Goodbye Before It's Too Late

In May of that year, the wind poured in through the window, carrying the smell of the plastic runway and the last remaining warmth of youth. Chen Yuyang sat in the back row of the classroom, watching Zhao Haitang running on the playground, his ponytail swaying. He thought how nice it would be if he could always look at her like this. But he didn't know that once some words are not spoken, they will never be spoken again. This is a story about four people. Chen Yuyang is introverted and sensitive, and is used to hiding all his likes in his heart. Zhao Haitang, as warm as midsummer, was the most dazzling light in his entire youth. Li Xinyi, as gentle as autumn water, is the only person who can understand his silence. Zhang Ming, the carefree brother, witnessed all the regrets that could not be expressed. Starting from the senior year of high school, to graduation, going to college, bragging at the supper stall, greetings at the dinner table, mantras after drinking, exhaustion from internship, really going their separate ways, and finally getting jobs, getting married, and having families. Nine life stages, spanning more than ten years. They ate barbecue and drank beer together, and talked about nonsense. They talk about their ideals and the future late at night, but they dare not talk about the person in their hearts. They chatted among their classmates, met by chance at a wedding, and nodded across the crowd, as if they were separated by their entire youth. Those mineral water bottles that were not handed out, the blank pages on the classmate list, the hesitation of numbers from other places, the social updates that were refreshed late at night, the dishes that were deliberately skipped during dinner parties, the quick glance at the subway station, the "next time" in the group messages ten years later... All misses are not because we don't love, but because we love you too much, so we dare not say anything.