Chapter 5
1291 Words
The sky was clear and blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily overhead.
Archer and his new friend, Jocelyn, had eaten many snacks for lunch.
They sat on a bench in the mall, enjoying the afternoon sun.
Jocelyn's azure pleated skirt fluttered in the breeze, revealing her slender, alabaster legs. Her feet swung up and down restlessly.
"Archer, will you be going back to school this afternoon?" Jocelyn asked as she looked up at the sky.
"No," Archer replied decisively.
His rebellious spirit was awakened, and he planned to skip half a day of classes.
After more than a decade of being, well-behaved, he could finally let loose.
Spending time with his best friends was far more enjoyable than being at school.
It was the first time in his life that he had experienced such joy, and it felt incredibly thrilling.
"Where will we be going this afternoon?" Jocelyn stepped closer to Archer.
The girl's subtle fragrance drifted into his nostrils.
Unknowingly, the two had transitioned from strangers to "us."
Archer paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you like fishing?"
Jocelyn frowned and shook her head repeatedly, "No, I've never caught a fish."
"Then I will take you fishing by the river. I'm an expert," Archer proclaimed confidently.
Every summer vacation, he spent some time in the countryside fishing with his grandfather—enjoying a very leisurely and pleasant life.
In fact, he was not an expert; he could count the total number of fish he had caught in his entire life on one hand.
"Alright then," Jocelyn said, a beautiful smile curving her lips, "you have to catch me a really big fathead fish."
Without hesitation, Archer went to a fishing tackle shop and purchased a very inexpensive fishing rod for just over a hundred dollars.
In the past, he might have hesitated to spend the money, but now it would be too late if he were to delay.
As they pass a convenience store, Jocelyn tugged at Archer's sleeve, "Let's buy some more food; we can eat by the river."
"Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?" Archer was completed speechless.
Jocelyn gazed at the convenience store's glass window and pleaded softly, "Just a little bit of snacks, please?"
Archer surrendered said, "Okay, okay, whatever you say."
"Yay! Let's go buy them!" Jocelyn was as joyful as a child.
Archer entered the store and casually selected some nuts, beef jerky, cookies, and similar item from the shelves.
After all, they had just met, and he didn't know what kind of food she liked.
A small bookstore was located next to the convenience store. When Archer came out, he saw Jocelyn scrolling through her phone, reading some silly jokes and laughing heartily to herself.
"Wow, the things you read are truly profound," Archer teased.
Jocelyn, of course, knew he was being sarcastic and responded dismissively, "Life is about being happy; why bother with all that depth?"
"That is understandable. The greater your knowledge, the happier you are likely to be," Archer agreed.
"Exactly. Whether you are a scientist, a thinker, or a philosopher, you will eventually have to die eventually," Jocelyn remarked casually.
As a young person, she appeared to have no reservations about the word "death."
At first, Archer was taken aback, then he muttered to himself, "Hmm, I'm going to die too." The school was built against the mountain, with a river flowing through the city at its base.
The green water flowed gently, its gently rippling.
The afternoon sun cast golden light reflecting on the river.
Archer baited his hook, cast his line gracefully, and then sat cross-legged on the pebbles by the riverbank.
He remained calm and composed.
Suddenly, a silvery laugh echoed in his ears, shattering his composure.
"Please lower your voice so as not to scare my fish away."
"Sorry, this joke is so funny that you have to see it." Jocelyn handed her phone over to Archer.
"Someone as sophisticated as I am, watching such childish jokes?" Archer said with disdain.
"Please take a look!" Jocelyn pleaded in a coquettish manner.
Archer glanced at it briefly, and those two glances set him on a path of no return.
"Hahahaha..." Before they knew it, their heads were close together, watching a childish, silly joke, their laughter rising and falling.
Jocelyn had a very low threshold for laughter; even the most ordinary jokes could make her burst out laughing.
Archer, who usually had a high threshold for laughter, couldn't help but laugh as the girl beside him joined in.
Fearing that laughing too loudly might disturb the fish in the water, he struggled to hold it in.
"Archer, please get out your snacks; I want some," Jocelyn pleaded.
Archer pulled out a plastic bag beside him and said, "There are nuts, biscuits, and beef jerky. What do you want?"
"You choose for me, I like everything." Food enthusiasts are not selective eaters.
Archer casually pulled out a bag of cookies and handed it to her.
Jocelyn tore open the packaging eagerly and took a bite, "So crispy, you should try one too." she said.
"My stomach is so full that I don't want any," Archer drawled.
Jocelyn grabbed a cookie and rushed it into his mouth, complaining, "So fussy." The cookie was crisp and sweet, yet it could not rival to the sweetness of the girl's smile.
Archer entirely forgot his expertise in fishing and ended up watching the whole event with Jocelyn.
One viewing was not sufficient; he needed to watch it again.
Like two fools, they pursued the purest joy until their necks grew so stiff could no longer endure it, only then did they lift their heads to stretch.
Suddenly recalling his task, he lifted his fishing rod to find that the bait had already been completely eaten.
Time passed like petals drifting down one by one, the shadows on the ground growing increasing slanted.
In the past, Archer found the afternoons especially unbearable during class, but today, from noon until sunset, they seemed to pass in an instant.
The setting sun on the horizon cast a golden glow on the faces of the young man and woman.
"I'm going to catch the 6:10 bus home," Jocelyn said, standing up and stretching.
"I haven't caught a single fish yet," Archer muttered.
"You look like a fathead fish, all silly," Jocelyn teased.
The two left the riverbank and ascended the long stone steps to the snack street.
Passing by a dessert shop, Jocelyn paused once more, glazing absently at the exquisite cakes displayed in the window.
"Seriously? Are you hungry again?" Archer asked, surprised.
"No, you said you don't get along with your family, so why not buy them a cake? Eating sweets brings happiness," Jocelyn said sincerely.
Had someone else make this suggestion, Archer would have refused it outright.
More than a decade of estrangement from his family could not be repaired by a small cake.
But when he met Jocelyn's gaze, the words of refusal caught in his throat.
This girl sincerely wanted to help him mend his relationship with his family.
She believed that the warmth of humanity could conquer the coldness of the world.
Ultimately, Archer purchased a strawberry cake at Jocelyn’s suggestion. It was somewhat expensive, and he felt a twinge of regret as he made payment.
The two walked to the bus stop near the school gate, just as the number 19 bus arrived.
"Goodbye, Archer." Jocelyn waved before boarding the bus.
"Goodbye, my friend." Archer returned the wave.
However, only he could hear his own voice.
She is a very interesting girl.
Oh no, I forgot to ask her phone number.
The bus continued to drive farther and farther away, eventually disappearing into the traffic.
- Writer
