Episode 1: The Summer He Walked In
Life contains several unforgettable moments—or more precisely, distinct, paused time nodes. This sets the stage for Y/N’s story, which begins in middle school, specifically in Grade 8. During math class, while the teacher explains the Pythagorean theorem, Y/N is completely distracted, captivated by a mother bird feeding its young outside the window.
“Y/N! Answer the question!” the teacher’s voice snapped her back.
“I… the mother bird… feeds the chicks carefully… then hops to another branch…” Y/N recounted, describing every detail she had observed.
Her teacher, whom her friends call “Old Chen,” scowled. “Focus, Y/N! This is an attitude problem. I’ll be calling your parents tomorrow.”
Her friends whispered, “Sorry… I didn’t mean to get you caught.”
Y/N groaned. “It’s not your fault. I just… his voice is hypnotic. I can’t stay awake unless I find something to do.”
“Want to come with us to the bookstore? Fu Zhengchu and the others are buying study materials.”
“No thanks,” Y/N muttered, flipping her notebook shut. “Not in the mood today.”
That evening, her mother called, “Y/N, take this fruit upstairs for your brother.”
Carrying a watermelon, Y/N tiptoed to Zayne’s room—and froze. A tall, impossibly handsome young man stood there.
[[MORE]]“Zayne… did you get plastic surgery?” she blurted.
From behind her, Zayne smirked. “You only miss me when you need help, huh?”
The stranger stepped forward politely. “Hello, I’m Caleb,” he said, holding out his hand.
“You’re… his friend?” Y/N asked, flustered.
“Yes. Your brother asked me to stop by,” Caleb replied calmly.
Zayne rolled his eyes. “Don’t let him spoil you.”
Caleb handed Y/N a slice of fruit. “Don’t mind him. Here—take this.”
Y/N hesitated, then accepted it. “Thanks…”
“You’re encouraging her!” Zayne groaned.
“She’s polite,” Caleb said softly, smiling.
The next morning, Y/N tugged at Zayne’s sleeve. “Can you come with me to the parent-teacher meeting?”
“Nope. You only want me around when you’re in trouble,” he said with a smirk.
Y/N’s eyes filled with tears, and she ran to her mother, hiding behind Caleb. “Mom! Zayne hit me!”
Her mother scolded Zayne and took him away. Y/N peeked at Caleb. “This is how we always do things,” she said with a small grin.
He tilted his head. “You want me to help you?”
“No. You wouldn’t anyway,” she replied. Then her eyes sparkled with mischief. “But… can you pretend to be my brother for the meeting tomorrow?”
Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes! I was punished even though I answered correctly.”
He laughed softly. “Alright. Where’s your school?”
“Xuri Middle School. Grade 8, Class 1. My name is Y/N.”
“And your age?”
“Fourteen.”
“You’re so short,” he teased. “At thirty, you’ll still look eighteen.”
Y/N rolled her eyes. “And you might be mistaken for my father.”
Caleb smirked. “Got it. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
Y/N hugged the fox doll she had taken from his luggage. “Will you really come?”
“You’ll find out,” Caleb said mysteriously, walking out the door.
Y/N smiled, clutching the doll. “I hope so…”
Years later, Y/N, now a high school junior, eagerly helped Zayne move his things back to the main campus near her school. When he asked if she wanted to carry his luggage, she hesitated for only a moment before adding, “And Caleb’s too!”
Zayne raised an eyebrow. “You really want to carry his stuff?”
“Of course!” she said, smiling brightly. Their parents overheard and encouraged her insistence, leaving Zayne with no choice but to let her.
At the dorm, she spotted Caleb again. His eyes flicked to the Sunny Apple plushie in her hands, and he smirked.
“You’re a thief,” he joked, pretending to scold her. “Did you steal my Sunny Apple?”
“I don’t play with plushies anymore!” Y/N huffed, clutching it tighter.
Caleb feigned anger. “Then I’ll throw it away!”
“Fine, I’ll keep it,” she surrendered, though secretly happy he had even noticed.
Inside, she met Zayne’s roommate, Qian Fei, who immediately commented on her cuteness. Caleb gestured for her to sit beside him.
“I’m not little!” Y/N protested, flustered.
The roommates discussed dinner, and Caleb reluctantly excused himself for his part-time job. Before leaving, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Sunny Apple is yours to keep.”
Curious, Y/N leaned toward Qian Fei. “Was it a gift from a girlfriend?”
Qian Fei shook his head. “Nope. He’s too busy to date. It’s a prize from some event.”
Declining dinner, Y/N walked home clutching Sunny Apple, and her thoughts drifted to a book she had taken from Caleb’s room, The End of Eternity. She turned the pages slowly, realizing she couldn’t quite comprehend it—an unintentional symbol of the distance between them.
Later that night, she called Caleb under the pretense that she had left her essay notebook at his place.
“I can have Zayne bring it over,” Caleb offered casually.
“I… haven’t started it yet,” she admitted, biting her lip.
He paused, understanding her unspoken plea. “You should be honest with your teacher,” he said gently, “but I can help. Meet me at the bus station tomorrow at 6:40 AM. I’ll make sure you get it done.”
Excitement coursed through her, and she set her alarm extra early. Clutching Sunny Apple, she fell asleep with a flutter of anticipation, remembering their enigmatic farewell from middle school and wondering if he would really show up in the morning.
divider: @/madamesocs
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