After the transfer student, Caleb, appeared, I started to slowly forget my childhood sweetheart. We became deskmates, running into each other in every corner of the city. My memories with my childhood sweetheart faded, the protagonist replaced by Caleb and me. Looking at him made my heart race and my temperature rise. It felt like we were destined to be together, guided by an invisible hand. 1 Caleb and I were locked in the equipment room again. He was the new transfer student, handsome with a rebellious edge, broad shoulders, and long legs. Rumor had it that when he accidentally lifted his shirt while playing basketball, revealing his eight-pack abs, he became the hot topic among all the girls in school. The teacher assigned him as my deskmate, explaining earnestly that since his grades were poor and I was number one, maybe I could help him improve. I neither agreed nor disagreed, but I didn't object. We barely spoke after becoming deskmates. But for some reason, we kept running into each other after school. Everywhere, including but not limited to the supermarket, the bookstore, and now, the equipment room. And without fail, it was always pouring rain or a power outage—basically creating a "closed circle" scenario. Like now, I just came to return a badminton racket after evening study hall, yet somehow ended up locked inside with Caleb. The light fixture sizzled twice, then with a pop, the power cut out. It seemed to have blown a fuse. This was the third time this month. Even for coincidences, the probability was a bit too high. Caleb stood by the window, looking at the security bars, his voice nonchalant. "Looks like we can't get out. We're stuck here, Julia." My phone was back in the classroom. The pitch-black room offered zero visibility, only the moonlight filtering in outlined vague shapes. From afar, I could hear laughter from the sports field. And the tick-tock, tick-tock of the clock hands turning. "Are you afraid of the dark?" In the lightless environment, the sound of heartbeats seemed amplified. Caleb seemed to move, his voice low. "There's light here, come over." I thought for a moment. "Do you have a lighter?" He chuckled lightly. "Aren't you a good student? I brought cigarettes, but my lighter got confiscated today." After a pause, he added, "Nicotine isn't good for you, it just numbs emotions sometimes. You shouldn't smoke." His words carried a faint loneliness that invited exploration. Was his childhood tragic? Did he have a flawed family background? Question after question floated up in my mind like bubbles, or dominoes being toppled. He looked lonely; maybe I should comfort him, preferably with a hug. The dominoes were halfway down, feelings of pity just sprouting, when I frowned and pinched them off. This wasn't right. This was strange. I looked at him confusedly, offering no extra explanation. "No lighter is fine, give me the cigarette pack." I happened to have two AA batteries in my pocket, spares from the lab today that I didn't use. Now they could be used to start a fire. Caleb handed me the pack. I deftly pulled out the foil paper, folded it, and tore it into the shape I needed. There was a pile of waste paper in the equipment room. I squatted down and pinched the foil to the ends of the battery. One second, two seconds— With a fizz, the foil ignited and fell onto the waste paper, sparking a bright flame. The room lit up, smoke billowed out the window, and the sprinkler system overhead kicked in, showering us with water. Exclamations came from outside the door; people were rushing over. When the equipment room door opened, the bright lights illuminated the stunned expression on Caleb's face. I stood up and said politely, "Thanks for the cigarette pack. I'll buy you a new one." I wasn't afraid of the dark, and of course, I didn't smoke. But I had no intention of explaining any of this to Caleb. Identifying problems and solving them promptly—that was one of my life mottos. 2 Arson on school grounds, even for self-rescue, was dangerous behavior and warranted criticism. Honestly, if Caleb hadn't insisted it was all him and had nothing to do with me, I would have been out sooner. He insisted on taking the fall for me. I tried to argue but couldn't win, so I silently watched the dean give him a comprehensive lecture on "tough love." Once Caleb left, the dean turned to me, his stormy expression instantly clearing up. He lectured me lightly, then coughed twice. "Going to the competition training camp soon, right? I never worry about your grades. But Julia, you look too thin. Don't forget your health while studying. Let me know if you have any difficulties." Unsurprisingly, I nodded. "Okay, thank you, sir." Leaving the office, Leo was waiting for me at the door. He had beautiful eyes—double eyelids with slightly drooping corners, making him look gentle and harmless. When he wasn't smiling, he seemed a bit cool, but when he smiled, he was completely disarming and reserved. We grew up together, and I had never seen him angry. Most of the time, he was smiling. I sometimes teased him about having a face that promised peace and prosperity. "I heard everything." His voice was the same—gentle and clear, always full of patience. "Did you burn yourself starting the fire?" "Such a childish experiment, how could I mess up?" Seeing his familiar, handsome face, I relaxed a bit