“Have you ever experienced true darkness?
A world devoid of light,
as though you were cast into a silent black hole.”
South Korea, Seoul.
It was the summer of 2010, and an intense heatwave gripped the entirety of A City. I stood under the shade of a tree outside the school, calling Chen Qiao Luo. After a long while, he finally picked up, his voice lazy and nonchalant:
“Miss Zhu, calling me in the middle of the afternoon—what can I do for you?”
“Do for me? My foot!” Probably from standing too long under the scorching sun, I blurted out angrily, “Chen Qiao Luo, have you been skipping class again? Tell me, how many times have you actually shown up this week?”
My accusation made him chuckle immediately. “Zhu Yun Hao, where do you get the nerve to lecture me? It’s 3:30 in the afternoon—class time. And yet, here you are calling me. Aren’t you skipping too?”
“Hmph, mind your own business,” I replied smugly. “Unlike you, this lady doesn’t need to attend class to keep her grades up. But with that dim brain of yours, how do you expect to get by without some effort?”
“Yes, yes, Miss Zhu, a natural genius, charming and witty,” he said with exaggerated praise. Just as I basked in his false flattery, he added, “But seriously, why are you calling me at this hour?”
“It’s nothing really. I heard there’s a new skating rink over on Tian Chang. I thought I’d ask if you wanted to go.”
“Skating?” There was a moment of hesitation on his end before he quickly declined. “Miss Zhu, you can go on your own. I’ve got something to take care of, so I can’t join you.”
The moment his words landed, I was furious. “Chen Qiao Luo, what could you possibly have to do? You’re idle all day—don’t try to fool me!”
“Please, Miss Zhu, which eye of yours sees me as idle all day?” he retorted, exasperated.
“Skipping class all the time isn’t being idle?” I snapped, holding back my frustration. “What are you so busy with? If you don’t tell me, I won’t believe you.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before he sighed and confessed, “Fine, fine, I’ll come clean. I saw a beauty the other day—her figure, her face, everything—just wow. I’ve been skipping class to chase her, alright?”
His words were so unexpected that I froze for a moment. Then, before I could react, he added, “Anyway, I’ve got to go. That beauty just showed up. Talk later.”
Before I could say anything, he hung up.
Hmph, that guy would ditch a friend for a pretty face in a heartbeat.
Seething internally, I muttered curses about him as I pocketed my phone and flagged a cab to Tian Chang.
Truthfully, I didn’t want to go out alone, but heading back to school felt equally pointless.
The skating rink was on the basement level of Baicheng Plaza. As I descended the stairs, I was immediately engulfed by a dim and shadowy atmosphere.
Perhaps because it was a Wednesday, the skating rink was nearly empty.
After paying and putting on my skates, I headed toward the ice. Skating wasn’t unfamiliar to me—my dad had taken me to every rink in the city, big and small. I could even confidently say I was pretty good at it.
But for some reason, maybe because I was alone, I just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. My movements were clumsy, and I stumbled more than once during a single lap. As I thought about it, I realized it must be because Chen Qiao Luo refused to join me. The memory of him brought back a wave of frustration. That guy—ditching me to chase some girl? Unbelievable.
While I was fuming, my foot suddenly slipped, and I lost control, sliding forward uncontrollably. Three seconds later, I found myself sprawled out in a starfish position near the railing.
A staff member rushed over to help me up, her voice full of concern. “Miss, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
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