My Huckleberry Friends Episode 2 Recap
> My Huckleberry Friends Recap
On the night before school reopened, in the quiet, moonless campus, Director Pan left after finishing his work. Lin Yang, wearing a hat, stealthily snuck into Director Pan's office and changed his class division result to liberal arts. The next morning, Lin Yang sat confidently at a breakfast stall, meticulously detailing Yu Zhouzhou's daily routine, down to the minute.
He described how at seven, she would wake up and wash; at five past seven, she would have breakfast of soy milk and bread while reading an illustrated magazine. By a quarter past seven, she would head downstairs for school, encountering three red lights on her way, with the third one turning yellow just as she approached, prompting her to look up at the sky and observe the pedestrians before crossing.
He predicted she would pass by their current location at around seven twenty, which she did. His friend, impressed by his precise predictions, called him a true romantic. Lin Yang then informed his friend that he was going to study in the arts class and could no longer look out for him in Class 2. The new school term for Grade 11 began in August, and Zhen Hua High School classified Class 3 as the key liberal arts class.
Many top-performing students from the science track, including Yu Zhouzhou, Ling Xiangqian, and Lin Yang, had transferred, causing a stir. Mr. Wu Wenlu, known as the "devil teacher" who even Director Pan respected, was appointed as the head teacher for Class 3. On the first day, a student asked him how many from their class he predicted would be admitted to Peking University. Mr. Wu, though not explicitly stating a number, suggested all of them could if they tried.
During the Chinese lesson, Yu Zhouzhou struggled to adapt. When asked to explain a hazy view described in a text, she cited the "Tyndall effect" from physics, much to the exasperation of the Chinese teacher, who sternly told her to go study science if she continued answering with such scientific concepts. Later, after a geography class, Yu Zhouzhou had trouble understanding the Earth's deflection angle, and Lin Yang readily offered to draw a picture to help her.
Lin Yang soon realized the stark difference between the liberal arts and science classes. He complained to his friend about the lack of a basketball team in Class 3, attributing it to a general lack of passion and "adrenal hormones, men and sweat." He felt the class was "demoralized and goes his or her own way," lacking a sense of community. He also admitted he had not told his parents about his switch to liberal arts.
During a phone call with Mr. Zhang, his former science class teacher, Lin Yang explained that he chose liberal arts because he found he truly liked it and wanted to combine his ability with his interest. Mr. Zhang, while respecting Lin Yang's choice, cautioned him about the limits of willfulness. Meanwhile, Lin Yang was secretly studying liberal arts subjects at home.
Yu Zhouzhou, too, told her aunt and uncle that she found learning liberal arts to be no easier than science. Meanwhile, Ling Xiangqian's mother was highly invested in her daughter's academic success, especially with Yu Zhouzhou now also in the liberal arts class. Her mother, having heard that Yu Zhouzhou chose liberal arts, saw her as a significant competitor for the Peking University recommendation spot, and explicitly checked Ling Xiangqian's dictation and urged her to be "the top one."
Ling Xiangqian's mother decided to actively try and get her daughter appointed as class monitor, believing it would garner more attention from teachers and help her "defeat Yu Zhouzhou." Mi Qiao, the former class monitor during Grade 10, was a passionate fan of comics. She treasured a cap signed by Masami Kurumada, the author of Saint Seiya, which her cousin in Japan had obtained for her. Her friend, Chen Yao, playfully tried to grab the hat, leading to a scuffle.
During their playful fight, they accidentally bumped into Ling Xiangqian, knocking over her water cup and splashing her. Ling Xiangqian was visibly annoyed by the incident. Shortly after, Mr. Wu announced that Ling Xiangqian would be the new class monitor. Mi Qiao, who had expected to retain her position, protested, but Mr. Wu dismissed her, stating that her previous monitor role was for Grade 10, and now it was Grade 11.
This decision further intensified the tension between Ling Xiangqian and Mi Qiao. Ling Xiangqian confronted her mother, who admitted to visiting Mr. Wu to secure the monitor position for her daughter. Her mother insisted that being monitor was crucial for getting attention from teachers and ensuring her path to Peking University. Reluctantly, Ling Xiangqian accepted the role, but her first day as monitor was difficult. She announced a school-wide blackboard newspaper competition, noting their class had previously abstained.
She asked for volunteers, specifically addressing Zheng Yanyi, who had an art background. However, Zheng Yanyi, after a glance at Mi Qiao, politely declined. Other students, resentful of an "outsider" like Ling Xiangqian being appointed monitor over Mi Qiao, also refused to cooperate, expressing their displeasure with the perceived unfairness.
