After the first day, the students had a rough understanding of high school life. Just before the final bell rang, Miss Ho assigned a new task: each student was to give a self-introduction the next morning. She explained that her goal was for everyone to become familiar with each other quickly, so they could cooperate and get along well.
The one thing Ketto hated most was self-introduction. As we already know, he was very introverted and not talkative. For him, giving a self-introduction was torture. He believed it was a tedious and pointless exercise, convinced that everyone would naturally become familiar over time. No matter how carefully you prepared your introduction, he thought, people were unlikely to remember the details anyway. This was part of the reason Ketto disliked transitioning from one phase of life to another.
After Miss Ho dismissed the class, Addy and Ketto said a quick goodbye. As they were leaving, they glanced at the still-sleeping Hanky.
"How dare he sleep like that, completely ignoring the teacher?" Addy said with an expression of disbelief.
"He's crazy. I think he's just aimlessly drifting through life," Ketto replied, making a helpless gesture.
Their whispering must have disturbed Hanky, because he suddenly woke up. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at them with disdain. "You two losers, are you talking about me? Do you have a death wish?"
"S-sorry! We weren't!" Ketto stammered, becoming nervous as he always did when he felt guilty. Both he and Addy began to tremble, filled with worry.
"Too bad. Get out of my sight. Now," Hanky said with a cold stare.
On the way home, Addy reflected on the events of his first day. Building a new friendship with Ketto and meeting so many new students felt like a good beginning.
Addy's parents owned a dim sum store where they served many traditional Eastern pastries and snacks. Back in middle school, he would often return to his parents' stall after school and homework to help out. He would prepare dishes, sell snacks and special foods to customers, and sometimes help wash bowls and utensils if they were short on staff.
His parents were skilled and talented at making delicious food. In the minds of the local people, their snacks were considered splendid, even better than the food sold in five-star hotel food courts. Addy was always willing and enthusiastic about helping people in need. In the eyes of most adults, he was the kind of boy who was well-behaved and respectful toward his parents. It was the truth; he was a model student.
Addy and Ketto became friends because they were similar in some ways. I've always thought that people with compatible personalities are drawn together by an invisible force. Often, the more similar their characters are, the closer they become.
Although Addy and Ketto had become friends on the very first day, there were still differences between them. Take their views on the self-introduction, for example. Ketto thought it was torture and pointless from the start. In contrast, Addy believed that a self-introduction was a way to actively present oneself to others, and that it was useful for helping people adapt to a new environment more quickly.
Another obvious difference was that Ketto was introverted, while Addy was extroverted. Their different personalities shaped their attitudes toward daily life and their perceptions of the world around them.
Even though they were different in these ways, they shared the same core values. Like two small streams converging into one lake, they were destined to become close friends.
Ketto complained continuously on his way home. His first grievance was the self-introduction; the second was Hanky's presence in his classroom. He had no idea what trouble might follow.
He sighed, making a peaceful gesture, and tried to focus on the positive: he was grateful to have met Addy. He thought Addy was a trustworthy and kind person, someone worth befriending.
As for the troublesome Hanky, Ketto didn't even want to look at him or speak to him. All he wanted was to stay away from him, and he secretly wished Hanky would vanish from the class altogether.
After finishing dinner with his parents, Ketto answered their gentle questions about his new school life. They wanted to know if anything good or bad had happened, but most importantly, they wanted to understand how he was feeling. They listened quietly as Ketto described his new life.
He omitted the negative and awful parts, sharing only the good and optimistic things. He didn't want to burden his closest family members with his troubles, so he suppressed his sadness, pushing it deep down inside.
He talked about his homeroom teacher, Miss Ho, whom he described as very warm-hearted and nice. He also mentioned his new friend, Addy, who seemed helpful and kind. Hearing this, his parents began to smile, feeling satisfied and relieved. Their nervousness and worry faded away.
They hoped Ketto would live happily, embrace the positive aspects of school life, and grow into a good person—both for his own sake and for the sake of others.
After dinner, Ketto went straight to his study room. His father was watching a sports show on TV while his mother was doing the dishes. He sat up straight and pulled out a notebook to jot down his self-introduction draft. After writing down some rough notes, he began to think about making some revisions. Honestly, he still thought it would be awkward to stand on the platform and deliver a speech. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. No matter how hard he tried to calm down, he couldn't.
He recited and repeated it several times until he could deliver his self-introduction smoothly and naturally. He tried his best not to mess up. Moreover, he looked up at the night sky, hoping God would bless him. Since it was the first day of the new semester, there was no extra homework. He went to bed early and got enough sleep. During his sleep, he had a dream—strictly speaking, it was a nightmare. In the dream, Hanky bullied him for no reason. Hanky just kept saying, "Stupidity," and spanking him. He even spat on Ketto. Ketto was worried and scared. He kept saying, "Don't do this to me, please," and begged for mercy.
