A Bitter Bite Mark

❄️Unrequited Love / Redemption / Bittersweet

-

Beneath the dim streetlights, he held a black umbrella.

His blue police uniform was crisp, and he was very tall.

He held out a pack of tissues to me.

Looking at me crouched on the ground, he said without a hint of emotion, "Wipe your face."

His voice was as faint as mist.

His features were hidden in the night, impossible to make out clearly.

Even so, I recognized him at a glance.

He tilted the umbrella slightly, casually shielding my shoulder from the drizzle.

I sat crouched there, looking up at him.

A pack of tissues was clutched between the fingers of the hand he held out to me.

His fingers were long and slender, the veins standing out beneath the skin.

I looked at him without a word. The moment stretched on like a century.

My eyes kept burning, though.

They burned so badly I could hardly bear it.

Very softly, I said his name: "Lu Zheng'an."

The rain fell in fine, web-like strands. The dim light filtered beneath the umbrella, tracing his silhouette.

I saw him finally raise his eyes and give me a hesitant, detached glance.

His icy gaze met my tear-filled eyes.

The rain wove a curtain between us.

It's been so long.

Lu Zheng'an.

I smiled bitterly to myself.

How is it that you still don't recognize me?

-

"Near my heart, beneath the collarbone on my left shoulder, I carry the mark of your teeth."

*

Inspired on August 2025

Blurb screenshot from October 3, 2025

Unrequited love / Bittersweet / Redemption / Short writing exercise / Bad ending

Theme: Love yourself well