The Gaze of the Radio Girl (GL) - Chapter 7

Pfft—

Xue Ran nearly choked.

Following the slightly crumpled hem, she could only see Wu Lele’s pale fingertips and faintly red earlobes.

As expected, the Deep Space Witch’s words worked best.

Xue Ran tightened her water bottle cap, awkwardly touching her slightly warm neck, and asked: “Practice what?”

“Long-distance running… high jump… anything… up to you…”

“Let’s start with high jump then. The sports captain already set up the equipment, so let’s do it now.”

Xue Ran put down her bottle, seemingly casually lifting Wu Lele’s fingers off her hem, then grasping them to pull her up from the ground, saying: “Look over there, the tallest guy among the boys—that’s Hu Lei, Hu Xin’s twin brother, a national-level athlete. Before class ends, let’s have him teach us.”

Wu Lele stared blankly at the group of chocolate-colored human poles in the distance, standing still.

“What’s wrong?” Xue Ran asked.

“I… aren’t you teaching me?”

Wu Lele’s eyes were watery, as if they could brim over any moment.

She gripped Xue Ran’s fingers in return, as if afraid she’d suddenly run off.

Xue Ran didn’t understand why she was so shy with strangers. She wasn’t like this with Hu Xin—she saw no difference between the twins.

But looking at Wu Lele’s long-sleeved jacket, Xue Ran inexplicably recalled Tao Tao’s words in the car, and her usually cold voice softened: “He’s just explaining. I’m the one by your side.”

“You won’t leave?”

“I won’t.”

But Wu Lele still looked dejected as Xue Ran pulled her toward Hu Lei.

Hu Lei, tanned dark, waved at them with a grin: “Hey, class monitor, you doing high jump this year?”

“Not me, Lele.”

“Lele… the Deep Space Witch?”

Hu Lei bent down, sizing up Wu Lele: “What’s your highest jump so far?”

“Uh… never jumped.”

Wu Lele shrank behind Xue Ran, her boldness from signing up gone.

Xue Ran smirked, feeling like a cat owner relied upon by her pet, inexplicably proud.

But she also worried—being so timid, could this kid survive outside school?

Hu Lei, oblivious, ignored Wu Lele’s shyness, laughing and patting her shoulder: “No worries, PE class doesn’t teach it, so it’s normal not to know. High jump’s simple. It’s just a school sports meet—fill the slots, and if you win something, call it dumb luck, haha!”

Was this the supreme mindset of a national-level athlete?

From afar, he looked intimidating, but up close, Hu Lei was just a goofy giant.

“Come, over here.”

Hu Lei, strong as an ox, yanked Wu Lele out from behind Xue Ran.

Wu Lele visibly panicked, reaching back for Xue Ran. But Xue Ran didn’t extend her hand, just followed, signaling: I’m still here.

Hu Lei was all action, demonstrating two high jump techniques, then lowering the bar for Wu Lele to try.

Hu Xin came to join the fun: “So low, anyone could step over it. Is that even high jump? Deep Space Witch, you’re no good—you’ll embarrass our class.”

Wu Lele, initially flustered, suddenly calmed at Hu Xin’s words.

Xue Ran stood on the other side of the bar, quietly watching Wu Lele.

She noticed Wu Lele seemed more at ease with girls than boys.

As expected, choosing a female identity for the Deep Space Witch was right.

“Lele, come to me.”

Xue Ran waved, deliberately interrupting the tension between Wu Lele and Hu Xin.

Wu Lele’s eyes lit up, and she rushed toward her. Mimicking Hu Lei, she used the momentum from her run-up, lightly pushed off with her right leg, lifted her left, and cleared the bar easily.

The moment she landed, she stumbled, falling onto the thick mat, then looked up and grinned at Xue Ran: “I did it!”

“Great job, but it’s just the start.”

Xue Ran pulled her up from the mat, nodding at Hu Lei.

Hu Lei, pleased, raised the bar: “Deep Space Witch, keep going!”

“Roar!” Wu Lele was pumped.

Passing Hu Xin, Xue Ran heard her scoff, but Wu Lele didn’t care, running toward Hu Lei.

Xue Ran couldn’t fathom where Hu Xin’s hostility came from.

As she pondered, Hu Xin suddenly said: “Class monitor, we should practice too.”

Wu Lele had just cleared the second height when the bar wobbled and fell. She looked at Xue Ran, dejected.

Xue Ran reached into her track pants pocket, waving Wu Lele over: “Come here.”

Perhaps less wary of Hu Lei now, Wu Lele wasn’t as timid, eagerly running to her: “You leaving?”

“Nope, just over there.”

She grabbed Wu Lele’s shoulders, turning her around.

Wu Lele, confused, tried to look back, but Xue Ran pushed her head forward: “Don’t move.”

