This Place of Peace of Mind Is the Way Home

She waited for him for many years. From six years old, to eighteen years old, to twenty-five years old. She waited for his rejection, for his transfer of schools, and for his day and night with another girl. She didn't wait for him to turn around. She waited for a better version of herself. She stayed with him for many years. From wearing crotchless pants, to academic uniforms, to white shirts. She accompanies him through rumors, accompanies him through the college entrance examination, and accompanies him through all the chaotic nights of youth. She thought staying with him until the end was the answer. She doesn't know that companionship does not equal love. He bounced between them for years. On one side is the sense of security of childhood sweethearts, on the other side is the heartbeat of soul compatibility. He thought he just had trouble choosing. He forgot - not choosing is a choice in itself. This is not a "choose who" story. This is a youthful puzzle about "Do you not know how to love, or do you dare not love?" Loving and being loved are two completely different abilities. Those who love will eventually be loved. Those who don't know how to love have to spend their lives learning. Tenderness may be an unanswerable blank. Companionship may be the deepest misunderstanding. And how many years will it take for you to understand—— Some people spend a lifetime learning to say goodbye. Some people spend a lifetime learning to wait. And it took him his entire youth to learn to recognize: Who is companionship, who is love.