That fervent, passionate, yet hazy emotion, I perceived it.
If you can see this reply, it sufficiently proves that fate bears witness to the connection between us.
No matter why we were separated, we will eventually reunite across spacetime.
Bear witness; when you appear in that magnificent hall, I will take your hand and stand by your side, a Flower of Winter unyielding in the storm. I will bathe with you in the radiant glow of the stars.
In that Eden of birdsong and fragrant flowers, I will embrace you, who fell from the stars, and dance with you amidst joyous laughter, sing in tranquil peace, and lift you to an even bluer sky.
Late at night, the soft yellow glow illuminated the girl's facial contours, and neat, proper black handwriting was clear under the desk lamp.
Xu Xiaoyou stopped writing. For her, who possessed the 【Bard】 social card, it was not difficult to imitate the vivid poetic flair in the girl's handwriting to write a reply.
She was not as eloquent as Tang Xin, who had read countless operas, books, and poems, but she could still resonate with the other person through such words, feeling the strong longing and sorrow entrusted in the text. Perhaps, at some point during her writing, their hearts connected across the vast universe of stars.
How could a bird traverse a journey of hundreds of kilometers to accurately deliver this letter from the girl into her hands?
She could imagine the bird's magnificent journey, soaring through thunderstorms, shuttling through rivers of miracles, boarding a "Heart's Desire" train in some hive city, crossing infinite distances and time, guided by the longing in the girl's letter to her window.
What was the other person thinking now?
Millions of kilometers away, another girl looked up, the brilliant starry river falling into her eyes.
Their gazes converged in the infinitely distant starry sky.
At least, at this moment, they both touched each other's existence.
"Yuzu, at that time, will you catch me?" Tang Xin whispered.
Xu Xiaoyou picked up the long-waiting bird and released it back into the sky.
"Perhaps, I never let go of you."
Two days later.
New Era Calendar 533, January 22nd.
Dragonfly Town, Zhutai High.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, students eagerly discussed recent hot topics, such as youth idol dramas, popular new stars, trending singers, and current political news within the Red Heaven territory.
Boys clustered around attractive girls, either fawning eagerly or feigning calmness, occasionally joining conversations, trying every means to exude male hormones. There were also many in small groups secretly gossiping about others. If someone were to stand on the podium at this moment, they would be surprised to find that the classroom's living space had long been fragmented into countless blocks of varying sizes.
"Tsk."
If one had to describe how harsh Natsu Kuri's living environment was, no word was more fitting than "caste system." If she could, Natsu Kuri truly wished she could quickly escape through the window, away from this place where even breathing felt fatal.
But she couldn't!
At least not today. Out of the corner of her eye, Natsu Kuri saw two figures on the opposite building's corridor, dressed as students, indistinguishable from ordinary people, like background characters in anime who stand by a window with their chin in hand, their faces not even drawn.
But it wasn't true. Natsu Kuri was certain those two guys were specifically sent by her elder brother to monitor her high school life.
From dismissal until the start of club activities, these two guys appeared precisely on time in the building opposite her classroom building, always behind that square window.
Only that position allowed them to observe her every move. Sebas had once told her about Chi Qiu's schedule; he usually kept to himself, rarely leaving the Chi family mansion or appearing in public.
Currently, most matters, big and small, in Red Heaven were decided by her elder brother. Only on Wednesday afternoons could he escape his busy political affairs. Natsu Kuri didn't believe there was no coincidence between these two things.
Thinking of him secretly sending people to monitor her, Natsu Kuri's opinion of her elder brother dropped a few more points. Just recalling how she used to sweetly call this despicable, hypocritical, utterly evil, conscience-less, control-freak "Onii-chan," whose gentle smile couldn't hide his ugly heart, Natsu Kuri deeply disdained her innocent self from back then.
"Little Natsu." A call interrupted Natsu Kuri's venomous curses.
"What is it?" Natsu Kuri asked in a gentle tone.
Yugawa Mao thought she misheard, "Little Natsu, you..."
Natsu Kuri sat gracefully, slightly tilting her head like a well-bred young lady, her voice calm and polite, "What about me?"
"Xiao Xu, haven't I always been like this?"
