm more worried by why she's there in the first place. People say she's pretty flaky with school. I'd rather not give someone responsibilities and then have them drop them midway because they lost interest. Also she doesn't seem to have any football knowledge.

[You: Hi Yu Feng. Are there any other applicants?]

[Yu Feng: 😭]

Yu Wenzhou winced. That was a 'No' then. And a stressed one at that. Yu Feng didn't have time to focus on anything aside from training.

He stopped to really think this over. He knew Chu Yunxiu's reputation. Being her classmate, he was even aware of how many absences she'd racked up. She didn't seem to have trouble joining conversations if anyone included her but she still mostly drifted off during break time to be alone. For group work, she definitely wasn't the kind of go-getter to give ideas and give their 150% but she did do the bare minimum assigned to her so no one's grades had actually suffered because of her. So it seemed it was only her individual work that was inconsistent. Was he right to rope her into this role? It had been Shaotian who'd extended the invite in the first place but he hadn't discouraged them either.

Rather than completely irresponsible, she struck him as more…uncaring? So then why would she volunteer for something like this? Going by the conversation he and Shaotian had interrupted, she was thinking about her future? But then why would someone carefully considering their future be so inconsistent with school work? A change of heart? Was she just impulsive? They’d just broached the idea to her yesterday but she’d already done something about it the day after. Or was she just trying to please someone? Ye Xiu? Or maybe that older sister Shaotian mentioned. If that was the case, how far would that influence extend? Enough to ensure good behavior as a manager of a varsity team headed for the Nationals?

There was nothing to do but talk to her directly…but how to go about it…

-

“Hey, Yu Wenzhou, can you ask you some stuff about the football team? You said I could.”

Yu Wenzhou turned to see Chu Yunxiu step up beside him as their class made their way to PE. Maybe I don’t have to broach the topic. She’s already bringing it up. Maybe not impulsive…but more decisive? Depends on the follow through. “Yeah, sure. What do you want to know?”

"So Huang Shaotian is the football team’s main attacker, right? He's the one I hear most about."

Yu Wezhou tilted his head, "He's not really the "Main Attacker" per se…” He started drawing out positions on his hand. “our Defensive Midfielder and Captain is Yu Feng. He's in charge of controlling the pace of the team and the one handling the ball the most at center field. So, most of game time is spent there. Long periods of back and forth while the teams fight over the ball."

"The one closest to the goal and mainly responsible for scoring is actually Liu Xiaobie, our Striker. The very tall guy that people mistake for an adult is Tian Sen, our goalkeeper. Huang Shaotian on the other hand is a Forward, sometimes an Attacking Midfielder. That means he's mostly at the edge of the field creating opportunities for the strikers but able to score as well if an opportunity opens up. He excels at being slippery and difficult to mark."

Chu Yunxiu squinted. “Aah…hmmm…I see? I’ve watched a volleyball anime and there are some parallels…though uh…sorry if that’s a weird thing to say.”

Yu Wenzhou shrugged. “It’s not weird. There are similar tactics employed in various sports, games, warfare, politics...The core ideas, once understood, are applicable in a variety of scenarios.”

"Actually, Coach initially said," and at this Yu Wenzhou looked a bit sheepish, "if Huang Shaotian could just keep quiet then he'd practically be an invisible assassin powerhouse. Shaotian did try but…he performed worse. They've decided to just incorporate it as a battle tactic instead."

Chu Yunxiu had a “Doubt (X)" facial expression which was starting to become her Huang Shaotian staple, "How can that be a tactic?"

"You'd be surprised!" Yu Wenzhou chuckled, "Huang Shaotian makes himself so irritating that people's knee jerk response to constant irritation is trying to ignore it completely!"

Chu Yunxiu sighed in resignation, "Can't say I blame them. You sure I don’t need to know how football works to qualify?

Yu Wenzhou nodded. “A student team manager is really more of a personal assistant to the Team Coach and the Faculty Advisor. But it would go a long way for you to start learning about it and be willing to learn more on the job. The team’s aiming for nationals and everyone’s focused on helping each player be what they need to be to succeed. There’s no…uhm…” he awkwardly trailed off.

Chu Yunxiu narrowed her eyes. “What. What are you trying to say?”

He grimaced. “There’s no room for tourists. You know, students looking for an easy extra-curricular position to add to their CV.  I’m telling you now that it’s going to take a lot of devotion. It’s just that there’s a…sudden shortage of manpower so they’re really in need of help.”

To his surprise, she didn’t look like she wanted an immediate out like the others whose eyes had gone shifty when faced with the prospective additional workload. “Can I ask-” Wait, we're asking just like that?! “Uh…can I ask why you’re willing to do this? This isn’t even a sport you’re into.” Yu Wenzhou finished before his own inner inhibitions could stop him.

“It’s uh…” Chu Yunxiu checked to see if any of their classmates were near them. God forbid classmates hear you talking about deep feelings on the way to PE. “It’s um…Got a bit fed up watching life happen to other people. I want to be part of something, you know?” She laughed awkwardly.

Yu Wenzhou nodded in understanding. He did know. He knew that very well.

-

When he got home that night, Yu Wenzhou took a single serving of food out of the refrigerator to thaw a bit before heating it up for dinner.While waiting, he booted up his laptop, searched for the resources he had gathered and plans he had drafted for the training camp and began drafting an email to his former coach.

-

“Ah, Chu Yunxiu. Can you pass these to Huang Shaotian-”

Yu Wenzhou’s head snapped up.

“-and Zhou Zekai? I wasn't able to pass them to Ye Xiu.”

“Oh, uh,” Chu Yunxiu glanced at Yu Wenzhou. “Yes, Hu-laoshi, will do.”

Yu Wenzhou frowned slightly down at his desk, mildly irritated. He was Shaotian’s friend first before Chu Yunxiu was his study-mate, he thought sullenly. It was such an embarrassingly immature thing to think. And besides, Shaotian had a lot of friends aside from him. If not Chu Yunxiu, Hu-laoshi might’ve asked somebody else and that would’ve been even worse. Also, how could he expect Hu-laoshi to remember who was friends with whom? Here he was making such a big deal-

“Uh, hey.” A voice jolted Yu Wenzhou out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Chu Yunxiu standing beside him. “Could you be the one to pass this to Huang Shaotian? I need to go downstairs and look for xiao-Zhou.”

“Oh.” Well that was…logical. “Yeah sure. No problem. Thanks.”

She nodded, “Yeah, thanks too.”

‘What a neat solution,’ Yu Wenzhou thought. ‘It would be great if I could stop over thinking.’

-

Another day, another lunch break, and this time it was Yu Wenzhou in his classroom cramming some homework for an afternoon class. He looked out of his window to see Shaotian with Yu Feng and Liu Xiaobe practicing some passes across the field. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the weather was good, and there were loud calls and laughs. Somehow, they seemed so…HD. So vibrant and alive. The kind of people you couldn’t help but watch. People like that felt like the main cast of a movie while the rest of them were side characters. Maybe just extras. Or even just the audience watching them on the big screen. He idly thought that if his life were a movie, it would have to skip all the scenes where it was just him. Otherwise the audience might just walk out from boredom.

-

"YAHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Huang Shaotian could be heard running down the hallway before skidding into the doorway of Yu Wenzhou's classroom, "WENZHOU! I'M DONE! I'M FREE! I FIXED MY AVERAGE! Goodbye remedial classes! Goodbye endless practice tests! I'M FREEEEEEEE AHAHAHAHAHA!" he continued as he bounded up to Yu Wenzhou's desk. Huang Shaotian held his test paper up high, with stars in his eyes. The test paper even had a smiley face from Hu-laoshi with "Good Job!" written in the margin.

"Congrats Shaotian!" Yu Wenzhou clapped.

