Eternal Summer (Full)

8/3/2019 Eternal Summer (Full)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/eternal-summer-full 1/22

Spring

Every book is like a seed

During spring time, these seeds will produce flowers which will blossom

beautifully in your heart.

Author’s note

[Relay races never end, because the track is circular!], 2006

“I’ve sent you a book about young love between planets.”

“So how’s the story?”

“I don’t know!”

I ended the call. It’s been half a year since I finished my latest project. It’s time

for me to start working on my next movie. I’ve spent ages discussing my plans to

produce another movie script with other people. I was sure, that this was my last chance.

From the very beginning, Patrick Mao Huang had told me:

“Planets revolve around the sun,

whereas comets fly through the skies and disappear in a flash.”

It has always been so. Everyone would be able to understand this even if they

did ponder long and hard over it. There were those who would forever remain the focus

of everyone’s attention. Just like planets, we, too had friends who would revolve around

us day and night, sharing our every thought and feeling. Furthermore, there would also

be the girls; girls who would suddenly become the subject of our conversations, only to

leave our idle thoughts as quickly as a comet.

I knew that this was my starting point.

Later on, Patrick had started working on other scripts, so I missed the

opportunity to work with him. I met up with Hsu Cheng-Ping, the potential author of this script for a chat about the storyline. I aired out my ideas, and after numerous

discussions, the story started to take form. At last, the movie “Eternal Summer” was

born.

Initially, I had thought that the relay race was over, for the movie was almost

complete.

Suddenly, my editor Chun-zi suddenly suggested that I should go back to my

starting point and rethink the whole storyline.

[There’re no rules saying that the novel must be an exact replicate of the movie.

It’s alright to publish a totally different story.]



Immediately, I asked Cheng-Ping for her opinion regarding this matter, and she

gave me the same answer promptly. I thought to myself: I have already acquired so

many precious memories from the production days of this movie. These will always

have a place in my heart.

The race baton is passed back to the first runner, and he runs out of the track.

10 hours ago, I finished reading through my second draft.

I am in turmoil.

After making a movie about the 3 of them, I had thought that I knew everything

there was to know about them. However, I have come to realize, that it no longer is just

a movie, no longer just a novel. I have come to realize, that even if the movie had

already been completed; even if that summer was already a part of the past, the joys and

fervor of the youth still remains.

Words will never be able to imprison our past, present or future.

I’ve experienced this feeling before. When I was watching a scene in the movie

“The years that we spent chasing after that girl” by Jiubadao, I felt this very same

feeling. Late at night, when the ’92 big earth quake struck Taiwan, the guy was sharing

with his girl, his deepest darkest secret.

Songs, novels and movies never restrict the story from developing further.

We’re the ones who do that.

Oh right, here’s a good piece of advice:

The storyline of this novel and the movie are different. Even the tone of this

book has been altered. However, don’t worry, because these things will not affect how

we feel when we read the story.

Now, I suggest that you take out your favorite CD, be it an album by “Mayday”

or “Faye Wong” - anything will do, and continue reading this novel. Immerse yourself

in it, and relive your past.

We’ll never be able to change the past, right?

Leste Chen

Recommendations

In this wide universe, there is a planet. And on this planet, no one lives past the

age of 20.

On August 31, 9.21 AM, I finally finished reading this novel.

Nothing interesting had happened in recent times. Only one piece of news

caught my eye, and it was about Mercury which had successfully left our solar system.



Strangely, I felt a sense of dissatisfaction. Our solar system had lost a mate; it had

become doubly lonely.

On the 3rd

planet in our solar system, there was a novel which went by the nameof “Eternal Summer”. Nevertheless, this planet continued to feel lonely. It continued to

revolve around the sun, the same way as it did when it first took form 45 billion years

ago. After those 45 billion years, humans appeared on the surface of the planet.

From birth, they would begin interacting with one another. They would hug, kiss

and caress each other, as though they felt the loneliness of the planet. They did not bend

to suit the expectations of others, even if it meant getting fatally injured. On such

occasions, they would just release their last breath with a sigh of satisfaction.

On the 7305th day after their birth, they would suddenly stop behaving so rashly.

Their lives would take a 180 degree turn. Falling into a deep slumber, they would relive

their summer memories. Happy as a dove, they would die one after another.

