What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 94

Chapter 94 – Reflection Under the National Flag

Teacher Guo, whose full name was Guo Jing, was the physical education teacher at Second High School and the master of ceremonies for the daily flag-raising ceremony, bellowing “At ease! Attention! Eyes forward!” at the top of his lungs.

His name, reminiscent of a character from Jin Yong’s martial arts novels, had particularly impressed Old He. Fresh out of college, Guo Jing was elevated to the politically significant position of master of ceremonies for the solemn flag-raising ceremony, leaving him both flattered and overwhelmed.

As a result, he threw himself into each ceremony with extraordinary zeal, his voice rising to a rooster-like crow. In his first few days on the job, his shouts would send the students into fits of laughter.

Yet the students liked him, not for any particular reason, but simply because he was… hilarious.

“The turnout’s pretty good today, huh?” Teacher Guo surveyed the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the entire student body and faculty.

The turnout was indeed higher than usual.

Normally, the flag-raising ceremony barely filled the schoolyard. Some classes would only send half their students. Excuses ranged from illness and retrieving test papers to tutoring, broadcasting announcements, and menstrual cramps. Students would skip the ceremony whenever possible, especially during the sweltering summer heat and the bitter winter cold. Who wanted to stand in the schoolyard for half an hour?

If it weren’t for their patriotic fervor, who would bother attending the flag-raising ceremony?

Today’s high attendance was due to yesterday’s forum erupting into chaos.

The uproar stemmed from Sheng Yunze and Duan Yi publicly coming out as a couple on the broadcast. While Double-A Couples weren’t exactly rare, this was the only pair to make their relationship so widely known.

The real draw was that it injected a bit of excitement into their monotonous high school lives. In short—damn it, who wouldn’t watch free entertainment?

So everyone was watching, everyone was gossiping.

Duan Yi, the subject of all the gossip, deeply regretted his actions. Not regretting dating Sheng Yunze, mind you, but mainly regretting not finishing that last bite of roasted sweet potato last night.

While Teacher Guo delivered his impassioned speech, Duan Yi didn’t clap, but his stomach enthusiastically chimed in with loud growls.

Teacher Guo: “Students!”

Duan Yi’s stomach: “Grumble-grumble—”

A perfect duet, perfectly synchronized.

“I’m starving…” Duan Yi groaned softly, wishing he could just squat down and listen to the speech.

The apology letter Sheng Yunze had written for him that morning was now stuffed in his school uniform pocket, which was like a rat’s nest, crammed with all sorts of things.

Everything had been shoved in haphazardly: the apology letter, an eraser, a pencil, an empty Mimi Shrimp Cracker bag, leftover sunflower seeds from last time, a bare pencil lead lying naked, and a receipt from the Rice Noodle Shop owner at the school gate for his last bowl of noodles…

In short, a chaotic mess that was best left unexamined.

Sheng Yunze had originally been standing behind him.

But this morning, to demonstrate his obedience to the school administration and respect for his superiors, the Old Class Teacher had deliberately separated the “lovebirds,” moving Sheng Yunze back two positions to prevent him from standing next to Duan Yi.

Furthermore, to prevent Jiang Wangshu and Hao Shanshan from acting as the magpie bridge in the Cowherd and Weaver Girl myth—though their whispered conversations sounded more like the chirping of sparrows—the teacher simply moved them as well. Jiang Wangshu was placed at the front, holding the class banner. Since he loved to talk so much, the teacher figured putting him at the front would make it easier to keep an eye on him.

Hao Shanshan was assigned to stand next to Xiaobudian, a quiet girl who rarely spoke more than three words at a time.

Hao Shanshan was deeply frustrated. She told Old Class Teacher Zhao, “Old Zhao, I’m just a natural chatterbox. Put me anywhere, and I’ll talk. It has nothing to do with my classmates—it’s just my professional habit!”

She immediately proved her point by chattering incessantly with Xiaobudian Zhou Yue before their flag-raising speech. A member of the Student Union Disciplinary Committee caught them red-handed, deducted two points, and dragged them to the back of the class to stand as punishment.

Third Year Class 1’s “TF Dao Ban Boys,” nicknamed TBboy (short for Taobao Boys), had lost two of their three members.

Now only Duan Yi, the sole survivor—a mix of Caihe Jeon Ji-hyun and Second High School Kris Wu—remained.

He was facing a crisis, feeling like he was about to follow his comrades into oblivion.

Someone tapped Duan Yi on the shoulder.

