Conspiracy: I'm directing my own life

"Jamie, it's starting, it's starting!"

"George, stop yelling. What do you mean it's starting?"

"You don't know 'Chu Kong Show'?"

"Dude, this is during work hours. What if my supervisor finds out?"

"That's true, so are you going to watch it or not?"

"……look."

The minute hand engages with the 12 mark.

On countless screens around the world, regardless of size or location, the live broadcast room called "Chu Kong Show" lit up.

In the center of the image, a teenager walks out of an apartment building.

He doesn't know anything about it.

-----------------

Or rather, he was getting used to this feeling of knowing nothing yet understanding everything.

From the moment he stepped out of the student dormitory, Chu Kong vaguely sensed the gazes around him, but he wasn't surprised.

Instead of staring, he only glanced at her furtively, which Chu Kong considered very restrained.

Ignoring the stares, Chu Kong arrived at the parking lot of Yulan Middle School, the place where he had arranged to meet his new homeroom teacher.

At this moment, a girl not far away caught Chu Kong's attention.

Beside a brand-new motorcycle, a girl who looks incredibly young leans against the motorcycle, gazing into the distant void.

She was petite, her head barely reaching Chu Kong's shoulder. Her light blue dress made her look like an unopened lotus flower.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and the pink bow on the hair tie complemented her exquisitely sculpted features perfectly.

However, all preconceived notions about "well-behaved" will be shattered after a close examination of the girl.

On that face, with features as delicate as a doll's, were two incongruous dark circles under the eyes, marks left by long-term sleep deprivation.

Even more striking was the half-burnt cigarette she was holding between her fingers.

Wisps of smoke rose, blurring this unforgettable scene.

"Tsk. What rude thing are you thinking, you brat?"

Noticing Chu Kong's gaze, the girl looked at him with displeasure.

"Hey classmate, you'd better hurry up and leave. Teacher Long invited me to meet here. It wouldn't be good if the teacher caught us." Chu Kong pointed to the cigarette between the girl's fingers and gestured.

"I knew it." The girl rolled her eyes, took out a metal cigarette case from her handbag, and stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in it. "Chu Kong, right? Let me introduce myself. My name is Long Mengmeng, and I'm your homeroom teacher."

Chu Kong was stunned and stood there.

It's not just because Teacher Long is different from others.

He suddenly wondered if this unconventional teacher was also a small joke in that grand script?

For some reason, Chu Kong suddenly felt uneasy.

-----------------

Fortunately, Teacher Long did not make things difficult for Chu Kong. He simply walked along, explaining the school's rules and regulations as he went.

Soon, the two arrived at the door of a classroom.

Class 39 of Senior Three.

"Wait a moment."

Long Mengmeng opened the door and stormed in, yelling, "You bunch of brats, are you trying to tear the roof off?"

"I heard you arguing as soon as I walked into the hallway."

"Our class was the loudest in the whole building."

After Chu Kong finished his familiar "three-part mantra of manners," the classroom finally fell silent.

"Alright, everyone, we have a new student transferring to our school today. Let's give them a round of applause." After saying that, Long Mengmeng nodded to Chu Kong.

A round of fairly enthusiastic applause erupted in the classroom. Amidst the applause, Chu Kong walked up to the podium and looked at the faces below the stage.

Most of them stared at Chu Kong with curiosity, and Chu Kong also scrutinized them.

There were no flaws, no extraneous emotions; they looked like just a group of ordinary students welcoming a new classmate.

But Chu Kong knew that beneath the surface, there were restless actors.

A sense of powerlessness that was all too familiar to Chu Kong, a feeling he loathed, crept into his heart once more.

How could you not see any clues at all?

Why do these people seem normal?

Aren't they all actors?

Why can't I see through such a basic disguise?

How could this happen?

In a fleeting moment, a thought struck Chu Kong, causing him to feel suffocated, and his face turned deathly pale.

Chu Kong quickly took a deep breath, composed himself, and said calmly, "Hello everyone, my name is Chu Kong. I hope we can get along well."

No one noticed anything amiss with Chu Kong; at most, they just sensed that he seemed a little nervous.

"Um... Class monitor, Chu Kong just transferred here and is having trouble adjusting to many things. You'll be in charge of helping him for a while."

"Yes!" A clear, resonant voice rang out from the corner of the classroom.

Following the sound, Chu Kong saw the girl.

She radiated a vibrant energy free of any gloom, as if many invisible spotlights were shining on her, making the space she existed in even brighter.

The girl met Chu Kong's gaze; her white teeth and crescent-shaped eyes seemed to fill the air with a sweet, honey-like fragrance.

"Then you can sit next to the class monitor for now," Long Mengmeng casually suggested.

Chu Kong nodded and, under the watchful eyes of the others in the classroom, sat down next to the girl.

Please take care of me.

The girl bent down, burying half her head under the mountain of books piled on the table. She turned her face to the side, raised a book in her left hand to cover her face, and waved her other hand in front of Chu Kong, flashing a bright smile.

The bright morning sunlight streamed right over her fingertips, making her fair skin glow with a faint pink hue, and her waving fingers looked like dazzling gems.

Even those watching from the sidelines were captivated by the girl's adorable demeanor, their gazes towards Chu Kong now tinged with envy or jealousy.

Sunlight streamed over her waving fingertips, but in Chu Kong's eyes, in that fleeting halo of light, he seemed to see that familiar emblem.

The emblem engraved on the letter.

He tried to persuade him that it was just an illusion.

But her already panicked state of mind became even more uncontrollable.

He thought of that blank sheet of paper.

I thought of the black words on that piece of paper.

I thought about the predetermined ending he had.

Are the envious glances from the boys around me proof that all the tragedy is about to begin?

What can I do?

It felt like going back to my childhood, to the day when my parents sent me to live with my aunt.

It felt like going back a few years, when debt collectors smashed everything in my house.

It felt like going back to a few days ago, outside my aunt's hospital room, holding that bill with an astronomical figure on it.

A sense of helplessness crept back into his heart, and cold sweat soaked his back.

This time will probably be the same; I can't do anything when faced with the script's manipulation.

I can't do anything.

My stomach was churning violently, like a volcano about to erupt.

Whispers seemed to emanate from the surroundings; they were plotting, mocking, and toying with each other.

As for me, I am merely a plaything.

Looking at the dazzling girl, Chu Kong felt only fear.

"Are you... are you alright?" The girl asked with concern, looking at Chu Kong's pale face.

"It's all fake, it's all fake." The acid boiled in Chu Kong's throat, engulfing his helpless murmur, and no one could hear him clearly.

But this almost-spoken self-talk finally pulled Chu Kong out of the chaos.

No, that won't do. We're live-streaming right now; we can't let anything slip.

"No, it's nothing, my stomach's a little upset." Chu Kong forced a smile at the girl, then raised his hand and said, "Excuse me, teacher, I need to go to the restroom."