A Sudden Farewell

After the performance, the backstage area was in complete chaos.

The brass section members were stuffing mouthpieces into instrument cases, the woodwind section members were disassembling instruments and wiping the tubes, and the percussion section members were throwing drumsticks into storage baskets, creating a clattering sound.

Asuka walked out of the percussion area, slung her drumstick bag over her shoulder, and rubbed her wrists, which were sore from holding the drumsticks for a long time.

She had just stepped out of the preparation room when a figure rushed towards her.

"Asuka-chan—!"

Hua Hua's voice exploded in the corridor like a firecracker thrown into a metal bucket.

Before Feibiao could react, Huahua grabbed her and pulled her back two steps, her back pressed against the wall.

"It sounds so good! It sounds so good! It sounds so good! It sounds so good!" Hua Hua buried her face in her shoulder, her voice muffled, but the volume didn't decrease at all.

"You guys played so well! Asuka-chan, you were so cool when you played the drums! Natsu-kun, I almost cried when you played the oboe!"

Feiniao was a little out of breath from being hugged, so she reached out and patted Huahua's back.

"Let go of me, I'm being strangled."

Hua Hua loosened her grip and took a step back. Only then did Fei Niao get a clear look at her face—

Her eyes were red, her nose was red, her makeup was a little smudged, and her mascara had smudged in a small patch at the corner of her eyes, making her look like she had just been crying.

"You cried?" Asuka asked curiously.

Now she was genuinely interested.

"No!" Hua Hua wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's just... my eyes are a little sore. The sound of that oboe was too..."

She gestured for a long time, but couldn't find the right words.

"It sounds like crying." Xia Mo's voice came from behind.

Hua Hua turned her head. Xia Mo had already put away her oboe, its case slung over her back, and was standing at the door of the activity room.

"Yes, yes, yes! It sounds like crying! But not the kind of crying that sounds bad, it sounds like crying!" Hua Hua nodded vigorously, then shook her head.

"No, it's not crying, it's..." She gestured again, then gave up, "Anyway, it just sounds good!"

Xia Mo nodded but didn't reply.

The mother bird walked over from the other end of the corridor, carrying the cloth bag in her hand.

She nodded to Xia Mo, then looked at Hua Hua, and said with a smile, "You two chat slowly, I'm going out for some fresh air, it's too hot inside."

"Auntie, you've worked so hard!" Hua Hua bowed to her.

The mother bird smiled and waved, then walked towards the stadium exit.

Hua Hua's mother followed behind, and the two of them walked and talked, their voices fading into the distance.

The number of people backstage gradually decreased. Mr. Tanaka came out of the activity room, holding a conductor's baton and the sheet music that Mr. Mikami had just given him. He stopped for a moment when he saw Xia Mo.

"You blew well today," he said, his tone still indifferent.

Xia Mo nodded: "Thank you, teacher."

Ms. Tanaka glanced at him, then at Asuka and Hana, and was about to say something when she noticed that Ms. Mikami had already turned around and was about to leave.

Without saying anything more, Mr. Tanaka followed after them.

Watching Mr. Tanaka leave, President Mori peeked out of the preparation room and waved to Hana: "Are you a friend of Natsume? Did you come to see the performance today?"

Hua Hua nodded vigorously: "Yes! I came from Bunkyo Ward!"

"Bunkyo Ward!" Department Head Mori's eyes widened. "So far! It's true love!"

Hua Hua smiled and did not deny it.

Minister Mori winked at Natsume and retreated back into the preparation room.

Feiniao slung the drumstick bag over her shoulder and glanced at Xiamo: "Let's go change."

The two of them went to the changing room to change into their school uniforms.

When Asuka came out, her hair was tied up again, and her ponytail was higher than before.

At the end of summer, he put on his hat.

The three of them walked out of the stadium. The sunlight outside was much brighter than inside. Hua Hua squinted and shielded her forehead with her hand.

"What time is it?" she asked.

Feiniao glanced at her phone: "11:40."

Hua Hua stretched and took a deep breath of the autumn air: "Then show me around. I haven't really seen your school properly yet."

The three of them walked slowly along the path beside the playground.

The campus was bustling with the atmosphere of the school festival. The windows on the first floor of the teaching building were covered with posters from each class, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and laughter could be heard from the corridors.

Hua Hua walked in the middle, looking left and right, like a child visiting the school for the first time.

"Your school is bigger than ours," Hua Hua said.

"Really?" Asuka walked on the left, her tone tinged with uncertainty. "I think it's about the same."

After all, she had never been to Huahua School.

"The playground is bigger than ours."

"The playground is standard size." Xia Mo walked on the right, her tone as calm as stating a fact.

Hua Hua glared at him: "You're just here to sabotage me."

"I'm just stating the facts."

Summer's End retorted helplessly.

