Chapter 4
1501 Words
Archer and Jocelyn, whom he had only just met, walked side by side down the bustling street.
Every day at noon, when school ended, the street would come alive.
Many food stalls lined both sides of the street, filling the air with the aromas of various dishes.
After finally calming down from a period of intense emotional turmoil, Archer realized he was hungry.
He asked Jocelyn, "Why did you skip class?"
Jocelyn looked bewildered and said, "I didn't skip class; I went to collect ginkgo leaves."
"That's nonsense; it is clearly class time, so why aren't you in the classroom?" asked Archer.
"It's PE class," Jocelyn said with a smile.
Archer was at a loss for words.
I was so overwhelmed with grief that I hadn't noticed whether any students were having PE class on the playground.
I only recalled that it was perfectly quiet beneath those ginkgo trees.
"And you? Why did you miss class?" asked Jocelyn.
"I did not miss class. I requested leave from the teacher. I didn't want anyone to see me crying," Archer said, his voice fill with sorrow.
He had concealed it so well that he believed no one would notice.
Who would have thought that a girl would be hiding in the tree, her sorrow exposed before her?
Jocelyn was somewhat, puzzled but chose not to pursue the matter. On a whim, she said, "I'll take you to eat something delicious, and it will lift your spirits." The delicious food Jocelyn referred to was fried potatoes.
Potatoes are a generous gift from nature to humanity; they can serve as either a staple food or a vegetable.
The numerous methods of cooking them yield a variety of delicious dishes.
The woman at the stall cut the potatoes into small pieces and fried them in oil until they turned a beautiful golden brown.
Then she sprinkled them with salt, pepper, cumin powder, chili powder, chopped green onions, and white sesame seeds.
The outer shell was crispy, while the inside remained soft and chewy.
Jocelyn, who regarded herself as a gourmet, repeatedly insisted that fried potatoes must be spicy to be genuinely satisfying and asked the auntie to add extra chili.
“Archer, wait here for a moment while I buy some Coke, would you prefer Coca-Cola or Pepsi?”
“Coca-Cola.”
As everyone knows, Coca-Cola is more fizzy, whereas Pepsi is sweeter.
Archer wanted more carbonation now.
A few minutes later, the two strangers sat on the marble steps, eating fried potatoes together.
The auntie selling the potatoes was very honest and adding a lot of chili.
Archer's tongue was nearly numb, and small beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Jocelyn was not much better off; her little face was flushed from the spiciness, and she took large gulps of ice-cold cola.
“Tell me your sad story and brighten my day!” the girl suddenly spoke, blinking her large, bright eyes.
“Are you intentionally making my pain worse?” Archer said irritably.
“No, sharing my sad story might make it less painful,” Jocelyn said, biting her straw.
Archer turned his head to look at her beautiful profile.
Her innocent and harmless appearance effortlessly earned the trust of others.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly began, "When I was twelve, I graduated from elementary school. One summer night, my father announced that the whole family would be going on a trip to the beach. I had never seen the sea before, and I was so excited that I couldn't sleep all night. I packed my bags that very night..."
"Wow, your dad is so kind! I have never seen the sea either," Jocelyn said wistfully.
"But when I woke up the next day, I discovered that all three of them were had already left. It turned out that the 'whole family' my dad was referring to did not include me." Archer's eyes immediately dulled.
Jocelyn, "..."
The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
Jocelyn wanted to offer comfort but was unsure how to begin.
She picked up a piece of potato with a bamboo skewer and held it to Archer's lips, "Would you like to try some?"
"Aren't they all the same?" Archer was startled.
"No, I am the one feeding you." Jocelyn's eyes were as clear as a lake refreshed by spring rain.
Archer tasted her potato; the flavor was indeed equally fiery.
Yet, a subtle sweetness welled up from his heart.
"When I was fourteen, I ranked first in my entire grade. The school held a parent-teacher conference, during which the teacher invited my parents to speak and share their experiences in raising children. My dad asked my mom to go, and my mom asked my dad to go; in the end, neither of them went." Archer recalled the memory, his eyes involuntarily reddening.
That was the most uncomfortable afternoon of his life.
On his desk lay his test papers, each with nearly perfect scores in every subject, yet no one paid them any attention.
Despite basking in the glow of his achievements, he could not find a single relative to cheer him on.
He was like a child forsaken by heaven, deprived of his parents' love for so long that he gradually became desperate.
Even now, facing a terminal illness, he was unsure whether to tell his father or his mother.
This sorrow was a thorn lodged in Archer's heart, one he had never shared with anyone.
However, the girl standing before him inspired an unusual sense of trust.
"Archer, your nose is bleeding. I'm sorry, it must be because these potatoes are too spicy."
Jocelyn quickly pulled out tissues to stop Archer's bleeding.
She gently cradled the back of Archer's head, softly wiping away the warm blood.
Archer felt a warm current flow into his skin from her fingertips.
The bitterness that had burdened his heart gradually faded.
After the bleeding stopped, Archer said gratefully, "Thank you. I have been experiencing frequent nosebleeds over the past six months, and there are not caused by the potatoes."
Jocelyn pulled a wad of cash from her pocket, counted it quickly, took out two small bills, and placed the rest into Archer's hand.
She said softly, "I'll save some money for the bus fare home, and use the rest to treat you to something. Whenever I feel sad, I tend to eat a lot of delicious food, which help me feel better."
Archer smiled and said, "In this world, only love and food are truly worth cherishing. But since I'm a boy, I will treat you kindly!"
"No, I will treat you today. Next time I'm feeling sad, you can treat me," Jocelyn said stubbornly, pouting.
“Alright then, I’m thick-skinned and don’t stand on ceremony,”Archer readily agreed.
After finishing their potatoes and cola, the two resumed their culinary adventure.
Jocelyn skipped and hopped along, her skirt dancing in the breeze.
She genuinely resembled a delicate butterfly, dancing gracefully.
However, once she saw something delicious, she couldn’t tear herself away, her mouth watering uncontrollably—a true little foodie.
The two wandered through the food scene, savoring everything from lamb skewers and pancakes to oden and hot pot.
After Jocelyn ran out of money, Archer bought her a strawberry milk tea.
He was already full, so he didn't order any more drinks.
"Wow, Archer, this taste amazing!" Jocelyn exclaimed dramatically.
"Keep your voice down, and don't act as if you've never seen anything like this before," Archer said, feigning disgust.
"It is truly delicious; would you like to try some?" Jocelyn raised the cup.
"How can I try it?" Archer noticed that the straw was covered in teeth marks.
Even if she hadn't bitten him like that, they still shouldn't be sharing a straw, especially since they had only known each other for an hour; men and women should not be so close.
Jocelyn, as if by magic, produced a straw from behind her back, "When I bought the cola earlier, I had asked for an extra one."
With a "plop," she placed the straw into the cup.
"Here, have a sip." Archer stared into the girl's clear eyes, hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't resist and took a sip.
The rich aroma of the milk tea unfolded on his tongue, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
It was just an ordinary strawberry milk tea, yet it tasted much better than usual.
Using two straws to drink from the same cup of milk tea is something that usually only couples do.
Was she doing it intentionally, or was she simply naive?
Archer thought to himself that, although he wasn't unattractive, he wasn't handsome enough to make such a beautiful girl fall in love at first sight.
She was simply naturally naive.
"Archer, we should be considered friends now, shouldn’t we?"
"Of course! You are the first friend I have made since I arrived here." Jocelyn spoke very seriously, but Archer did not understand.
What does the term "first friend" mean?
- Writer