"We gotta celebrate! For lunch, let's go to lao-Wei's store! Ice cream's on me!"

"What's that Huang Shao?" a voice gleefully shouted from across the classroom, "You're gonna treat everyone to ice cream?"

"Shut up Fang Rui!" Huang Shaotian shouted back.

"I'm so hurt! Weren't we once brothers in arms? Do you have no love left for poor little me?" The fresh-faced rascal blinked innocently.

"You think you can fool us with that face you-!"

"Alright, alright," Yu Wenzhou's next teacher called tiredly as he walked in, "break time's over kids. Please go back to your classroom xiao-Huang."

"Yes, Laoshi! Lunchtime Wenzhou!" he called as he ran off.

-

"Lao-Ye??! What are you doing here?" Huang Shaotian shouted in shock.

"I live here," Ye Xiu deadpanned.

"What really? So you and lao-Wei-"

"OI!" Wei Chen swatted the top of Ye Xiu's hair. "What lies are you spouting now?!"

"Oi," Ye Xiu rubbed his head in protest, "Just because you don't have much brain cells doesn't mean you can go wasting mine."

"Who do you think you're calling brainless you disrespectful-!"

-

"I hear you guys are on track to Nationals," Wei Chen said while holding out two ice cream popsicles, "Consider these on the house."

Huang Shaotian grabbed his basically-just-flavored-ice popsicle in excitement. "Wow lao-Wei you couldn't go any cheaper huh?" he laughed.

"You dare complain you punk?"

Huang Shaotian only laughed louder while opening the wrapping.

Yu Wenzhou meanwhile held up his hand with a polite smile, "Ah, lao-Wei, I'm not with the Football Team anymore so there's no need to give me one."

"What? Why?" Wei Chen asked in surprise.

“I have Gaokao review classes," he chuckled meekly.

"Aiiiiyaaaa, don't be so polite Xiao Yu!" Ye Xiu cut in. "The road to Nationals is a team effort and Xiao Huang here has told me all about how amazing you were as a Team Manager! If not for your hard work before, they wouldn't be where they are now! We should never forget about all the people who work behind the scenes to help the players shine."

"Hear, hear!" Wei Chen and Huang Shaotian piped up.

"That being said," Ye Xiu turned to Wei Chen, "lao-Wei, can I have ice cream too?"

“You shameless-!" The store owner shook a fist at him. "Does shamelessness grow on trees now?!"

"Aaaah lao-Wei!" Huang Shaotian waved his arms in the air. "Ye-laoshi really did help me a lot with improving my test taking and bringing up my grade average!"

Wei Chen glared at the two grinning winningly up at him and heaved a rough sigh. "Fine. Fine! Join the kids. See if I care! Shameless."

He shoved an ice cream at an ecstatic Ye Xiu and when Yu Wenzhou still looked unsure on whether he should accept it or not, Wei Chen gripped him firmly on the shoulder and said, "Kid. Please. I couldn't live with myself if that shameless fox got a free treat out of me while a nice, polite, well-mannered, and respectful kid like you didn't get one. Help an old man raise the next generation right."

"I feel like there's a complaint to be made about pots calling kettles black…" Ye Xiu muttered off to the side.

Yu Wezhou could only laugh as he happily ate his flavored ice while the next round of arguments sprang up.

-

Yu Wenzhou waved goodbye to an ecstatic Huang Shaotian jumping all over the place, limbs spread eagle, and finally back to regular practice hours. 

And that was that. Though they both stepped away from football at the same time, Shaotian was now fully back in the fold while Yu Wenzhou would continue on his new path…for the next…

…

…hmmmm…

He looked at the sky as he waited for the crosswalk sign to turn green. He’d uncharacteristically been avoiding looking into colleges and career paths. Not doing thorough research to fully understand the ins and outs of this new chapter he was entering. Not making any plans with short term goals, long term goals, timelines, requirements, prerequisites, and anything of the sort. As if by ignoring them, all of it could maybe just…go away. 

But if he was aiming to become a doctor then that basically sentenced him to a life of nothing else anyway, he thought as he walked down the sidewalk at the back of the school. 

He'd been born when his parents were still in med school and entered pre-school before they graduated. Then he graduated from pre-school as his parents finished their internships. Grade school covered their residency and fellowship. Ever since he entered Middle School, his parents had been shuttling between hospitals they practiced in but they were working towards establishing a clinic of their own for better pay and the luxury of finally being in charge of their own hours, living the dream that entices millions in the first place. Of doctors who come into the clinic at 11am and leave at 2pm. They'd finally have more down time but by then he'd be the one in the thick of studying.

And as they said, the studying never stopped. While that was true in every field, it was especially true in Medicine. There was always new technology, new medications, new illnesses, new patients, and deeper and deeper rabbit holes of specialization. They had been studying all his life, studying all of their life, and it wasn't going to end. The future, he thought gloomily, looked bleak. 

The sound of sweeping caught his attention and when he saw who it was, he suddenly remembered one of the random bits of trivia Shaotian had dropped. “Ah.”

“Hm?” Ye Xiu paused in his sweeping of the daycare’s front yard “Oh, hello xiao-Yu.”

“Um,” the high schooler bobbed his head, “Good afternoon Ye-laoshi. You don’t have a study session in the library today?” 

“Ah that, no. Not sure if I’ll still be needed for that actually. Hu-laoshi just brought me in to help him take care of kids who needed help in his subject. But now all three of them have accomplished their goals and flown the nest. They grow up so fast.” He pretended to wipe a tear away.”

Uh…huh…”I thought Shaotian said something about conducting some further studies?”

Ye Xiu leaned on his broom. “Ah yeah, Hu-laoshi is definitely interested in looking into it more and into neuro divergent thinking as a whole. There are a lot of outdated practices that need overhauling but I can see it helping a lot of kids in this daycare and Glory High. It’s a daunting task but our fearless Boss Chen is taking over coordinations with the school.” He boasted.

“Boss Chen?” Yu Wenzhou echoed.

“Ah, our Daycare boss,” Ye Xiu smiled.

“Well, um, I hope it goes well, Ye-laoshi,” Yu Wenzhou said sincerely.”Please excuse me, I need to be on my way.”

“Thanks. Good luck with studying!”

Yu Wenzhou smiled back but it was a bit tight.

-

It was Saturday, Day 1 of the long awaited Football Varsity Training Camp. Shaotian and the rest of the team had a packed weekend ahead of them. While they had practice drills, matches, and tactics to test out, Yu Wenzhou planned to finish all his homework today because tomorrow would be for advanced study.

He wondered, as he set out all the materials he'd need by subject, if Coach did end up using any of the information he'd gathered up for the training camp. Individual analyses of their players accumulated since last year (some from middle school if he had known them then) with their strengths, points for improvement, training regimen, and diet. Analyses of their opponent schools with extra focus on stand-out players. Venue options, catering options, transportation options, lodging discounts…He wasn't even sure if Chu Yunxiu was already part of the team. Coach’s reply warmly thanked him and said that he would be sure to take his suggestions into account. But he didn't know more than that. He could ask, of course. Shaotian, Coach, Yu Feng…any one of them would be happy to answer his questions. It wasn't even a big deal. He knew that but…he just couldn't bring himself to open that floodgate. Listening to Shaotian talking about what the team had been up to without him had felt bad enough. Listening to vicarious updates for the rest of his life…felt like a recovering alcoholic watching other people drink.

He dreaded to think what this meant for his friendship with Shaotian.

-

Yu Wenzhou leaned back from his desk with a big stretch, getting a few satisfying clicks from his back. It was time for a lunch break. He was supposed to just set out some food to thaw before microwaving it but…maybe he could treat himself to an outside meal. A walk sounded like a nice break from all the homework.

