After meeting Harrison, I returned to the lab.
I continued my experiments in a daze.
His words kept echoing in my ears.
Everything about Zachary played in my mind.
My chest felt inexplicably tight.
I didn’t know where the problem was.
I only knew that it felt like something had fallen away, some places had become empty.
After work.
I stood at the entrance of the community.
The breakfast shops and late–night snack shops were still open.
When passing by that flower shop, I was still pulled by the girl at the door to draw a prize.
It was still the first prize, still vibrant flowers.
It seemed like nothing had changed.
But one day I noticed that one of the repaired street lamps was broken again.
The first day I came home, it was still broken.
The second day I came home, it was still broken.
The tenth day I came home, it was still broken.
I stood there, staring blankly at that lamp.
13:05 Sun, 2 Mar
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Suddenly, I realized belatedly that it might never light up again.
The person who used to fix it seemed to have really disappeared.
“Big sister, why are you crying?”
In my daze, my hand was gently pulled.
I looked down to see a little girl.
IN
She handed me a slightly crumpled napkin.
Was I crying?
I touched my face and felt wetness.
“Rourou, why are you running off?”
କି ୪୦%
The little girl’s mother came over, glancing at me warily, and quickly pulled the little girl away.
The surroundings returned to quiet.
I slowly crouched down.
I couldn’t help but cry out loud.
I didn’t know why.
But I felt that this terrible sadness had destroyed me.
It was as if I was alone in this world again.
No place to return to, not knowing where to go.
“You don’t believe in deities because you have nothing to ask for.”
“But how can a person have nothing to ask for in their lifetime?”
My senior colleague had said these words when he saw my reaction back then.
I didn’t expect his words would come true now.
I stood in front of the church, watching people come and go, praying softly.
I imitated their actions, pressing my palms together.
After praying in each hall, I came to the wishing place my senior colleague had
mentioned.
I lowered my head and wrote down my name and wish.
When people have something to ask for, they begin to yearn.
I wrote down:
“I only wish for Zachary Goodwin to be safe and healthy.”
I handed my writing over to the divine.
I walked out of the church, facing the wind.
I suddenly remembered what I said the first time I went to see my dad after transferring
schools:
“Dad, I deceived someone. He’s not a good person, but he was the person who treated me the best during that time.”
I sighed and was about to continue walking.
But when I looked up, I saw Zachary standing at the bottom of the steps not far away.
13:05 Sun, 2 Mar
