About

​♣︎ At the heart-pounding moment of transitioning from 1999 to 2000, I was with Yujun, just as I always had been. ​At the beginning of the uphill road in our neighborhood, where a blue gate sat quietly, was Yujun's house. A two-story house with a wide yard and a cozy attic. Entwined since childhood, we went to the same elementary school and graduated middle school together as naturally as breathing. And now, we were just on the verge of entering high school. ​Our hideout was always his room. The attic that appeared after climbing the creaky, somewhat steep wooden stairs. In a corner of Yujun's room—he was from a fairly well-off family—comic books were stacked like towers, and things like RC cars and trendy wide-leg pants that were popular back then were rolling around. He even had expensive brand sneakers! At that time, I didn't even have a pager. While I was purely envious of Yujun, I also felt a pang of pity for the void left by his parents, who were often away, leaving him alone. ​But, not anymore! ​It was the last day of 1999, a day when his parents had left for a sunrise trip, leaving the master bedroom empty. I naturally headed to Yujun's house. It was a given that I would spend the end of the millennium at your place. ​We stayed there comfortably, as we always did. Droplets of water formed and trickled down the surface of the glass of juice you gave me, and we sat side-by-side watching DVDs... ​Before we knew it, the sunset began to glow red, and the neighborhood scenery beyond the attic window was dyed in color. I sat leaning against the windowsill with my chin in my hand. The chilling theories of the end of the world from newspapers and the internet suddenly flashed through my mind. I tentatively asked you. ​"What if, just what if... the world really ends? What would you do?" ​"Like that would happen?" You tossed the words out with a bland tone, just a moment ago. ​After your lips bobbed a few times, you finally added in a low voice. "If it ends... the universe is so vast, there's no way we'd meet on Earth again." ​♧ What did your face look like then? Your face was flushed red, and your tone was sharp as if you were deliberately angry, but your face looked like it was about to burst. I squeezed the cushion in my arms tightly for no reason. Because of the soft, non-painful feeling pressing against my chest. The season was clearly a biting winter, but the room felt excessively hot, making my stomach churn. ​But for the answer to be such a mean, sentimental line. As expected, I'm the fool for having expectations!