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“W-wait up! Zhou!” A young boy with dark black hair and eyes like emerald chased after another child, shouting with slight panic in his tone.
The sun light shone on both of the children in the gardens of where they once sung lullabies together in harmony and peace. They were friends who had met each other in the church’s choir, and had been inseparable ever since. Zhou was someone that was important to Leonard, and for that, Leonard doesn’t want to have to ever let go of this only grind he had.
However, fate is always just a bit more cruel, and unfortunate for the poor orphan, Leonard. No matter how much he treasured their time together, the day of their separation had come eventually.
The boy, Zhou whom Leonard was chasing after had turned back to face him with the usual warm and comforting attitude.
“Hm?” He had soft brown hair and eyes that seemed as sweet as honey, his young appearance was sure to melt any adult's heart, at least that’s the perception Leonard had for Zhou.
“Do you… really have to go so soon? Would this be the last time we meet…? Zhou…” Zhou could only focus on the longing eyes Leonard was showing to him, for a second he did want to be childish and tell Leonard that he could stay or try to convince his parents about a change of decisions, but in the end he only nodded his head.
“Yeah… I’ll have to leave, Leo. I have to go back to my hometown, my parents managed to find a more stable living environment there.” Zhou replied back to Leonard, he had unconsciously softened his tone, he could never really refuse Leonard’s puppy eyes no matter how many times he’s gotten to see it. “I… don’t think it’ll be the last time we meet? There’s more opportunities in the future for us to talk to each other again, Leo.”
“S-so, you’ll come back to visit me in the future then…?” Leonard hesitantly raised his question as he struggled to hide the naive hope that flared in his heart. Zhou chuckled brightly and nodded. “It depends on my parents, but if there’s ever an opportunity, I’ll make sure to take it.”
“I’ll…I’ll take your word for it, Zhou. Promises?” Leonard had looked pleadingly at him while holding their hands together.
“Promises.” Zhou confirmed with sincerity in his tone.
It was abrupt when Zhou giggled, Leonard tilted his head slightly to show his confusion. “I-It’s nothing, you really reminded me of a defeated puppy when you were asking those questions, and now I’m just glad you look better.”
Leonard’s ears slightly turned red at that as he struggled to muster up a response. In the end, all he could do was shake his head in disapproval and stare at Zhou with a gaze that was tinged with blame. “I just… I just really don’t want you to leave. That’s all. Don’t mock me over it, Zhou…”
“I don’t want to part ways with you as well, but I still have to go home at the end of the day… promise not to miss me too much, Leo?” Zhou locked his small fingers around Leonard’s hands.
Leonard could feel the way Zhou’s warmth had covered his colder hands. It was always like this. Zhou would say the cruelest things with that soft and gentle tone while Leonard is just forced to accept whatever that’s thrown in his way. There wasn’t really anything much he could do.
How could he not miss Zhou, when he had been the only person Leonard could consider to be a friend or a family member? Zhou was like a home to him. No, Zhou was Leonard’s home. A home that provides him safe grounds to rest in, a home that provides all the warmth he had yearned for in those lonely winter nights. It was additive. Leonard didn’t really know what he’d do without Zhou. He didn’t want to go back to being alone again. Not ever.
The orphanage was never a home to him. Even if he understands the Evernight Goddess is forever benevolent, the world isn’t. All children in the orphanage were well, orphans. Yet, they’d mock each other over it just so they could feel a bit more proud of themselves. Stealing each other’s porridge in the colder weathers, having rocks thrown at you for resisting some children who formed groups to make themselves higher than the others, it wasn’t all too uncommon. It’s… a bit too hopeful to expect children to be civilised, when even the living environment and learning environment is not up to standards.
Leonard had always been a lonely, pitiful and pretty child. He had good looks, he grew up being complimented by other adults for it, but never from his parents, as they were dead before he could even meet them. He never really understood why his parents would leave him to venture alone in this brutal and dangerous world. He wanted to blame them, he really did. But, the past isn’t something worth lamenting on, so he lets go. He tried to treat the teachers as his caretakers, but in the end those adults didn’t even spare a mind to the situations in the orphanage. So chaos reigns on just like ever, never stopping, but never developing into anything more worse than the current state.
All Leonard had hoped for was a warm blanket in the cold winter nights before, but for current times, he only wanted the beacon in his life to stay with him. He could never control himself to not miss Zhou.
But he’d try to, for Zhou’s sake.
“Leo? Earth to Leonard—“ Zhou spoke beside his ears as Leonard couldn’t help but bounce a little in shock after being woken up from his daydreaming. “Zhou-! Don’t scare me like that!”
“Sorry sorry, you look too out of your mind. I’m just worried. If you’re really that upset… you don’t have a phone or a cellphone, right?” Zhou began to think as he contemplated, touching his chin with his hand.
