“We were just kids. Life felt simple back then.”

The sun was brutal that afternoon, its heat pressing down on the cracked pavement of the school courtyard. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck as I stood with Ren and Jian near the old basketball hoop. The net was long gone — replaced by a dangling piece of rope — but that never stopped us from playing.

"Last shot wins," Ren declared, bouncing the scuffed basketball off the ground.

"That’s what you said five shots ago," Jian muttered, wiping his forehead. His brown hair was plastered to his skin.

Ren grinned. "That’s because I haven’t won yet."

I laughed, stepping forward. "Alright then, let’s settle it."

Ren passed me the ball, and I dribbled toward the hoop. Jian cut in front of me, arms wide, but I spun to the side, launching the ball into the air. It bounced off the backboard and swished through the rope.

"Yes!" I threw my hands up.

Jian sighed. "I don’t know why I even try anymore."

"Because losing builds character," Ren said smugly, walking up and throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Tianze’s too good. Maybe we should start charging him to play."

"Yeah, like he has money," Jian snorted.

I shoved them off playfully. "Come on, let’s get something to drink before the next class."

We walked toward the convenience store just outside the school gates. Kids were scattered around the street — some laughing, some fighting, some running after a stray dog. The city wasn’t pretty — cracked roads, peeling posters on the walls, and the faint smell of sewage — but it was home.

Ren walked up to the counter and slammed a few coins down. "Three sodas."

"We can’t afford—" Jian started.

"Relax," Ren said, handing me one. "Consider it an investment in friendship."

We sat on the curb, watching the traffic roll by. Cars honked, scooters zipped through narrow gaps, and street vendors shouted out deals.

"You think life will always be like this?" Jian asked suddenly.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "What, hot and miserable?"

"No." Jian’s gaze darkened. "I mean… you think we’ll still be hanging out in ten years?"

"Of course," Ren said without hesitation. "We’ll be rich and famous by then. Tianze will probably own half the city."

I laughed. "I’d settle for not having to think about money all the time."

Jian sighed. "Yeah…"

I didn’t realize then how right he was to worry.

---

After School

The sun was lower when we left the store. I walked home alone, Ren and Jian splitting off toward their own houses. Our apartment was on the fifth floor of an old building. The elevator hadn’t worked in years, so I climbed the stairs two at a time.

Inside, my mother was chopping vegetables at the small kitchen counter. My sister, Xiaoyu, was sitting on the floor with her homework.

"You’re late," my mother said without looking up.

"I stayed to play basketball."

She clicked her tongue. "You spend too much time playing."

I sat down on the floor next to Xiaoyu. "Did you finish your homework?"

She stuck her tongue out. "I’m working on it!"

My mother slid a plate of stir-fried vegetables and rice in front of me. "Eat."

I didn’t argue. Food was food. We weren’t in a position to complain.

"I might be late tomorrow," my mother said.

"Why?"

"I’m picking up another shift."

I frowned. "That’s your third shift this week."

"We need the money."

I didn’t say anything. My father worked at a factory, but the pay was barely enough to cover rent and food. My mother’s part-time job kept us from falling behind.

After dinner, I sat by the window, looking out over the city. The buildings were old and gray, stacked closely together like a pile of stones. The streetlights flickered unevenly.

Jian’s words echoed in my head.

You think life will always be like this?

I didn’t know. But I knew I didn’t want it to stay this way.

---

The Incident

The next day started out normal. Morning classes dragged on. Jian fell asleep in history class, and Ren nearly got detention for talking back to the teacher. We were eating lunch behind the school when we heard shouting.

"What’s going on?" Jian sat up.

A crowd had gathered near the back wall of the school. Curious, we walked over.

Two older students had cornered a younger boy against the wall. The kid was maybe ten — his face pale, his arms trembling.

"You think you can walk past us without paying, huh?" One of the older kids shoved him.

I stepped forward. "Leave him alone."

The taller bully’s eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"

"Just someone who hates cowards."

Ren and Jian flanked me.

"Walk away," Jian said calmly.

The bully’s lip curled. "You want to make this your problem?"

Ren smiled thinly. "It already is."

