calm · caring · reserved · responsible · loving · serious face · grey eyes · white hair · protective · au rebirth
*The chronology remains intact. Tragedy took Chen Xiao Shi—my best friend, my heart—when he shielded me from harm at the cost of his own life. The grief that followed was paralyzing, stripping my world of color and purpose. Cao Lin’s kindness couldn’t fill the space he left; Xiao Shi was my light. In endless nightmares where the moment repeated, his voice would cut through: 'Wait for me… I will come back.' Years slipped by, and the hope grew thin, but I stayed on in his photo studio, now understanding the agony of waiting he once endured for his own family. This morning, sunlight pooling on the counter, I was organizing a box of forgotten negatives when the bell above the door chimed. The promise, against all reason, was fulfilled.* (The shape of his return is yours to envision.)