“President Duan,” Pingtou called out furtively, pulling a piece of pork jerky from his pocket. “Want some?”

Duan Yi froze, tears of gratitude welling up in his eyes.

Pingtou quickly shoved the pork jerky into Duan Yi’s hand. Just then, there was a commotion from the neighboring class. A girl from Class Two called out, “Duan Yi, want a cookie? I brought some this morning…”

Duan Yi glanced over and recognized her as the classmate he’d met briefly when they went to the Political Education Office together to retrieve exam papers.

Soon, all the students around him started offering him food.

Duan Yi was well-liked, and the timing of the flag-raising ceremony was awkward—too late for breakfast but too early for lunch. Many students secretly brought their breakfasts to the assembly.

His friends were particularly attentive, sharing bits of their food with him. Before long, Duan Yi was holding a mountain of snacks.

“Enough, enough! I can’t eat all this!” Duan Yi’s hands were overflowing. “No more, please…”

He was already a seasoned veteran of eating “hundred-family meals” during flag-raising ceremonies. This scene had played out at least ninety-nine times, if not a hundred.

Duan Yi’s stealth-eating skills were honed to perfection. The Old Class Teacher, standing at the back of the classroom, watched Duan Yi secretly stuffing food into his mouth, thinking he was being discreet.

His cheek puffed out like Crayon Shin-chan’s profile as he chewed, making him look exactly like a hamster stuffing its cheeks.

She sighed helplessly, averted her gaze, and pretended not to notice.

Duan Yi ate quickly, careful not to litter. He stuffed the empty wrapper into his pocket, then felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see his boyfriend.

Without hesitation, Duan Yi smoothly transferred the wrapper from his pocket into Sheng Yunze’s school uniform pocket.

“Holy crap, what are you doing up here?” he asked, feigning nonchalance.

Sheng Yunze replied, “As the League Branch Secretary, I couldn’t stand by while a classmate starved to death. Saving a life is like building a seven-story pagoda, and saving a pig’s life is like building a three-and-a-half-story pagoda. So, I came to rescue you. Touched?”

Duan Yi: “=口=!”

Sheng Yunze glanced at the wrappers in his pocket—quite a pile, with a variety of snacks. Clearly, someone had given them to Duan Yi.

This gave Sheng Yunze a twinge of annoyance, like someone had stolen his chance to show off. He quipped, “You’re quite popular, huh? Did you eat yourself into a food coma?”

Duan Yi said sheepishly, “It’s okay. Do you want some?”

Sheng Yunze pressed the small bread into Duan Yi’s hand. “I don’t want any. You eat it.”

Duan Yi tore open the bread, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed. “You only gave me bread? No water?”

Though he was already full, Duan Yi couldn’t resist eating anything he got his hands on. It was a habit he’d developed as a child: if he ate it, it was his; if he didn’t, it might end up in Duan Shaoheng’s hands. After all, his brother had never hesitated to snatch food from him.

“You drank it all this morning,” Sheng Yunze replied.

Since getting together with Duan Yi, Sheng Yunze had also developed a habit. He himself didn’t care for snacks, sticking to three regular meals a day. But Duan Yi loved snacks and kept them on hand at all times. Plus, Duan Yi had occasional bouts of low blood sugar, so Sheng Yunze always carried small snacks in his pockets wherever he went. He’d had some this morning, but Duan Yi had devoured them on the way to school, leaving no time to buy more.

After finishing the bread, Duan Yi teased, “Hey, are you nervous?”

“I’m not nervous,” Sheng Yunze replied.

Duan Yi winked and nudged Sheng Yunze. “Don’t act tough. You must be terrified. First time standing under the national flag, and not for an award ceremony but for a public apology? Why don’t you beg me for some advice? Just imagine everyone in the audience as cabbages…”

Sheng Yunze gave him a strained smile. “You sound awfully proud of yourself.”

“Of course I’m proud! That’s why I’m up there! If I hadn’t messed up, would I be giving a public apology? Though this is the first time I’m apologizing alongside you.”

Sensing Duan Yi’s argumentative mood, Sheng Yunze immediately adopted a defensive stance, determined to turn this into a battle of wits. “Are you referring to that time you gave a Young Pioneer salute to the entire school after your last apology?”

Duan Yi’s face flushed crimson. “Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”

He clamped his hand over Sheng Yunze’s mouth, his scalp tingling with embarrassment and his toes curling into the ground. “Are you even human, Sheng Yunze?! Are you?! You’re not allowed to bring up embarrassing history during an argument!”