“No…?” Leonard hesitated as he replied with a bit of uncertainty in his voice. He blinked slightly as he looked at Zhou who looked like he had the brightest idea ever.
“How about we exchange letters from time to time then? That sounds great right? Leo!” Zhou sounded genuinely excited about this idea as he looked like the literal representation of a ball of sunshine emitting light. “I’ve never had a pen friend before, and we can talk to each other from time to time that way! Don’t you agree?”
“You’d really spend the time to write letters to me? Zhou?” Leonard’s eyes brightened up immediately, Zhou could almost imagine an excited tail wagging behind Leonard’s back. “I agree! I want to talk to you again Zhou, even if it’s through letters. So let’s do that, promise not to forget about me?”
Zhou chuckled heartily with glee in his demeanor, though his eyes showed determination to stay true to his words. That alone was enough for Leonard. Zhou would never lie to him, or promise things that he can’t achieve. To his expectations, Zhou answered.
“Of course, I promise.”
1
How can life be even more tiring than it is currently… Zhouming Rui exhaled with obvious exhaustion that bled through his tone. He slumped backwards into his office seat as his body ached from sitting in one position for so long.
He calls himself a "keyboard politician, keyboard historian, keyboard economist, keyboard biologist, and keyboard folklorist". Though, he works as a software engineer. That job came with a massive workload that’d weigh heavy on Zhou. Leaving him with no time to even take a breath or rest easy in his bed.
Life was work, and work was money. To make sure that his family and him would have a stable and happy life after retirement, he’d have to do this. It’s not like him to give up and laze in bed, even if that’s what he desires to do when he has a day off. Life just does that to people, and Zhou could only shrug at that.
He would really really love to have a day off.
It was abrupt when he received a phone call from his boss. His thoughts were interrupted as he tried to recall if there was anything that he did that made his boss suddenly contact him out of nowhere. He was sure he had finished the recent projects already, don't tell him there's more that he missed…
With lingering suspicion and nervousness, he swiped over the green button on his phone and held the phone with a bit of distance in case the boss was in a bad mood and only wanted to take out his emotions on Zhou about Zhou’s efficiency or something.
.
.
.
.
.
Zhou laid on his bed after a long and exhausting day. That’s usually how it goes. But today, he got notified of his paid annual leave.
Which means, he is getting his holiday.
Nuzzling his head comfortably into his mattress, his body was filled with relief as his mood improved notably. Zhou contemplated what he would do with this holiday, go travelling? Go sightseeing? Or maybe just spend his free days at his parents’ house?
He doesn’t really have any ideas of where to go travelling or sightseeing, at the same time he hadn’t had the chance to connect with his family for a while, so ultimately he decided that he’d make it back home and spend some time with his parents. He could also call some of his friends over to play games together, everything was perfect.
He got up from the mattress as he stretched almost like a cat who’s had its nap, and unlocked his phone as he dialled a phone call over to his mother.
“Eh? It’s our little Zhou, finally had the time to make a phone call back home?” Zhou’s mother sounded both surprised and happy when she picked up the phone call. Her tone was motherly and full of love just as usual, forever providing warmth for Zhou.
“Mom… why aren’t you asleep yet? Yeah, I finally got my annual leave, I’m planning to come back home to visit you guys if that’s alright.” Zhou got to the point rather quickly as he was excited for his plans as well, it’s been a while since he’s been back home. He missed his parents, missed the scent of home, and missed the delicious smell of food his parents would cook for him in the past.
“Now may not be the best time, honey. Your father and I went out travelling, we’ve bought lots of souvenirs for you though! We also shared some photos of the scenery there with you, but you haven’t read the messages yet.” His mother chuckled on the other side of the phone.
Zhou was surprised— had he been so closed off into his own work for so long already? Well, his schedules are tight but he never expected himself to be so busied. “I’ll surely be checking them after this phone call!”
“Who’re you calling?” A familiar voice came from the other side of the line — it was his father.
“Our son, Mingrui. He’s getting his annual leave.” His mother replied back to his father as she handed her phone over.
“Finally calling us again after so long? Mingrui.” Zhou could almost imagine the look on his father’s face. The ever present fondness in his expression, and the relaxed tone he’d talk in even in a stressful situation. It was something Zhou had missed seeing.
“I was planning to visit home, but guess now’s not the greatest time.” Zhou shook his head with a slight sigh.
“I suppose so.” His father paused before asking.
“So, how have you been doing? Our precious son.”
“Just a little tired, relieved that I do get a chance to rest up though. I’m not sure what I could do with this annual leave… Are there any suggestions you guys could lend me?” Zhou muttered as he asked with curiosity.
“Zhou, do you remember that… penfriend you had years before? Like, the foreign child called Leonard I think.” His mother brought up.