Natsu Kuri smiled slightly, raising a hand to gently press down her smooth hair as it fluttered in the breeze. The warm sun slanted through the glass window, landing on her delicate shoulder, her earrings sparkling.
A fresh scent, subtle and faint, diffused with her sweet smile. Yugawa Mao stared blankly, then subconsciously lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, unable for a moment to connect the mischievous little devil she knew with the glowing girl before her.
"I heard a chemical factory in our town was sealed off. I wonder what happened..."
"Who knows? Maybe just a drill, or maybe abyssal phobia."
"I have photos from the scene. Who wants to see?"
"Really? I do, I do!"
"What are these white things? Spider silk?"
The surrounding chatter brought Yugawa Mao back to her senses. She tried to organize her words, "Little Natsu, why did you suddenly..."
"...change so much? Are you trying a new style?" Yugawa Mao tapped her shoe tip, her voice as faint as a mosquito's. "It's... quite cute."
Natsu Kuri didn't quite hear Yugawa Mao's words, nor did she pay much attention. She needed to find a way to shake off her brother's eyes and leave this place as soon as possible.
"If there's nothing else, I have to go now. Could you please tell President Takuma of the archery club that I'm sick and need to go home to recuperate, so I can't make it today?"
"Ah, well."
Before Yugawa Mao could finish, the girl leaned in, took her hand, interlacing their fingers, her lively eyes blinking, "Xiao Xu wouldn't refuse me, right? Right?"
Yugawa Mao's ears turned red, and she couldn't refuse, nodding slightly in agreement.
"Then I'll leave it to you." Natsu Kuri clasped her hands together. Then she turned and left the classroom, jogging down the stairs, leaving Yugawa Mao standing there, feeling dizzy.
"Hey, hey, she's gone."
"What are you staring at? Hurry and follow!"
Noticing Natsu Kuri disappear from their sight, the two who had been chatting and laughing in the corridor immediately reacted, quickening their pace to follow. Along the way, they bumped into a strangely dressed woman; it wasn't particularly cold, yet she was heavily bundled in a thick, long down jacket. After apologizing without much thought, they continued.
Arriving at the school gate, the two boys looked at the students coming and going, but where was the dark-red haired girl?
Realizing she had noticed and shaken them off, they were annoyed. One of them caught a sparkling gleam, patted his chest, and frowned upon seeing his hands covered in sticky white strands: "What's going on? Is this... spiderweb...? Damn, there are even small bugs on it, help me brush them off!"
The other joked: "You must have picked it up when we passed the storage room. No one ever cleans that place. Red Heaven people are afraid of bugs? That's a joke."
"Damn it, I have it too, it's crawling inside my collar!"
The two slapped each other, jumping and bouncing, causing a stir among the surrounding crowd, appearing quite comical from a distance.
Natsu Kuri smugly took in the scene. Hmph, as expected, her elder brother sent them to monitor her. Trying to follow her? They're a hundred years too early.
Exiting the school gate, she rode her skateboard through a long, tree-lined path. Rows of old, detached apartment buildings flew past in Natsu Kuri's peripheral vision. The streets of Dragonfly Town weren't wide; some districts were quite clean, low walls were covered in various graffiti, kites tangled on utility poles, and a rich aroma wafted from ramen shops. In the distance, a colossal city wall hung in the sky.
Reaching a relatively secluded wooded area, a tram rumbled past just then. Gravel was laid beneath the tracks, and weeds were flattened by the wind. Natsu Kuri stepped on her skateboard to fold it up, whistled, and lightly kicked forward with her calf, nudging a stone on the ground.
"Natsu Kuri, what a coincidence?"
Only then did Natsu Kuri notice someone beside her: Chengcun Yi, the history teacher for their entire grade.
The man's shiny bald head was conspicuous. His back was slightly hunched, and he held a stainless steel thermos. His beige knitted cardigan, plaid trousers, loose belt, and worn-out round-toed leather shoes would place him in the top five for "stereotypical middle-aged teacher attire."
"Yo, Chengcun-Sensei." Natsu Kuri greeted him warmly.
The middle-aged man was introverted, always giving the impression of being hunched over, walking pigeon-toed like a penguin. His unremarkable appearance made him a laughingstock for many in the class.
