After the words

In a small town nestled between rolling hills and lush forests, there lived a boy named An. Known for his quiet demeanor and love for the natural world, An spent his days wandering through the woods, sketching trees and birds, and dreaming of adventures.

One summer, when An was fifteen, he met a girl named Mai who had recently moved to the town with her family. Mai was full of life, with sparkling blue eyes that seemed to hold all the wonder in the world. An was captivated by her from the moment they met. They quickly became friends, spending their days exploring the forest and sharing their dreams under the canopy of ancient trees.

One day, overwhelmed by emotions he couldn't fully understand, An took out his pocketknife and carved a message into the trunk of an old oak tree: "An loves Mai." It was his secret confession, a silent promise of his feelings.

Their days together were filled with laughter and the innocent joy of youth. They built forts from fallen branches, chased each other through the fields, and lay in the grass watching clouds drift by. To An, those moments felt like they could last forever.

But as time passed, life began to pull them in different directions. Mai's family decided to move to the bustling city in search of better opportunities. The day she left, An stood by the roadside, feeling a deep sense of loss. He watched as the car disappeared into the distance, taking a piece of his heart with it.

Years went by. An grew older and moved to a distant city for his studies. Life became a blur of responsibilities and challenges. The memory of Mai and their summer together slowly faded, but the feeling remained—a lingering ache he couldn't quite shake.

One rainy afternoon, An found himself back in his childhood village. The rain brought a sense of nostalgia, and he decided to visit the old oak tree. To his surprise, the tree was still there, and the carving was still visible, though weathered by time.

As he stood there, lost in memories, a voice called out his name. He turned to see Mai standing a few feet away, her blue eyes now carrying the weight of life's experiences. They approached each other slowly, both unsure and filled with unspoken emotions.

They talked for hours, catching up on the years they had missed. Mai had faced her own struggles and triumphs, just as An had. Despite the passage of time and the changes in their lives, the connection they shared as teenagers was still there, stronger than ever.

An realized that while they could never go back to the innocence of their youth, the bond they had formed was enduring. They parted ways once more, but this time, there was a sense of closure and a new beginning.

An returned to the city with a lighter heart. He had come to understand that love, no matter how fleeting or enduring, leaves an indelible mark. The carved promise on the tree had grown into a man, but the feelings he had etched into the bark remained a beautiful part of his journey.

And so, the story of An and Mai, written in the lines of an old oak tree, continued to live on, a testament to the enduring power of first love and the beauty of cherished memories.