She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

MynameisYan,andsinceIwasachild,I’vebeenabletoseesomestrangethings.

Forexample—

Inelementaryschool,ournewneighborAuntTanhadapairofall-aroundgeniustwins,whowerelikethe“preciouslittlegeniuses”withhalosabovetheirheads.TheycouldrecitetheEnglish-Chinesedictionarybackwardsatthree,masterbothChineseandWesternmusicalinstrumentsbyfive,andhackintoacountry’sdatabasebyseven…

Growingupnexttosuchprodigies,mylifewasinhumane,tragic,andconstantlysubjectedtocomparisons.

Toescapethecomparisonswiththese“otherpeople’schildren,”Ispecificallyappliedtoaprivateboardingschoolformiddleschool.

Onmyfirstday,mydeskmatewasasmall,thingirlwithbangs,wearinganolduniform,andhervoicewasasfaintasamosquito’s.

Threemonthslater,shewokeupfromanapwitha“rebirth”haloaboveherhead.

Shemovedeffortlesslyamongthecoldacademicgenius,thewolf-likeschoolbully,thefierceboss,andthegentlechildhoodfriend,leavingme,alonelyonlooker,utterlyamazed.

Byuniversity,IthoughtIhadfinallyescapedthisabnormalworld.

ButassoonasIsteppedintomydormroom,myfootstepsfroze.

Myroommateseachhadhaloslike“ancienttimestomodern,”“post-apocalypticsuperhuman,”“willdieifnotspendingmoney,”and“ghostkingrevival.”

Iclutchedmylittleblanketandappliedtothecounselorforaroomchange,buttonoavail.

Overtime,Igraduallygotusedtoit.“Handoversystems,”“managementsystems,”“booktransmigration,”“infiniteworlds,”“three-and-a-half-year-olds,”“interstellarlivestreams,”“redenvelopegroups”…

Thetypesofhaloskeptincreasing,andIwasabletocalmlyignoreallofit,focusingonmyownlife.

Everymorning,Iskillfullyhelpedmy“ancienttomodern”roommate,whowasbeingblacklistedonline,dodgecampuspaparazziandsecureseatsforclass.

Atnoon,Iassistedmytycoonroommateindistributingtoday’shaulofluxuryskincareanddesignerbags,tastingthecity’stopprivatechef’scustomlunchbox,andexclaimingwithemotion,“Darling,canIreallyacceptthese?”

Intheevening,Ienjoyedtheflowersandplantscultivatedbymysuperhumanroommateonthebalcony,tastingamutatedcherrytomatoandcommenting,“Ifeelrefreshedandpurified.”

Lateatnight,whenmyghostkingroommatequietlyclimbedbackthroughthewindow,Ipeekedouttoask,“You’rebackabitlatetoday,didn’tbringanythingback,didyou?”

MynameisYan,andIamnottheprotagonistofthisworld.