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墨書 Inktalez
It was many years ago.
In my memory, I saw someone I missed dearly.
Tall, with a familiar smile and gentle eyes.
Sitting quietly on the sofa, flipping through a child's textbook.
Then I noticed the mischievous doodles.
They weren't exactly works to be proud of, and the child blushed, jumping up to try and snatch it back.
Of course, it was futile.
No matter how hard I tried, the gap between an adult and a child couldn't be bridged by effort alone.
I jumped with all my might, reaching out for my textbook, nearly in tears from embarrassment.
Only then did that person return the book to me.
"You did very well; you didn't get a single question wrong. Keara has made a lot of progress."
In my memory, the face that always wore a gentle smile now bore an expression of worry I had never seen before.
He reached out and gently stroked my head.
It hurt a little.
Because he, lost in thought, did not control his strength well. What felt more like a head pat was actually an unconscious squeezing of my head as he turned it back and forth.
"Well, I have to go now. I can only trouble you, Keara, to say goodbye to Ling'er for me... is that okay?"
I nodded politely in response to his heavy voice.
The person who was touching my head nodded, removed his hand, and stood up.
He picked up the neatly arranged textbooks on one side and began to explain more things.
He spoke in a detached silence, his face lacking the usual gentle smile, and his gaze occasionally wandered off as if he were thinking about other matters.
He looked troubled by something.
If that girl had known it might be our last meeting, I probably would have taken out the long-preserved cake to share with him... probably.
Originally, I had planned to save that cherished cake for our next outing by the river, to enjoy it together.
With him and Ling'er.
I had always looked forward to that.
From the moment I started saving coins carefully, one by one.
The cherished cake gradually spoiled. In the end, we couldn't share it together, and if there is sadness to be felt, it is indeed very sad.
"After this, the tutoring sessions might pause for a while, but Keara is already quite capable. Even if it's just her alone, she should be fine, right?"
He said this, perhaps out of concern, as the worry on his face deepened.
Reciting the textbook passages, memorizing the key points of techniques, and those areas that might come up in exams... Watching him go through one after another of the topics that the girls had yet to learn, a realization dawned on me.
This person. He probably won't come back.
The manhunt had already begun; it was an extremely dangerous situation.
I didn't tell him that I had seen his photo on television during lunch.
A wanted criminal...
Even a girl like me understood the terrifying implications of those three words.
My mother was there, expressing her astonishment at how the tutoring center could introduce a wanted criminal to their children. Yet, I quietly dialed his number.
No one answered...
It was the expected outcome, but I felt a twinge of fear.
Not fear of his status as a wanted criminal, but fear of never seeing him again.
Because the fugitive on television would soon be caught.
Then sentenced, and executed.
A terrifying outcome.
Ling Er cried for a long time. By the end, her eyes were red from crying, and her head began to ache.
Her mother took her to the hospital. So when he arrived, he did not see her.
Of course, if her mother were at home, I wouldn't dare bring him back.
I hadn't revealed that I already knew he was wanted.
After encountering him on the street, I pretended to know nothing and insisted he come to my house to help me with my after-school tutoring.
Just like usual.
But something was already different.
The person in front of me was a fugitive.
The news said he had killed someone, so he must also be aware that he could be killed.
As the pursuit drew near, I thought he understood this better than I did.
"Keara, you have never been a foolish person. You are smarter than many, so be a little braver from now on... Most importantly, do not underestimate yourself; you will do better than anyone else. Work hard and strive to be a brave and upright person."
Once again, that person patted my head.
He left.
That was the last time.
As a wanted criminal, he did not return, leaving behind only the final memory in the girl's eyes—a mere silhouette.
"Safe travels, Teacher."
I politely saw him off, even though I knew I was about to cry; yet, the tears would not fall.
I couldn't let him see anything amiss, nor could I let him know that I already understood his true identity.
I liked that person, that exceptional teacher who was also an outstanding Big Brother figure.
In the adult world, there shouldn't be anyone as remarkable as him, right?
He taught me as a teacher and cared for me as a Big Brother.
So, I made up my mind. I would decide my own path based on what he left me in the end.
