My Lost Love

I am Aria. Once upon a time, I loved him with an intensity that seemed to fill every corner of my being. In those days when our youth was like a kite dancing freely in the sky.

I stood amidst a sea of wild daisies on the mountainside, looking up with a blissful smile on my face. The wind whistled past my ears, and in an instant, I found myself in a warm embrace. Looking up, there was Leo's familiar clean and gentle smile, and in that moment, my heart found its calm.

I knew deep down that I loved him, even though he was about to leave.

At the lively graduation party, I stood alone in a darkened corner. After much hesitation, I finally pushed open the door of the ballroom and stepped into the bustling hall.

In an instant, my eyes fell on Leo, the man I loved. He stood in the center of a group of women, his gaze anxiously scanning the entrance from time to time. When he saw me enter, his eyes lit up.

But as our eyes met, I turned and walked away, afraid that my tears would spill over uncontrollably.

The night sky was ablaze with bright stars. I stopped in front of the library not far away. The faint strains of music from the dance reached my ears. I looked up and gazed at the star-filled sky all night long.

The dim light softly fell on my face, carrying a deep and unresolvable sadness.

Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps coming from behind. Before I could turn around, I was enveloped in a warm embrace.

I leaned back and looked up. I saw a hint of restrained sadness on Leo's face. With a gentle smile, I slowly turned around to face him directly.

His slender fingers tenderly wrapped my small hand in his palm, his face filled with a look of cherishing.

We stared at each other in silence. Then, soft music wafted in from afar, waking us from our moment of intense gaze.

Smiling at each other, he made an inviting gesture like a true gentleman. I responded with a gentle smile and a ladylike curtsy, accepting his invitation.

We danced quietly in the night. My pure white long dress gracefully swirled with the rhythm of the music, and both of us wore happy smiles on our faces.

At that moment, we were truly happy, even though we knew we were facing a painful farewell.

Three months later, Leo graduated from college and bought a train ticket south. Standing in the crowded waiting hall, he looked at me, the woman he loved. I stood in the pale sunlight, looking at him quietly, my face wearing the same peaceful and calm smile as always. His heart was filled with a strange tranquility.

My gaze followed his back as he slowly moved away into the distance, growing more and more blurred. Instinctively, I reached out and hugged myself tightly. As I watched his figure gradually disappear... the crowd surged around me. Everything became hazy. My mind went blank. But just as he stepped over the ticket gate, he suddenly turned around and met my panicked eyes. In that instant, he smiled. And the tears I had held back for so long finally streamed down my cheeks.

Since then, I have become accustomed to reminiscing. I have walked on every inch of the land we once traversed together. Alone, I look up and smile quietly at the starry sky all night.

I am a quiet and beautiful woman. In my solitary days, I still leave the bedroom door open at night, watching as the moonlight filters in quietly through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.

The stars outside the window are scattered like jewels. I sit quietly on the spacious and cold double bed, silently gazing at the starry sky outside the window. After a while, I lower my eyelids, and a sense of calm settles over me.

I am no longer the woman who loves to wear white cotton dresses. My closet is now filled with black long gowns. I like to get up in the middle of the night to air those various black dresses. Barefoot, I dance alone among the layers of fabric, a lit cigarette between my fingertips. Only memories still flow silently, gliding over my young and healthy skin without leaving a trace.

It's enough. I hug myself tightly in the darkness and hear my own empty and indifferent voice. I am certain that there were days when I truly loved him. And that is enough...

I look up and feel my cold tears silently sliding down from the corners of my eyes.own from the corners of my eyes...