Okay so new plan. Walk, find some food within a three block vicinity, eat, come back home, and finish the rest of his homework.

He sent a message to his parents telling them where he’d be.

-

“Xiao-Yu! Just you today?”

“Good afternoon lao-Wei,” Yu Wenzhou greeted politely. “Shaotian’s attending the football team’s training camp.”

“Ah…so that was this weekend,” Wei Chen mused while fanning himself with a freebie merchandise fan. “What are your plans then? Meeting any friends?”

Yu Wenzhou shook his head. “Ah no, just taking a short walk before going back to finishing homework.”

The freebie fan clacked against the counter top. “Kid are you serious?” Wei Chen looked at him tiredly.

“Mm.” Yu Wenzhou smiled.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…” Wei Chen slumped over the counter. “Nothing but homework and studying day in and day out. This is why I didn’t go to college. Don’t you kids want to be like me?” He said, half joking.

Yu Wenzhou chuckled. “To be fair lao-Wei, you inherited a business with the property rights included and became a self-employed businessman right after graduating.” 

Wei Chen twitched. He had originally been planning to make a joke of the situation and play up the role of the neighborhood’s resident bum of an uncle who lazily runs the local sundry store. Inheriting his grandfather’s shop had been the thing he dreaded most in high school. It wasn’t one of those shiny chain convenience stores. Just a shabby little hole in the wall with sachets hooked on metal wire grid panels and sagging shelves full of boxes of food and dry goods. He could complain with Chen Guo all day about their problems with old electrical wires, water leakage, warping wood beams, and more besides…”Ah, ehem, hmmm.” He coughed.

Yu Wenzhou paled. That…hadn’t landed right. It was supposed to be a joke. Everybody knew lao-Wei complained about being chained to his grandfather’s store. But what was he thinking? Lao-Wei wasn’t a peer he could speak so casually to but an elder! He couldn’t believe he’d been so rude. “I- I’m sorry lao-Wei. I didn’t mean it badly. I just- I was only- uh-”

Wei Chen shook his head and waved away the apology. “Nah kid, even if I complain a lot, I know I could be considered lucky. Ambitious people would see this as an opportunity, not a ball and chain. It’s a matter of perspective and my situation is still what I make of it.” He sighed and leaned back. “It’s just sad to see you kids studying your lives away. You spend the best years of your life holed up with your noses buried in books. And not the fun kind either.” He looked at Yu Wenzhou. “Got a school you’re aiming for?”

“Mmmmm not really.” The teen shook his head. “The plan is to be a top scorer so I can have my pick of schools.”

“The plan is just…”Wei Chen echoed incredulously at him, slack-jawed. Yu Wenzhou noticed with amusement that his hand position was the same as if he was holding a cigarette. Sure enough, he brought his hand to his mouth as if to take a stabilizing puff of smoke before realizing that he wasn’t holding anything. “Dang kid…I forgot just how smart you are. And? Do you have a career path decided too?”

“Medicine.”

“Of course it is,” he said with studied neutrality. “And is that a you-decision or a parents-decision? If you don't mind me asking,” he tacked on belatedly.

“I don't mind it.”

“No- Kid, that's not what I'm asking.” Wei Chen sighed roughly. “Do you, Yu Wenzhou, want to become a doctor? Or did your parents decide you should become a doctor?”

Yu Wenzhou was suddenly reminded of Ye-laoshi asking him about whose decision it was to do Gaokao review this early. He shifted uncomfortably. “They suggested it but I'm not against it.”

“Uhuh. And if they wanted you to become a lawyer are you okay with that as well?” Wei Chen raised an eyebrow.

The high schooler shrugged.

The man dragged a hand over his face. “You know what, I might as well ask why they didn't want you to become a lawyer. It would cover both bases.”

Yu Wezhou looked at the floor. “They hope I can inherit the clinic once they retire.”

Wei Chen looked at him. “Wait, they have a clinic? Already?”

“Ah…not yet.”

“Oh!” Wei Chen's smile had a sharpness to it. “They want you to become a doctor so you can inherit the clinic they haven't set up yet?”

The teen nodded.

The man took a slow, fortifying breath. “And? Have they suggested a specialization too?”

Yu Wenzhou instinctively leaned away slightly to brace himself for the fallout. “Family Medicine?”

Wei Chen slapped the counter. “OF FUCKIN COURSE THEY-Sorry. Fuck. I'm not mad at you, xiao-Yu. Fuck. Sorry.” He pressed his palms to his eye sockets with a heavy sigh. “Do you want ice cream? No wait, you haven't eaten lunch yet. Here, have some peanuts.”

Yu Wenzhou slowly reached over and retrieved the pack of peanuts. He didn't open them.

Wei Chen groaned into his hands before dragging them down so he could peer at the high schooler in front of him. “So what do you want to be doing?”

‘What a broad question.’ Yu Wenzhou thought tiredly.

“Okay, yeah, my bad. We might as well wish to be crazy rich second gen who don't need to work a day of our lives and do whatever we want everyday. Let me narrow it down. If not a doctor, what job would you want?”

A mental image of standing in front of a bench of players on the side of a football field flashed in his mind. His mouth tightened.

He still didn't say anything.

“What about football?” Wei Chen asked leadingly.

“It's just a hobby,” Yu Wenzhou said automatically.

“Uhuh.” The shopkeeper said skeptically. “To some, sure, they're satisfied with it just being a hobby. Chen Guo next door is part of the local town’s adult Volleyball Team and she's satisfied with that. Gets her super fired up to power slap her frustrations away,” he said drily, “But something tells me that's not enough for you.”

“It was just extra-curriculars.” He repeated quietly. “It's like parents putting their kids through music school. You need to perform well, better if you win some competitions, but you’re not supposed to actually decide to become a musician.”

“Another suffering group of kids,” Wei Chen sighed. “Might I remind you that I've listened to you, that brat, and the rest of your teammates talk shop here since Middle School? Hell, I've even watched some of your games since you guys got the town talking. You're good, kid. Not just Shaotian, not just the rest of the team, but you too. You, Yu Wenzhou are part of what's brought that team to be contenders for Nationals.You might not be a potential star athlete like Huang Shaotian, Yu Feng, Tian Sen, and the others. But you have the ability to lead a whole bunch of rascals like that and whip them into shape. But that's only if you want that for yourself. You're definitely capable.”

The teen frowned down at the floor. Sometimes he wished he weren't so ‘capable’. Shaotian's parents fully supported his football career because - and yes, they had actually said this - he was so poor in his studies. They were just thankful that he had something he could excell in.

But here Yu Wenzhou was with the complete opposite problem. Any profession that wasn't reaching for the highest socially estimated difficulty and usefulness was seen as a waste. He stared at a peeling movie poster. “It's not like I hate the thought of being a doctor. They do difficult work and help a lot of people. That's very useful and I think I'd be good at it…”

The neighborhood uncle gave him a long look and sighed in defeat. “I can't lie and say you wouldn't make a good doctor. But, kid, if I know anything about doctors is that the path to get there will run you to the ground. If you don't have the heart for it, you're gonna burn out. No matter how smart you are.”

Yu Wenzhou gloomily looked out onto the street. He'd just wanted to get lunch. Not unearth all these arguments he'd already buried… “Um, lao-Wei, thank you for your concern. I'll definitely think about my options. Please excuse me, I still need to get lunch.” Though with the amount of time he'd unexpectedly spent at lao-Wei’s, maybe he'd just go back home and heat food instead. He wasn't in the mood to walk around anymore.

“Wait!” Wei Chen put a hand out. “Sorry, I probably f- mucked that up. Give me another chance.”

Another chance? Yu Wenzhou thought skeptically. Like, for a different kind of sales pitch?

