Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Putting aside the king crab, which was extremely spicy to Kimberly, the other dishes really let her experience what was called a feast once again. It was a delicacy she would remember as she wandered around on a particular night.
In the small courtyard, the light and shadow were slanting and shrinking bit by bit. The bustling sounds of the marketplace could be heard from the deserted alley entrance again. One could smell the mixed fragrance of charcoal and food from afar.
James brought Kimberly to the shop at the entrance of the alley and bought a few sticks of squid. The two of them took the skewers and ate as they walked, creating their own silence amidst the noisy crowd.
“Aren’t we artistes?” Kimberly chewed the squid and asked in confusion. “Don’t we need to go on a diet?”
James didn’t answer her directly. Instead, he asked her, “Is it good?”
She nodded.
“Then eat more.” James handed her another string and smiled as he looked at the other side of the sea. “If you don’t eat more, you’ll be hungry later.”
“Is it very far?”
“Not too bad.”
“James is a liar,” Kimberly thought bitterly after following him for three to four kilometers.
She said angrily, “If we don’t get there soon, I will probably die of exhaustion.”
“Take another turn. Do you see that small path? Just go through it.” James’s voice was always calm, as if he could maintain his calmness even if the sky fell.
Kimberly walked through the dark forest with a skeptical attitude. The moment she exit, the sound of the sea water flapping came from the front. The reefs, the beach and the sea water suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Wow!” Kimberly exclaimed. Compared to the commercial beach, the sea here seemed to be clearer and bluer. The wind blew the sand past her calves, and everything seemed peaceful and beautiful. “I love this place.”
“Me too.” James squatted down and grabbed a handful of sand to watch it slide down the gap, he told her, “When I was young, this was my secret base. It was originally a place where fishermen went out to fish, but as the port was built, everyone gradually forgot about this place.”
“So it’s kind of benefitted me. Every time I encountered something unhappy, I would run here alone. I would watch the sunset, listen to the cries of the seagulls and slowly everything seems good.”
“You must have been very happy when you were young.” Kimberly held a handful of seawater and pounced on him. After she finished her prank, she quickly ran to the side, she smiled and said, “Look, you can still run to the beach and sulk alone, while I can only sulk with the doll in my own room.”
This sentence seemed to have dispelled his years of resentment. Indeed, compared to most people, he had gained too much. But he was always greedy and eager to be perfect.
He got up and played with her in the water in a relaxed manner for the first time.
“Help, let me go. Stop splashing. I know I’m wrong.” Kimberly couldn’t help but run away with a smile. She didn’t forget to beg for mercy. “I shouldn’t have pounced on you. Hahahaha, help me.”
Time passed quickly in the midst of playing. This was the second time Kimberly had seen the setting sun in this small town, but she was still amazed.
It fell from the light and landed in the gradually-layered shadows of the spectrum, making people unable to find it anymore. They could only pray in the dark every night for the arrival of tomorrow and the return of the light.
In the next second, she saw James under the afterglow. His lowered eyelashes seemed to be stained with the light of the setting sun, bright and dazzling.
He discovered it and looked back at her.
Even his pupils were glowing with a golden color, as if he was a god, not a human. In the next second, he would fall into the endless shadows and could not be found anymore.
Two figures lay on the quiet beach diagonally, as if they were the only two people left in the world, totally inseparable.
“Can I?” James asked cautiously. This was probably the most nervous question he had ever asked in his life.
An ambiguous atmosphere lingered here. Perhaps it was simply because the setting sun was too beautiful, or perhaps it was because the time they spent together had allowed her to understand him more and more. The deeper she got, the more obsessed she became.
Kimberly closed her eyes. This was a tacit agreement.
The separated lips finally embraced and kissed. It was not particularly intense, perhaps it was more like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water, but from which a deep sense of cherishing can be felt.
His lips were so soft, like a piece of tender bean curd. There was also a trace of coldness from how nervous he was. Kimberly buried her face into his embrace.