Chapter 1
The sun was setting, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink as Lian and Wei walked side by side along the quiet streets. The air was cool, and the world around them seemed to slow down, like everything was holding its breath.
"Are you really going?" Lian asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She had been asking herself the same thing all day, but hearing it out loud made it feel so much more real.
Wei glanced at her, a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, trying to act like this was just another day. "Yeah. My family’s moving overseas. I don't have much of a choice."
She knew he didn't. His parents had made the decision weeks ago, but it still didn't seem real. Not until now.
"You don't have to leave, you know," she said, more to herself than to him. "You could stay. Things could stay the same."
Wei laughed quietly, but there was no humor in it. "I wish it were that simple, Lian. My family... it’s all set. We’re going."
Lian stopped walking, turning to face him. "I get it," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "But we’ll be okay, right? We’ll keep in touch. Promise me."
He looked down at their hands, then back up into her eyes. "I promise," he said softly, but his voice shook just a little. "I’ll always stay in touch. We’ll always be together. No matter what."
Lian nodded, a tear threatening to fall. She wiped it away quickly. "I’ll wait for you, Wei. I’ll always be here."
A silence hung between them, thick with everything they didn’t say. They both knew how hard this was, but neither of them wanted to face it yet. He was leaving. And nothing would be the same.
Wei stepped closer, his hand brushing against hers. He pulled her into a hug, his arms holding her tight like he never wanted to let go. "I love you," he murmured into her hair, his voice almost breaking.
"I love you too," she whispered back, holding him even tighter.
They stayed like that for a moment longer, their hearts beating in sync, the world around them fading into the background. Then, slowly, Wei pulled away, his hands lingering on her arms before he let go.
"You’ll be fine," he said, trying to smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "You’re strong. I know you’ll be fine."
"I’ll be fine if you come back," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "When you come back."
He nodded, though he wasn’t sure when that would be. The future was so uncertain. All he knew was that he couldn’t promise anything except this one thing—he would never forget her.
One last look passed between them, a look full of everything they were too scared to say aloud. Wei turned and started walking away, each step heavy with the weight of what he was leaving behind.
Lian stood there, watching him go, her heart aching with every step he took. She wanted to run after him, to hold on to him, to make him stay. But she didn’t. She just stood there, holding on to the promise he made.
"Always," she whispered to herself, even though she wasn’t sure if either of them would be able to keep it. But for now, it was enough.
Wei didn’t look back. He didn’t have to. He knew she would always be there in his heart, even as he flew off to a new life, far away from everything he knew.
