The Boy Who Came Too Late, 1997

[The print edition is now available, with a new bonus story, "We Must Strive On in the Years to Come"]

[Childhood friends / Ensemble coming-of-age / Food stories]

My name is Zhao Chilai.

Just like my name suggests, I'm slow at everything.

My mom, on the other hand, isn't.

From the day I was born, she put together a 98-page plan for my growth, covering everything from infancy to getting into one of China's top universities.

Her plan was great, except for one little oversight.

She never considered that with a brain like mine, I had no chance of getting into one of those universities.

My dad was completely different.

He only hoped I'd reach the finals in the youth division of Huacheng's Sanda tournament before college, fulfilling the regret he'd carried since his own youth.

His plan was great too, but no one could have predicted what happened. Before the competition, I visited Grandma, and when I got back, I was overweight and didn't even make it past the preliminaries.

That was when my nightmare began.

Losing weight, tutoring, competitions, the college entrance exam... Each one left me struggling to breathe.

Two neighbors interrupted my miserable routine.

One was good-looking and smart, and had been the undisputed top student in our grade for as long as I could remember. Even a bad cold couldn't stop her from keeping her winning streak.

The other was kind and smart, too. While I was still memorizing the word "abandon," he'd already been sharing meals with the top researchers at the Academy of Sciences.

Compared to them, my parents finally accepted that I simply wasn't cut out to be a success.

What happened later? Well, I grew up.

I won a championship, but not in martial arts. I got into one of those top universities, but not to study.

"In a way, I did fulfill my parents' wishes, didn't I?"

The man who had come late stood holding a bouquet, smiling just like he had as a boy. "Sure. You could say that."

[Reader's Guide]

1. The main timeline is set in 1997 and 1998.

2. A story about sharing meals on one street, with a nostalgic coming-of-age ensemble cast. Family and friendship take center stage, and the romance... takes a while to become clear.

Theme: Every flower blooms in its own season. Be brave enough to be yourself