The three of them walked past the school building, past the cherry blossom trees by the playground, and past the bulletin board with posters for the "School Festival". Hua Hua stopped in front of a poster with a giant octopus drawn on it and the words "Class 3, Grade 4 - Takoyaki" written next to it.

"Where is this stall?" Hua Hua asked.

"The one across from the playground, the one with the blue tent," Asuka pointed.

Hua Hua tiptoed to take a look, then nodded, without saying she wanted to go over, and continued walking forward.

"Asuka-chan," she suddenly said.

"Um?"

"Is this performance by Arigato?"

Asuka was stunned for a moment: "What?"

Hua Hua paused for a moment, then continued walking. She put her hands in her hoodie pockets and looked up at the sky.

The autumn sky is high and blue, with a few white clouds hanging low like cotton candy.

"I appreciate your kind gesture," she said softly. "This is the best gift I've received before graduation."

The bird looked at her, opened its mouth as if to say that this was a gift from the end of summer, but then closed it again.

She looked away and gazed at the row of cherry blossom trees along the edge of the playground.

Most of the leaves have fallen, and the remaining ones tremble in the autumn wind, like children reluctant to leave the branches.

"You're all graduating soon," Hua Hua suddenly said. "Next spring, you'll be in sixth grade, and I'll be a junior high student."

Feiniao nodded: "Time flies."

"Yes, that's right. Time flies," Hua Hua laughed. "When I met you guys, you were in third grade and I was in fourth. In the blink of an eye, I'm about to graduate. You'll be graduating soon too."

The three walked in silence for a while. People were running on the playground, and several boys from the soccer club were playing soccer in the distance; their shouts drifted over from afar, muffled and indistinct.

"Hua Hua, where are you going to middle school?" Fei Niao asked.

"Liyinyu Middle School." Hua Hua pulled her hands out of her pockets and gestured. "Their musical talent is amazing, and I want to continue learning piano."

Feiniao nodded without replying. She knew that Huahua spent a lot of time on the piano, going to her teacher's house for lessons every week and practicing at home.

Unlike her, she stopped learning after a year. Although she would occasionally touch the piano keys in the music room, it could no longer be considered "learning".

"And you?" Hua Hua asked.

"Futaba Junior High School," Asuka said. "Let's choose the closest one, near my home, a twenty-minute walk."

Hua Hua said "Oh," and then fell silent.

Xia Mo walked on the far right and didn't discuss the topic.

Asuka glanced at him sideways—his expression was calm and unchanged, but her intuition told her that he was thinking about something.

"Summer's End, what about you?" Hua Hua asked. "Where are you going to middle school?"

Xia Mo did not answer immediately.

He looked down at his faded sneakers. The laces were tied a little too tightly, making walking uncomfortable.

Xia Mo's lips moved slightly, then closed again.

"Late summer?" Hua Hua called out again.

"I have no idea..."

Xia Mo took a deep breath and then exhaled.

"I might..." His voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the shouts from the playground, "After graduating from elementary school, I'll be going back to my country."

Hua Hua stopped walking.

The bird froze, its steps halting.

On the playground, someone was shouting "Pass the ball! Pass the ball!" The takoyaki stand's griddle was sizzling with heat, and a group of children ran past, their laughter like scattered glass beads.

But suddenly all those sounds faded away, as if someone had turned the volume knob a full turn to the left.

The bird stood still, motionless.

A buzzing sound went through her mind, as if something had exploded in her ears.

Returning home—these two words swirled in her mind like a marble dropped into a glass, clattering and bouncing back and forth, never stopping.

She thought she might not be in the same class as Xia Mo again in junior high.

She even considered that Xia Mo might go to another school, since with Xia Mo's talent, she could very well go to a school specializing in music.

She considered many possibilities, good and bad, near and far, but in every single one, Tokyo was on that map. Katsushika Ward was all there, within a few tens of minutes' train ride.

She never imagined that the distance would suddenly become so great.

So far away that it needs to be measured in "countries".

Hua Hua opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her eyes were wide open, her pupils reflecting Xia Mo's calm face.

"Going back to China...do you mean going back to China?" Her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of asking the wrong question.

Xia Mo nodded.

Hua Hua put her hands back into her pockets, then pulled them out again. Her fingers pinched and tugged at the hem of her clothes, creating several creases.

"Why?" Hua Hua's voice trembled slightly. "Don't your parents work here?"

Xia Mo remained silent for a long time.

The shouts, laughter, and hawking sounds on the playground seemed to be kept out by an invisible wall.

Hua Hua and Fei Niao stood in front of him, waiting for him to speak.

"They're getting a divorce," Xia Mo said.

The voice was soft and calm, as if they were talking about what they had for lunch.

Hua Hua opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Feiniao didn't speak either. Her gaze was fixed on Xia Mo's profile, and her throat felt like it was blocked by something, unable to utter a sound.

She remembered those evenings when they walked home together after school.

