On the day of the college entrance exam, I suddenly ran away from home and went to the city to watch a concert. My parents went crazy, stormed into the school and begged the principal to bring me back.

My homeroom teacher was so worried she lost a bunch of hair, because I was the only student in the entire school with a real shot at getting into Harvard or Stanford University.

Just the night before I ditched the exam, I had still been seriously studying until midnight.

My mom fainted from anger. My dad, furious and heartbroken, called me yelling, "If you skip the exam on purpose, you'll be banned for three years! Are you trying to ruin your life?"

At the concert, surrounded by music, I shouted back over the phone, "Dad, if I don't run away, I'll die!"

——

When the bell rang to start the college entrance exam, I had just squeezed into the concert venue with the crowd.

My mom called, panic in her voice. "Sherry, the teacher said you didn't show up for the exam, what's going on?"

I shouted over the noise, "Too late, Mom! The concert's about to start. I'll talk to you after it's over!"

A commotion erupted around me. They chatted, "What? This girl's a college entrance exam candidate?"

"Shouldn't she be in an exam hall right now?" someone asked.

Another voice chimed in, "She skipped the exam to come to a concert?"

"She ditched the most important exam of her life just to see a concert!" another person shocked.

The crowd spread the word like wildfire and soon the whole venue knew that a national college entrance exam student had bailed on her exam to be there.

People raised the latest phones, filmed me from all directions. I flashed a bright smile, showed my white teeth, still wearing my shabby old school uniform and gave a peace sign to the cameras.

The crowd continued, "She's lost her mind! Whose school uniform is that? Someone call her principal!"

Soon, my little flip phone was ringing non-stop. Calls from my parents, my teacher, the principal, even my deskmate.

On the screen, my mom was bawling, "My daughter was still studying past midnight yesterday, how could she just not show up today?"

My dad looked like he had aged ten years. Waving his arms wildly, he pleaded, "Our daughter has always been so obedient and loving, she wouldn't do this without someone manipulating her!"

I looked at them with heartache in my eyes, "Mom, Dad, the concert's starting. Don't panic. We'll talk after I've watched it!"

My teacher was so anxious she was scratching her head raw. "Sherry, you're our class's only hope for Harvard University! How can you just decide not to take the exam?"

I shouted, "Miss Applegate, we'll talk after the concert!"

The principal took the phone and said, "Sherry, as long as you come back to take the exam, name your price. Money, concert tickets with autographs, anything you want it, I'll get it!"

I shouted, "Mr. Goose, we'll talk after the concert!"

Then my deskmate took the phone with teary eyes. My brows furrowed and asked, "Donald, shouldn't you be in the exam hall?"

He choked up, "Sherry, please come back. We're all really worried about you. A three-year exam ban is no joke. I don't want you to go down the wrong path."

I smiled and said, "Donald, we'll talk after the concert!"

People around me pointed and whispered, their debates heated up, "She's so unfilial! Her parents are crying their hearts out and she's still using their money to go to a concert!"

"Maybe she was driven insane by all the pressure. Maybe she's rebelling by skipping the exam, trying to fight back against her parents!"

"Or maybe she's an anti-fan trying to sabotage our star, Tommy! She clearly came here to smear his name!"

I shook my head. None of those were true. But until the concert ended, I couldn't say a word.

As the buzz grew, the pop star held the concert stepped onto the stage with a pale face, he scanned the crowd for me in a panic.

Covered in dust, in old clothes with no fan gear in hand, I just danced along to the music, nodded my head with the rhythm.

The pop star was terrified and quickly shouted across the venue, "Young lady, is today your college entrance exam? Please go back and take your exam, okay?"

After all, if it got out that he allowed a fan to skip national college entrance exam for his concert, his career would be over.

He was nearly in tears, he almost knelt, "Hey girl, we don't welcome national college entrance exam students here! I don't care where you bought the ticket, we'll give you a full refund and even arrange a car to send you back for the exam!"

All the giant screens in the stadium showed close-ups of me. I jumped up and down excitedly, waved at him, "Sing! We'll talk after the concert!"

The star lost his temper and ordered the security guards to kick me out. He shouted, "Who sent you? Why are you trying to ruin me? Someone get her out! My concert does not welcome morally bankrupt students who skip their exams!"

I explained to the guards, "Just let me watch the concert! Everything will be over once it ends!"

But they didn't listen. They grabbed my arms and started dragging me out.

Seeing I was about to be thrown out, I panicked. If I couldn't watch this concert, everything I'd worked for would be for nothing!

I suddenly yanked the hair clip off my head. "Touch me and I'll kill myself!"

The crowd went silent. No one wanted to be responsible for a death, especially that of a student on national college entrance exam day.

The guards raised their hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, we won't touch you. Just leave on your own."

I shook my head and charged toward the stage. "I'm not leaving! If I don't see this concert today, I'll die!"

The pop star sighed. "Looks like this girl is a true fan. I didn't expect I'd mean so much to her that she'd die without hearing me sing!"