Wei Chen ran a hand through his hair. “I don't think I can give you the best advice since I don't have any similar experience. But I think if you talked to Ye Xiu-”

Yu Wenzhou’s eyebrows shot up.

“-he would better understand your situation. He had pretty similar problems back when we were in High School.”

Yu Wenzhou furrowed his eyebrows. Suddenly involving Ye-laoshi in his business when he wasn't even a direct acquaintance was a bit…

Misinterpreting his expression, Wei Chen put his hands up. “I know he comes off as some shameless, chaotic, lazy guy-”

At this point Yu Wenzhou didn't know what to think about the increasingly ever-present Ye Xiu. He seemed to have a different face for every occasion.

“-but I think he's probably the one who can give you the best advice regarding your situation given…Given what he's gone through…" he trailed off, avoiding eye contact.

Yu Wenzhou remembered Shaotian talking about the man’s accolades. “I don't think I can compare to Ye-laoshi-”

“Kid, I think you of all people should know better than to just dismiss someone as a "genius". That Ye Xiu worked hard. So hard he was almost killing himself but a part of that was…some damn heavy additional baggage that is not my place to share. A lot of us were worried about him but he went and decided that he was going to achieve everything he wanted. And when Ye Xiu commits to something, he's going to use everything at his disposal to make it happen. Those of us who were worried about him couldn't dissuade him so we just decided to help him along.”

“That's very heartening to hear lao-Wei but I'm not sure what-”

“I'm telling you that there are those of us around you who'll help you too. You're not the first kid in history to have to choose between making your parents happy and making yourself happy. You have options kid. They're out there. And maybe you can talk to people about them to make them feel more real and achievable. The whole world seems big and scary and unknown when you're this young.”

Yu Wenzhou shifted evasively. “I don’t know if I have the time and Ye-laoshi’s schedule seems full too-”

“That guy? He’s bored out of his mind. His afternoon kids have flown the nest so he’s been sweeping up the daycare’s yard. Soon enough he’ll start sweeping the whole street. I bet if I call him right now he’d come over.”

“Wait, lao-Wei, it's a Saturday-”

“I’m just calling him because I suddenly want to hang out right now. This isn’t about you. Though since you’re not busy yourself, you could join us for lunch.”

“If Ye-laoshi agrees…” He probably wouldn’t. It was much too short notice.

-

Yu Wenzhou sat in lao-Yang’s noodle shop with lao-Wei and Ye-laoshi, feeling like he must be in a fever dream.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a new menu item.”

“What? How’d you know about that?”

“I read the menu?” The ‘duh’ was silent.

“I’ve lived here longer than this store has been alive! You think I still need to check the menu? I’ve got that thing memorized!”

“Well not anymore apparently.”

“Yang Cong! How could you do this to me?! I didn’t even get early access taste testing rights? I thought we were friends!”

The chef ignored him and continued his rapid chopping.

Yu Wenzhou wondered if the rolling in his stomach was from hunger or anxiety regarding his homework schedule slowly going down the drain. Should he be here? Did he even have time for this?

“Xiao-Yu here, have some dumplings. Do you have anything to submit tonight?” Ye Xiu asked conversationally.

The teen automatically bobbed his head in thanks as they were dropped onto his plate. Then he shook his head, ‘No’, no deadlines tonight.

“Nothing to send to teachers or groupmates?”

“No, Ye-laoshi. Just homework.”

“Can you still complete them if you spend an hour here with us?”

If he settled for two drafts of his literature review essay instead of three then yes. Yu Wenzhou nodded slowly.

“Okay, then relax, lao-Wei’s paying.” Ye Xiu smiled, fox-like.

-

“So?” Ye Xiu blew on his noodles. “What's up? Not that I don't appreciate the invite but something tells me there's A Talk here somewhere.” He gulped the noodles down.

Yu Wenzhou looked at lao-Wei who in turn made encouraging gestures, and sighed.

“Lao-Wei said I could ask you for advice, Ye-laoshi.”

“Mhm.”

“As you might remember, I quit being the Team Manager of the Football Varsity to attend Gaokao cram school.”

“Mhm.”

“My parents are encouraging-”

“Encouraging.” Wei Chen did air quotes.

“Heavily suggesting that I study to become a doctor.”

“Just like them,” Wei Chen added.

Yu Wenzhou nodded, “Yes, they are also doctors.”

“Tell him about the clinic.”

The teen sighed. “My parents are currently working to establish their own clinic and would like me to inherit it later on.”

“So it doesn't exist, okay? Not yet, let's be clear about that. When they retire, they want him to run it for them. It's also why they want him to specialize in Family Medicine.” He nudged the teen. “I don't think you talked enough about the football bit.”

“I already said I used to be the Team Manager.”

“Yes? And?” Wei Chen did more encouraging gestures.

And what? It's not like he ever had any other role. Yu Wenzhou tilted his head in confusion.

“You like football? A lot?”

Yu Wenzhou shrugged helplessly. Of course he did. But that didn't mean-

“Okay, okay.” Ye Xiu raised a calming hand. “I get the picture lao-Wei. No need to be so heavy-handed.”

“No-” Wei Chen sighed roughly. “You don't understand. Their family doesn't do feelings-”

Ye Xiu raised his eyebrows.

“What am I talking about, of course you understand.”

“You did call me here.”

Wei Chen put a hand on Yu Wenzhou’s shoulder. “The kid's good. He might not be a player on the field but he's been a big reason for how those other kids have done so well since Middle School until now. You probably don't know about it since you only came this year.”

“Mm believe me, Huang Shao has been very enthusiastic in talking about football and xiao-Yu here plays a big part in all his stories.”

Shaotian talked about him to other people? Somehow that made him feel more…solid? Corporeal? He mentally scoffed at himself.

“So to summarize,” Ye Xiu began, “You, Yu Wenzhou, have left football behind to study for the Gaokao. Your parents are pushing you to become a doctor specializing in Family Medicine and want you to run their future clinic after they retire.”

The other two nodded.

“This situation causes you some measure of distress? Or is it just you, Wei Chen, also laying your expectations on him?”

“I-” Wei Chen frowned and stopped. “I just want to make sure the kid isn't just burying his feelings about it.”

Ye Xiu hummed. “Are you unhappy with the situation, xiao-Yu?”

Yu Wenzhou shrugged. Life wasn't so easy as just choosing to do things that made you happy. He pushed a few noodles around in his bowl.

Ye Xiu hummed. “Well I think feelings should be discussed with someone you're comfortable with. In the meantime, maybe I can give advice on more objective problems? How far you see yourself going in either field and what would these timelines look like in relation to one another.” He took out a ballpen as well as a folded flier from his pocket and flipped it over. 

“Take me for example. My parents required me to be the Top 1 student of my batch, wanted me to be a top scorer in the Gaokao, and wanted me to become a lawyer. I wanted to participate in Nationals with my Tennis Team but beyond that, I didn’t really mind becoming a lawyer. If you lay it out in a timeline, you realize that studying law comes after finishing an undergraduate degree so college actually became my breathing room.”

“The real crunch was studying for the Gaokao while playing for the team as a third year student. The other third years were either not planning to enter college or planning to get in through a sports scholarship. So them remaining on the team was directly helping their future goals. I wasn’t allowed to get into college through a sports scholarship but  my parents wanted me to study law in a fancy foreign school in Europe. The thing about that is that Western schools like seeing CVs with more well rounded extra-curriculars. Knowing that, I played that up to be allowed to continue playing for the Tennis Varsity all throughout High School and College. Of course that meant that I had to win awards and not just play for fun. But I like winning anyway so that was fine. But as for studying for the Gaokao, there was no avoiding it. It required using all the mental exercises to study as efficiently as possible in any open window I could. Our coach allowed me to listen to audio lectures while doing repetitive physical training and I relied on the shortened notes of my brother and friends who were more focused on just studying for Gaokao.”