Suddenly, I had a revelation. Even if the scientists removed planet Mercury from

textbooks and reference books, this planet remain in my memories forever.

Mayday Ashin

Eternal Summer – The essence of the youth

Once upon a time, love letters were written on paper.

Once upon a time, songs were recorded onto CD records, and photos were

displayed in photo albums

Once upon a time, there were only 3 television sets in the whole village.

One day, we said farewell left the restraints of our past behind us. We used blogs

to introduce ourselves. We searched for love through msn. We listened to songs in mp3

formats instead of the old fashioned CD records… Nowadays, there were so many

singers around that your head would start to spin at the thought. Nowadays, there is no

longer a need to look carefully before pressing the shutter of the camera. Nowadays,

thousands of files can be kept neatly in different folders in the computer…. Dust wouldnever collect on those files, even if they were left alone for eons.

The world is becoming more ambitious, more complex and faster than ever.

Even so, we are still looking for new experiences, searching for our next friend,

just like we had done in the past. We suck in this air which is filled with memories, only

to give out sighs of love and remembrance

Our youth is just like bottles filled with different substances. When we open the

bottle to take a whiff of its contents, we’ll find that each and every one of them will

smell differently. Some emit a bitter smell, as though the contents had been immersed in

sadness, whereas others had that happy and contented smell. When we were in our



prime, we would just squander all our youth. Once those days were over, we would try

to retrieve bits and pieces of it.

Leste Chen portrayed the lives of Jonathan, Shane and Carrie when they were intheir prime through this movie. These youths crossed over the borders of friendship and

into relationships filled with love. As the future approaches, new opportunities start to

emerge….

Jiu Ba Dao

Recommendations

Suddenly, memories about having a vacation at the beachside in Hualian last

summer appeared in my mind. That day, I had called one of my friend’s friend and toldhim that I had a premonition that something was going to happen, and I had to take my

leave.

At that time, I spoke in a very serious tone as I walked around idly on the beach.

The winds of the sea continued to blow past my face, and I sat myself down on the pitch

black beach, getting sand, salt and moisture all over my pants. I continued to talk

gravely to him.

Time to come back to the present. The summer is coming to an end, yet I am

still idling at home, glancing at the folds on my thighs as I continue to cough. Once

again, I think to myself: the shrilling of the cicada seems to have gotten softer this year.

Nothing has changed. Even the round-ended fan that I bought last year has started to

gather dust. Hehe, I’ve started to lose interest in a lot of things. Nothing got my

attention, apart from that scare that I got when I bumped into an ugly massage girl at the

side of a long street just the other day. This problem is getting so serious that I myself

am aware of it.

Oh right, I’m also a very apathetic guy. Only when my throat starts to hurt will I

go get a sip of water. Subsequently, I’ll just forget about the whole incident.

It’s the wee hours of the night, the time of day that I detest the most. Insomnia

got to me and it has left me wide awake. I met Patrick Huang on such a night as well.

He had an 80’s look, and he kept dragging his fingers through his hair. After thatmeeting, I would call him once in a while to discuss something that I had thought of,

and he would air his views too, and we would end the conversation just like that.

After getting to know him better, I started to dislike his works. Haha, it’s not that

his works are terrible. It’s just that his works are always filled to the brim with

emotions, whereas he himself keeps hiding behind those glasses of his. They really are

too big for him. He makes me think of the ice cream parlours of the olden days.

Customers from different backgrounds and cultures visit the ice cream parlour, and they

sit on the stools that have been used in the shop for years. The owner of the parlour sits

behind the ice machine and dishes out desserts with an emotionless face. He too has on

a pair of big glasses.



Many customers enjoy their ice desserts in the shop. Someone has just entered

the ice cream parlour. They come in, and more memories are created.

Artist : Maoniu

Chapter 1- “ My name is Jonathan, and the meaning of my name is the earth.”

1998

Jonathan Kang

Summer is coming to an end.

My friend once told me this: one day, as you were wandering along the streets of Taiwan, you suddenly got the urge to sing one of your favourite songs. But at that

moment in time, you were not able to remember the name of the song. Even the tune

evaded you, and the only thing you could do was hum “lalala…”

You stopped at the corner of an empty street as you start to agonize over it,.

You began to take deep breaths. You closed your eyes and started smiling. You

continued to stand there motionless as you took in the sounds coming from the streets.

Moments later, the song started to resonate in your ears. It was as though

someone standing near you had started singing that song quietly.

