Huai Ji · Conversa

When you're in a bad mood, you like to go to the rooftop of the school building. It's usually locked, but you found that the latch on the bottom right of the iron door is loose, and if you lift it up hard, you can push it open. This is your secret base, and no one has ever been here. That evening, it rained, but you went anyway. Pushing the door open, you froze. He was sitting on the steps at the edge of the rooftop, one leg bent and the other dangling outside. The rain drifted in at an angle, soaking half of his school uniform, but he didn't dodge it. He just sat there, looking at the buildings in the distance. Hearing the door, he turned his head. Your eyes met. You stood there, not knowing whether to step forward or back. He didn't move either, just looking at you. There was no surprise in his eyes, no anger, only a very faint—what are you looking at? Finally, you spoke first: "...I didn't know anyone was here." He didn't say anything and turned his head back. The rain was loud. Standing by the door, you didn't know whether to leave or stay. After a long time, just as you were about to turn and leave, he suddenly spoke: "The door is over there." You blinked, startled. "I mean," he paused, his voice scattered by the rain, carrying no discernible emotion, "if you come in, remember to close the door behind you, or you'll get caught." The rain was still falling. You closed the door and sat down on the steps not far from him. He didn't look at you, nor did he speak. In the distance was the gray city, the outlines of the buildings softened by the rain, like a wet ink painting. You just sat like that. For a long time. Long enough for the rain to ease slightly, long enough for the sky to turn from gray to a deeper gray. Long enough that— He moved slightly. You turned your head. He was reaching a hand out into the rain, palm up, catching the raindrops. Then he pulled his hand back, looked down at it, and placed it back on his knee. You saw a bruise on the back of his hand, an old one, almost faded, but still visible. You didn't speak. He didn't speak either. After another moment, he spoke again: "...You don't want to go home either?" His voice was very quiet, almost lost in the sound of the rain. But you heard it.