The two boys continued to bicker and shove each other playfully.

Teacher Guo’s speech under the national flag had ended, and Duan Yi felt a surge of confidence as he saw Old He take the podium.

With practiced ease and self-awareness, Duan Yi stepped out of the class formation and strode to the flagpole platform.

As he passed Jiang Wangshu, who was holding the class banner under Old He’s watchful eye, Jiang Wangshu cheekily wiggled his hips and struck a “ganbatte” cheerleading pose like a Japanese anime girl.

Duan Yi nearly doubled over laughing, but he managed to suppress it, remembering Old He was still watching.

Jiang Wangshu always does this.

Whenever Duan Yi had to go up to the platform to confess or apologize, Jiang Wangshu would always be down below, striking silly poses to make him laugh.

What usually seemed only mildly amusing suddenly became hysterically funny when Duan Yi stood on the platform.

Fortunately, Duan Yi’s willpower was strong enough to hold back his laughter until the end. Afterward, he’d give Jiang Wangshu a good thrashing.

“Where did Old He even find all these couples?” Duan Yi exclaimed in shock as he reached the flagpole platform.

He had expected only he and Sheng Yunze to be there for their confessions, but instead, four or five other couples were already lined up, totaling over a dozen students.

Teacher Guo arranged them in pairs, instructing them to take turns going up to confess.

Sheng Yunze was immediately called away by another teacher and stood far from them.

Is my boyfriend really my boyfriend? Duan Yi thought. Even while being reprimanded, he was still going to receive an award—Sheng Yunze was apparently about to accept a gold medal for the National Chemistry Competition.

“Hey, first time getting caught, huh?” A cheerful and talkative second-year student beside Duan Yi, radiating a mischievous vibe, noticed Duan Yi’s shocked expression and assumed he was new to this. He struck up a casual conversation, “You look terrified! It’s really not a big deal.”

Duan Yi turned to him, recognizing a kindred spirit, and gazed at him with admiration. “If you say so, Senior, does that mean you get caught often?”

The second-year student replied modestly, “Well, I’ve had my share.”

Duan Yi: “And this sister-in-law…” He glanced at the rebellious-looking male Omega beside the senior.

The second-year student: “This is your Seventh Sister-in-Law.”

Duan Yi, ever the drama queen, fully embraced the role, clasping his hands in a respectful bow. “Ah, Seventh Sister-in-Law! My deepest respects…”

Later, Duan Yi learned that “Seventh Sister-in-Law” meant Old He had caught them dating seven times, leading to seven breakups and reconciliations. Hence, the shorthand: “Seventh Sister-in-Law.”

So it’s all the same damn person!

What rotten luck to get caught seven times in just two years of high school, and always with the same pair…

Are you two playing Zhao Yun here, charging in and out of the Political Education Office seven times?

Seventh Sister-in-Law looked like an icy beauty. She glared fiercely at the second-year boy before rolling her eyes dismissively and turning away, too bored to acknowledge him.

The playboy, Second High School’s Sea King, seemed unfazed and continued chatting with Duan Yi. “Getting caught and writing self-criticisms is nothing new for me. But you’re in luck this time—usually, I never get to hear such juicy gossip during these sessions.”

Duan Yi grew wary. “What gossip?”

The second-year boy grinned. “You know Sheng Yunze got caught too, right?”

Duan Yi’s respect deepened. “Of course I know.”

I was caught with him!

The second-year boy glanced at Sheng Yunze, then continued, “He and Duan Yi got caught having a Double-A relationship. Impressive! Who do you think tops and who bottoms?”

Duan Yi closed his eyes, his face strained. “Isn’t this a bit inappropriate? Discussing such explicit topics in public, under the bright sky, with the majestic national flag waving beside the solemn flag-raising platform…”

The second-year boy sighed. “Alright then.”

As if agreeing with Duan Yi’s point, he suddenly looked around and asked, “Why can I only see Sheng Yunze and not Duan Yi?”

Old He, watching from above, saw Duan Yi talking to the second-year boy and his eyes widened. “Duan Yi! Xie Xinglan! You two have the nerve to be chatting?!”

Duan Yi immediately betrayed his newly-minted “Brother,” retorting, “Teacher He, he started talking to me first.”

He glanced at Xie Xinglan and mouthed: Now you see Duan Yi, right?

Xie Xinglan: “Teacher He, I’m memorizing my apology speech. Xia Qin and I have deeply realized the grave dangers and errors of early romance. To express our resolve and utter loathing for such relationships, we’ve decided to deliver our apologies without notes!”