and proudly held up a number. "I have at least five other ways to start a fire." Leo was silent for a few seconds. "That's dangerous too. Is there a way to get out without fire?" I glanced at him. "Yes, waiting for you to find me, but that's too slow." We walked side by side out of the school. "It's okay if it's slow, safety is more important," Leo handed me a bag of fresh food. "...By the way, that boy named Caleb was also waiting for you at the door just now." The bag contained fresh walnut kernels he had peeled for me. Since I started competing, he worried about me overusing my brain and brought me nutritional supplements every day—sometimes homemade peanut milk, sometimes peeled walnuts. Every day, for ten years. Busy opening the bag for a late-night snack, I said indifferently, "Oh." As for why he left or what he was waiting for, I didn't care much. My social circle had always been narrow because I wasn't interested. Socializing is utilitarian by nature. People who accept my personality and want to be friends usually want something—so if it was important, Caleb would tell me. "Julia." Almost at my door, Leo paused. "Actually..." Before he could finish, click, the door opposite mine opened. "Julia?" A tall boy carrying a cardboard box just happened to open the door next to mine. He looked dusty, like he was moving. After a few seconds of surprise, he raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You live here too?" The air seemed to sprout a different aura. I looked at him quietly, fingers on my wrist, counting my heart rate. I knew my vital signs like the back of my hand, so I knew my heart was accelerating. Pulse racing, blood flow speeding up, uncontrollable heat radiating from my face, body temperature rising. In this midsummer night, faced with uncontrollable physiological reactions, my thoughts were incredibly clear. That strange feeling of being controlled by hormones appeared again. I hummed a "Yes." Caleb chuckled lightly. "Looks like we're neighbors starting today." Analyzing the emotions in his pupils and the subtle changes in his face, I confirmed one thing again—he wasn't lying. Like the numerous coincidences before, this wasn't pre-planned by him. He knew nothing about it, at least in this aspect, just like me. After spending some time together, judging by my deskmate's IQ, I didn't think he had such good acting skills or would do something seemingly purposeless. "Quite a coincidence," I paused. "The previous owner just decided to go abroad last month." The decision to go abroad was also abrupt. The uncle who lived there had expressed satisfaction with his life here, but the day Caleb transferred, he suddenly sold the house through an agent, saying he wanted to explore the world. The neighbor uncle had always been a content layabout. Frankly, such a decision didn't fit my impression of him. But people are changeable and complex. This strange event was discussed at our dinner table, and later dismissed with "life is always full of drama." But combined with Caleb's appearance today, things were heading in a weird direction. Maybe Caleb knew something about the uncle selling the house. "I just happened to like this apartment. Julia, feels like I keep running into you," Caleb's silhouette looked even more handsome in the dark. He seemed to glance ambiguously at the silent Leo beside me, then lowered his eyes to look at me again, his eyes and voice full of laughter. "Looks like we have quite the fate." I lowered my eyes quietly, a feeling of "as expected" rising in my heart. Most coincidences in this world seemed explainable by "fate," but in reality, they were intentional. As for who did it and how, it had nothing to do with ethereal luck. His train of thought was completely different from mine, or maybe he wasn't thinking at all. I instantly lost the desire to discuss this coincidence with him. But it was no big deal. After all, most people I met couldn't think on the same frequency as me. "Maybe," I answered casually, politely saying goodbye. "Bye, Caleb." "See you tomorrow, little deskmate." Caleb's eyes curved, revealing them to be very affectionate peach blossom eyes. But he didn't leave. He just stood there looking at me, as if waiting for something. I unlocked the door, took my backpack from Leo, looked up into his beautiful clear eyes, and paused slightly. Leo had been quiet, not interrupting Caleb and me, not leaving early. He always watched me go inside before going upstairs to his own home. Nothing seemed to have changed, at least on the surface. But we had been childhood sweethearts for over a decade. I easily sensed something was wrong. Even just a tiny bit. So after 0.1 seconds of thought, I grabbed Leo's wrist. "I want a fruit bowl." Lied. I didn't want one. Although Leo made everything delicious, and his desserts suited my taste. Leo paused, his gaze lingering on my fingertips holding him, his voice as gentle as ever. "Okay." I pulled him inside. Before closing the door, I only had time to nod politely at Caleb. 