Found out where my best friend from elementary school ended up

He went back to his hometown for middle school. Starting from seventh grade we’d contact each other every summer vacation, but he’s also the only elementary school classmate I still keep in touch with

Even though I knew he chose the humanities track[^1] and had barely any free time, I was still shocked he got into Renmin University[^2] —couldn’t help but feel deeply moved

And the moment I scrolled through his Qzone[^3], all the memories just came flooding back

Going to his house to play games together, after school walking out the gate to pick up his little sister, then for fun taking that path covered in shrubs barely two feet wide to walk home together, occasionally getting messed with by these bratty twin kids from our class on the way

Joining a recitation competition together and finding out for the first time he gets hypoglycemia

Borrowing a classmate’s Hitler: A Biography together and being profoundly shaken, drawing lots of little booklets about politics and history, so captivated by the text that I couldn’t stop wanting to say so much that my sections ended up being all dialogue

Being close with my desk-mate, getting accused by the homeroom teacher[^4] of “early love”[^5] —I forget why he was there too, but anyway the three of us were squatting in the hallway during lunch break while the teacher smiled and talked to us

Later he told me when my desk-mate transferred here in fourth grade, she smiled so radiantly and brilliantly —he’d liked her since then, he said, his eyes full of wistful reminiscence

But honestly I didn’t care at all, I just thought it was fun hanging out with her. I even felt like it cut into time with my other good friends. Looking back now, it seems like she really did get jealous when I chatted with other girls

Right here, I suddenly remembered —I was so confident and outgoing in elementary school. Not just that, so many things have changed, and there are parts of myself I really hate now. What on earth happened?

I don’t know how this line just popped into my head

“Hey, what kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I’ll answer with the rest of my life!”

💬 Comments

  • Chen (2024-11-10 09:18): Dan-ge, you’ll become a good adult
    • LoulanRE reply @Chen (2024-11-10 13:25): Gotta work hard to become a splendid adult —all of us
  • Oblivionis (2024-11-10 10:02): Already added to the winter break creative list
    • LoulanRE reply @Oblivionis (2024-11-10 13:26): ? Not sure I follow
  • optional (2024-11-10 10:08): Changes are also caused by experiences, no need to be hard on yourself
    • LoulanRE reply @optional (2024-11-10 13:45): It’s just self-dissatisfaction. With an immature mind, I could only be passively shaped by experiences back then, but now I intend to actively change for the better
    • optional reply @LoulanRE (2024-11-10 14:22): Yeah, I support you!!
    • abc reply @LoulanRE (2024-11-10 18:05): Becoming more open and confident —that’s seriously impressive, total domination
  • ぎ さん. (2024-11-10 11:49): The twin brats
    • LoulanRE reply @ぎ さん. (2024-11-10 13:34): As absurd as it sounds, it’s the truth. Looking back at elementary school, I feel half proud and half nostalgic —so vivid and distant, as if it were someone else’s life
    • ぎ さん. reply @LoulanRE (2024-11-10 13:35): Agreed, +1
  • Oblivionis (2024-11-10 13:58): Winter break filming script reference
    • Ji reply @Oblivionis (2024-11-10 19:31): I want to see it

Footnotes

[^1]: “Humanities track” (文科) —In China’s high school streaming system, students are divided into a sciences track (理科) and a humanities/liberal arts track (文科), typically around 10th grade.
[^2]: Renmin University (人大) —Renmin University of China, one of China’s most prestigious universities, particularly renowned for humanities and social sciences.
[^3]: Qzone (空间) —QQ Zone, a social networking platform within Tencent’s QQ ecosystem, widely used in China for blogging and sharing updates, especially popular among the millennial generation.
[^4]: Homeroom teacher (班主任) —In Chinese schools, the homeroom teacher holds far more authority than in Western schools —responsible for discipline, moral education, and overall student welfare, essentially acting as the primary authority figure for a class.
[^5]: “Early love” (早恋) —Literally “early love,” a pejorative term used in Chinese education to refer to romantic relationships among middle and high school students, which are generally discouraged or prohibited by schools and parents.