Ti flies, like a speeding train.
Life seed to have settled into a calm routine, and now it was the height of sumr.
As if everything had returned to the starting point, as if it had never begun.
But one look at his phone's wallpaper told a different story.
It was a close-up photo of Sam and that girl, their faces pressed together like the most ordinary couple, doing sothing as simple as taking a selfie.
This photo was taken on Angel's birthday. Sam's mory of that night was a bit hazy, probably because he drank too much and got quite tipsy.
But he clearly rembered how they made a promise that night to never part.
It sounded a bit childish.
But it was indeed the best birthday gift for Angel, and the best gift Sam had ever received.
On the familiar bus, with the interplay of light and shadow.
It was as if ti had passed, yet it hadn't.
The conversations were still there, whispers and people looking down at their phones.
But the faces, so familiar, so strange.
The more tangible feeling was that Sam had to face the choices of graduation.
For him, it seed there weren't many regrets in his youth. He had what he needed, and what needed to end was ending.
"Ms. Alice, you wanted to see ?"
In the office, Sam asked softly.
Alice calmly took out a form.
"This is the school's survey on your future plans. Whether you want to go to college or leave school, fill it out."
It was at this mont that Sam realized how urgent ti was, silently slipping away.
The choices he thought were far off were now right in front of him.
Sam didn't hesitate much and quickly filled out the form.
Because it was also Angel's choice, so he naturally had only one option left.
Alice glanced at the content, not too surprised, and said calmly.
"I'll also arrange a eting with your parents to discuss this. Is that okay?"
Sam smiled and shook his head, "It's fine, go ahead."
"Good. Do you have ti tonight?"
Sam was montarily stunned, realizing it was an implicit invitation.
He thought for a mont, realizing he had no plans for the evening, and nodded.
"Yes, I have ti."
"Alright, I'll call you."
"Okay."
Leaving the office and looking at the crowd in the classroom, it seed there was still so ti before everyone said goodbye. But suddenly, it felt as if he could already see the empty classroom, the cold emptiness after everyone had left.
Sam wasn't one for sentintality, but he couldn't help feeling a bit wistful.
How should we say goodbye gracefully, with a wave or with tears?
Before school ended, Sam received a ssage from Alice, so after school, he went straight to the bus stop across the street to wait for the bus. This wasn't the bus ho.
On the way, he ran into a few classmates who boldly asked for his contact information.
Sam politely declined but didn't refuse their request for a group photo.
These girls were quite ordinary-looking, but seeing their youthful smiles in the photo, Sam suddenly realized.
As a protagonist of youth, it didn't matter if you were good-looking or not. What mattered was having the happiest and most genuine smile.
He took the bus to a neighborhood so distance from the school.
It was a relatively unfamiliar restaurant, the kind Alice seed to like, with a unique ambiance—not particularly elegant but very distinctive.
Sam wasn't quite used to this kind of ambiance, but he wouldn't try to change soone's personality, lifestyle, or even their entire life.
Not changing had its benefits.
Why do lovers often feel so passionate during ambiguous tis, but gradually bla each other when they're truly together: "You're not the sa as before."
It's simple.
In love, there's always a sense of dissatisfaction, not just with the other's behavior but also with their personality flaws that you dislike.
You don't want to accept it, so you want them to change.
And changing yourself blindly for soone's affection often leads to losing your original self.
In the end, you lose the person they originally liked and bear all the grievances.
So there's no need, and Sam wouldn't trouble Alice.
Sumr had its sumr attire—short-sleeved shirts and tight skirts.
On this charming woman, it looked elegant and quite seductive.
Alice ordered steak and red wine.
In the soothing and elegant ambiance, Sam looked at the young woman across from him.
"Why did you suddenly think of having dinner?"
Alice smiled, "Can't I invite you out for dinner for no reason?"
Saying this as a teacher made Sam feel a bit strange.
"You still rember you're my teacher?"
Alice said with a hint of annoyance, "It's because I love you too much that it turned out this way. It's all your fault for seducing ."
Sam laughed even more but didn't forget a fact.
"Wasn't it you who used hypnosis on first? How is it my fault?"
Alice looked at Sam. "Do I have to spell it out? Can't you just give your teacher a break?"
She had a point.
Sam nodded, "It's all my fault. I'll drink to that."
Seeing the boy's playful manner, then downing a whole glass of red wine in one go, Alice couldn't help but smile.
But she softly reminded him.
"Don't drink too much. I'm not trying to get you drunk."
Sam nodded, "Don't worry, I know my limits. Besides, the night is still young, right?"
"Yes."
After dinner, they went to the arcade and played the claw machine, winning quite a few stuffed animals.
By now, Sam's skills were quite refined, unlike his clumsy attempts the first ti.
Holding the stuffed animals, Alice looked at the boy in a daze.
He would eventually grow up, and one day he would be completely different from the boy she loved today.