3 My parents were rarely home due to work, so I was usually alone. I ate lunch and dinner at school, and on weekends, Leo took care of meals. I paid him according to his labor. He refused at first, but I always found a way to make him accept. After sunset, Leo rarely came to my house alone to be in a closed room with me. He always cared about these details and sternly warned me, "Don't just stay alone in a closed room with others at night. What if they're bad people?" I found it strange. "Are you 'others'? Or are you a bad person?" He was silent for a few seconds, his voice gentle but firm. "Even me, not allowed." Fine—it didn't matter to me anyway. I wouldn't let any boy other than him into my house at night. I nodded to show I listened. He relaxed, a familiar smile gradually filling his dark, gentle eyes. Leo was different from others. I had my own judgment standards. He was the only person with whom, despite our different thinking frequencies, I was willing to share my thoughts. Maybe because whatever I said, he would listen seriously. Like now. He was wearing gloves, pitting lychees for me in the kitchen. The snow-white, crystal-clear flesh was neatly stacked in a glass bowl, clean and translucent, looking excellent. "Caleb gives me a different feeling from others," I said slowly. "It's weird." Was it a magnetic field, hormones, or some kind of drug? Leo stopped, thought for a few seconds. "What kind of weird?" I honestly told Leo about my strange reactions, like accelerated heartbeat, rising body temperature, and intrusive thoughts. Leo stopped talking and sighed slowly. His eyelashes were thick and black, the kind girls would envy. Those clear eyes held a bit of helplessness. Because he understood what I meant. He chose his words carefully. "Julia, if you study Caleb, you'll use legal means, right?" Meanwhile, I was deep in thought. "Physical exams are coming up. I need to find a way to get a blood sample from Caleb." Leo: "..." He silently divided a small bowl of lychees for me. I didn't intend to continue the topic, as it would take some time to observe and confirm my hypothesis. I readily picked up a piece with a strawberry metal fork, biting into the fresh lychee flesh. The cool, sweet juice filled my mouth. I squinted in satisfaction, mumbling, "Of course, I can't rule out pure coincidence, or the possibility that I'm just attracted to him." Objectively speaking, Caleb could be considered a likeable boy. So even if there was a 0.01% chance, it was possible. I was a science student; I deeply understood the need for rigor in drawing conclusions. Leo's movements paused imperceptibly, then he lowered his eyes. I finally confirmed my feeling wasn't wrong. I looked at Leo with some surprise, thinking, He's really unhappy. Second time tonight—even if just a little bit. So why was he unhappy? After all, most of the time, Leo's emotions were as stable as a lake. But he didn't give me a chance to ask. He put the semi-finished lychee jelly into the fridge and said gently, "I'll help you finish it tomorrow." I blinked. "My fruit bowl?" "If you don't want to eat, don't force yourself," Leo took off his gloves and gave his conclusion calmly. "I'm going back. Sleep early, Julia." After ten years together, he seemed to know everything about me. I said "Oh," not denying his words. Instead, I casually forked the last piece of lychee in the bowl to his lips. Leo looked down at my fingers, seemingly freezing for two seconds, before carefully biting along the edge of the fruit. He avoided the strawberry fork and my hand. But that tiny bit of strange emotion had vanished. Watching the faint blush on his ears and his hasty turn, I said contentedly, "Goodnight." "Goodnight." Although I didn't understand why he was unhappy, it didn't matter. I was equally adept at making him happy. 4 I woke up before dawn. Getting dressed and ready to open the door, I hesitated for a moment. But soon, I turned the handle. Then, unsurprisingly, the same sound came from across the hall. Caleb was wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, hair messy, eyes foggy as if he hadn't woken up. Seeing me, he paused. "Julia?" This encounter still showed no signs of deliberate planning. I had run into him too many times in the morning before, so today I purposely left two and a half hours early. 4:30 AM. This time absolutely didn't fit Caleb's normal schedule. But I still ran into him. "Why are you up so early?" He raised an eyebrow in surprise, then teased with a half-smile. "Is this how top students are?" Of course not. Even if I loved studying, I was human and needed sufficient sleep. How could I wake up at 4:30 every day? Today was just an accident. I answered with a question. "And you? Why are you up so early?" "I heard a kitten." At the mention, Caleb frowned. "I've raised many cats. This one sounds injured." He paused, then said, "I'm going down to look for it." We lived on the second floor. I didn't hear a cat, but he did. Of course, this didn't prove anything. Maybe he was a light sleeper, left his window open, or the cat was closer to him. But either way, it was a bit far-fetched. So these coincidences might really be influenced by some supernatural factors. Having confirmed part of my hypothesis, I should have turned back and gone to sleep. But whether from reason or intuition, I couldn't suppress the surging curiosity and desire for knowledge. If there really was a mysterious force urging Caleb and me to be alone together, I admitted, it succeeded. I was silent for a few seconds. "I'll help you look." "Okay." Caleb agreed readily, but fished something out from his entryway. It was a bottle of mosquito repellent. His hand with