"Aw, help me! Save me! Don't hit me!" After screaming loudly, Ketto woke up from his nightmare. He looked around to make sure everything was fine and safe. He touched and sensed his skin and face, once and again, until he confirmed that he was uninjured. He took a deep breath. He tried to figure out why he had this nightmare. He couldn't find the root of it and thought it wasn't imaginary or irrational. After all, Ketto had no reason to hurt or damage him. It was just a dream, not the real world. He comforted himself over and over again and fell asleep.
In the morning, Ketto quickly finished the breakfast his dear mother had made for him. She had prepared an elaborate and abundant meal for him. But he didn't seem interested in enjoying them. He seemed like one of the six gods without a master. Maybe he was still stuck in the nightmare. His mother talked to him, but he didn't listen carefully. He just nodded his head and said nothing.
After finishing breakfast, Ketto waved goodbye to his mother and left the house. The front door shut with a slight bang behind him. He walked out of the yard and waited at the bus stop, looking unhappy and anxious. He told himself to be confident and not nervous, yet he couldn't shake his uneasiness and insecurity.
While waiting for the bus, he quietly rehearsed his self-introduction, worried that he would forget what to say in front of the class. He cared deeply about how others perceived him.
After a few minutes, the bus arrived. Ketto got on and headed for school.
When Ketto arrived at the school gate, he saw that it was crowded with students and their parents. From their faces, Ketto could see the parents' deep affection for their children and their hope that the school would nurture them well.
He simply nodded and offered a slight wave to the guard at the gate, thinking it was a polite way to greet people.
The closer he got to his classroom, the heavier his heart felt, and the faster it beat.
When Ketto arrived at his seat, only five or six other students were in the classroom. He greeted them briefly and took his seat. To ease his feelings of unease and insecurity, he began organizing his desk while discreetly observing the others—a way to distract himself from his anxiety.
Before long, Addy arrived, humming a song and looking happy. He looked relaxed, cheerful, and full of energy.
"Morning," Addy said to Ketto. Ketto responded with a light wave.
Addy noticed that Ketto looked unhappy and a little uneasy. In a warm tone, he carefully asked, "Hey, what's wrong? Didn't sleep well last night?"
Ketto replied, "No, I woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night."
Addy acted surprised. "Oh my gosh, a nightmare?" What was it about? Would you mind telling me?"
"Of course not," Ketto said. Looking around to see if Hanky had arrived, he continued, "I dreamed about him. He hit me and bullied me in the dream. I have a bad feeling now."
Addy comforted him softly. "Don't worry. That was just a dream. You'll be okay. Nothing will happen. As long as we don't cross paths with Hanky and bother him, I think we'll be fine."
Ketto nodded to show he agreed with Addy's analysis. "How about you?" he asked.
Addy smiled. "I'm good! Pretty great, actually. My grandmother came over for dinner yesterday, and we all talked for hours. After that, I even played video games with my dad. Do you know the game *Fight for a Peaceful World*?"
Ketto looked very interested. "Your evening sounds wonderful. I like that." He paused for a moment. "How is your grandmother? Is she keeping well? And what's that game about? I've never heard of it."
"She's very healthy, thanks for asking!" Addy said. "And you've really never heard of *Fight for a Peaceful World*?!"
Addy unscrewed the cap of his juice bottle, took a sip, and continued, "The game is about a group of warriors and ninjas who must protect the world by fighting evil enemies." "You have to cross through different barriers and find keys to unlock special boxes with maps. Then, you can move forward. As you progress, you can upgrade your equipment, which makes it easier to defeat the villains!"
They talked actively, and Ketto began to feel much better, as if he had been removed from an uneasy and insecure environment. Suddenly, they noticed a huge, tall figure enter the classroom: it was Hanky.
Hanky strode to his desk and threw his backpack onto it. The bag slid quickly off the other side and fell to the floor with a thud. He made no effort to pick it up. Instead, he just sat down, placed his head in his hands, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Addy and Ketto exchanged a quick glance as Hanky entered. A silent, mutual understanding passed between them without a single word. Ketto shrugged helplessly, and Addy stuck out his tongue in a gesture of shared embarrassment. They promptly ended their conversation. Addy turned back to his desk and sat up straight.
Ketto looked at the script for his self-introduction and began rehearsing it silently again. His curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but glance at Hanky. Why did he act like that? From the moment they saw him yesterday until now, he had done nothing but sleep.
