On the day of the thesis defense, I went to watch.
The boy still stood out, and I spotted him at once in the sea of thousands.
He seemed dispirited, his gaze wandering as if searching for someone.
"April!"
I shouted and waved at him.
He turned around immediately, looking in my direction, his disappointment replaced by joy.
I stood there quietly, watching him push through the surging crowd, rushing towards me against the flow.
At that moment, even though the crowd was dense around us, my eyes were only on him.
It was him, my boy.
"Vivian, I thought I wouldn't get your blessings today."
The boy held me tightly in his arms, his tone excited and joyful.
I told April that I had taken a leave because I was sick, and he couldn't hide his concern.
"I'm better now, and I'm attending the thesis defense today."
I hid my emotions, deliberately spun around in front of him, then waved my thesis paper.
Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Good, then I will wish you a good luck."
Before entering the conference room, I waved at him.
"April, good luck with the thesis defense!"
"Wish you a bright future, without worries from this point on."
He turned and ran over, unafraid of the stares around us, kissed my forehead, then rested his chin on my shoulder, holding me tightly with both hands.
"You too."
"We're going to share our future."
"After we graduate, April will marry Vivian."
I leaned on his shoulder, letting my tears fall.
"Okay."
I didn't finish my thesis defense that day after all.
I lied to April.
The first day after graduation, we went to see a movie about first love.
We sat in the farthest corner of the cinema, our fingers intertwined, leaning on each other, and even after the movie ended, I didn't want to leave.
The second day after graduation, we went to an amusement park and rode every ride.
The last attraction was the Ferris wheel.
It's said that couples who kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel will be together forever.
That day, we kissed at the very top.
That was our last kiss.
The third day after graduation, we went to the tree where we first fell in love.
I broke up with him and left without hesitation.
Without Vivian, April would be happy too.
From then on, I never heard from him again.
We moved, went to the best hospital, but the result was always the same—
There was no cure.
Even so, I underwent chemotherapy and surgery.
But it only lasted four years before my condition worsened.
I would not live to see another spring.
Anesthesia slowly entered my body, clouding my consciousness.
I remembered my parents holding my hand before entering the operating room, their eyes red and swollen from crying, but they didn't say a word, just reassuring me, "Don't be afraid."
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.
Vivian, don't be afraid.
Vivian won't be afraid.
Because she has her beloved parents by her side, she is fearless.
But dear Mom and Dad, being my parents was too much work.
If there's a next life, choose someone else to be your daughter, don't pick me.
Vivian will watch over you from heaven, wishing you happiness and safety.
"Start the surgery."
The sound of the instruments filled the air as the surgery proceeded smoothly.
I lost consciousness completely.
After an unknown amount of time, a breeze blew in from outside the window.
Soft green leaves hung from the branches, falling like they had broken free.
They slowly drifted down to the ground.
"Beep—"
