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On scorching summer days, sweltering heat, even the slightest breeze struggled to move. The entire town of Arcadia was immersed in an unusually profound silence. In the afternoon, as the burning golden orb shifted toward the center of its cosmic realm, the recently paved asphalt road emitted waves of low-quality odor under the scorching heat. Pedestrians on the street crept, and at the intersection, on the benches, sat Senator Nuñez’s daughter. Those in a hurry might fail to notice, but a closer look revealed that she had meticulously dressed herself. The lavender sports outfit accentuated her ivory-like skin, which lacked a rosy glow, making her appear pale. Her ebony hair was neatly combed back into a gentle ponytail, cute yet capable—except for the conspicuous strand of white hair on her forehead. The plush teddy bear hanging from her shoulder bag drooped its head, mirroring its owner's apparent indifference, perhaps due to prolonged waiting.Her toes tapped the ground rhythmically, not to the beat of music playing in her headphones. The faces of children in front of the ice cream truck changed a few times, yet she remained seated, quiet as an angel statue. The time passed since her date with Lake to walk together to the pool to change the mood had been quite long, and he had yet to appear. She wouldn't have this much patience normally and would have likely set off on the way to Lake's house by now. However, for some reason she chose to stay here today. Upon reflection, it didn't seem strange at all, as such situations were not uncommon on their dates, and the feeling of endless waiting is more like an old friend to her.As her phone screen lit up, she quickly glanced at it, and was Jim.「Barbara is sick, needs care. Can't make it to the date, another day perhaps. 」The familiarity in his words was akin to the Shakespearean script she had long memorized. With her offer to help take care for Barbara was briskly declined by him, the conversation ended with her responding with a simple "okay." She then looked elsewhere, and at that moment, a child playing nearby accidentally dropped the ice cream cone he had just bought. It melted quickly on the ground, turning into a colorful puddle. The sight of the crying child seemed to release the exhaustion that had been building up in her, perhaps for the first time in a long while. She found herself questioning: Why do you still endure this prolonged wait? Have you ever thought of it?Had she?No. It's was quite clearly. A Nuñez wouldn't do something they would regret. Just like now, without much hesitation, she stood up and walked toward the main road. Since it was a prearranged plan and there was no compelling reason to overturn it, wasting too much time on sighs and disappoint would be unwise. Besides, before meeting each other, they were independent individuals at first, and now she was simply returning to her initial state.She should feel fortunate because she was someone who could wake up from clichéd emotional stories at any time.This realization became more apparent when she saw the serene blue waters of the pool. Hidden by lush trees, the pool formed a rare oasis of coolness compared to the town, dominated by the scorching sun. Sunlight was disrupted by the woods, either diverted around them or accidentally scattered into the blue water, causing even the incessant summer insects to fall into a peaceful slumber. She was lucky, the pool was unusually deserted as the shift between afternoon and evening approached. Apart from someone on the opposite side responsible for cleaning the pool, and with the departure of the last swimmer, the entire expansive pool was left to her alone. She casually removed her outer clothing, revealing a lavender swimsuit, and barefoot, stepped onto the soft green grass and entered the woods. However, a brief moment of hesitation crossed her mind when she approached the edge of the pool. Although Lake had proposed this exercise and promised to teach her, she wasn't particularly skilled at it herself, and today was supposed to be their agreed-upon practice session.Oh, forget about him. She cursed in her mind. Not being proficient doesn't mean complete incompetence. She had watched various sports channels a few times, and doesn’t everything starts from scratch? Self-learning is also a way, you will never know until you try. Closing her eyes and putting aside any further thoughts, she plunged into the water. Instantly, a refreshing and gentle sensation enveloped her entire body, with a strange, familiar feeling mixed in— Do you know what it feels like to fall into a pile of cotton? But made of frost and even more profound.As she freely stretched her limbs, she instinctively surfaced to breathe. The rapid transition between cold and warmth was a bit uncomfortable, but the seamless and continuous movements provided great encouragement— the color of cerulean embraced her. She finally understood why fish always appeared carefree. You will know when the icy, lively water droplets adhere to the skin, sliding over like velvet. Allowing yourself float with the rhythm of the waves lets you forget everything. In a moment, there could be a lifetime. Fish had no concept of time; all they did was entrust themselves entirely to the current that confined them. Now she could too, even if only temporarily. She knows that she has to return to the shore eventually, but she cannot deny the unique magic that water possesses.As she moved from the warm shallow areas to the increasingly profound unfamiliar depths of blue, that sense of familiarity drew closer to her. The mysterious sensation enveloped by the flowing water made her feel more fascinated. Deeper waters hid the void and tranquility she was eager to explore, almost to the point where she was forgetting to breathe. She forgot someone once told her: What accepts you can also devour you.Unfortunately, reality was indeed heading in that direction. In a moment near the pool's bottom, she suddenly felt discomfort in her chest, quickly spreading throughout her body. It's been a while since her exchanged the last breath at the surface, she underestimating the measurement of the breaths she takes. It was just a momentary lapse of attention, and by the time she realized she needed to call for help, it was too late. Her mind began to blur and tingle, endless sense of weightlessness washed over her. Fear consumed her thoughts as the gentle yet merciless water gradually stole her breath. Finally, she remembered where that familiar sensation originated— it was from her nightmares.In nightmares, there was a dark yellow swamp, with tendrils reaching out from the abyss, closely following her escape route and dragging her