“For you though, Medical careers take much longer to complete. How much do you know about it?” He wrote “Doctor” at the top of the page and then below it drew two dots on opposite sides of the paper and connected them with a line.

Yu Wenzhou leaned closer. “First is four years of college, three and a half if you go tri-sem. After that is four years of med school followed by one to two years of internship. After graduating you take the exam to get your license as a registered MD. But to specialize you’ll need three more years of residency and another one to three years to become a Fellow…though it never really ends if you decide to go into research. So around twelve years to become a doctor with a specialization.”

“Yup.” Ye Xiu finished dividing up the line with the appropriate labels. “You’re aware that you can take anything as an undergrad, yes? It may or may not have anything to do with the subjects you’ll take in med school or in whatever you plan on specializing in later on but it can definitely help.”

“Yes, I know.”

“So since the Gaokao is a singular national placement exam, this all means that you have all the way until you graduate college to figure out if you want to become a doctor. That’s five to six years from now, minimum.” 

Yu Wenzhou nodded slowly. “So the issue about being a doctor can be put off for a few years. My immediate problem is my need to be a top scorer in the Gaokao.”

“Mm, yes. What is the utility to you in becoming a top scorer?”

“I'm not an athlete so I can't avail of any sports scholarships like Shaotian. If I want to get into college, I can only use academics. And the only way I can choose the college I want is if I'm a top scorer.”

Below the medical timeline, Ye Xiu wrote “Gaokao: Necessity. Top Scorer highly advantageous.”

Below that he wrote “Football:” and then drew another timeline divided into: High School, College, Professional, Community.

“Alright, this one's the clincher then. We need to know how much you want Football to be in your life. Okay, basic question, you like football, the game?”

“Yes.”

“You're a fan. You watch professional games, have favorite players, favorite teams?”

“Yes.”

“You're not interested in playing on field?”

“No, not really.”

“Not just for lack of training?”

“I sometimes played with Shaotian and the others. Just casual games. But I really prefer watching.”

“Okay. But not just to cheer them on, right?”

“Mm. I like the tactical aspect of it. Training players to help them improve. Planning game play. That stuff.”

“Okay, if you imagine yourself pursuing a football career, what do you see yourself as?”

Yu Wenzhou looked around the noodle shop self-consciously. This felt like an elementary school Dream Job exercise.

“Come now, xiao-Yu, don't overthink it.” Ye Xiu said casually, swallowing down another mouthful of noodles. “Look, your lunch is getting cold. Eat! Eat!”

The teen dutifully slurped down a few mouthfuls of noodles.

“So? What do you think? Do you envision yourself looking after kids?”

Yu Wenzhou choked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You know, Little Football Leagues! Summer Football camps! School P.E. Teacher? Is that what you see when you daydream about football?”

Not at all, Yu Wenzhou thought. He saw himself crouching down in front of a huddle of professional players, whiteboard on his knee, and moving color coded magnetic pieces while discussing the play for the next goal.

“Hmmm…so the big leagues, huh?”

Yu Wenzhou nodded. Wait had he said any of that out loud?

“Team Manager again? Support staff? Assistant coach? Or Head coach?”

Well…in for a penny…”Head coach.” He looked at the two adults.

Both had their chins resting on their hands as they looked at him with cool, evaluating gazes.

“Hmph. Told you so,” Wei Chen said. “What ya think?”

“It’s certainly possible. How far he goes depends all on him,” Ye Xiu replied. “Xiao-Yu, what if you could go back to being a Team Manager for the Football Varsity but none of your friends were there? No Huang Shaotian, no Yu Feng, no…uh…I don’t know the other members.”

Yu Wenzhou balked. None of his friends?

Ye Xiu had that all-seeing look in his eye again. “Okay, now what if you could be an Assistant Coach for your College team, but you’d be in a different college from the others?”

He frowned as he thought about that.

“Or what if…you finally become a head coach but your friends’ professional careers are already over? Coaches do tend to be on the older side after all. Is that still something you’d be interested in?”

Did he love football that much without his friends? “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

“So the team you have now is important to you.”

Yu Wenzhou nodded. “Yeah, they are.”

“Mhm.” Ye Xiu wrote “Current team is important” under the portion of the Football timeline labeled “High School”. “What’s the typical retirement age of professional football players?”

“Thirty-six years old,” he replied promptly, “Goal keepers can push forty. Forwards like Shaotian though…around thirty-two.”

“And you’re how old?”

“Sixteen.”

“Okay, so realistically speaking,” The man twirled the pen in his hand, “If you graduate at seventeen and then add the eleven to thirteen years to become a doctor with a specialization, you’ll be twenty-eight to thirty when you’re done. So if you only start getting professionally involved with football after finishing, you’ll have mostly two to six years to be with them before they retire, depending on who goes pro. And that will probably already be the twilight of their careers.”

The teen frowned. That was too short. He got the pen and wrote “1) Football after med degree: last option”.

Ye Xiu smiled, pleased to see him getting more involved, and took back the pen. “Okay, so waiting until you finish your medical degree to get back into football is too long. Honestly, you'll be too busy during med school to do anything except tell people you're still alive. So your prime years of opportunity are really now until college.” He drew a bracket under that portion of the timeline.

“It’s also the time you're most certain to still see your friends play since no one knows how long their careers will be. Many will stop after high school, most will stop after college. Only the truly gifted and dedicated ones can go pro in the big leagues. Have you ever asked your coach how he got his job?”

He shook his head.

Ye Xiu smiled. “Well there’s no formal education for it, thankfully. You just sign up to be an assistant coach with a team and then stick to it, working your way up and keeping an ear to the ground for opportunities. As a former Team Manager who already functionally acted as an assistant coach, you’ve got a really good in already. From what xiao-Huang’s said about him, I think your coach would love to put in a good word for you with any college team you choose.”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. “So college is looking like your best bet. You'll be done with Gaokao stress and while med school is still under consideration, you can use the time to pursue other activities that are age locked for your friends. You'll just really have to score high on the Gaokao if you want to have your pick of whatever schools sign your friends on as players.”

Yu Wenzhou got the pen back and wrote “2) Football during college: Pro: most feasible. Con: team now might be scattered in different schools”. He looked at what he wrote pensively. “Do you think it's weird? To plan this much around my friends? My parents always told me to do what's best for myself and not just go with the flow because my friends are there.”

Ye Xiu shrugged. “There is truth to that, yes. As always, there’s a balance to keep. Have you joined clubs that only you were interested in but none of your friends were?”

More like he didn’t really have friends during those years so all the clubs he joined were purely based on his own interests. “Yes.”

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

Yu Wenzhou tilted his head. “I did but…”

“But?”

Might as well be honest. “I didn’t have any friends in them. They were rewarding but still…empty. I much prefer my experience as part of the Football Team.”

“Well you were doing something you love with people you love who are also passionate about your common interest. It’s no wonder it made you happy.”

‘Happy…’ Yu Wenzhou looked down at the paper. ‘Are you unhappy with the situation?’ had been Ye-laoshi’s question. For his entire childhood, he'd been single-mindedly following his parents’ teaching to not join clubs just because his friends were there. And he'd had no problem at first. Joining only what he was curious about and changing clubs whenever the curiosity was satisfied and he wanted to learn something new. After a few years of this though, he'd begun to realize that he was always on the outside looking in. If there wasn't an activity that required them to form groups, he was just left alone. People just had their own established circles of friends that sometimes intersected but didn't include him. Because he'd never stuck around to put in the effort of maintaining friendships. 

He had always left to pursue his own devices and so he was left to pursue his own devices. He really couldn't blame them.

