Tidal Surge

The drowsy summer, the gentle breeze, and a hand tentatively reaching out.

The piano rang clear, and shadows swayed across the trees.

Zheng Yuan sat quietly there, bright as day.

"Let's go see the sea together."

Jiang Cuo promised.

Xiao Ling's autumn, nights spent tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The piano sobbed as Jiang Cuo plunged his head into ice water.

Again and again.

In a daze, he saw the shadows swaying across the trees.

The Polaroid tucked into a yellowing phone case had faded.

Zheng Yuan's silhouette grew faint.

"I did go see the sea."

Jiang Cuo murmured to himself.

Theme: The hazy feelings of youth are often mixed with humiliating experiences. The repression and insecurity that spill from deep within, and the families we are born into, can consume a person. What young people need to do now is grasp the hand of someone they trust and bravely face their fate and hardships.