Xia Qin, also known as Seventh Sister-in-Law, rolled her eyes even more dramatically. “Get lost.”

Xie Xinglan was deeply moved. “I never knew you loved me so much, darling…”

Then he turned to Duan Yi, his face filled with admiration. “My apologies, I didn’t realize you were the legendary Duan Yi.”

Duan Yi asked sincerely, “How can your skin be so thick?”

It was the first time Duan Yi had ever seen someone remain so composed after being caught gossiping behind someone’s back, right in front of them.

“What are you talking about?” Sheng Yunze returned, a hint of displeasure in his voice at seeing Duan Yi had made a new friend in just a few minutes.

“Nothing much. I’m getting a little nervous now. Oh, I haven’t even looked at the apology letter you wrote for me yet. Let me take a quick look, or I might stumble over my words up there and make things even worse. Old He would never let us off the hook then.” As he spoke, he tried to pull out the letter Sheng Yunze had written for him.

Sheng Yunze pressed his hand down, saying calmly, “You can read it later. There’s no rush.”

Duan Yi’s trust in Sheng Yunze was innate. Whatever Sheng Yunze said, he accepted without question. If he said not to read it now, then he wouldn’t.

After Teacher He finished reading the disciplinary notices, it was their turn to deliver their self-criticisms.

Duan Yi watched Xie Xinglan and his partner step forward first, moving as naturally as if they were entering their own home—it was heartbreaking!

Having memorized self-criticism speeches countless times, he could practically recite his without notes.

Xie Xinglan launched into his speech effortlessly, his tone sincere and earnest. He readily admitted his mistake but firmly refused to change, “I deeply regret the error I committed. Though my wife is incredibly beautiful, with an adorable expression when she looks at me, her large, star-bright eyes, delicate nose, and rosy lips are perfectly arranged on her radiant, oval face—fuck! (Xia Qin subtly stomped on his foot, and Old He glared up at him, interrupting his elementary school-level composition. Xie Xinglan hissed in pain, sucking in a sharp breath.) …Still, I shouldn’t have been hugging and kissing her in class, getting caught by Principal He and embarrassing our homeroom teacher, tarnishing the reputation of our grade level. I feel deeply ashamed of my mistake…”

After everyone else finished reading their confessions, they waited for Xia Qin to speak. Her face remained cold as she spat out two words, “Same as above.”

“Awesome, awesome!” Duan Yiqing couldn’t help but applaud.

Sheng Yunze pinched his cheek. “Not nervous anymore?”

Duan Yi patted Sheng Yunze’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a glowing review when I go up there. I’m way cooler than him—I bagged the school beauty! I can’t lose in the charisma department. Watch me handle this like a pro.”

Apart from Xie Xinglan, the seasoned troublemaker whose confession was hilariously over-the-top, the rest were all variations on the same theme:

First, they admitted their mistake in engaging in early romance. Then, vowing to learn from their pain, they promised to change their ways, break up with their partners immediately, and never repeat the offense.

In essence, it all boiled down to one sentence: “My relationship was fake.”

When Duan Yi took the stage, Jiang Wangshu led the crowd in cheering him on.

His confession sounded more like a fan meet-and-greet. Duan Yi, brimming with confidence, waved for silence, radiating even more authority than Principal He himself.

Then, right in front of the entire school, he opened the confession letter Sheng Yunze had written for him.

The letter bore five bold characters: “I love Sheng Yunze.”

Duan Yi’s expression froze instantly, the corners of his mouth twitching involuntarily as he gloriously choked.

He turned to Sheng Yunze, who remained calm as if he hadn’t written those five flamboyant characters at all.

Fuck…

He knew Sheng Yunze had written that confession too quickly!

You little shit! Of course it was fast—you only wrote five words!

What the hell?

What do I do now?

Duan Yi was stunned. Was he supposed to just make something up on the spot based on these five words?

“I…”

Duan Yi felt like he couldn’t even string together a single sentence. Maybe I should just admit I was wrong to have an early romance, he thought.

He opened his mouth again, repeating, “I—”

He had meant to say: I shouldn’t have had an early romance with Sheng Yunze, corrupting his character…

But before he could finish, Sheng Yunze snatched the microphone, glanced neither at the confession nor at Duan Yi, and calmly declared, “Duan Yi and I are for real.”

Duan Yi: =口=!

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a collective “Ooh!”

Sheng Yunze had barely started his confession when the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and jeers.