At fourteen, the solitary Chen Chen was shut away in his room, studying razor blades, skin, and the meaning of being alive... Then a rude, strange kid came pounding on his door.
The strange kid said, "Hi, I'm new next door..."
The strange kid said, "Hey, wanna walk home together after school?"
The strange kid said, "How can anyone not need friends? What if you run out of toilet paper?"
The strange kid said, "My mom's taking us out to eat."
The strange kid was soft-hearted, childish, and clingy. If he got out of line, Chen Chen could just ignore him for a while. He'd come right back and cling to him again, just like before.
So Chen Chen left, taking his proud, self-righteous sense of dignity and confidence with him.
Later, the strange kid said, "Chen Chen, please let me go. What did we ever do to each other to deserve this?"
Rekindled love, childhood sweethearts, pure love, and the pursuit of a wife.
(The bonus chapters contain some angst for the couple. Read with caution ☞)