She remembered the way he taught her to play middle C in the music room.

I remember his silhouette as he walked in the sunset, carrying his cello.

I remember him accompanying her to the bubble tea shop, but getting so angry over whether she should drink bubble tea or strawberry milk that he turned around and left.

I remember his tone, his ears red, as he said, "If you promise, you have to keep your word."

These images flipped through her mind like film reels, and with each one, her heart felt like it was being gently squeezed by something.

"My mom is going back to China," Xia Mo continued, her gaze fixed on the distant sky. "I'm going with her."

"And what about your dad?" Hua Hua's voice was a little tense.

Xia Mo did not reply.

Silence itself is the answer.

"Then why did you agree to let Hua Hua practice the oboe?"

She finally spoke, her voice sounding no different from usual, but only she knew that she had said it when her lips were dry.

Xia Mo glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and then said something.

"If you promise something, you have to keep it. It has nothing to do with whether or not you go back to China."

Hua Hua stood to the side, watching the children running around on the playground in the distance, and remained silent for a long time.

"Xia Jun," her voice was much softer than usual, with a slight nasal tone, "when did you find out?"

"During summer vacation," Xia Mo said, "my mom mentioned it to me once."

Hua Hua lowered her head, looking at the tips of her shoes. Her white canvas shoes were a little dusty, so she bent down, patted them off, and then straightened up.

"Then you practiced all summer long." Hua Hua's voice had a slight nasal tone.

"Um."

"Are you crazy? Why don't you try to talk them out?" Hua Hua said.

Xia Mo did not reply.

A gust of wind blew, scattering a few stray hairs from Huahua's bun. She didn't brush them away, but simply lowered her head, looking at the gray cement road beneath her feet.

There was a long silence. Hua Hua raised her head, her eyes already red, but she blinked hard to force back the tears.

Her lips trembled slightly, but her voice was much louder than before, as if she didn't want to appear weak.

"I don't care," she said, emphasizing each word. "Even after you go back to China, you have to contact me. You can't change your phone number, you can't block me, and you can't ignore my messages. Do you hear me?"

Xia Mo looked at her. Hua Hua's eyes were red, her nose was red, and her chin was slightly raised, as if she was talking to him, or as if she was telling herself, "Don't cry."

"I heard you," Xia Mo said.

Hua Hua sniffed hard, then turned her head to look at the birds.

"Asuka-chan, you said—"

She stopped talking.

The bird stood there, tears streaming down its face without it even realizing it.

No sound.

There was no sobbing.

Tears quietly welled up in her eyes, slid down her cheeks, and dripped one by one onto the collar of her white school uniform.

Her expression was one of grievance, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, like a kettle with its lid unscrewed.

The room was already full of water, but it's only now overflowing.

"Asuka-chan..." Hana's voice softened, and her eyes became even redder.

Feiniao raised her hand to wipe her face, but the tears kept flowing back as soon as she wiped them away.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and she could only make very faint breathy sounds.

"It's nothing," she finally managed to squeeze out. Her voice was hoarse, unlike her usual tone. "It's the wind."

Hua Hua looked at her but didn't expose her.

The autumn wind in October was indeed a bit chilly, but as the bird stood under the cherry blossom tree, with the teaching building blocking its view, there wasn't even a wisp of wind.

Xia Mo stood to the side without saying a word.

He watched as Fei Niao wiped her tears with the back of her hand, one by one, and when she couldn't wipe them all away, she wiped them with her sleeve.

His lips moved slightly, then closed again.

He knew why they were crying, but he couldn't solve the problem.

Feiniao vigorously wiped her face twice, then took a deep breath, forcing back the tears that were about to well up.

She looked up, her eyes still red, but her expression had returned to normal—her chin was slightly raised, and her lips were pursed into a line.

"Let's go," she said, her voice still a little hoarse, but her tone was already very steady. "Didn't we say we were going to the classroom?"

"Even if you want to go back to China, you still have a year, right?"

She strode ahead, her ponytail swaying gently behind her shoulder.

Hua Hua glanced at Xia Mo. Xia Mo's gaze remained fixed on the bird's retreating figure.

"Let's go." Hua Hua tugged at Xia Mo's sleeve and followed.

Three people walked in the autumn sunlight, their shadows stretched long. Fei Niao walked in front, her pace quickening slightly.

Hua Hua walked in the middle, glancing at the bird's back every now and then. Xia Mo walked at the very back, keeping a half-step distance.

On the playground, someone was shouting, "Three takoyaki for 500 yen!" Some people were laughing, and some were running.

The bird did not turn back.

She put her hands in her pockets, her fingertips touching the deep nail marks on her palms. She clenched her fists, then relaxed them.

The autumn wind blew from behind, blowing the stray hairs by her ears onto her face.

She didn't dial.

She was afraid that Hua Hua and Xia Mo would think she had cried again.

That would be so embarrassing.