How far is forever?

This question haunted Yue Feather’s mind, refusing to fade. Yet he kept avoiding it, living a blissfully happy life with Silver Bell.

In the blink of an eye, summer vacation was nearly over.

They’d made so many promises: to attend school together; to study hard; to get into top universities; to revisit that ice cream shop; to open a dessert café someday—because Silver Bell adored sweets. And so many more…

Countless promises, each meant to last a lifetime.

These promises comforted Yue Feather. As long as they existed, their joyful days would continue—forever.

He might have imagined this day coming, but never so soon.

What must come would come. No amount of avoidance changed that.

If running away solved problems, humanity wouldn’t need to exist.

That morning, Yue Feather woke as usual. He reached out to hug Silver Bell’s small frame—but grasped only empty air.

The bed beside him held nothing but silence.

The house was deathly quiet. He was utterly alone.

In the bathroom, a loose faucet dripped… drip… drip… The crisp sound echoed through the stillness.

Yue Feather had almost forgotten Silver Bell was just a figment of his imagination. He’d grown used to her presence. He’d even believed she was real…

After a moment of panic, he calmed down. Silver Bell was only temporarily gone. She’d reappear soon. No need to worry.

If Yue Feather slipped into that special state of mind, she’d return.

Her absence now? Probably because he was too clear-headed.

Thinking this, Yue Feather yawned widely. He lulled himself into drowsiness, closed his eyes, and drifted back to sleep.

But this dream unsettled him. Silver Bell wasn’t there. Even in dreams, he was alone.

The vast dreamscape held nothing. He walked with no path beneath his feet, no end in sight.

It felt like he wasn’t moving at all.

The scenery stayed a dull, unchanging gray.

Yue Feather felt he’d never reach the end.

Forever… perhaps this was forever.

He didn’t want this lonely forever.

A forever alone was agony—so painful it tore his heart just to recall.

“Sil—ver—Bell—!” Yue Feather suddenly shouted hoarsely at the top of his lungs. “Where—are—you—?”

No reply. Only his own echo filled the dream.

Yue Feather jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. His hair clung to his forehead, dripping.

Silver Bell still wasn’t beside him.

Or rather—she’d never truly been there. She was just a shadow. An illusion.

A phantom Yue Feather created to deceive and numb himself…

“Silver Bell… are you there? Silver Bell… are you there?”

He searched room by room, then rushed outside. He scoured every place they’d visited together. But Silver Bell never appeared.

He couldn’t find her.

“Silver Bell… where are you… please… please stop hiding. Please come out…” Yue Feather collapsed to his knees, tears streaming like broken raindrops.

But Silver Bell never came.

He comforted himself: “She’ll appear tomorrow.”

Day after day, he repeated this like a mantra.

One day. Two days. Three…

A whole week without Silver Bell felt like torture.

Yue Feather tried everything—nothing brought her back.

Even dressing in girls’ clothes changed nothing.

Silver Bell didn’t appear. And he knew, clearly, he was only Yue Feather.

Would she really never return?

Yue Feather wondered.

He gazed out the window. Cars and pedestrians looked tiny below. Streets resembled miniature models.

If he jumped… would he reach a world where Silver Bell existed?

The thought crept in. He fought it with reason—but as time passed, it grew harder to resist.

Just as despair nearly swallowed him, Silver Bell appeared.

All pain and hopelessness melted into joy. He crushed her in a hug, his voice hoarse and trembling: “Bell! Where… where were you these days?”

“Not telling you~” Silver Bell smiled, eyes crinkling. She hugged him back. “I’m hungry~”

“Let’s eat right now!”

“Mm~ I want that ice cream cake from the dessert shop too.”

“No problem!”

Happiness flooded back into Yue Feather.

He felt like the luckiest person alive.

“Hey, Feather, I want this~”

“This is… a memo pad?”

“Yep.”

“Sure.”

“And this pen too~”

“Got it.”

“Bought it~ Now let’s hike to the peak of Bailiu Mountain!”

Yue Feather agreed happily. With Silver Bell, anything was fine.

Bailiu Mountain had stone steps leading to the summit, but they were old and slippery with moss. Few visitors came. Climbing demanded caution—and stamina, given the height.

Silver Bell’s foot slipped. She tipped backward. Yue Feather spun around, grabbing her desperately. He fell hard, scraping his elbows and knees raw—but she stayed upright.

“You okay?”

“Fine… Let’s keep going.” Yue Feather smiled, gazing at the bright sun. A faint premonition stirred in his heart.

He might already know what would happen next.

Reaching the peak exhausted him. The endless view mesmerized him.

Behind lay rolling mountains. Far ahead stretched a vast blue sea. Below sprawled the city’s uneven skyline…

“So beautiful~” Silver Bell spread her arms wide, as if embracing the mountains, the ocean, the whole world.

“Yeah… I haven’t been up here in ages. The view’s breathtaking.”

“Stuck on flat ground, you’d never see beauty like this.” Silver Bell grinned.

“Mm…” Yue Feather’s heart fluttered—he’d heard “forever” again.

“Feather.” Silver Bell turned slowly, smiling. Her brown schoolgirl dress fluttered in the wind. Her eyes shone like starlight. Just looking at them, Yue Feather understood her feelings.

Reluctance.

Yes… reluctance.

This meant—

Silver Bell was truly leaving.

“Mm…”

“Do you know what forever is?”

“I know. Forever is every moment with you.” Yue Feather answered quickly, clutching her small hands anxiously. “Bell, promise me… don’t leave, okay…?”

Silver Bell didn’t answer directly. She shook her head gently, cupping his face like last time: “Forever… there is no forever. Forever is just a fleeting instant.”

Two similar phrases—worlds apart in meaning.

This moment couldn’t be undone.

“Why… why leave…?”

“I can’t stay by your side forever.” Her eyes brimmed with reluctance. “If I could… I’d truly want to be with you always.”

“Then stay together. Don’t part, okay?”

“Some things… neither you nor I can control. My coming was fate. My leaving… is fate too.”

“But… but…” Tears dripped onto Yue Feather’s hands. “I don’t want you to go…”

“But I really must go now.” Silver Bell held his face, rose on tiptoes, and brushed her soft lips against his cheek. The minty scent and gentle touch seared into his memory—unforgettable.

“Oh, this is for you.” She smiled, sticking a handwritten memo to his forehead. “Live well. Be happy. Be truly happy.”

She was smiling—but tears streamed down her cheeks, falling onto the grass.

At Bailiu Mountain’s peak, butterflies danced. Flowers perfumed the air. A stream murmured. It was paradise.

“I…” Yue Feather bit his lip, but sobs choked his words.

“Mm~ Don’t be sad. In August, ten years from now… we’ll definitely meet again—goodbye!”

"Silver Bell—I'll wait for you in ten years!"

"Mm! In August ten years from now, I'll wait for you too, okay!"

Silver Bell's figure slowly faded to transparency. Then, like fireflies, she dissolved into tiny pale blue specks of light, vanishing into nothingness.

I won't forget our promise made at summer's end...

Yue Feather gazed at the deep blue sky, watching the soft, fluffy white clouds. He believed Silver Bell would always watch over him. And he believed that in ten years, he would meet her again.

He tore off the note Silver Bell had stuck on his forehead. It read in elegant handwriting: "In August ten years from now, let's meet again, okay!"

That elegant script was definitely not his own.

His handwriting wasn't like this.

A wave of disorientation washed over Yue Feather.

Could it be... that Silver Bell truly existed? Was she not just a fleeting fantasy...

Perhaps in ten years, he would really meet the her who existed in this world.

"I'll wait for you..."