deeper into darkness. Despair surrounded her from all sides, and as people say: Beneath the calm and serene surface of the water lies dangerous whirlpools. It was a curse that seemed to be validated time and again.The profound hopelessness, pressing through her heart like an unbearable weight, seemed on the verge of exploding. Her consciousness was fading, as if everything would come to an end in this state. The congestion in her eyes from drowning made it difficult for her to discern anything around, except for the deep blue. It was only until she finally heard a loud splash from the other side. In the midst of this chaotic and desperate moment, within the endless cold, she felt someone suddenly grabbing her arm, pulling her gently towards the opposite side. Subsequently, another hand covered and supported her waist, this seemed to be the first time since entering the water that she felt the warmth from another person. Severely lacking oxygen forces her to grasped onto his forearm with determination and didn't let go until she finally, with all effort, saw his face.It was a pair of hazel eyes, and strands of indigo-tinted hair floated in the water. A sense of familiarity swept over her, urging her to outline the contours of his features. Even though he appeared somewhat indistinct in her current field of vision, she managed to capture his hesitant gaze. Then, resolutely, he leaned in, cradling her face gently. Closing his eyes, he gently brought his lips to hers and infused her with the breath that had kept her alive.~~~~~~
It felt as if a century had passed by the time she surfaced again. As if someone had suddenly opened a window in a dim room, shards of starlight bathed her at the moment she broke through the water.He had brought her ashore. It was no easy feat to rescue a drowning person, especially one consumed by fear, but he had managed to do so. The two of them eventually stopped on the green grass. Even though her ears were still buzzing, she could sense the heavy breathing of the person beside her. After all, she had deprived his breath ruthless without any courtesy underwater moments ago. When she slowly regained her senses, she realized she was still in his arms. Their breaths were close, and their hearts beat disarrayed in tandem. The temperature from him was continually transmitted, as staying in the water for an extended period made her momentarily unaccustomed to gravity, and the intense coughing fits left her with no dignity. Sensing her trembling, the person reached out to gently pat her back, easing her coughing.When gravity finally returned upon her, she was able to lifted her head to see the person in front of her. It was a youth with black hair streaked with cerulean blue, much taller than her. His punk vest and black jeans were already soaked, casually clinging to his body. This image overlapped with the stranger who had taken care of the pool on the opposite side, but at that time, the distance was too great, and she was more focused on the pool.However, this was not the main point. What surprised her even more was that, besides this, the face corresponded to someone she had seen on campus a week ago. She recalled the scene when Mary pulling her through the crowd excitedly to catch a glimpse of the unknown but mysterious figure, causing her to be squeezed out with her subject notes felling to the ground. There was a commotion, and all eyes turned to her.The time when she crouched down to pick up her notes, someone on the other side also bent down with hand covering the fallen book almost simultaneously as hers. She heard crowded that behind her gasp softly with disbelief. And the moment when she looked up and tried to figure out the situation, but only found his face with a smile in front of her."Seems like every time we met, it's like this." he said with a slightly hoarse Welsh accent.She couldn't hide her surprise as she scrutinized him, and he seemed to have seen through her tangled thoughts. This left her speechless, especially since the person opposed her continued to look at her kindly, with concern and worry that could no longer be concealed. Her frozen cheeks, affected by the pool water, suddenly felt a bit hot when she left his embrace and averted her eyes guiltily. At the same time, she heard him apologize,“Sorry for that.” his tone seeming weary due to the physical exertion but still sincere.For what? She looked up at him with a bit puzzled, but understood his meaning when his gaze moved down her cheek. Her mind suddenly became chaotic, contemplating whether there was any excuse she could use. However, when she read the apology in those eyes once again, she knew she should not evade like this any longer."Thanks a lot," she looked at him directly and sincerely uttered these words at the end. He had saved her life. It was hard to imagine what the outcome would have been if she had been left alone here today. The person in front of her also paused, and she caught the suspicious irregularity in his heartbeat, mirroring hers. The water had long returned to its calm appearance, but she understood that something had changed since the moment he grabbed her hand in the darkness and brought her safely back to shore. Especially when she saw that person who was finally coming, she started to believe that some things might be inevitable. It seemed like destiny always chose you, and at that moment of connection, neither of them wanted to let go. She found her reflection again in those tranquil lake-green eyes, and there is no reason for her to let him pass her by, especially when she noticed that something shimmered in his eyes now was similar to hers.What about now?"What should I do next?"She lowered her head, trying her best not to count the erratic beats of her heart. The panic from the moment of drowning seemed to return to her until she felt the warmth of fabric covering her exposed body. When she focused, she realized it was his worn-out black hoodie. There was still a hint of soda smell on it, probably from accidentally spilling it at the fast-food joint. Her fingers unintentionally slid into a rough yet warm palm, causing her to raise her head and scrutinize the youth in front of her. The soft afternoon sunlight spilled onto the grass not far from them."You're much better now, dear. If you don't mind, may I take you to the rest area for some medicine and warm tea?" Hazelnut eyes reflected a dazzling radiance in the sunlight, like if you intend to fall into the unfamiliar green forest on a summer afternoon by accident, but find a trace of rare peace in this familiar strangeness.She took his hand and stepped out of the shade before he even finished the last word without seconds, as if she were the orchestrator of this silent rendezvous.