𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐍 𝐋𝐈 | KTH 💮

| 02 |

༻ CHAPTER TWO | 二番目

— 02 | STAGE SAN DOJO.

"I'm late... CRAP I'm late!"

The brief glance of the clock causes my speeding bike to wobble. I peddle fast with aching knees and my hoodie falling to expose my bed-head.

Looking amongst the road ahead, my shoulders slump at the sight of the marketplace that's flooded with people. You've got to be kidding me.

But then I notice the steep, incredibly narrow side-alley on my right that's filled with moving food-carts and mothers hanging their morning laundry.

"Shortcut it is."

I make a drastic turn and bend my knees, tightening my grip on the handle before springing into the air with my bike and landing on the stone railing of the stairs, keeping the center of my weight above the rear wheel and body tilted forward. Strangers yelp and move back in shock.

"Sorry. Out the way. Excuse me."

"Is she crazy?!" Someone gasps.

I bounce off the staircase and zigzag around the many obstacles in my way. A bedsheet blinds me momentarily when I ride into it, only to reveal a pair of men in straw-cone hats suddenly intersecting in front of me with a ladder over their shoulders that completely blocks my path.

I casually place both feet on the bicycle seat and leap over the ladder before landing back on it perfectly... Though a pair of wet granny panties fall on my face. I pinch them and quickly throw them back. "Gross. Sorry, here you go Ms!"

"That's okay! Have a nice day at school Mei!"

Living in the slums is obviously no one's ideal choice, but it's nice to have a tight community where everyone's your neighbor. Once you overlook the nightly-alarming vandalism, robbery, gang and... knife crime rates... It's nice.

As usual, I peddle up the hill to school and gaze at the silver nest of buildings poking in the far distance. Even from the outskirts of Hong Kong, you can always see the city as long as you're high enough. Though it's better at night. At night, the buildings become this glittery canvas full of flashy neon specks and sparkles...

I can only imagine what it's like up close. The city must be paradise.

I see our school in the distance, parallel to the graffiti-coated boy's school across the street. It's a total roughhouse, though all the popular girls tend to visit.

As soon as I reach the gate, I hook my bike to the bar and charge through the doors. Girls in black blazers, red plaid skirts and high socks litter the hallway as usual. A group of students in particular gather around one of the pinboards and I can't help but feel a wave of anxiety flow through me when squeezing my way through the crowd.