Autumn Scent Encounter

The wind lingered and played around as Tian Qing gently swung her legs, the hem of her skirt fluttering slightly. She could smell the sweet herbal scent around her, and the scent of newly bloomed flowers still drenched in night dew. The air was exceedingly gentle, with rays of sunlight that she hadn't seen for a long time stretching across the scenery. Her health was inherently weaker than that of a normal person, and combined with her lack of habit for much physical activity, it was even more fragile. All year round, she was always exhausted; it was rare for her to feel comfortable, and every time she fell ill, she might have to stay in a hospital bed for quite a while. After a few minutes of distraction, Tian Qing was awakened by the ringing of a bell; frowning slightly in discomfort, she then placed her feet on the grass below, fumbled for her shoes somewhere, and stepped out. The golden sunlight of late autumn brought something very poetic; the chill of the air seemed to seep into her skin, and the scent of milkwood pine flowers, which had lost their pungency somewhere in the passing wind, left Tian Qing dazed. Left alone on the quiet school grounds with the bustling sunlight, her heart suddenly felt a vague sadness, remembering something, someone.

Instead of going straight home as usual, today she took a different route, her feet walking aimlessly. Perhaps because the outdoor air was so pleasant, it made her feel as if she were one with it and found it hard to separate herself to imprison herself again within four cold walls along with the painful memories that were always present, making her tears unable to stop falling yet unable to escape. The late autumn afternoon was beautiful; everything was harmonious and carried a very distinct quality, and Tian Qing just kept walking like that. Suddenly, she felt the pleasant silence being disturbed. Throughout the journey, she hadn't noticed she had wandered to an unfamiliar place. Where she was standing was near a school whose name she didn't know because the huge introduction board had been hidden by the canopies of ancient trees. It was school dismissal time, and students were flocking home, creating patches of chaotic sound. Her footsteps hesitated for a moment but then quickly merged into the crowd. Tian Qing had always lived a very closed life, so she didn't like crowded places like this at all. As she walked, she looked down at the ground, even though doing so didn't make her invisible among so many people.

Precisely because she wasn't paying attention, she accidentally bumped into someone. At this point, whether she wanted to or not, she had to look up. A boy with smoke-brown hair, wearing a hip-hop cap askew and headphones—one side of which had likely fallen down after the collision—was playing a very lively melody. The boy stared intently, making her feel embarrassed. She shook her head slightly, then took a step forward, bowing slightly to express her apology, and was about to step around him when she suddenly heard a call. The call was quickly drowned out by the noisy space, yet she could still recognize the familiar tone. She herself didn't know that her lips had pulled into a smile and the eyes of the boy opposite her flickered slightly like golden sunlight slanting through the leaves.

He turned her around, frowning slightly when he saw clearly that she was thinner than before, reaching out to pat her head and saying in a somewhat reproachful voice:

"Are you being lazy with eating again, Tian Qing?"

Then he sighed, only then looking at the person standing behind her and flashing a bright smile:

"Hui, do you know Tian Qing?"

The other boy also smiled back:

"If this is your 'target,' then I know her...!"