“Oh.” Emily Thompson thought for a moment. It was true that she had never heard Mrs. Johnson scold William Carter, but she didn’t really care. Her topic immediately jumped to something else. “I’m so full.”

　　“How much did you eat?”

　　“A lot! My parents’ cooking… It’s a pity you’ve only ever had noodles at my place. Actually, my mom and dad are really good at stir-frying dishes too!”

　　“Mm.”

　　William Carter nodded in agreement.

　　He noticed that when Emily Thompson hiccupped, her ahoge would move too.

　　Very interesting.

　　Emily Thompson’s family ran a noodle shop, a famous old shop in Yancheng, and it was close to the school. William Carter had been going there for noodles since middle school, but it wasn’t until they chose their tracks in high school that they really got to know each other.

　　Now, they had only been desk mates for a month.

　　During the second period of evening self-study, Mrs. Johnson came to the classroom door. After making her rounds, she called William Carter outside.

　　Lately, it was normal for Mrs. Johnson to talk to students, so William Carter wasn’t nervous. He put down his book and left the classroom.

　　“Has Emily Thompson affected your studies?” Mrs. Johnson asked.

　　“No.” William Carter shook his head.

　　“That’s good.” Mrs. Johnson nodded, then said with a sigh, “Emily Thompson is just so lively and unpredictable. She never listens, and you can’t change her by scolding or hitting. Sometimes she gives me such a headache, but other times I think this silly kid is actually quite interesting! But you, you’re completely different. You’re too quiet. Boys your age shouldn’t be like this!”

　　“Mm.” William Carter nodded.

　　“It’s already the last month, so maybe it’s a bit late to say this, but I think you should really learn more from Emily sometimes. Talk to your classmates more, go out to the playground and exercise. Don’t be afraid!” Mrs. Johnson didn’t mention anything about William Carter’s mental state, but kept emphasizing one thing, “Be braver. I understand that there are things you don’t want to face, but you can’t be afraid of them. Face them bravely, try more things. Just like Emily, if you make a mistake, so what? At worst, you’ll suffer a little… Just don’t be as silly as she is.”

　　“Mm.”

　　“Of course, for this last month, studying is still the priority. I’m not worried about you in that regard. But when you get to college, you absolutely can’t be like you were in high school! You have to get out there, understand?”

　　“Got it.”

　　William Carter really took it to heart.

　　Mrs. Johnson pursed her lips and added, “At the same time, I hope you can help her out a bit. You’re solid in your studies—if you can help her, that would be great! Her grades are just too unstable. The college entrance exam is almost here, and I have no idea how she can be so carefree!”

　　William Carter didn’t know what to say, so he just kept nodding.

　　Mrs. Johnson waved him back inside.

　　Then she called Emily Thompson out as well.

　　William Carter didn’t need to eavesdrop at the back door. His senses were extremely sharp; if he focused a little, he could pick out Mrs. Johnson and Emily Thompson’s voices from the noisy background.

　　Completely unaware that she had just missed a special opportunity, Emily Thompson was still hiccupping. When Mrs. Johnson saw her, she couldn’t help but tease, “Oh, Emily, you had a good dinner tonight, huh!”

　　Emily Thompson giggled sheepishly.

　　Inside, William Carter also smiled, then picked up his book to memorize an essay, no longer listening to what was happening outside.

　　Not long after, Emily Thompson returned to the classroom.

　　A few classmates glanced at her curiously.

　　She nudged William Carter with her elbow, leaned in, and said, “Hey, Mrs. Johnson just called you out and said…”

　　Stare!!

　　The death glare from outside the window made Emily Thompson quiet down.

　　Gradually, the weather outside began to change.

Chapter Four: Locust Tree Season

　　Evening self-study ended at nine o’clock, and it was completely dark.

　　At this time, the wind was blowing outside, making it especially cool, and occasionally a flash of light would streak across the sky.

　　A heavy rain was coming.

　　Emily Thompson called out from behind William Carter, “William Carter, are you walking or riding your bike? Do you want me to ask a boarding student to lend you an umbrella?”

　　William Carter turned around. “My house is very close.”

　　“All right then.”

　　“Bye.”

　　“Mm!”

　　William Carter shouldered his bag and squeezed downstairs with the crowd. He glanced around casually but didn’t see his younger brother Helen Reed. He didn’t wait and just headed out of the school on his own.

　　Scanning the crowd into the distance, he saw that person still standing by the tree, head tilted up, staring blankly in the direction where the lightning had just flashed.

　　After leaving the school gate, the streetlights lit up one after another.

　　The scent of locust blossoms grew stronger, carried by the wind in waves. The tiny white petals were blown down, then swept up again along the ground.

　　William Carter looked at the road, lost in thought.

　　‘They’ were becoming more and more numerous.

　　In his memory, there had never been so many of ‘them’ before. Even in the mountains, he rarely saw them, so as long as he was a little careful, he could avoid any contact.

　　But now, for some reason, he saw them often.

　　And this was in the city.

　　This made William Carter feel uneasy deep down.

　　After a while, he muttered to himself, “Maybe it’s time for me to try something new.”

　　As he neared his neighborhood, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

　　Looking up, he saw a figure sitting atop the locust tree across the intersection. The slender frame, the same clothes as that day, and the lush branches where the streetlights couldn’t reach—he could just make out long hair fluttering in the wind.

　　It was a girl.

　　Wearing shoes.