You're Adapting

He quickened his pace.

As he passed a breakfast stall, the woman selling pancakes glanced at him.

"Little miss, how many eggs?"

Chen De paused.

"One."

He did not correct her.

He took the pancake and left.

Qubi poked half its head out through the gap in his backpack.

"You didn't correct her."

"It'd be even more awkward if I did."

"You're adapting."

Chen De took a bite of the pancake and said nothing.

After chewing twice, he suddenly felt that it tasted blander than yesterday.

It was not the pancake's fault.

He finished it, wiped his mouth, and continued toward school.

"Qubi."

"Yeah?"

"Once it stabilizes, it won't change anymore?"

"It won't."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You swear?"

"I am a higher-dimensional life-form. Low-dimensional behaviors like swearing do not exist for me."

"Then guarantee it with your emerald-green eyes."

"...I guarantee it. Probably."

Chen De nodded.

"Then I can still put up with it."

He hitched his backpack strap higher and walked through the school gates.

The elderly security guard glanced at him.

This time, he did not stop him.

But the confusion in his eyes was twice as deep as yesterday.

Chen De walked past without changing expression.

He silently repeated to himself—

I can still put up with it. I can still put up with it. I can still—

"Dezi."

Chen De had just sat down and put his backpack aside.

Jiang Ping leaned over, looking him up and down for a full three seconds.

Then he organized his words.

"How did you... get shorter?"

Chen De: ...

Put up with my ass.

"What did you say?" Chen De looked up. His expression was calm, but his eyes were not.

"I said you seem shorter." Jiang Ping pointed at the difference in their heights. "Yesterday, when we were sitting down, our shoulders were about level. Today..."

He held his hand flat and compared.

"You're a whole chunk shorter than me now."

Chen De took a deep breath.

Deep. Breath. In.

"Maybe you got taller."

"I measured last night. I didn't change." Jiang Ping looked utterly innocent.

"Why were you measuring your height last night?"

"I measure it every day."

"...You've got issues."

"But that's not the point. The point is, you—"

"It's a posture problem," Chen De cut in. "My posture's bad today, so I look shorter."

"Bad posture makes you look shorter?"

"Posture studies. An emerging science. I suggest you look into it."

Jiang Ping stared at him for three seconds.

"But even when you're standing—"

"Jiang Ping."

"Huh?"

"Let me copy your math homework."

Jiang Ping froze for a moment, then unzipped his backpack.

"It's here. Take it."

Chen De accepted it and lowered his head to start copying.

The art of changing the subject—the eternal god.

Qubi lay on the corner of the desk, wagging its tail as if it were one step away from flashing a 666.

Chen De shot it a glare from the corner of his eye.

Stop wagging it.

Qubi tucked its tail in.

It was very obedient.

First period was Chinese.

The Chinese teacher was in a good mood today and called on someone to answer.

"Chen De, come read this."

Chen De stood up.

The whole class's eyes immediately turned toward him.

"Read," the teacher said, tapping the podium.

Chen De cleared his throat.

"Have you not seen how the Yellow River's waters descend from the sky, rushing into the sea, never to return..."

The classroom fell silent for a second.

Then someone quietly said—

"That sounds so nice."

Chen De: ...

What was nice about it?

He lowered his head and quietly asked Qubi.

"Your voice is somewhat androgynous now. When you read classical poetry, it carries a wonderfully ambiguous quality, impossible to tell male from female."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"More or less."

"I don't need that kind of compliment."

"—Chen De!" The Chinese teacher frowned. "Who are you talking to?"

"No one. I was savoring the poem's meaning."

"...Sit down."

Jiang Ping leaned closer, lowering his voice.

"Your voice just now—"

"Puberty," Chen De said without missing a beat. "My vocal cords are developing."

"How are they developing more and more—"

"The direction of development isn't fixed. I asked a doctor."

Jiang Ping opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He probably wanted to argue, but could not find a logical way in.

Chen De gave himself a silent V-sign.

During the break.

Chen De got up to use the restroom, only to discover a new problem.

His pants—

Were loose.

It was not that the pant legs had grown longer. The entire waistband was loose.

He could fit a finger between the waistband and his body.

They had barely stayed up because of his belt.

But the belt had originally been fastened on the third hole. Now it had already moved to the fourth, and it was still a little loose.

Chen De walked into the restroom expressionlessly and locked the door.

"Qubi."

"Yeah?"

"My pants are about to give up on me."

"I know. I watched the whole thing."

"You warned me that the school uniform would get too big. Why didn't you warn me about my pants—"

"I thought the belt would solve it."

"The damn belt only has five holes!"

"...I really didn't think of that."

Chen De took a deep breath.

"I need to solve this problem after class."

"Wear pants with an elastic waistband?"

"Where am I supposed to buy those? During class?"

"Order them online—"

"I need to wear them today! Today!"

Qubi fell silent for two seconds.

"Use a string to tie them up?"

"Are you a higher-dimensional life-form or someone from the Stone Age?"

"...Then do you have any better ideas?"

Chen De looked around the restroom.

There was not a single extra piece of string.

He thought carefully.

There was still a spare charging cable in his backpack.

Chen De: ...

He absolutely could not use a charging cable to tie up his waistband.

He tightened his belt by one more hole, barely stabilizing it, then pushed open the door and walked out.

As he passed the mirror, he casually glanced at it.

The shoulders of his school uniform drooped outward, making him look like a child wearing an adult's clothes.

Chen De: Fuck.

He rolled his sleeves up another two turns and walked back to the classroom without changing expression.

Third period was history.

The teacher was lecturing on the Industrial Revolution.

Chen De appeared to be taking notes, but he was actually calculating his finances.

He had fought Fierce Calamity at dawn. After the cut, he had received 120,000.

Including the money from before, he had around 250,000 in total.

That would be enough for a while.

"Chen De!"

"Huh." He abruptly looked up.

"What impact did the invention of the steam engine have on society at the time? You tell us."

Chen De fell silent for a second.

"It improved production efficiency, accelerated capital accumulation, intensified the gap between rich and poor, and promoted the awakening of working-class consciousness."

The teacher froze for a moment.

"...Very thorough. Sit down."

Jiang Ping nudged him with an elbow.

"Were you spacing out just now?"

"My brain operates more efficiently than yours."

Jiang Ping fell silent for five seconds, then lowered his head and continued taking notes without another word.

The dismissal bell rang.

Chen De stood and headed outside, casually pressing at his waistband.

His belt was still holding.

Barely.

Just then, Jiang Ping pulled something from his backpack and handed it over.

A black elastic cord.

"I don't know, I just felt like your walking posture was a little weird today."

Jiang Ping looked utterly serious.

"I keep a bunch in my gym bag—the sturdy kind. Take one if you need it."

Chen De stared at the cord, then looked up at him.

He was silent for three seconds.

Then he took it.

"Thanks."

Jiang Ping waved a hand and turned to go get some water.

Chen De stood there without moving, gripping the elastic cord.

Qubi lay sprawled across his backpack strap, keeping his voice low.

"Your friend's pretty nice."

"...No kidding."

Chen De stuffed the elastic cord into his pocket and headed toward the restroom.

His face remained completely expressionless.

When he reached the restroom entrance, his phone buzzed.

Chen De looked down.

It was a text from an unknown number.

"Hello, I'm the magical girl from last night. May I ask your name? Would it be convenient to exchange contact information?"

Chen De: ...

Where the hell did you get my phone number?!