Chapter 6

I met Elaine in high school.

He wasn't supposed to be in our small town.

But family changes forced him to transfer and live with his grandfather.

Back then, he was rebellious.

Not long after school started, he was among the first to be publicly criticized.

Others at least acted humble when admitting mistakes.

But even standing before the whole school, he remained nonchalant.

I didn't like people like him.

Nor did I want to interact with him.

Yet when he was falsely accused, I couldn't help but stand up for him.

From that day, he followed me, from school to my home, until I went upstairs.

"Without me, you'd have been retaliated against by now."

"Good student, stay out of such matters in the future."

He didn't care.

Fighting, false accusations, misunderstandings, and punishments—he didn't care about any of them.

But when my dad's fist was about to fall on me after hitting my mom, he rushed in, knocking him down.

My mom screamed, supporting my dad, glaring at me and calling me a disgrace.

Elaine froze.

The next second, he grabbed my hand and ran.

He made me a bowl of noodles.

Cooked too long, it tasted bad.

Too much soy sauce made it salty.

The veggies were added too late, tasting bland.

It was the worst noodles I'd ever eaten, but I finished every drop.

In our turbulent youth, two lonely people, we warmed each other and pushed each other forward.

But everyone opposed us.

The school was against early romance.

Elaine's family looked down on us.

"I've seen many reaching for higher branches, but never this young."

My mom's eyes reddened with anger, hitting me and calling me a disgrace.

Elaine was forcibly taken away, and I became the school outcast.

But he escaped, bringing all his New Year's money, injuring his leg.

He said, "Let's elope!"

I hugged him, leaning against his head.

"One year.

"We'll get into the same college.

"Then no one can stop us.

"Just one year."