But it didn't matter...
She was ready to rember his na forever, to rember this ti forever.
And forever, in more stories, to live on with him.
In a long yet short life, love endures.
Right?
===
Sam and Alice went to see a movie again.
This ti, it was about a romantic relationship between a man and a woman in the city, dealing with a series of issues after leaving campus life and before getting married.
It seed almost prophetic.
About the weariness in relationships, about how familiarity can breed contempt and fatigue between two people. And how, only after missing opportunities, do they realize their true regrets.
Such thes are not uncommon.
Especially in the face of an increasingly fast-paced urban life, where people's hearts are becoming increasingly barren, it's the perfect subject matter.
But movies always tell people about regrets, missed opportunities, and how sad it can be.
There are so many sad stories.
But they never tell everyone what to do.
Just a series of reflections on one's life, recalling many regrets, and then drinking too much late at night, calling soone who is particularly sober.
The outco, of course, is predictable.
After the movie, they went to a small bar and had a few drinks—not too many, just enough for Sam to feel slightly tipsy. As for Alice, he wasn't sure.
Sam only knew that after watching the movie, Alice's mood seed to have worsened.
Until they returned to Alice's ho together.
Once again, they embraced, kissed, and undressed each other.
Under the dim light, they moved like dancers.
Pleasure and climax accumulated as they changed locations for making love, from the kitchen to the living room, and finally to the bedroom.
On that large, soft bed.
Their bodies intertwined, moving rhythmically, imrsed in the ultimate sexual pleasure.
This ti, the lovemaking was long and wild. Sam held nothing back, his cock repeatedly thrusting into Alice's vagina.
It was a level of intensity Alice had never experienced before; none of their previous encounters had felt as intense as tonight.
Sam even had Alice's body sprawled against the wall, the table, and even the windowsill...
Making love while admiring the street view outside was a unique and morable experience.
After Sam climaxed, Alice collapsed into his arms.
Her hair disheveled, Alice stared blankly at the ceiling, her eyes sowhat vacant.
Sam's strong arms wrapped around her shoulders effortlessly.
"What are you thinking about?"
Alice instinctively nestled into the boy's embrace, murmuring softly.
"Nothing, just thinking... ti flies. We've known each other for over a year now. I never thought we'd be in this kind of relationship today."
Sam smiled, looking into her eyes.
"Do you regret it?"
Alice lifted her head to et his gaze.
Her eyes were firm, unwavering.
"I've never regretted it. I'm just scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared that one day... we'll end up like in the movie, arguing because of our differences and misunderstandings, unable to accept each other's flaws in personality and lifestyle. We'll break up and do things we'll regret for the rest of our lives."
Sam knew he should comfort her at this mont and understood that doubts and fears in a relationship were normal.
After all, he wasn't a devoted man and couldn't provide perfect security.
So Alice's feelings were entirely normal.
He thought for a mont and said softly.
"Disagreents and conflicts are inevitable in any relationship, not just romantic ones. Family and friendships have those monts too. But as long as the result isn't separation, it's all good."
"Will we really not break up?"
Alice looked at him.
Sam smiled, lowered his head, and kissed her lips.
"As long as we don't think about it, we won't. The future is unpredictable, but if we cherish every mont and are honest with each other, that's enough."
Feeling Sam's strong heartbeat, Alice understood many things.
Feeling Sam's warm gaze and gentle actions.
She sensed the presence of love.
So she tightly embraced him, fully imrsing herself in his broad chest.
She whispered.
"Sam."
"Mm?"
"It's okay if I'm not the only one who has you..."
She said.
Sam was montarily stunned, looking down at her eyes.
There was a mix of helplessness and relief.
It seed she had finally understood sothing and could only accept it. Undoubtedly, this expression wasn't particularly pleasant.
Of course, this was good news for Sam, sothing he had longed for.
But now, Sam tenderly stroked her face.
"I'm sorry for putting you through this."
Alice shook her head with a smile, holding his hand against her cheek, speaking softly.
"I sotis wonder what my life would be like if I hadn't t you."
"Probably the sa as always, teaching classes, living a life without goals or expectations, day after day, dull and boring."
"So I'm actually very happy to have t you. Even if you're not perfect... and have too many won around you. But you're soone worth relying on. People shouldn't be too greedy, right? So this is enough."
Alice closed her eyes slightly.
As if she had successfully convinced herself.
Sam hesitated for a mont, then lowered his head, kissing her cheeks inch by inch, moving downward in a familiar motion.
Feeling Sam's kisses, Alice tilted her head back in enjoynt, her eyes closing in satisfaction.
"Don't leave... don't leave ... besides you, I want nothing else, I have nothing else..."
Sam lifted his head, looking into her sowhat dazed eyes.
He made the most sincere promise he had ever made, one he would never break.
"I won't leave you, now or in the future. I'll always be by your side."
"Sam, I truly love you."
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