A short story, not contracted for serialization. See you in summer.
--
Before coming ashore, Cheng Shi'an took one last look back at the sea. When she returned to this little seaside town, she had already quit her job. She brought her two dogs along as they happily bounded toward the warm water.
Looking up, she spotted a man in the distance, sitting on a surfboard and gazing toward the far-off horizon, drifting aimlessly among the waves.
She asked the owner of the surf shop, "Is he new here?"
"Yeah. He says he's staying for half a month. His Chinese isn't very good, and he's pretty quiet."
"I see." Cheng Shi'an narrowed her eyes slightly and looked again at the distant figure.
Half a month later
Cheng Shi'an drove a secondhand Jeep she had bought from a local all the way to the airport, a hundred kilometers away.
He shouldered his bag and was about to get out, but paused with his hand on the door. Then he turned and looked at her.
Recognizing that look, Cheng Shi'an leaned across the passenger seat, slammed the door shut, and kissed him hard.
"Stay. Let's wander the sea together."
--Blurb first published on 2022.6.10
Theme: Loving life