Hearing laughter come from a few tables away, from the hallway, from the next-door classroom, from out in the school field, from anywhere that was not where he was was his norm. And it was only after football happened that he was suddenly able to enter one of these bubbles that he hadn't realized he'd been longing for.

“You said-” he cleared his throat. “You said you managed to be a top scorer on the Gaokao while maintaining your Top 1 seat and playing Nationals for the Tennis Varsity.”

“Yup. It was hell on earth but I managed somehow.”

“Compared to being a player on field, the workload of being a Team Manager and assistant coach might occupy the same brain space as studying.”

“Plausible.” Ye Xiu rocked his head side to side as he mulled it over. “But I would add that being on-field or on-court also forces comprehension and critical thinking but condensed into shorter bursts.”

The teen nodded. “I probably don't have the same kind of study network of friends that you did.”

“There are probably more than you realize but go on.”

Yu Wenzhou looked at them with a determined glint in his eye. “I still want to try. Being a Team Manager while studying for Gaokao.”

Ye Xiu nodded. “Even if it's risky? You yourself acknowledged that scoring high would be advantageous.”

He nodded. The team now, his friends…“I don't know how much longer this will last. So I want to make sure that I try everything to make it work before giving up.” He picked up the pen and wrote “3) Football during High School: most desired. Make it work!”

Wei Chen chuckled and patted him on the back.

Yu Wenzhou looked at him. The neighborhood uncle had been quiet for the most part, content to let Ye Xiu lead the discussion with his experience. But he was the reason this talk had happened in the first place, forcing the teen out of his isolated bubble for his own good.

Yu Wenzhou smiled. “Thanks lao-Wei.”

His hair was ruffled affectionately. 

“Any time, kid.”

-

It was Sunday, Day 2 of the Football Team’s training camp and Yu Wenzhou was studying at home again. He was reading advanced chapters of their textbooks and making notes. What he understood versus what he didn’t, what was already being brought up in cram school, what he needed to research…It was still a little early to start on the individual and group projects their teachers had introduced but maybe he should at least canvas-

He put his pen down and sighed. Yesterday’s talk had left him with a lot to think about and it felt like his mind was clattering restlessly around his room while he tried to reign it in to study.

He looked out the window. It had drizzled an hour ago but now the sun was shining. Maybe he needed a change of scenery. A walk to the local library in the sun sounded like it might burn off this restless energy. He sent a message notifying his parents where he was going, and then set off.

His route to the library passed the back of the school and as he was passing by, his eye caught on the school’s Smoker’s Escape fire exit. Learning about it from the football members (who had been talking about someone else) had reminded him once again of the rock he lived under. It was a place that an honor student like him would never dare approach…

Usually. 

Overcome with a sudden need to experience another thing he'd been missing out on, he decided he wanted to see the view from the roof. High school shows always had the main characters somehow getting access to the roof and he’d always wanted to see the view. It was one of the tallest buildings in their town so the full unobstructed view of the sky must be wonderful. No one was here since it was a Sunday anyway. Cautiously, he climbed to the top.

-

“Ah.”

“Oh.” 

Chu Yunxiu was here.

“What are you…” He began but realized that asking her why she was here on the school rooftop on a Sunday was pretty ironic given that he of all people was here as well.

She gave a lopsided smile like she completed the rest of that conversation in her head anyway.

They awkwardly looked away.

Yu Wenzhou wondered if it was now the social rule that he had to go back down. But he grumpily didn't want to leave seeing as this was the first time in his life he'd done something so rebellious as climbing to the school roof (on a weekend!). Having it end so soon was too…uncool.

Chu Yunxiu shrugged and gestured to all the empty space around her with an unspoken “feel free.”

Yu Wenzhou smiled wryly. “Feel free” indeed. ‘Was this the beginning of his very own rebellious era?’ he mused detachedly before finding a dry spot a comfortable distance away.

They sat in silence.

Yu Wenzhou looked up. The view was spectacular. He craned his neck looking at the different clouds slowly floating past. Maybe he could just…He lay down on the floor with a little thrill of excitement and watched the clouds float by.

It was a strange feeling. He couldn't see any of the walls of the roof deck in his peripheral vision. It gave him the odd feeling that he was about to peel away from the floor and fall up into the sky. It was almost dizzying.

“Surprised to see you here.”

Yu Wenzhou looked at Chu Yunxiu. She'd lain down on the roof floor like him and was also watching the sky. He looked back up. “I wanted to know what it was like.”

“Being a delinquent?”

Yu Wenzhou’s heart tripped a bit, remembering the way Shaotian almost spilled her reputation to Ye Xiu on that first meeting. That's true…he was now a delinquent too…though he had a feeling that she wouldn't report him. “No, I wanted to know what the sky looked like from here.”

“Ah well, if you're gonna be a delinquent for something, this one's a good choice, if I do say so myself. Enjoy it while it lasts, I've heard that big developers might come and build skyscrapers around the school.”

“Oh…uh thanks…I guess.”

The seconds ticked by.

“I thought you’d be with the team,” he blurted out. “At the training camp.”

“Nah, Coach said he’d decide after. Said he and xiao-Xu had it covered, especially with all the help you provided. And like, I thought you quit? 

“I just sent a document I had been compiling for a long time, that’s all.”

Chu Yunxiu hummed. “Oh…mmkay.”

A plane flew across the sky.

“Hey. Uh, I forgot to ask you for that run down of everything a Team Manager is responsible for and kinda just submitted my application. You said a student team manager is more like a personal assistant and the coach did say I'd just be assisting him but uh…what does that mean…exactly.”

Yu Wenzhou blinked. Ah, that's right. The email he'd sent to Coach had just been him putting in a good word for Chu Yunxiu and sending over all his compiled player profiles and directory of contacts. He hadn't actually sent her anything.

“Um team managers assist in determining individual and team training schedules, participate in discussing general tactics, take care of logistics like arranging this training camp, compile performance reviews of the individual players…Professional teams would have physiotherapists and nutritionists but given that we don't have a nurse or doctor on standby while training, it's best to familiarize yourself with first aid. For us I've just been keeping track of whoever has dietary restrictions or injuries and discussing treatment with Doctor Zhang.”

“Doctor Zhang?”

“Our school doctor. Specific injuries at the small-end of things include cuts and bruises from collisions with each other or bad falls. Attackers can be particularly prone to getting someone's boots shoved into their legs.”

“Eurgh.”

“Bigger injuries to look out for are concussions, ACL tears, ankle sprains or fractures, muscle strains, knee injuries, shoulder dislocations…”

“Good grief.”

“To help in injury prevention, team managers ensure good warm-ups before sessions, train players to build up stamina, and keep track of protective equipment like medical straps if there is a prior weakness or to prevent injuries, and padded headgear if someone is prone to concussions.”

“...”

“Then there's picking strategies that play to the players' fitness levels, rotating players to ensure they aren't too tired or to prevent minor injuries from becoming more serious ones...There are a lot of others I'm sure, but that's off the top of my head…”

“...”

“...”

“Oi Yu Wenzhou.”

“Yes?”

“What the fuck.”

Yu Wenzhou felt his heart skitter on thin ice. He quickly sat up but Chu Yunxiu was still just staring at the sky. Her gaze just looked a little…daunted.

“I thought you said I’d be more like a personal assistant?”

“Yes…you’ll be assisting Coach…in player training and maintenance…”

“Fuck. I should have known.” She wiped a hand over her face. “Is our Football Team a big deal? As in, you know, capital letters Big Deal? Like, I know they're headed for Nationals but did I unknowingly sign up to have the fate of our country's Football Future in my hands or something?”

“Um.”

“Because if it is, I think I need to freak out. I was just gonna help a poor freshie out and get managerial work experience along the way and I think I deserved more of a warning.”

“Um well, I thought-” Yu Wenzhou floundered. “They're headed for Nationals, so I thought it was…um…implied.”

