From the bottom’s perspective. A tragic story told through a series of standalone tales.
World One: The Heart’s Price. When I was brought to the city, my younger brother was lying in a hospital bed, pale and fragile, acting coy. My mother embraced me for the first time ever. “My good boy, you’re finally home.” My father personally cooked a lavish meal, a spread unlike anything I had ever seen. They even remembered my birthday. The cake read, “Welcome home.” It wasn’t until late that night, when I got up, that I heard a muffled argument from my parents’ bedroom. “Any news about a heart donor? Ranran can’t wait any longer!” “Keep your voice down... We have one right here, don’t we? He’s a match for all of us...” The cream on the cake churned in my stomach. I braced myself against the wall and slowly slid down onto the cold floor.
World Two: Hearing Your Whale Song. “Jiang Lin, what we’re doing... does this mean we’re together?” Zhou Jing buried his flushed face in the pillow, and the alcohol made the world tilt gently. It was the winter of his sophomore year, his first drunken lapse, and the beginning of his secret romance. For four years, he followed Jiang Lin like a shadow, keeping him company at business dinners, taking drinks for him, and cleaning up his messes. Everyone joked that Jiang Lin had found himself a loyal little sidekick. Then, on the day Jiang Lin got engaged, he casually told Zhou Jing, “The game is over.” Through his tears, Zhou Jing asked, “Did you never love me at all?” “I was curious about you, and I liked you, but that’s as far as it goes.” Jiang Lin stubbed out his cigarette. “What kind of forever can there be between two men?”
World Three: To be decided...