Natsu Kuri still respected this history teacher quite a bit. She heard that before he was transferred to Zhutai High, he was a chemistry professor. Perhaps it was her childhood interest in chemistry, or perhaps because the history teacher from the previous academic year was too strict.
She must have caused him a lot of trouble normally.
Chengcun Yi nodded slightly and remained silent. There wasn't much common ground between them, and the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.
"Teacher, did you get new glasses?" The wait for the railway crossing gate to open was a bit long, so Natsu Kuri couldn't help but ask.
"The old pair broke," Chengcun Yi replied.
"Oh, where's the senior student who usually follows you around? Didn't see him with you today."
Chengcun Yi paused, took a sip of tea from his cup: "He's sick and needs to rest at home."
"Is that so? What a shame." Natsu Kuri nodded.
"Natsu Kuri, I've seen your time capsule. You mentioned you were interested in chemistry?" Chengcun Yi suddenly said.
"I guess so," Natsu Kuri nodded.
"Have you read the recent news?" Chengcun Yi slowly straightened his hunched back, adjusting his square-framed glasses.
"About the moon sugar."
"Of course. I heard many drug addicts in town died by suicide. Their deaths were horrifying."
"Natsu Kuri, you shouldn't associate with those kinds of people..."
Seeing the middle-aged teacher about to launch into a long lecture, Natsu Kuri sighed: "So, in Sensei's eyes, I've already been grouped with those delinquents?"
"No matter what, I'm still an honor student in this grade..."
"Of course not, just a friendly reminder." Chengcun Yi sipped his tea.
"Those people won't have a good end. Someone will take care of them."
The gate opened, and Natsu Kuri watched the man walk away, limping slightly, almost tripping on the tracks. Noticing his wallet had fallen out, she went to pick it up. Just as she was about to shout to him, she vaguely heard someone behind her loudly calling her name.
Yugawa Mao came jogging over, handing the bamboo basket to Natsu Kuri: "Little Natsu, I forgot to tell you earlier, this is a bento I made recently, learning from an online recipe. There are two portions inside; could you please take one to Mom?"
"She should still be working at the chemical factory right now. I can't get away from my club..."
Yugawa Mao spoke hastily, panting, as if afraid a softer or slower voice would displease Natsu Kuri.
In the sunlight, Yugawa Mao was covered in fine beads of sweat. Her usually messy hair was clean and tied in a thick braid, and her eyes behind thick lenses were clear, the earnest hope not hidden by her freckles.
Natsu Kuri felt a bit uncomfortable under that earnest gaze, saying, "You don't have to be so cautious. Of course I'll agree. We're friends."
Yugawa Mao excitedly rushed over and hugged her tightly, "Thank you, Little Natsu."
"I thought you'd be angry. I was worried the whole way because I've never asked you for something like this before..."
"How did you know I was here?" Natsu Kuri asked.
"Because I know Little Natsu very well, hehe. I've recorded all of Little Natsu's hobbies, catchphrases, and frequent spots." Yugawa Mao chuckled.
"Mom will definitely be happy to see my bento."
"Auntie hasn't fully recovered yet, is it really okay for her to return to work so soon?"
Yugawa Mao shook her head, saying:
"Mom is always like this. It's not easy to support the whole family."
"Anyway, thank you, Little Natsu. I'm going back now."
"Also, Little Natsu, you looked really cute earlier."
"What is this guy rambling about?"
Until the girl's words drifted away on the wind, Natsu Kuri looked down at the wallet in her hand, thinking, "Oh no." She looked for the middle-aged man again, but the surroundings were empty save for herself.
"I'll return the wallet to Sensei tomorrow."
Natsu Kuri thought this, squatting by the railway track, eating her portion of the bento. Just as she was ungracefully gnawing on a chicken leg, her peripheral vision caught sight of the leather wallet she had placed on the ground. It was slightly open, revealing a corner of a small, sealed plastic bag.
Curiosity compelled Natsu Kuri to pick it out and hold it up to the light.
Irregularly shaped sugar cubes refracted colorful light in the sun, like beautiful, crystalline, fatally colored poisoned apples from a fairy tale.
Rate on N.U.
