Su Ran was still tired from the 800 meter race and was sitting on the grass, hugging her knees, watching the field.
"I still can't feel my legs," she said.
"That means they are still alive," Zhao Ming replied. "If you couldn't feel the ground and you were floating, then we would worry."
"You are not helpful," she said.
Jiang Chen stood nearby, looking at the event list posted on the board.
"What are you looking for?" Su Ran asked.
"My event," he replied.
"You signed up for something?" Zhao Ming asked, surprised. "You? Voluntarily participating in sports?"
"Relay race," Jiang Chen said.
Zhao Ming gasped dramatically.
"This is historic. The academic weapon is entering the athletic world."
Su Ran stood up immediately.
"We're coming to watch."
The Relay Race
The relay race teams were lining up on the track. Each team had four runners. Jiang Chen was the second runner for his team.
Su Ran and Zhao Ming stood near the track, trying to find his team.
"There," Su Ran said, pointing. "He's the one standing like he's about to take an exam instead of run."
Zhao Ming nodded.
"He looks like he's calculating the speed of the wind."
The whistle blew, and the first runners started sprinting.
Su Ran leaned forward nervously.
"Why am I nervous? I'm not even running."
"Because you're emotionally invested," Zhao Ming said.
The first runner from Jiang Chen's team ran toward him and passed the baton smoothly. Jiang Chen grabbed it and started running.
Su Ran blinked in surprise.
"He runs fast."
"He runs like someone who wants to finish quickly and go back to studying," Zhao Ming said.
Jiang Chen wasn't the fastest runner on the track, but he was steady. He didn't panic, didn't slow down, didn't look around. He just ran forward, focused, like he did everything else in life.
"Go Jiang Chen!" Su Ran shouted without thinking.
He didn't turn, but he seemed to run a little faster.
He passed the baton to the next runner, and their team finished second overall.
When he walked back toward them, he wasn't even breathing that hard.
"You can run!" Su Ran said, surprised.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why do you say it like that?" Zhao Ming asked.
"You sound like someone said, 'You can breathe!' and you answered 'Yes.'"
Jiang Chen ignored him.
Su Ran smiled.
"You were really cool just now."
He paused for a moment, then said quietly,
"It's just running."
But for some reason, he seemed slightly embarrassed.
Zhao Ming's Event
Then it was Zhao Ming's turn for the long jump.
"This is where my hidden talent appears," he said confidently.
Su Ran crossed her arms.
"I am ready to be disappointed."
Jiang Chen said,
"Don't jump too early."
"Wow," Zhao Ming said. "Such emotional support from my friends."
When his turn came, he ran forward dramatically like he was in a movie, jumped, and landed… not very far.
Su Ran started laughing immediately.
"That was your hidden talent?"
"That was a warm-up jump," Zhao Ming said seriously.
His second jump was better. Not amazing, but not terrible.
When he came back, he said proudly,
"I did not embarrass myself. That is success."
"That is a very low standard," Su Ran said.
"That is a realistic standard," he replied.
Sitting on the Field
After all their events were over, the three of them sat on the grass again, watching the last races of the day.
Students were laughing, running, shouting, taking pictures, eating snacks. Teachers were actually smiling for once.
Su Ran lay back on the grass and looked at the sky.
"I don't want today to end," she said.
"Why?" Zhao Ming asked.
"Because days like this feel… important," she said.
"Like when we grow up, we'll remember this exact day."
Zhao Ming lay down too.
"If I become rich, I will build a stadium and name it after myself and invite you both for free."
Jiang Chen sat instead of lying down, looking at the field quietly.
Su Ran turned her head toward him.
"What are you thinking about?"
He was quiet for a few seconds before answering.
"I think… we won't realize how important these days are until much later."
Su Ran didn't reply immediately.
A light breeze moved across the field, and the sound of students cheering echoed in the distance.
She finally said quietly,
"Then when we're older, let's meet and talk about these days again."
Zhao Ming lifted his hand into the air dramatically.
"Yes. The Last Row Trio reunion. We will meet, eat expensive food that I pay for, and talk about how cool we were."
Jiang Chen nodded slightly.
"Okay."
Su Ran smiled and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the warm sun and the soft wind.
At that moment, none of them were thinking about exams, or the future, or how things would change.
They were just three students on a sports field,
laughing, talking, and slowly growing up without realizing it.