The Gaze of the Radio Girl (GL) - Chapter 6

“…”

Hearing the silence on the other end, Wu Lele snapped back to reality.

How could the Deep Space Witch be like the class monitor?

Asking that was practically an insult to the Deep Space Witch!

No, she had to apologize quick!

Suddenly, a burst of laughter came through the headphones.

The laughter was pleasant, like a clear spring in a valley. Wu Lele thought the Deep Space Witch was practically an angel.

The class monitor was cold as ice, no way she could be an angel.

Thus, the conclusion: the Deep Space Witch couldn’t be the class monitor!

The Deep Space Witch, laughing, asked Wu Lele: “Compared to your class monitor, who’s better?”

“You, obviously!” Wu Lele replied without hesitation, firm and decisive.

The other side fell silent again.

Maybe because she was too happy?

“…Um…”

“What do you think we have in common?”

“Well… you both said the same thing…” Wu Lele said tentatively.

“What thing?”

“You both told me not to keep saying ‘sorry.’” Wu Lele leaned on the desk, her pen tip lightly poking at the blue handwriting the class monitor left on her test paper, saying, “Since you both said it, it’s probably a bad habit. I’ll start fixing it today.”

“Yeah, you should fix it,” the Deep Space Witch said with a laugh. “But shouldn’t you focus on the test paper now?”

She seemed to love laughing.

Through the radio waves, the gentleness in her tone was amplified, like orange lamplight floating in the air, making Wu Lele squint slightly.

“Yeah.” Wu Lele answered softly.

“Which year?”

“2019.”

“Alright, let’s start…”

Maybe the Deep Space Witch’s voice was too gentle, or maybe Wu Lele was too used to living on edge.

As the air around her relaxed, the words carried by the radio waves became a sedative.

Before the final question, Wu Lele’s voice grew faint. Her slender arm pressed on the test paper, forgetting to hold the talk button.

The Deep Space Witch kept talking, intermittently, perhaps guessing the scene on the other end. After a long silence, she chuckled softly: “Good night.”

Wu Lele couldn’t remember when it started, but she had to wrap herself tightly in her sheets to sleep, waking up drenched in sweat every morning.

But today was different.

Waking up, she found herself dry, though her hand was numb, and her cheek was marked with ABCs. The rare high-quality sleep made her feel reborn.

She pressed the button, saying in the softest voice: “Good morning.”

She knew the Deep Space Witch wouldn’t hear, but she stretched contentedly and turned off the radio.

If the Deep Space Witch was an angel, the class monitor was a glamorous demon with a freezing effect.

Under the combined assault of angel and demon, in the first big exam after the National Day holiday, Wu Lele’s English and Chinese finally climbed from dead last to the top 80% of the grade, shakily.

She received a rare certificate: Leap Forward Progress Award.

“Roar… I’m gonna frame it!” Wu Lele’s eyes sparkled.

The class monitor glanced at her, coldly saying: “No ambition.”

“If I give it to my friend, will she be happy?” Wu Lele blinked at the class monitor, seeking the demon’s approval.

The demon froze slightly: “Which friend?”

“The one from the bet… that one…”

Oops, Wu Lele seemed to have brought up something she shouldn’t have.

She looked at the class monitor nervously.

The class monitor narrowed her eyes, leaning closer: “So, I won that bet?”

“Uh…” Wu Lele felt her back sweating profusely.

“Then the condition you agreed to…”

Though the class monitor was a demon, her progress was partly thanks to her.

Wu Lele steeled herself, closed her eyes, lifted her chin toward the class monitor, and faced her fate bravely: “Tell me, what’s the condition?”

She was all in, but the class monitor didn’t respond.

She was about to peek when the class monitor lifted her hand, hooking her chin: “Usually, this kind of plot ends with you pledging yourself.”

“No way!” Wu Lele refused flatly. “Anything but that!”

The class monitor froze for a moment, then forced a strained smile: “Just kidding, why so serious?”

“…”

“But,” the class monitor loomed over her, her fingers brushing Wu Lele’s slightly longer short hair, “it seems you already have someone you’d pledge yourself to? Who? The friend you’re giving the certificate to?”

She probably didn’t mean it, but her words and the Deep Space Witch’s voice alternated in Wu Lele’s mind, exploding unexpectedly, sparks instantly burning her face red-hot.

The class monitor’s fingertips paused, then pulled back.

“Kidding. Give it to whoever you want…”

The class monitor turned away, her aura dropping to freezing.

Wu Lele’s brain was fried, oblivious to the other’s change. When she came to, the class monitor was surrounded by classmates.

Leading them was the sports captain, Hu Xin: “Class monitor, how many events are you signing up for this year? You’re definitely doing the 4×100 relay, right?”

“I’ve got other plans this year. The relay’s enough. Share some with other classmates.”

As soon as the class monitor spoke, Hu Xin’s gaze shifted, locking onto Wu Lele.

Fresh from her mental wander, Wu Lele wasn’t fully alert and looked back innocently.

