Time Still Turns the Pages (年少日記)

Eli Cheng, you rubbish!

Promise yourself!

Study harder!

Get into HKU, okay?

Yes!

We can always talk things out.

There is no need to get physical.

If something's on your mind, you can tell me.

You can also tell your family or your friends,

but you can't just push someone off the stairs.

Are you okay?

Van Gogh.

This is how your friends call you,

so I'm also calling you Van Gogh too.

Sometimes teachers and students can be friends too.

They are not my friends.

Neither are you.

Please call me:

Vincent.

Okay, Vincent.

What happened here can get you a demerit.

How about you go write an apology letter?

Say that you are sorry for hurting "others".

There's no need to find my "mother".

She's not in Hong Kong.

Stay focused!

I said you should write an apology letter.

Say that you are sorry.

I can then tell the Principal you're regretful,

and perhaps we can avoid the demerit.

There's no such need!

I'd rather get a demerit.

Bethany, bring him to the Principal's office.

Honey: "Is the hippo at your place?

I want it back. Have you signed the divorce papers?"

"...I want to leave this world"

The janitor said he found the letter at around 6 p.m.

It was after school hours,

so we couldn't figure out who wrote this.

Let's find out which student is struggling with mental health,

and ask that student to seek help from Halena.

It's hard to teach the kids nowadays...

They are so fragile and now one threatens to jump off a building?

"I'm worth nothing to anyone..."

What I'm most worried about is that students may follow suit.

"I'm worth nothing to anyone..."

Nonetheless, I suggest we keep this a secret.

Public exam is coming up in a few months...

If words get spread out, I'm afraid...

it will affect the students' emotions

and also their academic progress.

We must go under the table and find out who wrote the letter

without publicly talking about this.

Before we find out who it was, there's nothing much we can do.

There are times one gets confused with their emotions.

We've all been there before, haven't we?

When I was young, I was a misanthrope too.

Let's hope this was just a...

plagiarized piece of work from the Internet.

It's actually well written.

Even students from my elite class

might not be able to write this eloquently.

Perhaps it's not as despairing as we think.

Not as despairing as we think?

You fucking think this letter was copied from the Internet?

You think it's all a joke?

What if it's real?

As you said, exam is coming up in a few months time.

What if during the study leave,

the student jumps off the building?

A student is about to commit suicide!

How dare you say such bullshit?

You're the vice principal, for fuck's sake!

Mr. Cheng?

You've been silent this whole time.

Any thoughts?

I suggest to seek help from a trustworthy student.

After all, we teachers won't know

the students as deeply as they know each other.

Today, I looked around the classroom.

There was no one that I couldn't let go of.

I just want them to notice that I'm gone

without judging me.

Even my ex-boyfriend didn't know.

I'm sick of this life most of the time.

I'd brighten up a little when I'm in love,

which was the only time that I could leave this feeling.

But nobody should share this burden with me.

Some of the classmates who knew me...

may be upset for a day or two.

Some teachers may grieve for a week or so.

My mom might find it hard to take for a few years,

but she has my father with her.

They will pull through eventually.

Some people

are curious of how things will turn out.

They are able to persist in bad situations,

live through it...

and continue with their journey.

I'm not those types.

It means nothing to me how the world turns out to be.

I'm just exhausted with life.

I can't sleep,

and am drained just thinking about ending my life.

It doesn't matter how good a relationship is.

It will deteriorate over time.

Criticizing and hurting each other are all we are left with.

I'm worth nothing to anyone.

I would be easily forgotten,

and it's for the better.

Understood.

But Mr. Cheng,

Why would you believe it's a girl who wrote it?

She wrote about her ex-boyfriend in the letter.

Halena, can we show it to her?

Even so, it could also be a boy.

"I'm worth nothing to anyone. I would be easily forgotten."

Dear Diary,

my name is Eli Cheng.

I'm your new owner.

I've decided to write an entry every day from today.

Because yesterday,

I went with my parents to watch my brother perform at school.

Don't blame your failure on misfortunes.

I was born poor.

But,

I was more hardworking than the rich kids.

Opportunities favor the prepared minds.

Hard work might not bring you success,

but laziness definitely leads to failure.

Thank you!

Thank you, Chairman of our alumni association:

Senior Counsel Mr. Hung Cheng.

Please also give a round of applause to his wife,

Mrs. Heidi Cheng,

who donated a hundred thousand dollars to

the "Joint School Event: Walk for Millions".

What a performance, Alan!

I hope he could keep up this standard academically

and studies at HKU, like Felix.

He's been doing great, always in the top three in class.

Make sure to keep it up until University.

Mr. Principal, any advice on bringing up a bright kid?

Felix has this habit of writing his diary every day.

It really helped with his language studies.

He would often show me what he wrote,

which enhanced our father-and-son relationship.

Looks like you should start writing your diary

and share it with us,

okay?

Mom, your cup of water.

Thank you, Eli.

It's "glass"!

Huh?

It's a "glass" of water, not "cup"!

Don't speak English if you don't know the language.

What a piece of rubbish!

"PIRATE"

"Hang in there!"

"One day, you'll grow into the person you want to be...

Don't give up!"

You signed the return slip.

Don't you dare to say it's not your idea.

Where on earth would you get the money?

You want your credit cards cancelled?

I told you it was a misunderstanding...

Our son has written my name instead of yours.

I just signed those return slips as he gave them to me.

You think I'm an idiot?

I know what you're up to.

Would you ever miss chances to steal the spotlight?

If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can say.

I'm not done!

Think you are so great?

Remember this,

I own everything in this house!

Don't!

Don't you dare think having another kid will save you!

Please!

We're lucky to have one that's smart.

What if you give birth to another idiot!

What are you crying about?

You think it's easy to be the breadwinner?

I'm the one making money!

And I haven't drop a tear yet!

Why aren't you asleep?

Reading comics?

Reading comics?

Reading comics!

Reading comics!

Read it!

Read it!

"Hang in there!"

Yes...

Continue to sleep. You'll be more focused after getting enough rest.

No! I must get up!

Look at you,

looks like you've got a bad hair day.

Freak!

You want to buy that?