From this story, we have learnt that we should take calm breaths continuously

like this: Inhale, exhale and smile. Wait for a few seconds, and repeat the whole cycle

once more.

When I first realized that I started to do such a stupid and nonsensical thing, I

gave a few dry laughs. However, I convinced myself that this was a “holy secret

technique” that my friend had shared with me. With that, I straightened up and

continued doing those actions.

I did not know how long I stood there doing those things. I did not believe that

this world stop in mid action if I closed my eyes.

Surprisingly, I suddenly felt really “warm”

Yes, I meant “warm”

I had the chance to listen to that familiar song again, and through it, I

rediscovered the city. I started to recall the “warmth” that I had felt when I lived in this

city.

I remembered things like this: on a street which was always filled with vehicles,

a protective mother who worked at the nearby primary school carefully watched over

the little children, making sure that they crossed the road safely every day. In the past,



she too held my hand as we crossed that busy street. Next, I recalled the noisy rock-and-

roll music that came from the second storey of a building on the opposite street. That

had been the first time I heard the songs which had been produced by the British rock-

and-roll band “Blur”. I even remembered the cat that had lived in that shop over there.It constantly clawed at the glass panels as it purred softly. It constantly reminded me of

the fat stray cat that I had found when I was only 5 years old. I named it [moon].

These sounds seemed softer than the chirping of the cicadas from far-flung

forests.

Today’s date was 11 June 1998, and the earth’s temperature had reached a new

high. In my small community, some started to worry that the world was coming to an

end.

At the same time, many others were more interested in things like “How many

times have you watched the movie [Titanic]? How many times have you cried over the

scene where Jack Dawson disappears into the depths of the sea? Many people barely

understood English, yet everyone was able to sing a few phrases of the song [My Heart

Will Go On]”

However, these things did not interest me in the least. Moreover, these were

definitely not the things that I should currently be interested in.

At that moment in time, the only thought that was floating through my head was:

If I continued to stand here and pray for a miracle to happen, my final maths exam

grades will go up in smoke. On the other hand, if I decide to open my eyes and go for

my maths exam, I might never be able to recall the name of that song, and that would become one of my life regrets.

Summer had started early this year. I looked towards HanYang high school as I

stood on a flourishing street in this deteriorating town on the Eastern parts of Taiwan.

Wearing a sweat ridden shirt and lugging a bag which was filled with books, I stopped

in mid track. Only 386 days separated me from the day of the university entrance

exams. I only had to finish another 5469 pages of exercises before I completed the all

the additional questions that could be found in my reference books. Even so, how far

was I from my future?

Today’s weather was fine. A slight breeze swept past my forehead, drying mysweat in the process.. As I stood there, I wondered whether any of these passer-bys

knew me.. they must be mocking me for doing such an idiotic thing. Even so, I

continued to smile confidently and patiently as I waited for that instant when the song

would echo in my ears once again.

That was the reason why I continued to stand there and smile. That smile on my

face must look very stupid, I thought to myself

In this group of unfamiliar passer-bys, I was just another person. No one would

remember me at all.

And my name was….



[Jonathan!]

Jonathan

[Jo Na Than!]

Yes, my name is Jonathan..

[Jo…Na….Than…!]

Wait a moment, I thought to myself as I frowned.

That did not come from my imagination. That voice sounded so familiar.

At that instant, I received a firm punch from behind, and I fell to the ground.

He must have done that on purpose.

Yes, I will always remember that voice. No other person would have done such

a violent and immature thing just to get my attention.

I stood on the tar-covered road as I squinted at him. The bright rays of the sun

defined his silhouette clearly. With his back facing the sun, he smiled as he pull me off

the ground. His hand was warm and wet; because he had just gone for basketball

practice.

[Are you having sunstroke?] He placed his hand on my forehead before putting

it on his own. At that instant, I started to wonder: Does he really know the difference

between sunstroke and a cold?

[No] I pushed his hand away.

[I’m taking you to the sick ward.]

[I’m not suffering from sunstroke.]

He the type of guy who never listens to the key points of any conversation, I

thought to myself.

[Get into the car.]

Get into the car.

He forced me into his [Spyder], his old Geantǎ and he sped off.

