chapter 2

I don’t have that many friends. Or rather, I never tried to have any. After all, how could I? Inside, I was an adult with years of memories, yet outside, I was trapped in the small body of a child. The idea of pretending to be like the other children, laughing, crying, and playing silly games, always made me uncomfortable.

I could not bring myself to join kindergarten. Just the thought of sitting among toddlers, singing childish songs, and building blocks felt absurd to me. How could I play with them? In my mind, they were nothing but kids, innocent and carefree, while I… I was not like them. I didn’t even know how to “play” the way they did anymore.

My brother, however, would never leave me alone. He tried every possible way to persuade me to attend classes.

“Come on, little sis,” he pleaded one morning, crouching in front of me with his usual mischievous grin. “It won’t be that bad. You’ll get to meet new friends, maybe even someone who likes the same things as you!”

I crossed my arms stubbornly, pouting. “I don’t need friends. I already have books. Why should I waste time playing with silly toys?”

He ruffled my hair, ignoring my scowl. “You can’t just stay at home forever. Even grandpa and grandma think it’s not healthy for you. Look at you—always reading, always serious. You’re like a little old lady trapped in a child’s body!”

His teasing made my cheeks heat up. “Better than being a fool running around like you!” I snapped back.

But my brother wasn’t discouraged. He was as persistent as ever. Finally, when he failed to convince me, he went as far as complaining to grandpa and grandma.

“Grandpa, grandma, she refuses to even try! What are we supposed to do? She’ll turn into a hermit before she even learns how to braid her hair properly!”

They laughed, of course, amused by his exaggeration. But they, too, gently encouraged me. “Sweetheart,” Grandma said, patting my hand, “you should at least give it a try. If you don’t like it, you can always come back. But you’ll never know unless you go.”

At last, cornered by their gentle yet relentless persuasion, I relented.

“Fine,” I declared, puffing my cheeks like an angry kitten. “I’ll attend classes for one day. Just one. If I like it, I’ll stay. But if I don’t… I won’t. That’s final!”

My brother’s face lit up with triumph. “Deal!” he said, offering his pinky finger. “I promise, you’ll like it. Trust me!”

I hesitated but hooked my little finger with his anyway. “If I hate it, you’ll never mention kindergarten to me again,” I warned.

“Fair enough,” he replied with a grin, though his sparkling eyes told me he had no doubt this plan would work.

The next day arrived faster than I wished. My brother held my hand tightly as we approached the kindergarten gates. The sound of children’s laughter echoed in the air, high-pitched and carefree. I sighed in frustration, dragging my feet like a prisoner being led to execution.

Noticing my long face, my brother chuckled. “Why do you look like you’re heading to a battlefield?”

“Because it is a battlefield,” I muttered under my breath. “A battlefield of nonsense.”

“What was that?” he asked, clearly amused.

“Nothing,” I said curtly, glaring up at him.

When he saw the glare in my eyes, he exaggerated a look of fear, clutching his chest dramatically. “Oh no, the little demon glares again! Save me, someone, before she burns me with her eyes!”

I stomped my foot. “Stop mocking me!”

The teachers nearby smiled at our antics, though I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

Since I had promised to spend the entire day there, my brother finally let go of my hand and passed me to one of the teachers. As he prepared to leave, I saw the mischievous smirk on his face. It made my blood boil. Without thinking, I hurled my small schoolbag at him.

“Take that, you bully!”

But he caught it effortlessly, laughing. He then handed it back to the teacher and, to add insult to injury, blew me a flying kiss.

“Be good, little sis. Have fun!” he said teasingly before disappearing into the car.

“Arghh! I’ll get you for this!” I shouted after him, stamping my foot again. The other children stared at me with wide eyes, some giggling at my outburst. My cheeks grew hotter.

The teacher, a kind-looking woman with gentle eyes, crouched to my level. “Don’t worry, dear. Your brother will come pick you up later. Why don’t we go inside together? You’ll like it once you meet the other children.”

I wasn’t convinced, but I followed her reluctantly. The classroom smelled faintly of crayons, chalk, and the sweet scent of milk biscuits. Children sat at tiny tables, some coloring, some stacking blocks, others chatting loudly.

I wanted to groan. This is exactly what I was afraid of.

Suddenly, a small boy with messy hair and a missing front tooth ran up to me. “Hi! Are you new? What’s your name?”

I blinked at his enthusiasm. “Uh… yes. My name is—”

Before I could finish, he grabbed my hand. “Come play blocks with us! We’re building a castle, and we need more soldiers!”

“Soldiers?” I repeated, bewildered.

“Yeah! You can be the princess soldier!” he said proudly, dragging me along.

I glanced helplessly at the teacher, who only smiled and nodded encouragingly. With no choice, I let myself be pulled into their little circle.

The boy introduced himself as Ming, and his friends were Mei and Tao. They were busy stacking colorful blocks, making uneven towers.

“Here, you put this one!” Mei handed me a bright red block.

I stared at it, unsure. “I… don’t really know how to play.”

They all laughed, thinking I was joking. Tao patted my arm. “Just put it on top, silly!”

So I did. To my surprise, their faces lit up with delight, as though I had just done something amazing.

“Wow! Now the tower’s taller!” Ming cheered.

I blinked. That’s it? That’s all it takes to make them happy?

As the day went on, I found myself reluctantly pulled into their world. We played with clay, where Mei proudly showed me how to make little flowers. I watched her tiny hands shaping the petals with such focus that I unconsciously tried it myself. My clumsy attempt made her giggle, but instead of laughing at me cruelly, she gently guided my fingers.

“No, like this. See? Now it looks like a real flower!”

Her innocence made my chest feel oddly warm.

Later, during snack time, Tao offered me half of his biscuit. “You can have this! It’s yummy!”

I shook my head. “I have my own.”

But he pushed it into my hand anyway. “Friends share food. Now we’re friends!”

Friends. The word echoed in my mind. It felt strange, but not unpleasant.

When it was time to play outside, I sat on a bench, determined not to run around like the others. But Ming came running again. “Come play tag with us!”

“I don’t want to,” I said firmly.

“Please? Just once! If you don’t like it, you can stop.”

I frowned. Those words sounded too familiar—they reminded me of the promise I had made to my brother. With a sigh, I finally agreed.

Before I knew it, I was running, dodging, laughing breathlessly as Ming chased us. My legs ached, my heart pounded, but strangely enough… I was having fun.

When my brother finally arrived to pick me up, I was sitting with Mei and Ming, helping them draw clumsy shapes on paper. He froze in the doorway, staring at me in disbelief.

“Well, well,” he teased with a smirk, “looks like someone’s enjoying themselves after all.”

I quickly crossed my arms, trying to hide my smile. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just… testing it out.”

The teacher chuckled softly. “She’s done very well today. She even made some friends.”

My brother raised an eyebrow. “Friends, huh? Didn’t you say you didn’t need any?”

My face turned red. “Shut up!” I snapped, though my lips twitched against my will.

He only laughed and ruffled my hair again. “I’m glad, little sis. Really glad.”

For the first time since my reincarnation, I realized that maybe… just maybe… I could let myself be a child, even if only for a little while.

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