The bully stepped toward Ren — and Ren punched him straight across the face. The kid stumbled back, clutching his nose.

His friend panicked and dragged him away.

"That… was stupid," Jian said.

Ren shrugged. "It worked."

The younger boy looked up at us. "T-Thank you…"

"Don’t worry about it," I said.

The kid hesitated, then ran off toward the school building.

Ren clapped me on the shoulder. "Not a bad way to spend lunch."

Jian sighed. "We’re probably going to get in trouble."

"Then it’s a good thing we’re not easy to find." Ren grinned.

I laughed. For a moment, things felt simple again.

---

The First Spark

After school, Ren and Jian walked me partway home.

"See you tomorrow?" Ren asked.

"Yeah."

Jian hesitated. "Hey, Tianze…"

I looked at him.

"You know things are going to get harder from here, right?"

I smiled faintly. "Yeah."

"But we’ve got each other," Ren said.

I nodded. "Yeah. We do."

I sat on the cold concrete steps of the schoolyard, knees pulled to my chest, trying to steady my breath. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked pavement, and the distant chatter of students heading home buzzed in my ears. I hated this feeling — the tightening in my chest, the trembling in my hands. My heart was racing, not from exertion but from the pure terror of what was about to happen.

“Tianze!”

I lifted my head. Jian stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes narrowed beneath dark, messy hair. He looked every bit like the kind of guy who wouldn’t hesitate to break someone’s nose — which he probably had, more than once. Behind him stood Ren, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, his expression blank but his eyes sharp, taking in every detail of the scene.

“They’re coming,” Jian said, jerking his chin toward the alley at the side of the school.

My stomach sank. “Are you sure we shouldn’t—”

“No.” Jian’s eyes hardened. “If we let them walk over us once, they’ll keep coming back.”

“They’re bigger than us,” I said, voice cracking.

Jian grinned. “That’s why I’m here.”

A group of three older boys stepped into the alley, their expressions dark and predatory. Their leader — a broad-shouldered guy with a jagged scar running down his left cheek — rolled his neck and smiled.

“Well, well,” Scarface said. “Looks like you didn’t get the message last time.”

Jian stepped forward. “We got the message. We just decided to send one back.”

My heart hammered in my chest. Jian was confident — too confident. I could barely breathe as Scarface’s group closed the distance. Jian cracked his knuckles, his smile sharp.

Scarface lunged.

Jian moved fast, ducking beneath the swing and driving his fist into the guy’s ribs. Scarface grunted and stumbled back, but the other two rushed in. Ren sidestepped one punch and drove his elbow into the guy’s side, sending him reeling. Jian had already dropped Scarface to one knee and was moving toward the next target.

And then it happened — one of the guys rushed straight at me.

My feet froze. My chest locked up. All I could hear was the roar of blood in my ears.

“Tianze, move!” Ren shouted.

I couldn’t. My body wouldn’t listen. The guy’s fist slammed into my stomach, driving the air from my lungs. I crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

He grabbed my collar and lifted me up. “Pathetic,” he sneered.

Something inside me snapped. My vision blurred. I didn’t think — I just acted. My hand shot out, fingers clawing at his face. He yelled, and I twisted free, falling hard onto my side. I heard Jian’s voice, sharp and angry, followed by the heavy sound of fists meeting flesh.

Jian drove his knee into Scarface’s gut and slammed his elbow into his temple. Scarface collapsed, unconscious. Ren moved swiftly, sweeping the legs of the last guy, sending him crashing to the ground.

The alley was quiet except for the sound of ragged breathing. I lay on my side, clutching my ribs.

Jian knelt beside me. “You good?”

I coughed. “Yeah… I think.”

Ren stood over the unconscious bodies. “That was messy,” he said flatly.

Jian smirked. “Yeah. But we won.”

I sat up slowly, my whole body aching. Jian extended a hand. After a moment, I took it.

“Tianze,” Jian said, his voice low. “Next time… don’t hesitate.”

My fingers tightened around his hand. I nodded.

As we walked away from the alley, I could still feel the bruises forming beneath my shirt, the sting of my failure burning deeper than the pain. I knew I’d frozen — that I’d almost gotten us hurt. But Jian and Ren had my back.