He tried to coaxed me, "How about this, go back and take your exam first. Once it's over, I'll personally come to your house and sing for you, okay?"

Tommy continued, "Here, let me sign your uniform. My autograph will go with you to the exam! What do you usually call me? Tommy Jeans? Or just Tommy?"

I looked at him blankly and asked, "What's your name again? I don't know who you are."

Tommy exploded, "You're here to sabotage me, aren't you? You knew this was a charity concert to cheer for national college entrance exam students and now you're ruining everything! My reputation's done for!"

I shook my head and said, "No, once the truth comes out, you'll all understand! But right now, I can't go back or I'll die!"

Tommy ignored me and told the guards to keep an eye on me so I wouldn't cause trouble, because the concert was officially started.

The big screens began playing testimonial videos from top-performing students. Tommy stood solemnly at the front of the stage. "Let's use our voices to cheer on this year's test-takers! They are the flowers of our nation, the hope of our future!"

Amid the crowd's cheers, I saw familiar faces, top students from our city talked about their dreams.

Then the next video was me. On screen, my eyes were red and I was wiping away tears.

In the video, I said, "I really feel for my parents. They work day and night to earn money but still insist on sending me to school. I swear I'll get into Harvard or Stanford University to repay them, so they don't have to work so hard…"

The audience murmured, "Isn't that the same girl from earlier? She talks about repaying her parents, but then turns around and buys a scalped ticket to see a concert? Tsk tsk …"

Tommy looked at me in shock, "You're the top scorer in the city's mock exam? You had a real shot at Harvard University, why didn't you take the national college entrance exam?"

I shook my head, stared tightly at the time on my phone screen and said, "It's not time yet! I can't say anything! If I speak now, everything will be ruined! I'll die!"

I stared at Tommy and said, "This concert is for charity, right? All the local media in the province will be broadcasting it?"

Tommy nodded blankly. I insisted, "You have over a hundred million followers across all platforms. You're the most popular singer in the entertainment industry right now. Can you guarantee that a lot of people will watch this concert live?"

Tommy blushed. "I can't guarantee I'm the most popular idol, but my fans are really passionate. There will definitely be a huge audience, at least eight million viewers."

After I heard that number, I touched my chest. My heart, which had been raced wildly, finally calmed down a little. As long as I waited until the exam officially started, everything would come to light.

When the official start time of the national college entrance exam arrived, a bell rang throughout the venue, followed by thunderous applause.

Cameramen turned their lenses toward the audience, selected fans to send their blessings to the test-takers.

My hands and feet trembled with nerves. Suddenly, I lunged and hugged a camera tightly, my voice shakes, "I want to speak! Film me! All the cameras, film me!"

Fans stood up and cursed me, they hurled glow sticks and banners in my direction.

I stared straight into the lens and said word by word, "I want to report something!"

The venue fell silent. Tommy frowned and brought me onstage, "Sherry, you said you want to report something, does it involve the national college entrance exam?"

I nodded solemnly, while gripped the microphone and said, "I want to report that at Brooklyn Tech High School, Exam Room 318, someone..."

A harsh electric screech rang out, it drowned my voice in static.

At the entrance, my homeroom teacher slowly led my elderly parents into the venue.

The principal stood beneath the stage, he held the ripped-out power cord and waved desperately at me and said, "Sherry, if you come back with us now, there's still time to take the next subject! Don't ruin your life over chasing a celebrity!"

Tommy interrupted with righteous fury, "This student wants to report something. No matter what happens, exposing misconduct during the national college entrance exam is every citizen's duty. Please don't interrupt her!"

But I was shaking uncontrollably as I clung to the mic on stage.

My teacher supported my parents as they leaned trustingly against him, but his eyes were locked on me. He said, "Sherry, think carefully about what you're about to say. It could have a huge impact on you."

He was using my parents to threaten me! I laughed bitterly, "I don't believe you'd dare touch my parents in front of all these people!"

Before I could finish, dozens of students in school uniforms surged into the venue.

My deskmate, Elena White, tossed a backpack onto the stage, her voice pained. "Sherry, yesterday you told me your dream was just to see Tommy's concert. I didn't think you'd really skip the national college entrance exam for it! Don't be foolish! The whole class is worried about you! Come back with us!"

All my classmates chimed in together, "Sherry, come back with us! We'll retake the year with you if we have to!"

I was stunned and asked, "You all… didn't go into the exam hall? No way, no way! You actually all skipped the exam?"

Elena's eyes were red as she reached out to me, "We voluntarily gave it up for you! You're the pride of our class. Without you, how could we focus on the test?"

I felt a chill run down my spine and collapsed onto the floor.

At the same time, Tommy opened the backpack. On top were my exercise books with my name written clearly. But beneath that, he pulled out a whole bag full of items related to him.

Every album he had released since debut, every magazine cover he had been on, all the products he endorsed, every piece of merchandise from his OSTs. Even candid photos taken at airports and outside hotels.