She was so startled she almost fell, then turned and glared at me.

　　"Kid, who are you?"

　　"I'm your upperclassman, from Class 2. With so many people, of course you wouldn't remember." After I finished speaking, I plopped down on the riverbank.

　　"I do think you look a bit familiar, but you really don't seem like my upperclassman." Lan's eyes were full of doubt.

　　I thought to myself: If I were still alive, I'd be at least a year older than her, and yet she calls me a kid.

　　"Don't play around here. I heard people say a child drowned here before."

　　"I'm not a child." I looked at her unhappily.

　　But with the appearance of a seven-year-old, it was no wonder she thought that.

　　"Alright! Xue, from now on this is your home." Lan patted White's head, and White happily raised its tail.

　　"Ew..." I deliberately made a disgusted face. "It's not called Xue, it's called White."

　　"How do you know?"

　　"If you buy me a drink, I'll tell you." I got up and walked over to Lan.

　　Lan thought for a moment, and since she didn't seem to refuse, I followed along.

　　"What's your name?"

　　"Wit."

　　"I'm Lan."

　　The lady at the snack shop yawned. There usually wasn't much business at this hour. She was focused on her TV drama, handing over two bottles of soda without even turning her head. Lan and I sat under the dim light of the awning. This was the first time since my death that someone had bought me a soda. We chatted for a bit, and soon, a light rain began to fall.

　　"It's just a passing shower, it won't last long." The lady turned her head slightly, as if nothing could distract her from her soap opera.

　　"Come with me." I glanced at Lan, signaling her to follow.

　　"Wit! Wait!" Lan hurriedly paid and caught up with me.

　　I led her running all the way to a patch of lush water plants.

　　"It's raining, what are we doing here?" Lan was a bit displeased.

　　"Shh!" I turned and gestured to Lan, then picked up a stone and threw it hard. The fireflies, which had been stirring restlessly, suddenly burst out of the grass, flying wildly over the river. Then, the fireflies in the nearby grass also took flight, group after group, their reflections mingling with the river. The whole river was lit up with fireflies. I stood behind the stunned Lan, quietly traced a circle with my finger, and the fireflies began to spin, swirling around us, just like the Milky Way...

　　"The Milky Way..." By the time Lan came back to her senses, I had already left. Consider it as me paying her back for the soda. The place wasn't far from the road, and a few couples out for a post-rain stroll were also standing on the bridge, watching this magical scene.

　　"Wit, Wit..."

　　From that day on, I often followed Lan. Of course, I would hide in places she wouldn't notice. Maybe I had a bit of a crush on her, but after all, I only looked like a seven-year-old child. Well often laughed at me for being silly, and White didn't like to pay attention to me—after all, we were too familiar with each other. Sometimes, I would show myself to chat and mess around with Lan, but only when she was alone.

　　"In any case, before summer break ends, I have to confess. Wit, help me give this letter to Duang." Lan handed me a letter with a heart drawn on it.

　　"I'm not delivering your love letter."

　　"I'll buy you a soda."

　　"That's so gross. Let me see it first."

　　"Don't look." Lan awkwardly tried to snatch the letter from my hand.

　　Of course, I knew who Duang was. He used to be my classmate, but now he's much more handsome than before. Back then, he was just a snot-nosed tagalong. I casually slipped the letter under his door. No, I had to scare him a bit—serves him right for being liked by the girl I liked.

　　Not long after, I heard Duang's startled cry, just as I wished. I grinned smugly. After all, it was just a dream. As for what I did to him in the dream...

　　"Let me go." Suddenly, I heard Lan's cry for help.

　　I rushed to the intersection where Lan was waiting for me and saw a few drunk men pulling at her. I wanted to charge forward, but a force dragged me back—it was Well.

　　"You'd better think this through. You only look seven years old now. If you manage to drive these guys away, she'll know your identity. It's not that I don't want to help, but you have to understand, if I show up, she might be even more frightened. Let's wait a bit—maybe someone will pass by." Well said seriously.

　　I remembered the time Well threw the rotten banana. That probably wasn't the first time he'd scared Lan. At that moment, one of the drunk men was holding Lan, tearing at her clothes.

　　"I... no!" I broke free from Well's grip and rushed out, with Well following behind.

　　"Kid, get lost!" The drunk man pointed at me and cursed, his right hand covering Lan's mouth. Lan signaled me to leave with her eyes.

　　"Lan..." I closed my eyes and revealed my ugliest form—the one even I didn't want to see. But this was the only way ordinary people could see me, and also the most forbidden rule of the spirit world. Because every time I revealed myself, my time in the cycle of reincarnation would be delayed by 20 years.