Chapter 87: We'll Be Waiting for You at the Finish Line
Pu Tong hadn't expected someone to livestream the whole thing.
The livestreaming industry in this world was similar to the one from his previous life. Although it hadn't reached the point where everyone streamed everything, it was already quite mature. The barrier to entry was extremely low—a phone was all you needed.
Most livestreams existed simply for fun.
There didn't have to be any commercial value or fan engagement. People just wanted to share interesting moments from their lives.
And what he'd stumbled into earlier was exactly that.
Livestreaming a public confession from a bystander's perspective was actually quite common, especially in schools. Whether it was confession pages or gossip-loving students, plenty of people loved paying attention to this kind of thing.
Of course, its audience was usually limited to students within the school.
Who from another school would care about this?
"Where's Yuxi? I don't see her."
Yi Zhi Xuenai looked around the waiting area but couldn't find the familiar figure.
"The 800-meter and 1000-meter races are run in groups of twenty," Pu Tong explained.
"There are twenty classes, with two runners from each class. Classes 11 through 20 run in the second group."
"If you didn't understand, I can explain it again."
"I already told you I'm not stupid! I can understand something this simple!"
...Somehow, hearing those words come from her wasn't exactly convincing.
"So where is Yuxi now?"
"There."
Pu Tong pointed toward the opposite side of the field, where several cameramen surrounded someone.
"Over by the camera crew."
"Since this is still a celebrity reality show, they're probably filming scenes that make her look hardworking or something."
With a bit of editing and clever camera work, Lin Yuxi would become the determined girl who fought hard to overcome herself.
As for Yu Wanwan and Yi Zhi Xuenai's relay race...
It would probably revolve around teamwork and friendship.
The usual.
Pu Tong had watched plenty of variety shows in his previous life.
There was no such thing as a completely unscripted variety show.
Directors knew exactly what audiences wanted to see.
Celebrities were simply ratings magnets with a little freedom.
"By the way..."
Pu Tong glanced at Yu Wanwan.
"Do you guys really need the money from filming this show?"
He didn't know about the others.
But Yu Wanwan definitely wasn't short on money.
A celebrity's time was valuable.
Why spend an entire semester filming a reality show?
"What for?"
"I already told you."
Yu Wanwan smiled.
"I've fallen too far behind in school."
"If I kept up my entertainment work, I wouldn't have any time to study."
"This show gives me an excuse to spend a whole semester attending school normally."
"So I'm basically here to catch up on my studies."
Pu Tong nodded approvingly.
Exactly.
She wasn't lacking money.
She wasn't lacking popularity.
She was only lacking grades.
No matter how good a private tutor was...
Nothing compared to experiencing the atmosphere of a real classroom.
"I'm different."
Yi Zhi Xuenai scratched her head sheepishly.
"I haven't appeared in any public events for almost a year."
"My agency was worried I'd end up hiding myself away forever, so they made me choose a variety show to remind people I still exist."
"When I first saw this one, I thought it'd just be an easy show where I could slack off."
"I never expected I'd actually have to come to school every single day!"
She groaned dramatically.
Did anyone know how painful it was for a lazy sixteen-year-old to wake up early every morning?
"I don't know why Yuxi came."
Yu Wanwan looked toward Lin Yuxi, who was still filming.
"Her grades have always been good."
"So her reason definitely isn't the same as mine."
"Enough talking."
"Yuxi's race is about to start."
"Let's cheer for her!"
Yi Zhi Xuenai watched excitedly for a moment before suddenly thinking of something.
"Why don't we write her a cheering message?"
"When she's exhausted halfway through the race, hearing our message over the speakers would definitely make her happy."
A cheering message...
Pu Tong doubted anyone else would write one for the celebrity students.
After all, they were only temporary classmates.
There was still an invisible barrier between celebrities and ordinary students.
It was difficult for them to truly be accepted.
Writing encouragement for someone you barely knew was unlikely.
What if they didn't appreciate it?
It would only feel like your kindness had been rejected.
Nobody wanted to risk that.
If the four of them didn't cheer for her...
There might really be no one else who would.
"We're doing it."
Yu Wanwan made the decision.
"But hurry."
"It takes time for submissions to be approved and read over the broadcast."
"If we're too late, it'll be meaningless."
Seeing that neither girl had brought anything to write with...
Pu Tong sighed and pulled a pen from his backpack.
"So..."
"Who's writing?"
"Don't you know two different handwriting styles?"
Please don't remind him of that.
Thinking back to the awkward dictation incident still made him cringe.
"What should I write?"
Pen in hand...
