"We're doomed. Things are going south."

Yu Mo tried to stop Hinokawa Yuriko from seeing Leng Shuang on a date with Lin Mo—but she’d clearly been tailing them from behind.

"I really hope there’s no love triangle..."

Yu Mo sighed helplessly.

—

Meanwhile...

Hinokawa Yuriko, feeling low after getting no reply from Leng Shuang, had come to the amusement park to clear her head.

Then, by chance, she spotted two familiar figures.

"Leng Shuang?!"

Her heart leaped with joy. She instinctively stepped forward to greet her.

But after two hurried strides, she saw Lin Mo standing beside Leng Shuang.

Shoulder to shoulder, their faces flushed with shy affection, fingers almost—*almost*—brushing.

Yuriko froze. Struck numb, as if lightning had split the sky.

*This isn’t real.*

*Maybe… just friends hanging out?*

She ducked behind a grassy patch, watching silently.

Then—

Her eyes widened. Trembling. Turned to stone.

Lin Mo suddenly seized Leng Shuang’s hand, gripping it tight like she’d steeled her courage.

Startled, Leng Shuang flinched, tried to pull back—but couldn’t.

Lin Mo’s racing heart froze, doused in ice. She slowly loosened her grip.

Then… warmth returned. Leng Shuang gently held her hand again.

"I… I was just nervous," Leng Shuang murmured, cheeks flushed.

"Sorry. I moved too fast."

Relief flooded Lin Mo’s eyes.

Clutched in her palm: Leng Shuang’s soft, delicate hand.

In that moment, Lin Mo felt she’d captured the whole summer.

Sweaty palms. Heart pounding. She wouldn’t let go. Not ever.

Last night’s rain had washed the world clean. Today’s sun was gentle, vanishing early—a perfect day for strolling.

A breeze whispered past, cool and kind.

"Mom, Dad! Why are that older sister and older brother holding hands but not talking? Are they mad at each other? It’s weird!"

Nearby, a family resting in a pavilion watched the pair. A little girl tugged her parents’ sleeves.

"Hehehe."

The husband, faint lines framing his smile, covered his mouth and chuckled. "Look at them. Remind you of someone?"

"I was never *that* flustered!" his wife protested.

"Oh please—you stammered, face red as a balloon. Not much smoother than them."

"Ahem! First times are *supposed* to be awkward!"

They smiled softly, seeing their youth reflected in the shy couple.

"Dad! Mom! You didn’t answer me!" The girl pouted, watching them flirt.

"When you grow up," the husband said gently, ruffling her hair, "and bring someone you like here… you’ll understand."

"Grow up…?" The girl scratched her head, curiosity blooming.

Leng Shuang and Lin Mo had heard it all. Four pairs of eyes met.

The wife glanced meaningfully at the towering Ferris wheel.

A silent understanding passed between women. Lin Mo gave a slight nod.

"L-Leng Shuang… shall we… ride the Ferris wheel?" Lin Mo stammered.

(Online slang said it meant *officially together*.)

Leng Shuang rarely browsed the net—but she knew.

She followed Lin Mo’s gaze: couples queued below. At the very top, silhouettes overlapped—

*Embracing. Kissing.*

"Mm."

A breath. A nod.

Joy exploded in Lin Mo’s chest.

During those silent seconds while Leng Shuang stared at the wheel, Lin Mo’s heart hammered so hard she thought it’d leap from her throat. She barely breathed.

*She said yes.*

But behind the grass—

Yuriko’s knees buckled. The world drained to gray.

Only two figures remained: hands clasped, walking farther… toward the Ferris wheel.

"Don’t go!!"

Leng Shuang turned. Saw nothing.

"Everything okay?" Lin Mo asked.

"Just… thought I heard something." Leng Shuang shook her head, uneasy.

They walked on. Didn’t look back.

The husband noticed Yuriko’s shattered expression. Glanced at the departing pair.

*Sigh.*

Youth holds sweetness. And sorrow.

Unrequited love—the ache that never fades.

Yuriko watched. Watched them approach. Watched them hold hands. Watched them join the line.

"Leng Shuang… didn’t you like *me*? Why? *Why Lin Mo?!*"

Her vision blurred. Leng Shuang’s back nearly vanished.

"If you never liked me… why give me hope?"

"Was it all… just me… fooling myself?"

Her voice cracked, raw as swallowed nails.

But her heart hurt worse.

Wiping tears, she saw only Leng Shuang stepping into the cabin—

A shy smile still on her face.

Yuriko plunged into ice. Cold seeped through every vein.

The Ferris wheel rose. Higher. Higher.

Her heart plummeted. Shattered.

"Dad… why is that older sister crying after seeing the older brother and sister ride the Ferris wheel?"

"When you grow up…"

The husband’s eyes softened with sorrow.

*May you never have to know.*