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Adorable You
墨書 Inktalez
It lay quietly amidst a vast expanse of lush yet silent cattails.
The blazing sun had no connection to it, only passing by its clear blue edge in the late afternoon, casting soft golden halos.
Above, the bridge that sliced through the highway added to the noise of vehicles and the chirping of insects, making everything even more silent.
It was the loudest August in Meng City that year.
A childish voice approached from afar.
“Brother Zhi Yu, is it really here?” Qing Er pouted, tugging at the boy in front of her who was intently fiddling with the cattails.
This was a secret beneath the highway; once-abandoned rice paddies had transformed into a patchy swamp. Recently, Meng City had experienced consecutive heavy rains, and the cattails, their leaves now plump and green, basked lazily in the sun. Few could find this place. Hearing from her playmate brother that there was a beautiful and rare blue dragonfly here, Qing Er, on her summer break from first grade, eagerly dragged him to this swamp to hunt for treasure while their parents napped. However, after half an hour of wading through grass taller than themselves, their shoes and legs were caked in mud, and despite being bitten by vicious mosquitoes that left several large welts, they hadn’t seen a single dragonfly.
“It's definitely here; I caught one right from this spot,” the boy replied as he straightened up confidently. He playfully scratched his cute little nose and pushed aside her bangs that had stuck together with sweat. “Look at your face; it’s all sunburned. Your mom will scold me when we get home. Let’s go over there and find some shade.” Ten-year-old Zhi Yu pointed toward a nearby bridge tunnel with a heroic flair.
“Qing Er, be good. Wait for me in the cool spot under the bridge. I’ll come find you once I catch it.”
“But… I’m scared.”
“Don’t be afraid. If anything happens, just call for me; I’ll protect you.”
With that, the little hero vanished into the grass with even greater speed.
This truly was a legion of cattails—no, it was practically a forest of them… Little Qing Er struggled to push aside the thick stalks of varying heights as she made her way toward the only visible patch of concrete. This vibrant green swamp required her to constantly watch her step; any misstep could lead her into a stinky puddle.
Could it be that beneath the particularly soft patch of soil lurked a terrifying black rat? Or perhaps a giant snake capable of swallowing a person, like those seen on television?
If only she had known better than to come here. As Qing Er thought this, tears of fear and regret had already begun to swirl in her eyes. Looking back, all she could see were her own crooked little footprints trailing behind her. It was only twenty steps away now. She steeled herself and began to count down.
“Nineteen, twelve, ten… nine, eight, seven, five, four, three…”
“Two”—her pace quickened with the count when Qing Er suddenly paused. Her feet were already standing in the shadow of the bridge's concrete arch, but her gaze was drawn to a flash of bright blue in the grass to her right.
She immediately changed her course until the object was fully revealed before her.
A large, clean rectangular blue box.
Qing Er thought of Pandora's magical box from Greek mythology, her eyes widening in surprise. She quickly found new evidence to support her theory—the box was not locked but merely secured with a simple clasp. And what served as the lock was surprisingly two white roses tied together with a strap!
Holding her breath, Qing Er carefully untied the strap with trembling hands.
With her left hand shaking, she pulled out the two white roses from the clasp. Their petals were delicate and exuded a faint fragrance.
“Should I open it?” she nervously and solemnly asked herself in her mind.
Her right hand gently flicked open the clasp. “Snap! Thud!” A gust of wind rushed past her, and the lid slowly began to lift on its own.
She tiptoed to peer inside the box.
Her feet felt rooted to the ground as she heard the most piercing fear rising from deep within her throat. The wind howled through the marshlands, her long hair danced wildly around her, and she let go of her hands.
Qing Er's body slowly leaned backward.
The wind continued to gently weave through the reeds, unnoticed by anyone, as a slender lake-green ribbon was softly lifted, soaring into the clouds.
Even Qing Er, who had once touched it, did not see the romantic script written upon it.
"Kocham Cie"
I love you.
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