“Deep Space Witch,” Hu Xin said across the class monitor, “you came late last year, so you probably haven’t joined our school’s Sports and Arts Festival, right?”

“Uh…” Wu Lele felt she shouldn’t answer, but not answering seemed rude, so she shook her head. “No, what’s that?”

“It’s… a festival where everyone has to sign up for at least two or three events.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” The class monitor’s voice carried a hint of force, her glance briefly landing on Wu Lele before shifting away.

“What nonsense?” Hu Xin stepped around the desks, standing between her and the class monitor, leaning on the back of Wu Lele’s chair, unconsciously forming a circle. “Our class has fewer girls, and last year we all signed up for multiple events. Lele, since you’re part of the class, you gotta contribute, right?”

Wu Lele blinked, not quite understanding: “What events?”

Hu Xin slapped a form and a pen in front of her, saying: “Right now, we’re shortest on the 3,000-meter.”

“Hey!” The class monitor’s voice rang out behind Hu Xin.

“It’s a new event this year,” Hu Xin ignored her, blocking the class monitor’s view. “We don’t have anyone suitable, so it’s down to you. Wanna sign up?”

“Uh… sure,” Wu Lele barely thought, picking up the pen and writing her name next to the event. “Like this, right?”

Both Hu Xin and the class monitor froze.

“Then…” Hu Xin pointed to high jump. “No one signed up for this either.”

“Oh.” Wu Lele lowered her head, scribbling again. “Is the 4×100 relay short on people too?”

“Uh… you can’t sign up for that.”

“Why not?”

“You’d hold us back.”

“I won’t hold anyone back.”

“We don’t need you for it…” Hu Xin snatched the form and left, not forgetting to grab her pen.

“Didn’t you say we need multiple events?” Wu Lele tilted her head, watching Hu Xin’s retreating figure. “I only signed up for two.”

Beside her, the class monitor’s shoulders trembled slightly, hand propping her chin, covering her mouth as she looked at Wu Lele: “Why are you so obedient?”

“It’s just a 3,000-meter run, right?”

“Do you know what 3,000 meters means?”

“It’s 3,000 meters. Is it hard?”

“…Have you ever run 3,000 meters?”

“No.”

“…High jump?”

“No.”

“…” The class monitor stood abruptly, pushing her chair back.

Wu Lele instinctively grabbed her hem: “Where are you going?”

“Bathroom. You coming?”

“Uh…” Wu Lele let go.

The class monitor seemed to disdainfully brush the spot Wu Lele grabbed and left.

But she soon returned, leaning on Wu Lele’s chair and desk, the pleasant scent of laundry detergent enveloping her with the breeze.

She said: “The Sports and Arts Festival is in a month. If you want to practice, tell me.”

“…Huh?”

“If you get heatstroke and die, I’ll bury you right away.”

The class monitor tossed out a baffling remark and left again.

Wu Lele vaguely felt the class monitor was angry, but… why?

“You’re wondering why she’s mad?” the Deep Space Witch’s voice came through the radio, as gentle and slow as ever, with a faint smile.

“Yeah, she’s always grumpy, but that day was too weird, like she wanted me dead.”

“…”

Wu Lele was getting used to the Deep Space Witch’s occasional silences.

She looked at her test paper, patiently waiting for a reply.

After a long pause, the Deep Space Witch finally responded: “I don’t think she really wants you dead…”

“Then… why did she talk like that?” Wu Lele was a bit dejected. “I thought we could be friends…”

“…Maybe she’s just annoyed… that you agreed to something without understanding it… She’s worried you’ll be bullied… or scared you’ll get hurt.”

“Can you get hurt running 3,000 meters?”

“…”

The other side fell silent again.

“…Anyway,” the Deep Space Witch’s gentle voice had an inexplicable waver, “try inviting her to practice with you tomorrow. You might get a different outcome.”

“What if she was just saying it casually?”

“Hm… I think she’s serious.”

Though she had the Deep Space Witch’s advice, the task was daunting for Wu Lele.

During PE class, blue sky, white bleachers, green soccer field.

Wu Lele hid in the shade, like a pale mushroom.

October’s field was still hot, but the class monitor shed her icy demeanor, practicing with others on the red track.

Wu Lele hadn’t signed up for the 4×100 relay and didn’t know how to ask the class monitor about practice.

But she was sensitive, always feeling the class monitor was sneaking glances at her.

“Alright, let’s take a break.”

Hu Xin clapped her hands over there, and everyone scattered, some drinking water, others heading to the bathroom.

Wu Lele squatted by a bench, watching the class monitor approach, then veer off to grab a water bottle.

Though the class monitor was cold, she got along with classmates, and everyone liked her.

They chattered, and Wu Lele couldn’t join in, only playing with her hair, now past her collarbone.

When the noise finally died down, she glanced at the class monitor with her peripheral vision, reached out to hook her pristine hem, and awkwardly turned her face away.

“Class monitor, I want to practice.”