What's romantic

During my college days, I once tutored a group of children. One day, while explaining the verse "醉后不知天在水，满船清梦压星河" ("Drunk, I know not the sky in the water, but my boat is filled with dreams, pressing against the Milky Way"), I couldn't help but exclaim, "This line is so romantic!"

Suddenly, a chubby kid mischievously raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, what does 'romantic' mean?"

Children around the age of ten are at an age where they are just beginning to understand the world. They often equate romance with love because of a lack of proper guidance. In their eyes, love is like a rose with thorns—beautiful but untouchable. Over time, they come to think of love and romance as something particularly shameful.

I propped my chin on my hand and thought for a moment. After a while, I smiled and answered, "That's a great question, little chubby. What exactly is romance? I guess everyone likes watching 'Doraemon,' right? But does anyone know how the author came up with the story of 'Doraemon'? The author never said, so I’ll make a wild guess. Perhaps Nobita represents the cartoonist himself, and maybe in reality, the cartoonist liked a girl like Shizuka. He wanted to eat snacks with her, do homework together, and roller skate together. But there were also bullies like Gian and Suneo around him, who not only bullied him but also wouldn't let him play with Shizuka. So, the author wished for a 'Doraemon' to teach Gian and Suneo a lesson. Thinking and thinking, he created the story of 'Doraemon.' In the story, Nobita and Shizuka eventually get married, and readers all over the world know they get married. In this way, whether or not Nobita and Shizuka are together in reality, the author feels gratified and can’t stop smiling. That’s romance.”

"Teacher, is it romantic when Nobita keeps trying and making efforts to win Shizuka's approval?"

"Yes, it is."

"Teacher, I understand now. I think the moment when Calabash Brothers held the little butterfly was very romantic too!"

"That's right."

"Teacher, teacher! Every time my parents argue, they soon make up and then go to the supermarket to buy groceries and cook delicious food together. Isn't that super romantic?"

"Haha, that's super romantic!"

"Teacher, I like you! That’s romantic too!"

"You are such a good student. I like all of you too. However, while liking and loving are certainly romantic, romance is not limited to these. Returning to the verse '醉后不知天在水，满船清梦压星河'—the poet, drunk, doesn't realize the stars in the water are just reflections. In his dreams, he thinks he’s lying on the Milky Way, feeling relaxed and free. That is also romantic. Perhaps he dreams of meeting someone he misses, perhaps he dreams of acquiring a treasure he longs for, or perhaps he dreams of becoming a valiant general guarding the borders. Who knows? At this moment, he is peacefully sleeping 'in the sky.' This scene is incredibly romantic."

...

And so, the children and I discussed our own understandings of romance and even love, with the atmosphere lively and endearing. The summer afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, gently swaying the curtains. Occasionally, a few petals floated into the classroom, landing on the podium, the desks, and the children's shoulders.

That day, perhaps, was the closest I ever came to romance.