After the class reshuffle in his second year of high school, Shen Yu noticed something...
Gu Bai, the top student in their grade, always ate alone, went to the library alone, and ran alone in the farthest corner of the track.
The boys called him "girly," "affected," and "not like a man."
The girls kept their distance, afraid that getting close to him would draw the same rumors.
The teachers cared only about his grades and turned a blind eye to his silence.
As for Gu Bai himself, he never explained, never argued back, and never asked for help.
He was like a shot put clenched in someone's palm, heavy and utterly silent.
Shen Yu didn't think much of it. He simply slowed down during the one-thousand-meter run and ran alongside him.
"Can't keep going?"
From that day on, Shen Yu became the only "odd one out" by Gu Bai's side.
They ate together, walked home from school together, and hid from the ever-present stares behind the old science building.
But rumors at school don't disappear just because someone shows kindness.
Hidden-camera photos, mockery in group chats, whispers in the bathroom, shoulders that "accidentally" slammed into them on the track.
They tried to measure everyone by the yardstick of "normal," pinning anyone who was "different" to a pillar of shame.
And what Shen Yu had to do was simple:
Stand by Gu Bai's side.
Not back down, not give way, not compromise.
Even if the price was... becoming a target himself.
[Content Warnings]
Character Dynamics
Gentle top x aloof bottom. The bottom is extremely reserved and long-suffering, while the top is more of an action-oriented person who doesn't say many sweet things.
Perpetrators
Zhao Heng and the others are clearly portrayed as perpetrators in the early part of the story. Their actions include taking hidden-camera photos, mocking, throwing water, and cornering people. They later admit their mistakes and change, but they do not face swift punishment in a feel-good, revenge-fantasy style. Readers who dislike this kind of setup, please take note.
Plot-Related Content
The central conflict of this story is school bullying. It includes verbal abuse, social exclusion, cyberbullying, and physical harassment, as well as speculation and stigmatization regarding sexual orientation. The bullying continues for an extended period of time (five years). Early on, the perpetrators are not punished promptly, and teachers try to smooth things over. These elements may be upsetting.
[Disclaimer]
This is a realistic school story with no supernatural elements. The bullying is included for the sake of the plot and does not reflect the author's views. If you feel uncomfortable while reading, please stop and take care of your reading experience and emotional well-being.
Theme: Kindness itself is the most powerful form of resistance
I feel that this book is somewhat similar to my experience, because I self-harmed around 5 or 6, and when I entered junior high school, I self-harmed several times because of excessive emotions. I felt that my emotions were a little out of my control, so I told the teacher. Then my classmates heard it from somewhere and then they said that I was crazy every day. Speaking in front of me, I felt quite uncomfortable, and then they were like that no matter where they were. For example, when I went out shopping and met them, they all said loudly, "Who is this?" That lunatic, he hurts himself every day, pretending to be something like that. And they even said my name loudly, and even made pornographic rumors about me. So when I read this book, I commented that I cried several times before 😭 😭 😭
Ah ah ah, my wife and I have an extra story. This one is so sweet. Especially if someone is talking about you as an outsider? When I said that, I was already lying on the ground crawling in darkness and twisting.
[Orange candy] I got it [Orange candy] I got it [Orange candy] I got it [Purple sugar] kswl [Purple sugar] kswl [Purple sugar] kswl The one thing they often say is "Are you weird?"
[Orange candy] I got it [Orange candy] I got it [Orange candy] I got it [Purple sugar] kswl [Purple sugar] kswl [Purple sugar] kswl
Congratulations to my wife on the completion of this book 😆
I'm not done, madam, let me tell you about the watch I went to school to get today. After dinner, I was about to look at my watch and found that you had updated it. I clicked on it happily and it showed that it was under review. I thought I could have a hot meal. Then we took the exam. After the exam, we left 30 minutes to write four homework assignments. We haven't finished them yet 💔💔💔
Madam, will this book be completed with a bite stopper?
It feels like this chapter is from before
Ah, this is too sweet, I can't do it, I can't do it.
I'm more curious about why this one is called a crack?