“What are you doing?”

“Your hair’s getting long.”

“Oh, yeah… I should get a haircut.”

“Hm… it looks nice.”

“…Huh?”

Xue Ran gathered Wu Lele’s hair, neatly combing it back and tying it with a navy-blue hair tie, saying: “There, less hot now. You’re grown up—how do you not take care of yourself?”

Wu Lele touched the back of her head.

The short ponytail was like a bunny tail, fun to feel. Xue Ran patted it lightly.

Their fingertips brushed briefly.

“Jump well. I’ll come back for my hair tie. Don’t lose it, give it back.”

Xue Ran patted Wu Lele’s head and jogged to the relay practice area.

Hu Xin, who’d seen it all, gave Xue Ran a strangely dark look.

She asked Xue Ran: “What’s going on?”

“What’s what?” Xue Ran sat on a bench, tying her shoelaces.

“Why are you so nice to her?”

“I want to be nice to a friend. Problem?”

“But there’s something wrong with her personality!”

“Everyone’s different. There’s no such thing as a wrong personality.”

“She’s not a team player, she’s withdrawn, she’s not suited—”

Xue Ran stood, pressing Hu Xin’s shoulder: “Sports captain, this is our last high school sports meet. Are you going to keep carrying this attitude? You and I both know what’s up with the 3,000-meter and high jump sign-ups. Don’t make me spell it out.”

Hu Xin stared at Xue Ran, then stepped back, shouting: “Practice, everyone hurry up!”

PE was the week’s last class.

Afterward, those wanting to train could stay.

After several rounds, Xue Ran looked up to see Wu Lele back to being a moldy mushroom, squatting by the bench, drawing circles, her bunny tail bobbing.

Weird, wasn’t she practicing?

Xue Ran scanned around, spotting Hu Lei and the high jump equipment reclaimed by the school team.

Wu Lele’s training was over, it seemed.

Xue Ran thought she’d run off to send her signals, but she didn’t—she was quietly waiting.

Was this a point scored against the Deep Space Witch?

Xue Ran chuckled, her steps inching toward the bench. Hu Xin’s voice came from behind: “Keep going! The baton pass still isn’t right!”

Xue Ran glanced back, meeting Hu Xin’s eyes.

An emotion flashed in Hu Xin’s gaze. The relay team was in position, and Xue Ran, as the final runner, was crucial.

She worried about leaving Wu Lele waiting but couldn’t defy Hu Xin’s “team-first” logic, so she stayed put.

During repetitive practice, a figure dashed by, wearing her blue hair tie.

Xue Ran turned—Wu Lele was gone from her mushroom spot, running alone on the track.

Not just Xue Ran, others in the class noticed, stopping to watch.

Wu Lele’s form was graceful, like a compass planted at an angle, her feet rolling across the ground, measuring the track with soft landings.

She said she’d never run 3,000 meters—how could Xue Ran believe that?

Was she lying to keep Xue Ran around for practice?

No, the holes in Wu Lele’s brain wouldn’t allow such scheming.

But others didn’t think so, especially Hu Xin.

When she saw her brother cheering Wu Lele on, her intense emotions were palpable even to the relay team.

Wu Lele ran lap after lap, her speed not dropping but surging in the final 200 meters.

She rushed to Xue Ran, holding out the stopwatch solemnly and pressing it: 16 minutes, 6 seconds.

“Good enough?”

“Hm… why didn’t you wait for me?”

“I-I didn’t want to hold you back… Since I signed up, I want to win first with everyone. High jump’s tough, but 3,000 meters, I can do it… It’s just running, right? Seven and a half laps, I can do it. I can get those five points!”

Wu Lele was panting.

Maybe because of her long-sleeved tracksuit, she was drenched in sweat. Even so, she didn’t roll up her sleeves.

She bent over, hands on knees, her tightly pulled collar slipping to reveal a sharp collarbone and a bruise on her shoulder.

The bruise was layered, new over old, at a tricky angle, as if chosen to be hidden.

Xue Ran’s heart jolted. Without thinking, she pulled her quick-dry towel from her neck, draped it over Wu Lele’s, and lifted her collar to cover the scar.

“Don’t overdo it.”

“Is this time good enough?”

The 3,000-meter was a new event, with no known benchmarks, but Xue Ran nodded: “Yeah.”

Wu Lele smiled, that radiant smile again.

Then her legs gave out, and she collapsed. Xue Ran had to pull her up: “Don’t lie down after running!”

“But I’m so tired… Class monitor… let me lie down a bit…”

“Give me your arm.”

“For what?”

“Walk a bit, it’ll help.”

“But you still have practice. The sports captain’s waiting.”

Xue Ran supported Wu Lele’s arm, placing it on her shoulder.

Looking back, Hu Xin was nowhere in sight.