Spring Branches Bury the Sea

(Youthful tragic romance, mutual pining, fated bad ending, multiple perspectives, #Substitute Romance) “Whales die of thirst, butterflies drown beneath the sea, and we died because we mistook each other for salvation.” (Mu Sinan x “He gave me his uniform button, but couldn’t even get my name right. Only later did I understand: I was a substitute.” (Jiang Du) “They all say falling in love with you is the curse written into my fate. But I’d rather be unable to escape that curse than miss you.” “Beicheng Middle School” One class, six couples, twelve unrequited loves, all with tragic endings. Fifteen years later, the sole survivor returns to the old school building and discovers a “collection of farewell letters,” beginning a story told in flashback. “The day I returned to Beicheng Middle School, the rooftop was sealed off, the sports field lay wild, and the classroom doors were locked and rusted. But I knew they were all still there, in every letter that had never been sent, in every unfinished confession of love.”