Thats why!

Thats why everyone started distancing themselves from him and saw him as odd .

You think we didnt know? We know you went to the mental health clinic every week . You think we are all crazy like you?!

Shut up! Ling yelled, cutting off Zhuang from saying more . School bus, follow order, stop!

The bus pulled over with a creak .

Ling nudged the three guys to get off the car, leaving Dugu with his words .

Youre wrong . A neurological disorder is not the same as a mental disorder .

A neurological disorder is a kind of neuropathy, but mental illness is a breakdown, when the brain is not working correctly .

Im mentally ill, not crazy . Remember not to get it confused next time .

What the hell . . . ? Zhuang seemed angry .

Dont! Ling shouted, nodding at Du . Sorry . Then she dragged them away .

Under the rising sun, shadows of the three young men and one young woman stretched on the ground, resembling a goodbye .

Lings shadow blurred in Dugus eyes until it was a black and white photo, no different from others .

He wiped away a tear . So this was heartbreak; even the mentally ill could feel pain .

He immediately began to think . Did the tear come from instinct or something the brain controlled?

This was a problem he liked to ponder .

At the back of the bus, a girl in glasses watched Du with sympathy .

****

Listen, we cant let you fill out the college major preferences this way .

Listen, we cant let you fill out the college major preferences this way .

The teacher adjusted his glasses while looking at Dugu . In his hand was the form every high school student had to fill out before taking the college entrance exams .

Why not? Going to which college is our decision, right? Why does the school want to stop me?

But every major is a specialty . Since junior year of high school we have made some students science majors and some liberal arts, and youve always been a science major . Youve never studied political science or any foreign languages, so you cant apply to the liberal arts college . Listen, Du, I know you have

The teachers words were stopped by Du . You know Im mentally ill and do things weirdly?

Yes, oh . I mean, no . . . The older man started to sweat .

Wouldnt that be great though? Everyone says philosophers are either crazy or mentally ill, so Id be perfect . Du turned to look at the other students in the class .

I know there are some unflattering rumors about you, but you really shouldnt obsess about them . . .

Fermeboite! J'enassaz, tes betisent! Dugu blurted the words, stopping his teacher .

The older man was shocked, but unable to reply . He knew it was some kind of language, but didnt understand .

Shut up, Im tired of your nonsense . Its French, a shy voice solved the confusion, which further mortified the teacher .

Shut up, Im tired of your nonsense . Its French, a shy voice solved the confusion, which further mortified the teacher .

Dugu looked at the girl in the glasses with surprise . Danke!

Nichts danken! He was thanking me, and I said Youre welcome . Its German . The girl was skinny and short, and rather geekish . She wasnt one of the pretty girls, nor did she have the best grades .

Usted tienegran talento! Dugu continued .

I dont speak Spanish, but I understood you . Thanks . The girl blushed, but didnt translate the words . Du said, Youre talented .

Dugu seemed on a roll, however, as he kept talking . Zoon vaijfje! Figlioun femmina! Filho cadela! ! Mierda! ! ! ! Cho may Ma-Cao! You think you know so much? What else do you want to know? Ill tell you!

The girl in glasses ran out of the class, crying .

She didnt understand every word, but knew enough to know they were curses .

Dugu turned back to the teacher . What else do you want to know? Should I recite the poli-sci textbook from front to back, or from back to front?

Report reading a write . Period . Materials philosophical and cultural related collected, comma, experiences personal with combined . Period . Both between relationship the discussing essay an write to . . .

A few students realized he was reciting the political science textbook word for word, in reverse order .

If some people had watched him as if he was crazy before, now their gaze was more like watching a genius .

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