After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 7
Chapter 7: Physical Education Class
◎ Too much teamwork ◎
They say June weather changes like a child’s mood—and August can be just as unpredictable. One moment, Yonghuai City was drenched in rain; the next, bright sunshine made everyone want to melt.
Worried the rain might return during PE, Chen Mengyin grabbed an umbrella as she left the school building. Puddles sparkled on the track field like blue-and-white mushrooms under the scorching sun.
“Wow—the air’s so fresh after the rain!” she exclaimed, taking a deep breath of cool, damp air.
Xie Zhirou, worried about muddy water seeping into Mengyin’s shoes, gently held her hand and guided her around the biggest puddles.
“It’s okay; we can clean the shoes later,” Mengyin shrugged.
Zhirou frowned. “Rainwater’s dirty. If your feet get soaked, you could get sick.”
Mengyin shuddered, recalling a video about foot rot—it had grossed her out. From then on, she carefully avoided every puddle.
PE was the final period, so the teacher sent everyone to the gym after the rain. The teacher, Wu Jinhua, a strict woman in her forties always dressed in sporty attire, assembled the students and let them freely choose activities, reminding them to return promptly when the whistle blew.
“Got it!” the class chorused.
Mengyin wanted to play badminton with Zhirou—just the two of them. She gathered rackets, but they were old and unreliable. Suddenly, Xu Qingqing from Grade 2 approached holding a volleyball.
“Mengyin, care to join our volleyball game?” she asked, looking hopeful.
Mengyin bit her lip. She’d already promised Zhirou badminton. Just then Zhirou appeared and asked Xu how many players she needed. Xu said seven more than what they had.
Zhirou offered to help call for teammates, tipping the balance. Soon, they lined up six players—just enough.
Sensing the shift, Zhirou nodded strongly at Mengyin. They both agreed to join the volleyball game.
At the start, after some trash-talking from both sides, Jiang Yingxia took up the whistle as referee. The match began—and with Mengyin and Zhirou towering at 1.7 m, they commanded the net.
“You two are reading each other’s minds!” Xu laughed after their opponents dropped to the floor.
“We’re unbeatable together—deal with it!” Mengyin grinned, high-fiving Zhirou.
Xu admitted defeat. “Next time you two better be on my team!”
Sweating and exhilarated, the girls headed to the corridor near the wisteria trellis for lunch. The rain had stopped, but the pace quickened. They refilled honey water, cleaned up, and headed back, chatting happily.