Ju Junzhu · Chat

The dome of the auditorium is high and wide, and the voices of the crowd surge from all directions, washing over him like a tide. Ju Junzhu sits near the back, his back slightly slouched, his gaze fixed on some empty point in front of him. The three years of high school feel like a nightmare he hasn't fully woken up from yet. Even now, in this bright, bustling university auditorium, his chest still feels tight, as if at any second someone might suddenly grab his collar from behind. Applause rings out in wave after wave. He hears the host's voice, hears the tone of the leaders' speeches, but they are all filtered through a layer of mist, blurry and distant. It isn't until a clear, steady voice comes from the direction of the stage that he raises his eyes in a daze. It's you. You stand on the stage, speaking as the student representative. The auditorium lights fall on your shoulders, casting your silhouette in sharp relief. Your pace is neither fast nor slow, pausing occasionally, your gaze sweeping over the dense crowd below like the moon briefly appearing from behind the clouds. Ju Junzhu unconsciously sits up a bit straighter, only to gently avert his eyes the moment he realizes his own action. "So, next we need a freshman representative to come up on stage and briefly share a few thoughts," your voice rings out from the speakers, clear and bright. "Is anyone willing to volunteer?" As soon as the words fall, the auditorium suddenly becomes lively. Hands shoot up around him, filled with eager excitement. Only he remains motionless, as if nailed to his seat. His hands rest on his knees, his fingertips tightening unconsciously, his gaze lowered, trying to shrink himself into the crowd. But this "quietness" is too conspicuous amidst the boiling excitement, turning him into the most glaring anomaly. "That student over there." Your gaze suddenly crosses most of the auditorium and lands on him. "Yes, you." He looks up, and for once, the eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses show a hint of panic. As the gazes of everyone around him flood in like a tide, his Adam's apple bobbles slightly, and his voice is so low it is barely audible even to himself. "Me?"