The night was deep, deep, deep; the dawn faint, faint, faint.
Morning light seeped into the cramped room, the creases on the thin blankets still holding the warmth of last night.
Maybe they were too excited yesterday—none of the three slept well.
When Yan rubbed his eyes and sat up, the sunlight had already climbed onto the windowsill.
"What time is it?"
"Seven thirty—" Yi Lin, still half-asleep, checked the clock, and instantly woke up. "Crap, crap, isn't the ceremony starting at eight?!"
The three of them practically bounced up from the floor at the same time.
"Damn, we slept like the dead!"
"Quit talking, pack your stuff!"
Five minutes later, they were already rushing downstairs in a mess, shoelaces still undone.
Mausen's mom happened to walk out of the kitchen, holding a plate of steaming fried dumplings.
"Oh, you're heading out already? At least have some breakfast—"
"No time, Auntie!" Yan shouted while grabbing two dumplings with a napkin, and even added, "Thanks, Auntie! Smells amazing!" as he ran.
"Take a few to eat on the way!" Mausen's mom laughed, stuffing a few freshly-made flatbreads into a paper bag. She chased them out the door, passing the food to her son and reminding him, "Share with your friends later, don't go hungry."
"Thanks, Mom!" Mausen yelled back as the three dashed out of the alley.
—
The morning streets were already lively. Several cars whipped around the corner, the wind lifting paper ads from the sidewalk—some stuck briefly to their pants, then fell off again as they ran.
They pushed through the crowd, practically sprinting the entire way.
"Hurry up! If we're later the gate's gonna close!"
"Damn, if we become the first people in history to be late to our own graduation ceremony, that'll be legendary—in the worst way!"
Mausen ran in front, a half-eaten flatbread in his mouth, shouting while panting, "You two are too slow! I told you to sleep earlier—"
"Who was the one bragging about setting the alarm?!" Yan shouted back.
They had been sworn brothers yesterday; today they were one argument away from strangling each other.
Only Yi Lin was left behind, gasping as he watched the two figures—one tall, one short—race ahead. He gritted his teeth and sprinted after them.
Still bickering, they rounded the final corner.
In the distance, the familiar iron school gate was slowly closing.
"Security guard! Don't close it! Let us in!!"
"Wait—being two minutes late doesn't count as being late, right?!"
They sprinted with everything they had.
Wind, footsteps, and the lingering aroma of breakfast swirled together.
The security guard, hearing their shouting, froze—his expression turning cold.
He touched his shiny Mediterranean-style bald top and frowned. "Damn it, I hate being late the most. If you get in today, I'll write my name backwards."
The automatic gate kept closing slowly. Annoyed by how slow it was, he tapped the button a few times—no responsn,so he simply pushed with both hands—
BANG—!
The gate slammed shut.
The three stopped outside, panting heavily.
Morning light struck the cold metal surface, reflecting a faint silver sheen. On the other side, the security guard stood with his arms crossed, radiating a heroic "one man holding the pass against ten thousand" aura.
They stood on opposite sides of the gate, the air thick with awkwardness.
"…What the hell," Mausen muttered, taking a bite of flatbread. "Is he worried the machine will get worn down?"
Yan covered his face. "Looks like we're entering the ceremony from the back wall today."
Yi Lin finally caught up, hands on his knees, lungs burning.
After catching his breath, he forced a smile, stepped forward, and waved, "This security guar—"
The guard's face darkened instantly.
Yi Lin immediately changed his wording mid-sentence: "—sir! Sir, please, we're here for the graduation ceremony! We're not bad guys!"
Arms crossed, the guard raised an eyebrow. "Graduation ceremony? Since when do bad guys admit they're bad?"
"We really are students!" Yi Lin pleaded. "This is one of the most important days in our lives. If you block us out, the class photo will be missing three people! I'll cry every time I open the album!"
"Yeah, sir!" Mausen added. "You were a student once, right? Didn't you ever oversleep?!"
The guard's expression began to soften as he looked them over.
The first two did indeed look like students,just the type who liked to sleep in.
Then his eyes landed on Yan.
Though wearing the same school uniform, the fabric was stretched tight over broad shoulders and strong arms. Muscles faintly showed from under the sleeves.
That build not just "student"—more like someone who could bench-press the security booth.
The guard swallowed hard.
—Student? This guy?
He glanced back and forth between Yan and the two "normal" students behind him, doubting reality.
Just then, Yi Lin had a flash of inspiration. He snatched the paper bag of flatbreads from Mausen.
He felt around—five or six left—and smiled brightly. "Sir, you haven't had breakfast, right? These are fresh off his mom's pan—try some while they're still hot!"
Warm aroma drifted from the bag.
The guard sniffed twice, throat bobbing—not hiding the fact he was tempted.
The two kids behind looked harmless, one scholarly, one smooth-talking. Aside from the walking tank in the front, nothing seemed suspicious.
He sighed, shaking his head. "Wait here."
He returned to the booth, grabbed an old tablet, and snapped a photo of the three.
Their student info popped up on the screen. He double-checked. When he saw that the muscular giant was indeed a student, his face froze in disbelief.
After confirming everything, he finally waved a hand.
"Fine, since you're here for the ceremony, I won't log this one."
He walked to the gate and opened the narrow side door.
"Hurry in—you're already five minutes late."
"Thanks, sir! You're the most brilliant man alive!" Yi Lin gave him a thumbs-up.
"Go, go, go!" the guard said, waving, though the corners of his lips betrayed a smile.
The three darted inside, their footsteps fading.
The guard looked at the bag of flatbreads, paused, sighed softly, and smiled.
"These little brats…"
————————————
By the time they reached the school field, the ceremony had already begun.
Flags fluttered in the wind; solemn, slightly sleep-inducing music blared from the speakers. Each class stood in perfect formation, the reflective stripes on their uniforms glimmering under the sun. Everything was in perfect order.
The three slowed down immediately upon seeing the scene.
"Crap, we're making the most dramatic entrance ever…"
"Shut up, don't talk, head down—they won't notice us."
They crouched and sneaked toward their class formation. Just then—
"You three. Why are you so late?"
A low, familiar voice sounded behind them.
The three froze in place. Every muscle locked up—as if someone hit the pause button. That voice was far too familiar, familiar enough to set off instant fear.
Yan swallowed stiffly and turned his neck inch by inch.
A middle-aged man in his forties stood behind them. His polished bald head gleamed, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, a striped suit on his body. Hands behind his back, he stared at them.
Sunlight reflected off his lenses, flashing a cold white gleam.
"Mr...Mr. Ban?" Mausen's voice trembled.
The man—known as "Mr. Ban"—pushed his glasses up. That gesture was exactly the same as always. His gaze fell upon them like the prelude to a volcanic eruption.
Just when they braced for a furious scolding he suddenly smiled.
"Alright, you're graduating. Just don't oversleep next time. Go on in."
The three stood there, stunned.
Yan wondered if he was hallucinating. This was the same man who said "You're the worst class I've ever taught" at least three times a week.
Mausen whispered, "We're doomed. Mr. Ban got possessed…"
"Shut up," Yan hissed, kicking him.
They didn't dare say more. They hurriedly nodded and slipped into the last row of their class formation.
Wind rustled through the flags above, lifting the edges of their uniforms—and taking away a bit of their panic.