My second life is a bit strange?

"It's you?"

Kaede turned his head and looked at the blonde girl: "What a coincidence, Eriri, nice to meet you in the future." He never expected that he and she would be so destined to meet.

"Nice to meet you." Eriri was secretly pleased. As she sat down, she secretly glanced at Kaede, who was staring blankly out the window.

As more and more children entered the classroom, it became increasingly noisy until the teacher arrived. He was a kind old man over fifty years old: "Hello, students, my name is Aoki Kazuma. From today onwards, I will be your homeroom teacher and will also be responsible for teaching you Chinese."

"Hello, Aoki-sensei~~"

The children dragged out their voices.

Aoki Kazuo smiled. Seeing the smiling faces of the new students was his happiest moment, while six years later was his saddest.

"Let's skip class today and get to know each other, okay?"

"Good~"

"Let's start with the first one from the inside."

"My name is Tsukasa Kudo. I like reading manga and watching movies."

"My name is..."

.......

After the students in front of him had finished introducing themselves, Feng stood up and said, "I am Bai Yinfeng. I like music, I don't hate anything, and my goal is to enjoy every day."

After speaking, he revealed a hearty smile. The sunlight shone on him, as if filtering through a lens, and even Aoki-sensei was charmed by his cuteness.

The students in the class were whispering among themselves.

Chapter Four: Time Flies

"Eri Sawamura, my hobby is drawing. Nice to meet you."

......

The elementary school curriculum is quite relaxed. The whole day is spent getting to know new teachers, and there are no club activities in elementary school. School ends around 2:30 pm.

As his classmates left in twos and threes, he also saw Eriri sitting alone in her seat, doodling on a piece of paper.

"Aren't you going back?" Feng asked.

Eriri looked up and saw the white-haired boy. She quickly lowered her body and lay face down on the table, her face turning bright red. "I...I...my mom and dad can't come to pick me up because of something. I'm too scared to go home alone. I have to wait here for my dad to come and pick me up."

"Did you bring your keys?"

"Huh? I brought it." Eriri replied, puzzled.

"Let's go, I'll take you home." Feng picked up his schoolbag and walked outside.

Eriri stared blankly for a while. Kaede had already left the classroom. She quickly packed her things. The drawing on the paper was of Kaede handing her the juice.

Eriri ran out with her short legs, shouting, "Wait for me!"

Seeing Eriri following him, Kaede slowed his pace: "Where do you live?"

"East 12th District".

"It's near my house, so let's go, it's on the way." Feng breathed a sigh of relief. In this hot weather, it's definitely more comfortable to stay at home with the air conditioning on.

"Thank you, thank you." Eriri lowered her head, occasionally stealing glances at the other person.

After walking for a while, both of them had some sweat on their foreheads, so Feng stopped in front of a convenience store: "Want some iced drinks?"

"I have money with me, I can buy it myself."

When Eriri arrived at the freezer and picked out her cold drinks to pay, she saw the cashier's fierce-looking face and was too scared to speak, hiding timidly behind him.

Feng shook his head with a headache, took the cold drink from her hand, paid for it, and sat down on the bench by the door to drink it. He also helped Eriri open the lid.

"I have money, I can pay for it myself..." Eriri's voice was soft and she sounded a little insecure.

"Okay, then you can treat me next time."

Suddenly, the cashier came up to them with an ice pop in his hand. He handed it to them with a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Here, share it."

Feng smiled and said, "Thank you."

She took the popsicle, which had two sticks stuck in it and was perfectly split in two. She handed the other half to Eriri: "Here you go."

"Thank you." Eriri was no longer as scared as before.

The cashier smiled with satisfaction and returned to his post.

Kaede and Eriri sat at the door, eating and swinging their legs, watching the passersby. They were carefree and their cute appearance attracted the attention of many passersby.

A black sedan pulled up in front of the door, and a young woman stepped inside through the rolled-down window: "Eriri?"

"Mom!" Eriri hurriedly put her hands behind her back and hid the cold drinks and popsicles.

"No need to hide it anymore, I can see everything, eat it."

"Okay~" Eriri finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's your name, little friend?" Eriri's mother asked with a smile, while looking at Kaede.

"My name is Shirogane Kaede, and I'm Eriri's deskmate. I saw Eriri alone in the classroom and thought I'd take her home."

"You're such a gentleman, thank you."

After chatting for a while, Eriri finished her cold drink, said goodbye to Kaede, and went home with her mother.