"Keara, you have never been a foolish person. You are smarter than many, so be a little braver from now on... Most importantly, do not underestimate yourself; you will do better than anyone else. Work hard and strive to be a brave and upright person."
In the very end, he left me these words not as Big Brother, but as a teacher.
At that moment, my path was decided.
"Well then, first and foremost, strive to be a brave and upright person."
It was only natural for students to follow their teacher's words.
Since then, I have experienced many things and grown up as Yeh Ke'er, working hard to be a brave and upright person.
I cast aside my former cowardice and made an effort to become courageous.
My determination was resolute.
Because it was that person's expectation, no matter how difficult it was, I would strive to achieve it.
Yet, even with the most steadfast determination, there were moments when I felt lonely.
That person left and truly never returned.
I earnestly read many news articles, hoping to find information about him.
But there was none.
The wanted poster gradually faded away, yet the subsequent developments remained unknown.
I grew increasingly anxious, finding it harder to endure.
Yet, I could do nothing.
What could a girl not yet ten do?
As I grew older and learned more about the world, I still lost all trace of that person.
Since that incident, I truly had not seen them again.
Occasionally, when I dreamed of him, even his face became blurred. I could no longer remember it clearly.
Time has a powerful force; it can gradually erase even the most profound memories until they are completely forgotten.
Thinking about my future self many years from now, if I truly could no longer remember that person, it would probably be very sad, wouldn’t it?
…………
………………
As I opened my eyes, I saw a gray Flower Board.
The girl sat up in her hospital bed, feeling a heavy pain in her chest.
Despite being gravely injured and on the brink of death, after just two applications of medicine to stop the bleeding, she was already healing.
The powerful recovery ability of the Ability User is truly remarkable.
On a bed opposite hers, another girl lay sleeping.
She had the same face, the same hair. When she looked over, it almost felt like she was staring into a mirror.
That was her twin sister.
"Ling'er?"
She gently called out, and the girl on the bed turned over. In her dreams, she seemed to be dreaming of something delicious, smiling foolishly as drool trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Shaking her head, she gave up on the idea of waking her sister.
She decided to go see for herself.
Lifting the blanket, she got out of bed and took some weak steps toward the door.
Then she pushed open the large door, and a cold wind rushed in.
She saw tiny white snowflakes falling.
Those pure white snow sprites floated down slowly from the sky, landing on the road, trees, and rooftops, gradually accumulating into a thick layer.
Instinctively, she reached out to catch a falling snowflake, watching as the crystalline hexagonal ice melted in her palm. A hint of astonishment appeared on her face.
"Is it snowing?"
The temperature in Wocheng is usually clear all year round, and even in winter, it mostly feels like the biting chill of Raging Wind. Snow can only be seen on television.
However, what appeared before the girl’s eyes was indeed a Survivor Base blanketed in thick snow.
The white-covered ground was so thick with snow that it barely reached her knees.
Such heavy snowfall was almost impossible to occur near Wocheng, yet it was happening right before her eyes, like a dream.
Several tanks parked in the snow seemed completely submerged, with even their long barrels covered in a thick layer of white.
This was the first time she had seen such legendary weapons in person, and she couldn't help but stare a little longer.
Then, an old man popped out from behind one of the tanks.
"Hey, Girl, who gave you permission to look at my tank?"
The old man's fierce expression startled her.
"I... I'm sorry..."
She quickly lowered her head and politely apologized, "I didn't mean to."
Seeing her obedient and understanding demeanor, the old man immediately lost interest and retreated, his expression turning sour.
"You are really boring, you know... I thought you would be as interesting as that demon's twin sister, but you're so stiff."
With that, the old man jumped down from the tank, reached into the pocket of his military coat, and pulled out a piece of soft candy, offering it to her.
"Here... take this, since it's our first meeting and I didn't prepare anything special for you. Just make do with this for now, and I'll make it up to you later."
The girl glanced at him warily and then predictably declined.
"Thank you, sir, but I don't like candy."
The old man shrugged, not insisting further, and put the candy back in his pocket.
"My name is Ban Guozhi, and I am Ban Qingya's father. What about you? What's your name?" (To be continued...)
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