But then, Ketto caught himself. He realized it was none of his business. He shouldn't concern himself with someone else's life. He needed to focus on himself. He had rehearsed his self-introduction thoroughly, even if he couldn't recite it perfectly backwards. Now, he was just waiting for the first formal class to begin. As he looked at the students around him, a wave of nervousness hit him. Even though he had met them briefly yesterday, they still felt new and unfamiliar. He couldn't remember everyone's face.
While Ketto drifted off into his thoughts, Addy chatted with the people around him.
At around 9:00, Miss Ho entered the classroom with a smile. She scanned the room and noticed that Hanky was still asleep. She pretended to cough twice, hoping to wake him, but it had little effect. Hanky slept on, undisturbed.
Miss Ho took a deep breath, walked straight to Hanky's desk, and knocked on it three times in a sharp, continuous rhythm. Hanky finally woke up and rubbed his eyes as he looked at her. A dead silence fell over the classroom. The atmosphere was so tense and quiet that you could have heard a pin drop.
Miss Ho broke the silence. "Class is about to begin. Please be prepared," she said, doing her best to stay calm. Hanky glanced at her, lowered his head, and muttered, "Okay, got it."
Miss Ho left his desk and walked toward the blackboard. As she walked, she greeted the class. Upon reaching the platform, she began her introduction.
"Hello, dear classmates. Welcome back to class. Let me introduce myself in a bit more detail. As you know, I'm Jerry Ho. This is my sixth year teaching here, and my third as a homeroom teacher. I will be teaching you Literature Appreciation. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.
"Next," Miss Ho continued, "it's your turn to introduce yourselves. Who would like to be the first volunteer?" She hoped someone would raise their hand, but no one did. Most students lowered their heads, praying they wouldn't be called on first.
Miss Ho thought for a moment, then looked at Hanky and said, "Hanky, you'll go first."
He stood up slowly and walked to the front of the class. He gazed at the ceiling and said, "My name is Hanky. That's it." He immediately turned to go back to his seat.
"Wait, don't leave yet," said Miss Ho, stopping him. "Please tell us a bit more about yourself. You could share your hobbies, dreams, goals, or personality."
Hanky sighed helplessly. "I like playing sports in my spare time—soccer, basketball, baseball, table tennis, and so on. As for a dream... I don't have one. Is that okay?" He looked at Miss Ho, clearly just wanting to finish the task.
Miss Ho hadn't meant to embarrass Hanky, so she simply let him return to his seat. However, she knew he would certainly be a challenge to teach. She was accustomed to this, though. Throughout her teaching career, she had encountered many struggling students who were often labeled as "problematic."
Then, following the seating order from the front row to the back and from left to right, she asked the students to introduce themselves in turn.
Everyone was well-prepared. They shared not only their hobbies and personalities, but also their ideal universities and future goals. Some students even talked about their family members, hometowns, favorite dishes, and countries they had visited. Clearly, they had put a lot of effort into the assignment, eager to help others get to know them and adapt more quickly to their new environment.
One by one, the students took their turns. Addy delivered his speech with great confidence, demonstrating how well he had prepared. He stood in front of the class and introduced himself smoothly. Without any delay, embarrassment, or shyness, he gave a clear and fluid presentation, which earned him a round of applause from the class.
Ketto was happy for him and clapped loudly and enthusiastically. Internally, however, he was wrestling with a very different set of emotions: a growing sense of anxiety and insecurity.
It was Ketto's turn to introduce himself. He felt embarrassed and nervous because, truthfully, hearing about everyone else's optimistic attitudes had made him feel inadequate. Their enthusiasm outshone him. He realized that he had complained and been unwilling beforehand. Now, he admitted to himself that his attitude had been wrong.
Miss Ho looked at Ketto, making eye contact—a silent signal that it was his turn. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. When he stood in front of the class, he was so nervous that he could barely make out individual faces; he could only see a blur of heads.
After a brief pause, he began his speech. He rushed through his introduction, listing his hobbies, wishes, and personality traits. The two minutes felt like an eternity. He tried his best to recite every word he had written in his notebook the night before. His anxiety was palpable: his voice trembled, some words came out as whispers, and he stammered.
But it didn't matter. In the end, no one cared about his stumbles or imperfections.
After he finished speaking and returned to his seat, the audience applauded, just as they had for the others. Although Ketto thought he had done poorly, when he passed by Addy's seat, his friend smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He whispered, "Good job! Well done!"
But all Ketto could feel was embarrassment. He was convinced his delivery had been awful and wished everyone would forget what had just happened. Honestly, he cared far too much about their judgment.
Anyway, the introduction part was over. A full high school life was about to begin and would bring many new challenges.