distinct knuckles held the small green bottle, and he naturally squatted down. "Lots of mosquitoes now. Don't get bitten." I was wearing school-issued long pants, but having grown taller, the legs were a bit short, revealing a bit of ankle. The sprayed mist created a Tyndall effect in the dim hallway light. I looked down at Caleb, fingers on my wrist again. Heartbeat accelerated again. Caleb put back the repellent, turned on his phone flashlight, and casually instructed, "Your building stairs are steep. I'll go first. Watch your step, don't fall." I took a step down, and my clear head suddenly felt a pang of pain. Blurry memories surged, frame by frame, scene by scene, all of the same person. It was a little boy. Every time before going out, he would spray mosquito repellent for me. When I got bitten, he would bring a small jar of light-colored balm, apply it to the red swelling, and sternly tell me not to scratch. "The more you scratch, the itchier it gets. If you break the skin, it'll scar..." In the evening, we went to the park to see fireflies. He held a flashlight and stood in front of me, telling me to walk slowly. He was taller than me, back to me, backlit, I couldn't see his face. But the moonlight was beautiful that day. The river shimmered like silver sand and satin, carrying lotus-shaped river lanterns one after another. The little boy sat beside me, his figure gradually, gradually merging with Caleb in front of me, becoming identical. I stopped in a daze. "What's wrong?" Caleb turned to look at me. I stared at him, suddenly having a very subtle premonition. I stopped the moment I felt off-balance. If I continued, would I suddenly miss a step? Caleb in front of me might catch me, or I might knock him down—but we would inevitably have physical contact. My heartbeat would become irregular, body temperature rise, blood circulation accelerate, dopamine secretion increase, and my head would become even more muddled. I would ask him if he was that little boy from the past. Was it him? Was it really him? Childhood memories suddenly became so blurry to me. Where did I live? Was he my playmate? Did this memory really exist? Did I forget something? I pressed my temples, whispered I was fine, and continued downstairs silently. "Caleb." The moment I stepped out of the stairwell, I asked him, "Did you catch fireflies in the past?" He didn't look back, voice relaxed. "I lived here as a kid, right by the river. How could I not have done that?" "Is that so?" I didn't press. But the next second, Caleb turned around, smiling at me with raised eyebrows. "Why, did you catch them too? Maybe we've met—I even helped a little girl catch them when I was small." Click. All the clues fit together perfectly, flawlessly. This memory was like a pearl buried by long years—white, clean, crystal clear, tempting passersby to touch. Caleb pulled a kitten with an injured right hind leg from the low bushes. It looked like a stray, fur matted and dirty, original color unrecognizable. But its eyes were clear blue. It mewed weakly, leaning obediently against Caleb. Caleb held it in his arms without disdain, looking gentle, soothing it in a low voice. "Need to take it to the hospital," he said. "Looks like it stepped in a trap. Needs a splint." At this hour, most vet clinics were closed. But I happened to know an owner who would open. Another vague memory surfaced in my mind. A little boy and I holding a cat, walking urgently on the road, knocking on different clinic doors. Only one clinic opened. A young woman in a mask looked at us in surprise, then took the cat. The boy looked up, telling the doctor about the cat's condition. His dirty hands were stained with the cat's blood. The night breeze blew a strand of hair on the back of his head. His back was thin but straight. I looked up at Caleb in front of me. As if by some destined fate, his messy short hair was blown by the wind, his T-shirt billowing to reveal a lean figure, exactly like back then. Dawn was breaking. The morning glow plated his hair, his fingertips, his dark pupils with a shallow layer of gold, gentle and beautiful. My heart was suddenly soaked in an emotion that could be called warmth, wet. Perhaps in this moment, the look I gave Caleb was also wet. I thought: [He's so good.] I thought: [I remember it all.] I thought: [So that's how it was.] I thought: [I might be a little...] The pounding heart, rapid breathing, the summer night waiting side by side for dawn. No one wouldn't be moved, right? Like a god whispering in my ear. But I took a step back, withdrawing from such warm emotions without hesitation. I thought: [Thief, liar, ridiculous, nonsense.] I thought: [Whatever is at work, stop it.] Caleb looked at me, a silent inquiry. I lowered my eyes, voice calm. "I'll give you the number." "Hmm?" "The owner of this vet clinic will open at this hour." I moved quickly, taking a notepad and pen from my pocket, writing a number and handing it to him. "Just take the kitten there." "You're not coming with me?" Caleb sounded surprised. "I have things to do," I turned without hesitation. "I'll visit it later." My mind was probably being controlled. It sounded incredible, but with so many unsolved mysteries, maybe a higher-dimensional force really existed. Besides certainty, I felt a long-lost anger.
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