Survival in the Class: I'm the Only Boy on the Bus

[BGM: Farewell to the Faraway Star - Mingchao First Appointment Radio]

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Hazard is no longer the skinny, dusty little girl she once was.

Now she has not only grown taller, but also looks very healthy, no longer the frail figure that seemed like she could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Building the White Dove City and planting crops gave her left arm and calf a firm and strong physique, and her skin was tanned to a healthy wheat color.

That once tangled, dry, long black hair is now neatly braided into a thick, long plait, gently draped over the right shoulder and hanging down naturally.

Her face was also very pretty, especially her eyes, which were big and bright, but her mouth didn't smile; in fact, it drooped down.

Well... her right forearm was gone... it was tied to a thinned wooden strip with a black leather belt.

Around her stood a multitude of white doves, which were not afraid of Hazar at all.

Suddenly, a white dove with a red ribbon on it flew to Hazar's shoulder and rubbed its little head against her neck, making her giggle.

Hazard smiled, and the golden sunlight shone on her and the white doves, making her seem to glow.

But Hazard's smile didn't last long before his lips drooped again.

Jiang Chen and the girls witnessed all of this.

The doves seemed to sense Hazard's mood and gathered around, nuzzling him with their heads.

Hazard touched every single pigeon:

"Okay, okay! I'm fine, I just miss Brother Jiang Chen and the others a little."

When Hazard touched the fattest pigeon in the entire enclosure, he pointed at it and joked with a smile:

"Little Fatty, why are you refusing to fly again today? If you don't practice, you won't be able to fly at all! Don't cry to me then."

The white dove, nicknamed "Little Fatty," tilted its head and cooed twice, sounding both aggrieved and affectionate.

Hazar covered his mouth and laughed, gently tapping the pigeon's head with the wooden piece in his right hand:

"Okay, okay, it's my fault. I'll leave you an extra handful of corn kernels today, is that alright?"

"Come eat in the middle, and after you're done, please continue to hang up the red ribbons for me."

As she spoke, she reached her left hand into a small burlap sack leaning against the wall.

She pulled out a handful of dried-out corn kernels.

When Hazard reached out, it became clear that her left arm not only bore her own name but also the names of seven other teammates.

Hazard held a handful of corn kernels in his left hand, slowly turned around, and just as he raised his left hand, he was about to scatter the corn kernels onto the ground.

But she saw Jiang Chen and the girls standing by the stairs.

Hazard froze, his raised left hand hanging in mid-air, his bright eyes blinking as if trying to confirm whether he was hallucinating.

With each blink, more tears welled up in her eyes, gradually blurring her vision.

"Splash—!"

Shriveled corn kernels spilled onto the ground from between Hazard's fingers.

The pale yellow corn kernels fell onto the gray-black stone ground, bouncing several times before coming to a stop.

*Puff puff puff—!*

White doves fluttered around Hazard, landing between him and Jiang Chen, and pecking at the food.

A gust of wind blew in.

The wind blew the braid on Hazard's right shoulder.

The wind also brushed across the strings, causing them to vibrate gently and produce a soft sound.

"Buzz—!"

Standing to Jiang Chen's left, Tang Yan tiptoed and waved playfully at Hazard, as if afraid he wouldn't see her. Her white jellyfish-like hair swayed back and forth with her movements.

"Hazard! Over here! Remember me? I treated you to candy!"

Hazard's eyes widened!

Wu Maiduo walked out from the girls' room and stood to Jiang Chen's right.

In Hazard's eyes, this short-haired woman still held that very long spear, and the red tassel on the spear tip still looked so beautiful when it danced.

Wu Maiduo nodded to Hazard:

"The white pigeons are well-raised..."

Hazard's pupils contracted sharply and trembled slightly.

Jiang Chen walked towards Hazard, and white doves gently took flight with his steps.

*Puff puff puff—!*

And so, white doves fluttered between the two of them, like a huge pile of snow-white feathers being tossed about.

As the flock of pigeons rose and fell, the two men's gazes kept flickering between the white pigeons and each other's faces.

Jiang Chen walked towards Hazard, following the flock of pigeons, and looked down at her, at the girl whose head almost reached his chin.

The last time they met, Hazard's head only reached Jiang Chen's waist.

Hazar gently tilted her head back, staring blankly at Jiang Chen's face. Her left hand fingers were trembling slightly, and her eyes were brimming with tears, as if they were about to burst forth at any moment, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

Jiang Chen raised his right hand and gently placed it on Hazard's head.

Just like the last time they parted, he gently patted Hazard's head twice.

Hazard did not dodge either.

Jiang Chen's lips curled into a gentle smile:

"We've come back to see you..."

Hazard's pupils dilated in shock!

She couldn't be mistaken about the touch on her head, the warmth of his palm, and the gentle tone of his voice!

It's Jiang Chen!

Warm tears finally welled up in Hazard's eyes.

But she immediately lowered her head, raised her left hand and vigorously wiped the corner of her eye, sniffed, and then raised her head to look at Brother Jiang Chen again.

Hazard tilted his head, his eyes curving into crescents, and tried his best to raise the corners of his mouth as high as possible.

She looked very happy, but her voice was slightly choked with emotion as she spoke.

"Welcome back... Brother Jiang Chen... and my sisters..."

The tears that had been welling up in Hazard's eyes stopped falling.

At that moment, she was truly happy!