As Ling Xiangqian threatened to have the class abstain, Yu Zhouzhou stepped forward and offered to take charge of the blackboard newspaper, though neither Ling Xiangqian nor Mi Qiao seemed grateful for her intervention. Lin Yang, wanting to help Yu Zhouzhou, privately asked his friend to collect blackboard poster designs from other classes to inspire her.
He explained that if their class failed, Ling Xiangqian would be blamed, but if they succeeded, she would take the credit, yet his primary concern was to help Yu Zhouzhou. During a geography test, Director Pan caught many students openly cheating and immediately stopped the exam. He summoned Mr. Wu to his office, reprimanding him for the class's lack of discipline and cohesion, stating it was performing worse than a regular class.
Mr. Wu, however, revealed his deliberate strategy: he believed the students of Class 3 had become too arrogant since being designated a "key class." He intended to let them "be soundly defeated and suffered the loss of dignity" so they would realize their shortcomings and become more determined in their studies. Later, school authorities discovered that surveillance cameras had captured someone entering Director Pan's office on the night before school began.
The person wore a hat, obscuring their face, but Director Pan suspected it was a student familiar with the school. He announced over the PA system that while they had video evidence, they had not yet filed a police report and hoped the student would come forward. Lin Yang, hearing the announcement, was secretly relieved when he learned that nothing was stolen and no official police case was filed.
Yu Zhouzhou's carefully drawn blackboard newspaper was ruined when paint was splashed all over it. Lin Yang was furious, demanding to know who was responsible, but Mr. Wu remained indifferent, stating it was "just a blackboard poster" and they could "give it up." Lin Yang was disheartened by his teacher's attitude. Afterward, Lin Yang confided in his close friend about sneaking into Director Pan's office and altering the class division form.
He explained that his primary concern wasn't the punishment, but the fear of being separated from Yu Zhouzhou and leaving her vulnerable to bullying. He recalled how sad Yu Zhouzhou looked when the blackboard newspaper was ruined, which deeply pained him. As the blackboard newspaper competition deadline loomed and Director Pan was already inspecting other classes, Class 3's board was still largely blank. Yu Zhouzhou was anxious.
Lin Yang, unwilling to see her upset, rallied the classmates, urging them not to give up on such a "minor difficulty," or they might lose their resolve for future challenges. Inspired by his words, the students, setting aside their differences, eagerly began to work together. To buy more time, Yu Zhouzhou and a few other students tried to delay Director Pan by asking him irrelevant questions.
When Director Pan refused their attempts, Lin Yang stepped forward and confessed to Director Pan that he was the one who had secretly entered his office. While Lin Yang was with Director Pan, the other students enthusiastically continued painting the blackboard newspaper. After school, Yu Zhouzhou stayed behind to finalize the details. Lin Yang emerged from Director Pan's office later, appearing dejected, and sat in the stairwell.
There, he encountered Mi Qiao, who had come to bring food to Yu Zhouzhou. Lin Yang suspected Mi Qiao was responsible for ruining the blackboard. Mi Qiao, a straightforward person, admitted it immediately but clarified it was an accident. She had only intended to draw a sun next to Yu Zhouzhou's "Star and Moon Goddess" to enhance it, but accidentally splashed paint, injuring her ankle in the process.
Lin Yang was relieved to learn it wasn't a malicious act targeting Yu Zhouzhou. Mi Qiao, noticing Lin Yang's intense concern for Yu Zhouzhou, teased him about having feelings for her. Lin Yang, ever resistant to admitting his emotions, claimed he only wanted to "protect her," which was why he had secretly changed his class division. Moved by Lin Yang's deep dedication, Mi Qiao promised him that she would continue to protect Yu Zhouzhou in his stead.
With the blackboard incident clarified, Yu Zhouzhou and Mi Qiao became good friends. Mi Qiao even gave Yu Zhouzhou her prized signed hat as a gesture of their newfound friendship. However, Lin Yang's situation was far more severe than he had let on to Mi Qiao, whom he had told that Director Pan had merely sent him back to his original science class.
In reality, Director Pan was furious about Lin Yang "stealing the keys" and "altering the division table in private," and had immediately called Lin Yang's parents to inform them of his expulsion from school. Terrified of his parents' reaction, Lin Yang consulted his friend. He devised a plan to eat wasabi downstairs to force tears and appear pitiful, and asked his friend to time an intervention if his father became violent.
However, upon entering his home, his parents were not angry. Instead, they were filled with remorse, blaming themselves for having pushed him into science without considering his wishes. They decided they would go to the school the next day to plead on his behalf, expressing their regret for making him "suffer" and promising not to pressure him anymore.