“Ah,” Chu Yunxiu said flatly. “Yeah that…tracks. You said it wouldn’t be a walk in the park but fuck. Sorry, it seems I've watched too many sports donghua where winning Nationals is kind of a given plot end. So uh…I think I didn’t fully realize the gravity of the situation…” She rubbed her forehead. “But wait. Isn’t it a bit early? Why are you talking about Nationals as if they’re a given? Is our school a powerhouse or something?”

“Ah…not quite...The school itself doesn’t have a long established reputation for our football team, but we did reach Nationals last year so people have been keeping an eye on a few of our players since then. Shaotian especially has been on people’s radar since Middle School.”

“Oh shit. So people have expectations. Fuck.”

Yu Wenzhou felt a mounting alarm. What if he scared her off?

She glanced at him and saw the look on his face. “I’m not going to bail, okay? But oh my god.”

He relaxed slightly. “It’s not that bad. Coach and our Faculty Adviser are going to be very direct in what they ask you to do. ‘Please get the tapes from the First Aid Kit. Please give everyone a copy of their training exercises. Please time them as they complete the drills.’ Things like that.”

She squinted at him. “Were you the standard? Or were you just being your usual overachieving self?” 

“Um, since I’m very familiar with the sport I was a little more…proactive…I guess?”

She snorted. “Well as long as they don't expect me to be at your level from the get go, I guess I’m good.”

He nodded. “And also…”

“Also?”

He mustered up yesterday’s resolve. “I’m going to try to continue helping out.”

“Oh hey, for real?” Chu Yunxiu sat up. "You'll quit cram school?”

“No, not that. The tuition’s non-refundable and my parents paid all the way to winter break. I’ll just…see if I can help out before class and during lunch. I still won’t be able to attend the afternoon sessions.”

“That okay though? You’ll be hanging around the football team again.”

“Yes?” he tilted his head. That was the point, wasn't it? That he wanted to be around to help them.

She frowned. “Wait so you don't have beef with any of them? Then why'd you suddenly cut everyone off? You've only been talking to Huang Shaotian since you've left.”

Beef? “Ah no, that’s…it’s not the members. I…I felt like…I shouldn’t stick around if I’d already left.”

“Bro, you just started studying for cram school.  It's not like you broke up with them, or something.”

“It's…” How to explain this? “It was…hard. Hearing all the stories and not being part of it…”

“Ohhhh…” she nodded in understanding. “FOMO.”

“Foe mow?”

“Fear of missing out. You always want to be present so you don't miss out on the fun. But kinda different since you quit and being around people who haven't quit makes you miss it. You're more like someone who quit smoking having a hard time hanging around smokers.”

He laughed. “I did actually feel like a recovering alcoholic watching people drink.”

She laughed. “It's basically the same. You're a football addict going cold turkey. You know, it's basically- Ah.” Her expression turned awkward.

“It's basically?”

She scratched her cheek, “Well it's…basically the opposite of my situation? I felt FOMO watching other people being so…passionate about their interests. So that's why I wanted to join something. But you left, so now you're FOMO.”

“Ah.” That sounded about right. “Even if I'm the one who left, it feels like I'm the one getting left behind,” he said gloomily before clapping a hand to his mouth. That was. Urggghh. He flopped back on the floor and covered his face in embarrassment.

She coughed awkwardly and cleared her throat. “And uh…ehem…how does that make you feel…?”

Seriously? “Bad,” he said drily.

“Come on kid, give me something to work with here.”

“You're only a few months older than me.”

“That's not the- ugh whatever. So you feel bad. You said you felt like they were leaving you behind.”

Yu Wenzhou sighed. People did say that it's sometimes easier to pour out your feelings to a complete stranger but given that they'd be seeing each other on Monday, he wasn't sure if it applied. But ‘In for a penny’ and all that.

“Not on purpose or anything like that,” he finally said. “But people drift apart all the time when they don't have common activities anymore. And even though it was just a few weeks, everyone…nobody talked to me unless they had academic questions…Without Shaotian I’m just…” ‘As invisible as before’. He waved his hands helplessly.

“Ah…well…that uh…sucks.” She scratched her cheek. “I guess it’s a good opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and make more friends…?”

He gave her the look that statement deserved. Hearing that from her of all people…

“Hey!” She shouted indignantly. “I’ll have you know I made a new friend recently!”

“Congratulations.” He clapped. “Someone from class?” He hadn't seen her hanging out with anyone…except him…? He froze awkwardly.

“Ah no. She's older than us.”

Oh okay. This might be the neighborhood sister Shaotian mentioned. “The college student?”

“Ah no…she's um…older than that.”

Yu Wenzhou raised his eyebrows.

“She’s not creepy, okay! She’s Ye Xiu’s sister and she gets along with the pre-school’s Boss! Also she has an arts and crafts weibo…anyway she’s alright.”

He tilted his head. It was more of the age gap that concerned him but at least she seemed nice.

Chu Yunxiu sighed. “She’s not my only friend, okay? I have friends of different ages. It’s just nice when you’re able to talk to people who’ve already lived past something that seems…so insurmountable from where we are in our lives.”

Yu Wenzhou thought about Wei Chen and Ye Xiu. He wouldn’t call them his friends but…they could be the Friend-ly Neighborhood Uncles. 

She sighed. "I can't wait to get into college. My friends there say the things people are so hung up on in high school just…aren't as important anymore. Or the people calling the shots aren't as important anymore. And we're freer to go where we want. Dress how we want. Have loud opinions."

He watched the clouds and wondered how Chu Yunxiu saw college as a release from a cage while the thought of it choked him like a tightening vice grip. Or at least…it used to. After yesterday’s talk, he felt like he could at least stop avoiding thinking about it and consider his options.

“Not sure what course I'll take but at least you know what you want to be,” she continued. “Every parent wants their kid to be a doctor or lawyer but at least you want it for yourself.”

“Not really, it's mostly a suggestion from my parents since they're doctors. It's a stable source of income.”

“Wait, what?” She sat up. “Hold up. Becoming a doctor wasn't your idea? Seriously? I thought for sure you wanted to become a sports doctor just because of the way you info dump about injuries and stuff.”

Yu Wenzhou blinked. 

Chu Yunxiu peered at him in confusion and then exasperation. “Wait, are you actually for real? How can you be so smart but so dumb?” She winced. “Uh, no offense.”

Yu Wenzhou had half a mind to be offended but he was too busy beating himself up internally. She was right. It was right there. It had been there the whole time. Take away the suggestion of going into Family Medicine and suddenly he could see himself evaluating a team’s overall health, going over conditioning with the coaches tailor fit to each member. Standing by during games to prevent or at least mitigate injuries. He...he could live that life. It wouldn't be awful. Suddenly his parents' Doctor Dream - which seemed like a black hole of the unknown, an endless struggle of being The Best for its own sake, cut-off from his friends - seemed suddenly so...much less lonely. It wouldn't be the end of a dream if coaching didn't pan out. It felt like it would still be him, allowed to exist as he was, football enthusiast and all. 

If his talk with lao-Wei and Ye-laoshi felt like he’d be able to find wildflowers in between the cracks of the concrete path he’d be walking down, this felt like discovering a garden path that harmoniously wove between the flower beds.

“Wow okay, guess that worked for you. Don't forget your good friend Chu Yunxiu who helped you achieve your dreams when you're rich okay? I accept-AH! What the-? Oh fuck. Hey it's drizzling! Get under the roof!”

Yu Wenzhou just laughed as he watched the rain coming straight at him and sparkling in the still sunny sky. This weekend was just chock full of new perspectives, wasn't it? A former ball and shackle turned possible exciting future. The future was vast and who knew what possibilities he hadn't thought of yet?