Pu Tong stared at Yu Wanwan and Yi Zhi Xuenai.
The two girls stared right back.
He had almost forgotten...
Neither of them was exactly gifted with words.
"J-Just write whatever."
Yu Wanwan looked embarrassed.
She had never written a cheering message before.
"Pu Tong-chan, good luck!"
"I believe in you!"
Yi Zhi Xuenai immediately distanced herself from responsibility.
Her face clearly said:
We're counting on you.
It had been their idea...
Yet he was the one who had to think of everything?
"Honestly..."
"I don't know how to write these either."
He had never written one of those passionate, motivational speeches before.
"So..."
Yu Wanwan narrowed her eyes.
"The only thing you know how to write..."
"...is romance?"
Both girls looked at him differently.
They had thought he was simply talented.
Turns out he was just a love expert.
"Stop looking at me like that!"
Could he really be blamed?
Love had always been humanity's eternal theme.
Naturally, he remembered more poems and famous lines about love than anything else.
It wasn't that he couldn't write something inspiring.
He just didn't know where to begin.
Did Lin Yuxi desperately want to win?
Honestly...
The result of a school sports meet meant almost nothing to her.
She was just running.
If he wrote some overly passionate motivational speech...
It wouldn't suit her at all.
"Fine."
"I'll just write whatever comes to mind."
Pu Tong paused before putting pen to paper.
Yu Wanwan and Yi Zhi Xuenai quietly watched his handwriting.
Smiles gradually appeared on their faces.
...
Lin Yuxi suddenly felt...
Out of place.
It was the first time she'd ever had such a feeling.
The girls in the waiting area chatted and laughed together in small groups.
She alone stood quietly where she was.
The only things surrounding her...
were cameras.
They were all the same age.
Yet it felt as though they belonged to different worlds.
She looked glamorous.
But there wasn't a single friend beside her.
Being an entertainer...
was actually lonely.
After becoming a celebrity...
She couldn't casually go to crowded places.
She had to watch everything she said and did.
Even making friends required her company's approval.
The people she spent the most time with...
were probably her managers.
There was barely any private time.
How could she possibly make friends?
Her thoughts became increasingly chaotic.
For the first time...
She entertained an impossible fantasy.
If...
She had never become a celebrity...
If she'd simply lived like an ordinary girl...
Would she have been happier?
She didn't know.
No one could answer that.
The second heat of the First-Year Girls' 800-Meter Race officially began.
Lin Yuxi stayed close behind the leading pack, unwilling to fall too far behind.
Several cameramen ran through the center of the field, filming wide shots of her.
She exercised regularly.
Eight hundred meters wasn't particularly difficult.
"Go, Yingying!"
"Run faster, Xiaojin!"
...
Cheers erupted from beside the track.
Students shouted encouragement to their friends.
The runners waved back.
Their footsteps became noticeably lighter.
She...
had no one.
There were so many cheers.
Why wasn't even one of them meant for her?
Lin Yuxi frowned.
She forced herself to throw away those unrealistic thoughts.
It didn't matter.
Even if no one cheered for her...
She was still herself.
She wasn't that fragile.
She had understood this long ago—
on the day she left both her dance group and her home.
The road she had chosen...
was destined to be lonely.
Even without applause...
She would still run toward the finish line.
Normally...
She was quite good at running.
But today...
Every step felt unusually heavy.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her legs grew heavier and heavier.
The final lap...
was becoming difficult.
"Submission from Yu Wanwan of Class 13, First Year."
The announcer was Tang Luocheng.
When she saw the message...
she visibly froze for a moment.
Just as Lin Yuxi adjusted her breathing...
the announcement echoed across the stadium.
"Some people live in towering buildings.
Some live in deep valleys.
Some shine with dazzling brilliance.
Some are covered in rust.
There are countless kinds of people in this world.
Don't chase after drifting clouds.
Some people are like rainbows—
only after meeting them do you realize they truly exist.
Those we meet are destiny.
Those we keep are blessings.
There are a thousand kinds of waiting in this world.
The most beautiful one is...
I'll be waiting for you at the finish line.
Lin Yuxi...
We'll be waiting for you at the finish line."
Seriously...
That was obviously written by Pu Tong.
Lin Yuxi looked toward the finish line.
There they were.
Yu Wanwan.
Yi Zhi Xuenai.
And Pu Tong.
The two girls were each holding onto one of his arms...
as if afraid he'd run away.
Lin Yuxi couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Suddenly...
Her body felt much lighter.
Maybe...
She would never get to live an ordinary person's life.
But...
So what?
She wasn't alone anymore.
(End of Chapter)
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