(Continued)

"Not really...... It's just that they've been doing so much for me that I'm not assertive, and I feel like I'm going to be independent......"

I took a deep breath and said, "That's it...... But it's a shame that I didn't make it to the track and field team or professional baseball, and it would be a shame to waste that talent......"

"No, now that I think about it, it's hard to say whether that road can go down or not......" he continued with an awkward smile, "Maybe I'm the kind of person who is easy to give up halfway......

"There's still time, there are some things that don't need to be rushed to come up with answers right away......" I was silent for a moment, and then I came up with an idea, and then whispered, "If you want advice...... Or...... Do you want to study abroad like me? ”

Sure enough, I still don't dare to say all the countries where I studied abroad, otherwise, my intentions would be too obvious.

"Study abroad? I never thought of it......," he said, "but since it was your suggestion, I would have considered it seriously." ”

With that, he sneezed, apparently catching a cold.

"I said, it's raining, don't you put on an umbrella or a raincoat? And I still have so few clothes to wear, I feel cold when I look at it......"

"Because I'm here for a run, I didn't expect it to rain heavily......" he laughs awkwardly.

"Really, you might as well look at the weather forecast! I can't help you, let's use an umbrella......"

"Huh?"

"Eh, what? Let's take shelter from the rain in my rented place, it's not far from here anyway...... "For some reason, the more I talked, the more embarrassed I became.

***

Walking through the rain with two umbrellas in their hands, I could feel his body temperature so clearly that I didn't dare to look at him all the way, and as a result, I took longer than usual to rent back the house. When I came to the door of the rental house, I couldn't help but hesitate. Speaking of which, Huabiao and the pharmacist also live here, and I suddenly brought him over, what gossip will these two people gossip?

"Oh, I haven't seen you for a while, how did you bring your boyfriend back? Two people hold an umbrella, looking so intimate! Is it where to go on a date? Sure enough, as soon as I entered the door, I was teased by Huabiao.

"Nothing like that! We just bumped into each other by chance! ”

I wanted to explain quickly, but I didn't expect to say it with him in unison, and now I can't explain it clearly.

"Kintaro-kun, you're here," the pharmacist came out of the back room, "just in time, there's a graduate student here who is very interested in you, if you can, let's talk to him." ”

I didn't expect Nakano-senpai to come too. We majored in similar majors, so I often asked him for help when my thesis hit a bottleneck, and he really helped me a lot.

"Nanli, I read your thesis for you again, and it has been completed quite well, so there is no problem in preparing for the defense after the winter vacation!"

"No, no, it's all thanks to the enthusiastic guidance of the seniors."

"Are you the same Minami Kintaro that Nan-Sato mentioned by Nan-Sato?" The senior said, "I heard about your experience from Nanli-san, and I thought it was very interesting. ”

"Hello......" he bowed to the senior very stiffly.

"If you can, tell us all about it."

"Is that okay? Then I'll bother ......"

***

I will never forget that day.

Regarding baseball, Kintaro said a lot as if he had opened up a conversation. He said everything he hadn't told me before. I'm afraid it's because of Nakano-senpai, who, like a magician, made a boy who usually doesn't talk much so talkative. Sure enough, Senior Nakano is a teacher, and he is also a role model worth learning from, but it's a pity that I met him a little late.

When they were talking, Huabiao deliberately only made a cup of tea for the senior, and gave me a wink. I sighed and had to make myself a cup of tea for Kintaro. But watching him enjoy drinking this cup of tea, I felt warm in my own heart.

Towards noon, the rain stopped, and he took his leave.

Will we have a chance to meet after graduation? If we had the opportunity to meet, what would it be like for each other? After that day, all I had on my mind was these questions.

***

"Don't worry, Mom, the graduation ceremony is over."

"That's good, pack up everything, don't leave anything behind......"

I really didn't expect my mother to suddenly call me at this time. I was busy preparing for the thesis defense during the Spring Festival this year, and I didn't return to China, but graduation is just around the corner, is it necessary to spend so much money on long-distance travel?

"By the way, there's one thing I forgot to ask, did you get a boyfriend over there?"

I was speechless, and it took me a while before I could barely get the word "no" out of my mouth.

"Really...... It's almost time for you to think about these things, although your generation is not as anxious about this marriage event as our generation, but the good years pass in a flash, and it will not be so easy to find a partner when the time comes...... By the way, I have a few good guys here, since you haven't found a partner yet, why don't you go and meet when you return home? ”

"Let's talk about it then......"

After hanging up the phone, I sat on the bed and was silent for a long time. I seemed to understand why I would rather study away from home in the first place than to study abroad – I was afraid that I just wanted to be away from my parents and be independent from them.

Speaking of which, Kintaro seemed to have told me that day that he wanted to leave his parents after graduation. In that sense, we're really like......

But no matter how much I want to be independent, I still have to return to my hometown in the end, and this day is finally coming.

And then when I get married......

Thinking of this, my heart suddenly ached, and tears were about to flow out.

What the hell do I think?

In fact, the answer is very simple: I like him, the kind of love I want to be with him. I don't know when this kind of emotion began, maybe it was in contact with him again and again, that mood full of expectations for him gradually became such an emotion. I should have realized this a long time ago, but I kept avoiding such thoughts, and it wasn't until I had that dream that day that I realized how reluctant I was to be separated from him, how unwilling I was to let him be with other women.

But time is running out for me...... But if I can do it all over again, or if I have another month or so, I want to try to take the initiative, I want to get closer to him, even if I break up in the end, I probably won't regret it like I do now.