He looked to the sky and it felt like he had a dream again.

-

That night, Yu Wenzhou lay in bed looking at his phone looking at Shaotian’s last message saying: 

‘Just got home Wenzhou! See you tom! :D’

People called their friends on their phones all the time. It wasn't weird. Even classmates called each other. Just because his family reserved calls for emergencies only or discussions that couldn't be done through messaging didn't mean that he had to do the same with his friends.

He sent a message asking Shaotian if he could call.

Instead, his phone started ringing.

“Wenzhou? Is everything okay? Did something bad happen? Do you need anything? Where are you-”

“Shaotian,” Yu Wenzhou cut in, “it's okay. I'm okay.”

“Oh! Okay. It's just that you said calls were emergency only things for you.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled wryly, “that's how it is with my parents but um…I was thinking I don't need to follow that with friends.”

“Yeah! That's totally okay! Do you have any limits? I know some people who just video call each other for hours but they're not even talking! They're just doing homework together but online, you know? Like a virtual study table ahaha! We hardly get to hang out anymore during the day but at least we could hang out while doing homework! Oh…ewwww homework…wow. I can't believe doing homework is going to be our main hangout uggghhhhhh-”

“Actually Shaotian,” he tentatively asked, “speaking of hanging out…do you think it would be okay for me to sit with you guys before classes and during lunch if you're doing drills in the field? I don't want to be a bother but-”

“OMG WOULD YOU?! THAT'S SO GREAT! EVERYONE MISSES YOU! THAT WOULD BE SOOOO COOL! YU FENG AND COACH HAVE SO MUCH THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT FROM YOUR SUPER AMAZING EMAIL BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER YOU-”

Yu Wenzhou heard a faint “HUANG SHAOTIAN IT IS 11PM! BE QUIET!” in the background.

“Oh. Sorry Mom! Sorry Wenzhou ahahaha I got too excited. My bad my bad.”

He laughed, feeling almost bubbly with happiness, like he might float away. “No, it's fine. Maybe I shouldn't have called at 11pm to begin with.”

“No! I mean…maybe. Well normally people don't call this late but if we're gonna do study video calls then what other time do we have? I'll just have to remember not to get too excited. Shouldn't be too hard if it's homework…urgh…But this conversation definitely was necessary! What a waste if you waited till tomorrow!”

“They found my email helpful?”

“Yes? Wenzhou of course they did! Didn't you get Coach’s reply? He printed the whole thing as a reference while writing his reply and I remember it saying “god-send” and “you're the best”. Xiao-Xu kept gushing about it while saving all the info.

“Ah, well…I thought…that was just things people say. You know how older people are.”

A sigh sounded through the call. “Wenzhou do you remember how I told you that you're so used to people praising you that you think that's just how people talk?”

“Ah.” Yu Wenzhou stared at the ceiling in embarrassment.

“Yes ‘Ah’. This is one of those times. It's not the same as both our grandmothers saying that we're each the most handsome young man in the world, ok?”

He laughed.

“I know you hear it a lot, but it doesn't make it less true okay? The info you gave to Coach really is helpful. Okay?”

He smiled. Calling was great. He should have done this sooner.

“I'm gonna need to hear an ‘okay’.”

He laughed. “Yes, okay. Then I'll see you tomorrow?”

“Yup! See you tomorrow Wenzhou! Mornings and lunch! And night calls too, don’t forget! I'll bother you with all my homework questions.”

“Looking forward to it,” Yu Wenzhou said honestly. “Night, Shaotian.”

“Night!”

-

In the end, Chu Yunxiu’s application to be a team manager was accepted and Yu Wenzhou spent mornings before class and lunchtime with the football team helping in any way he could. He'd been able to chance upon a day where he and his parents were all home and discuss with them how he still wanted to be involved with football. He'd still attend cram classes, at least until the winter break, since those sessions were non-refundable. But mornings and lunch breaks would be with the team and he'd join them during their matches on the weekends. Then he would recalibrate during winter break and see if any adjustments needed to be made.

It was…not an easy conversation. But he held on to the knowledge that they only really wanted what was best for him. He threw down the possibility of becoming a football coach which caused a predictable uproar and then tempered it with the idea of becoming a sports doctor. Further sweetened with a timeline of how these would be possible along the years and articles about the salaries and work benefits of being a dedicated team doctor (of big teams). It felt a little underhanded to create tactics for how to sway his parents but it needed to be done. He wasn't going to do this half baked.

It ended with a tentative truce for him to carry out his plan until the winter break but that he'd have to send all his scores from every daily quizz, diagnostic test, exercise, drill, or exam so they could monitor if he was slipping.

Upon relaying this to lao-Wei and lao-Ye, they each put a hand on his shoulders with a grim ‘You can do it.’

He'd been sent away with another free (noticeably nicer) ice cream; Ye-laoshi walking beside him on his way home. The silence was comfortable.

“Hey kid,” Ye Xiu suddenly said into the quiet, “I know we said that you can do it. And we really do believe that you can but…” he rubbed the back of his neck. “If it gets too much, check in with us. Or actually, don't wait till it gets too much. Just check in with us regardless. Just pass by on your way to cram school. Not your grades okay? Just how you're doing.”

Yu Wenzhou looked up at the older man in surprise. Then abruptly turned back to his ice cream, blinking rapidly. He tried to say something, even just an ‘okay’, but it got stuck in his throat. After several tries, he just quietly nodded and hoped it didn't seem rude.

He felt Ye Xiu rub his back and he had to fight the sudden tingles in his nose. “You'll be okay, xiao-Yu. Don't forget there are people who want to support you.” The back rubs eventually turned to back pats. There was an uncertainty to them, a lack of weight and firmness. Like Ye Xiu didn't really do this kind of thing and only knew what it was supposed to look like but not how it was supposed to feel, both in the giving and receiving of back pats. Yu Wenzhou only knew better because lao-Wei, Shaotian, and the rest of the football team were so physical in their affection. Arms around shoulders, bear hugs, hands on your shoulder to get your attention. Hands pushing from behind or tugging at your wrist because they wanted to show you something. He felt a sudden deep kinship to this awkward adult. 

Suddenly Ye Xiu ruffled his hair. “Anyway,” the man said brightly, snapping them out of whatever mood that was, “I'll be going this way. See you tomorrow, xiao-Yu!”

Yu Wenzhou smiled. “See you tomorrow, lao-Ye.”

-

*Epilogue: Chu Yunxiu pov:

Yu Wenzhou

You REALLY dont have to worry about
this idiot leaving you behind

Good grief he won't shut up about you

Ok he won't shut up period

But mostly about you

How do I make him stop

My ears are bleeding

Make him stip

*Stop

Help

I don't care if I'll owe you

Tell me how to make him stop

Shaotian's not an idiot.

The fuck i sent you so many
messages and that's all you
care about?????? u both
dumb

But thank you, that's a relief to hear.

What?????????

A good kind of talking about you when you’re not there.

Oooooooooooh

Ok you type slow

Sorry for calling u dumb

Yes its positive

For you

Not for me

He wont stop singing your praises

Please circle back to the bit
where i want to know how to make
him stop talking

Because my wars are STILL duing

*Ears are STILL dying

*A relief to hear that…I won't be left behind. (Sorry that was really embarrassing to type). Not a relief about the dumb bit.

Yu Wenzhou is typing…

Wait which part you at?

Yu Wenzhou is typing…

[Typing stops]

Yu Wenzhou is typing…

Wait wiat nvm

no need to answer the last bit

finish what u were gonna say

[Typing stops]

Yu Wenzhou is typing…

Actually you finish your replies

I'll just get somthn to drink brb

No hurry tho

Yu Wenzhou is typing…

🍵

[Typing stops]

Sorry that was an accident.

Yu Wenzhou is typing…