For now.

Tianze sat at the corner desk near the window, the afternoon sun cutting sharp patterns across the wooden floor. His hands gripped the edges of his math textbook as he stared at the board. The problem the teacher had written out was simple enough — for him, anyway. Most of the class was struggling, murmuring and scribbling furiously in their notebooks.

"Alright, who can solve this?" the teacher asked, arms crossed.

Tianze sighed. The answer had formed in his mind almost the moment the problem was written. He looked to his left and saw Ren chewing on the end of his pen, eyes narrowed. Jian, meanwhile, was resting his chin on his desk, eyes half-lidded.

"Tianze," the teacher called, noticing his silence. "Do you have an answer?"

Tianze hesitated. Answering would mean more attention, and more attention usually meant more trouble. But… he hated seeing Ren and Jian struggle.

"Yeah," Tianze said, standing up. "It's 312."

"Explain your steps."

Tianze sighed and walked to the board. His hand moved almost on its own, marking out the process with quick, neat strokes. In less than a minute, the problem was solved. He turned back to the class.

"Like that," he said flatly.

"Excellent," the teacher said, adjusting his glasses. "You really are gifted at this."

Jian clapped lazily. "Genius Tianze strikes again."

Tianze sat back down, but Ren was still frowning at his notebook. "I don't get it," Ren muttered.

"Come on, it's not that hard," Tianze said, leaning over to look at his paper. "You just need to shift the equation by factoring out the—"

"It's hard for us mortals," Jian interrupted, grinning. "Not all of us are walking calculators."

Tianze rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Just then, the classroom door slid open with a loud bang. A boy from Class 3 — big, built like a wall — stalked in. His name was Wu Lin, and he had a reputation for shaking down younger students.

"Jian!" Wu Lin barked. "Where's my money?"

Jian’s smirk faded. "I told you, I don’t have it."

"That’s not my problem." Wu Lin’s eyes narrowed. "Either you pay up or—"

"Or what?" Jian’s grin sharpened.

Wu Lin's hand shot out and grabbed Jian by the collar. "Or you learn why crossing me is a mistake."

Before anyone could react, Ren stood up. "Let him go."

Wu Lin barely spared him a glance. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Ren’s jaw tightened, but he hesitated. Tianze, however, was already moving. His feet carried him across the room before he could think. He grabbed Wu Lin’s wrist and squeezed — hard.

Wu Lin's eyes widened. "What the hell—"

"Let him go," Tianze said quietly.

Wu Lin yanked his hand back. "Oh? Looks like the nerd grew a spine."

Tianze’s heart was hammering, his palms sweating. He was scared, but at the same time… something inside him had clicked.

"I don’t care who you are," Tianze said. "You don’t touch my friends."

Wu Lin's gaze darkened. "You’re gonna regret this."

"Maybe," Tianze said. "But not today."

Wu Lin's fist flew toward his face — and suddenly, Ren was there, shoving Tianze aside. The punch caught Ren in the shoulder, but he barely flinched.

Jian shot up and drove his fist into Wu Lin’s gut. Wu Lin stumbled back, coughing.

"Looks like you’re outnumbered," Jian said, shaking out his hand.

Wu Lin glared at them, but backed away toward the door. "This isn’t over."

When he was gone, Jian slumped back into his seat. "That was fun."

Ren rubbed his shoulder. "Idiot. You didn’t have to punch him."

"I wasn’t going to let him mess up your pretty face," Jian teased.

Tianze sank back into his chair. His hands were shaking. He was a coward — he knew that — but somehow, when it came to Ren and Jian, he couldn’t help himself.

"You okay?" Ren asked.

"Yeah," Tianze muttered. "Guess we’ll need to avoid Wu Lin for a while."

Jian grinned. "Or we could just fight him again."

"Or you could not," Ren said, deadpan.

Tianze chuckled despite himself. His heart was still racing, but he felt… good. For once, he had done something that mattered. Even if his knees were still weak.

Jian clapped him on the back. "Not bad, genius. Maybe you’re not so hopeless after all."

Tianze rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

But as they laughed together, he realized that for the first time in a while, he didn’t mind standing out. Not if it meant protecting them.