Autumn Leaves Fall At Dawn

Chapter 1: Red Banyan Leaves at Dawn Dong Thap, September 10, 2024 (7 days before Mid-Autumn Festival). Autumn's chill had settled in. A cool autumn wind swept through the serene graveyard. Ancient banyan trees swayed gently, scattering crimson leaves onto the ground in the melancholic glow of the morning sun. Night had long passed, and the sky lightened with pale rays filtering through the gray clouds. Yet, the solitary figure before the tombstone remained motionless, silent as a statue. Lê Thiên Vũ knelt on the damp earth, his knees imprinted with crushed grass. His eyes were bloodshot and empty, dried tear streaks staining his face. He had been sitting there all night. "Khải An… How could you be so cruel?" His voice was hoarse, almost devoid of strength. Trembling fingers gently touched the cold tombstone, etched with the name of his best friend. The name was so familiar that even with his eyes closed, Thiên Vũ could picture Khải An: a teenager with an eager spirit for learning, a bright smile, mischievous eyes, and their endless teasing. But now, only a terrifying silence remained. "You liked me, and now you've left me! I hadn't even said anything yet! You idiot." Thiên Vũ whispered, his voice choked with emotion. A gust of wind swept through, scattering the dry banyan leaves on the ground. He remembered the moment he heard Khải An's father yelling through the phone, cursing and ranting. He remembered Khải An's angry shout and the words that changed everything: "Yes! I like Thien Vu!" The world seemed to crumble in that instant. Thiên Vũ had thought he understood Khải An. But he was wrong. He knew nothing. He didn't know that every time he laughed carelessly, Khải An's eyes would fill with love, yet also restraint. He didn't know the turmoil Khải An felt every time he looked at him. And Thiên Vũ certainly didn't know that his own indifference had pushed Khải An to the brink of despair. But what pained Thiên Vũ the most wasn't that truth. It was the fact that upon hearing those words, his heart skipped a beat as if he had been waiting for them all along. He had never considered it. Or rather, he had deliberately avoided thinking about it. But now, everything he had ignored, everything he had taken for granted, came back to haunt him. Thiên Vũ bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the icy tombstone as if seeking a trace of warmth from his beloved friend. "If you were still alive…" His voice cracked, "I would hug you and tell you that I like you too." The silence was so profound that Thiên Vũ could hear his own heavy breathing. But no one answered. No one laughed and called him a fool. Khải An was gone, and there would be no more late-night video calls filled with shared confidences. He chuckled softly, but tears silently streamed down his face. Thiên Vũ pitied. "Salty tears? They taste bitter and acrid to me." Another strong gust of wind arose. A vibrant red banyan leaf fell into Thiên Vũ’s palm. Looking at it, he remembered the days they were together, remembered Khải An’s image. And then, memories began flooding back like a torrent, pulling him back to those bygone days…