Such days often happened. Eriri's parents were diplomats, so they rarely came to pick her up. Kaede would take them home every day. The two families became familiar with each other and often went out to get together for meals.

Six years passed quickly, and I graduated with my major.

It's summer again, at the same time of year. Aoki-sensei's hair has turned quite a bit whiter. After taking the graduation photos, he looks sadly at the departing crowd.

Feng felt a bit emotional. If these people met again a few years later, how many would he recognize? And how many would pretend to be looking at their phones and just pass by like strangers?

"Are you going to Shuchiin?" Eriri asked out of the blue. Kaede glanced at her, and nodded with a smile.

Eriri's eyes darted away. The girl with the thick legs had grown into a budding young woman, but her face still retained a touch of childishness.

The two, who were originally about the same height, have now grown apart, with eleven-year-old Feng now standing at about 1.6 meters tall.

"You promised to come with me to the art exhibition in a few days," Eriri finally mustered up her courage and said.

"I will go; it would be good to cultivate my mind and spirit."

"It's a deal!" Eriri's heart pounded: "What are you planning to do next?"

"Go find my brother."

"I'll go with you." Eriri glanced at the school, then turned and followed her out.

The sun was scorching in early July, and the cicadas in the trees chirped incessantly.

Even so, it couldn't stop some people from loving sports, especially Yu Xing. He wanted to find his own talent and, with his mother's consent, enrolled in many extracurricular classes. In the end, he discovered that his physical abilities were unexpectedly good.

He became obsessed with sports, especially basketball. He loved the dopamine rush when he scored, and the feeling of his heart pounding in his ears.

Although he had very little natural talent, he believed he could make up for it with hard work.

In the park next to the school, there was a small basketball court, from which cheers could be heard from time to time. Kaede and Eriri exchanged a glance.

In the arena, Shirogane Miyuki was facing off against a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, who was significantly older and taller than him.

However, the match became a close contest, with Shirogane Miyuki seemingly having the upper hand.

Thud, thud.

Now, Shirogane Miyuki is holding the ball. His sports t-shirt is soaked with sweat, and he is almost exhausted. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kaede by the side of the court.

"It's the last ball."

Thump, thump, thump! The rapid dribbling was dazzling. With a series of dribbling turns and drops, the opponent was completely shaken off balance. With a jump shot, the basketball landed steadily in the net.

"Yuyuki, you're amazing! You're a future basketball star!"

"Your physical fitness is like a monster's, don't you ever get tired?"

Those who usually play basketball with him teased him, and Yu Xing wiped the sweat from his face with a towel: "Okay, I have to go. My brother is here to find me. Let's play again next time."

After saying that, he grabbed his things and jogged to Feng's side. As for Eriri following him, he was already used to it. The day Eriri stopped following him would be a day when the sun rises in the west.

Unbeknownst to them, two people were watching them from a distance.

An elderly man with white hair was talking to a young man in a suit and glasses.

What do you think of this little guy?

The old man speaking was the coach of the basketball team at Teiko Junior High School, a prestigious school in Tokyo. He had discovered this promising talent a year ago.

"He's fast, quick-witted, and has a solid foundation. As things stand, he's already at the level of a second-tier team." The man with glasses was the teaching assistant.

“You still haven’t grasped the point. Physical fitness is what this little guy is strongest in. I once saw him run around the park thirty-three times and then go to play in the wild, where he played for more than two hours.”

"He's a monster..."

Chapter Five: Their Futures

Just as they were about to head back together, a voice came from behind them.

"Could I take up a little of your time?" Kiyota walked over, took out a business card from his pocket, and handed it to Miyuki with both hands.

When Feng saw that the business card said "Teiko Middle School Basketball Club," he immediately knew that this man was looking for Yu Xing.

"Let's go to a nearby coffee shop to talk. It's on me."

Shirogane Miyuki glanced at Kaede, and after seeing his younger brother nod, he agreed to go to the coffee shop with the man.

"What would you like to drink?"

Maple: "Starbucks Frappuccino".

Eriri immediately chimed in, "Me too."

Miyuki Shirogane had never drunk coffee before. He had always heard his father say that it was something only adults drank and that it was very bitter. Suffering from decision-making difficulties, he ordered an apple-flavored soda on the recommendation of the barista.

Kaede and Eriri chose a two-person seat by the window and sat down facing each other. Miyuki started chatting with the man.