Deep Sea Space

“You can borrow this Walkman and listen to it. Maybe it’ll make you feel a little better.” Smiling took the Walkman out of his schoolbag, plugged in the earphones, and held it out to Dong Qiu. “What a quiet, gentle song. What’s it called?” Dong Qiu closed his eyes and savored every lyric. At that moment, he was immersed in what felt like a warm ocean, surrounded by an unending tenderness. “Deep Sea Space.” “My favorite line in it is: ‘Time together is just never quite enough…’ Why don’t you try translating it?” Dong Qiu lowered his head shyly. He hadn’t worked very hard at school, and he couldn’t think of a single word to say. Smiling looked at Dong Qiu’s flushed face and decided not to tease him any further. “It means: ‘The time we spend together is always too short.’” “But… I like to translate it as: ‘Even a lifetime spent in loving devotion isn’t enough.’” “Thank you, Smiling!”