[Spyder] was the name of the 550 racing car produced by Porshe in the 1950s. It

was the car which had been driven by Thomas Dean, the most rebellious man in

America when he met with a car crash in 1995. I had read about it in [The Thomas Dean

Diaries]. That must have been the only non-comic like book that I have read in my

entire life. The handles of the original [Spyder] had gotten bent during the “All Around

Taiwan 30 day Bike race” in the summer of 1997.

My friend was called Shane.



After getting to know him in 1991, I started to believe that aliens live among us

humans.

Chapter 2 [3rd June 2005] , 2005

Shane

I got up early this morning. Really, really early.

Today’s date was 3rd June 2005, and it was just another ordinary day.

My alarm had not even rung. I said to myself “I’m up early today”, as this was

the first time I’ve woken up so early ever since I started my university life in Taipei.

The time was 4.48AM. The day has yet to begun. You could hear the voices of the paperboys coming in through the window.

Today, I was suppose attend a movie reshoot. However, I took a day off instead.

I switched on the television. The news broadcast was a rerun, and it was filled

with political squabbles. Just then, one piece of news caught my eye. It was about Faye

Wong. She had announced to the public that she was going to leave the entertainment

world in order to have a taste of the domestic lifestyle. Fans were going ballistic

everywhere.

She told us all, that she would like us to forget about her if she ever stopssinging.

I expected that her comeback journey was to be even more treacherous than any

of us could even imagine.

For some strange reason, anger started to boil in my heart. How could a person

who has left on his own accord ask others to forget about him?

The sky looked quite cloudy; it had a melancholy feel to it.

Summer had just begun; but I was under the impression that summer had already

ended.

I scooped a few spoonfuls of coffee mix into the coffee machine, only to find

that I had forgotten to insert the coffee filter beforehand. I spent a few minutes cleaning

up the mess and repeated the whole process.

After turning on the tap in the bathroom, I stepped into my bedroom. I lay down

on the floor and started to do push ups. I started to pant slightly. Nevertheless, I decided

to put in a few more pumps.

98, 99, 100.



I got up and heaved a few deep breathes. I wiped off my sweat with the back of

my hand. I stripped off my clothes one by one as I walked towards the bathroom. I flung

my underwear aside and walk into the steam-filled bathroom. After turning off the tap, I

approached the misted-up mirror. I reached forward and wiped off the thin layer of steam.

The scar on my lower jaw would remain there forever. Even so, my beard was

getting longer and longer. I had decided to grow a beard so that I could cover up that

scar. I smiled at myself and saw creases forming at the ends of my mouth.

I stepped into the bathtub. Warmth from the water travelled from the tip of my

toes to the top of my head. This is better. I feel refreshed.

The bathwater.. looks so blue..

It’s been ages since I last went swimming.

Suddenly, a summer day which had already become thing of the past floated into

my mind. I remembered swimming in that extra blue-ish sea water, or was it a

swimming pool instead? No matter. At that time, I had been holding onto something as I

continued to swim forward with all my might.

It was as though I felt scared of losing something.

Now, I had already forgotten what it was.

The only thing that I could remember was the sensations I felt as I was

swimming in the water. That water was warm, as warm as the bath water that I wascurrently bathing in.

I slid out of the water and stood up. I wiped myself dry with a towel I grabbed

from the nearby rack before tying it around my waist.

The sun’s rays entered through the open window. There’s still some time left, I

thought to myself. I walked back into the kitchen where the sweet smells of freshly

brewed coffee were slowly seeping out. I poured myself a cup of hot steaming coffee.

As I stood in front of my coffee table, I heard a very familiar song reverberating

from the television. I had forgotten about that song. I closed my eyes and listenedclosely.

[Shane]

Was someone calling my name?

[Shane]

I turned around; only to find a guy smiling at me as he sat at the dining table. He

had a slender silhouette, and he was dressed in a smart black tux. He looked the same as

always; as grumpy as ever. We first met when we were in standard 5 of elementary



school. We had been in the same class for 8 years; it felt as though we were destined to

be friends.

I started to recall the time when we first met.

Nevermind. That had already become a thing of the past.

[You’ve grown fat], he said as he glanced at me.

I chuckled. That’s true. I’ve gotten a bit round on the edges.

[When was the last time you went for basketball practice?]

[Well, when was the last time you watched me play?] I retorted

[I got bored of it]

At that, he glanced at his watch and stood up.

[You only have 24 minutes and 35 seconds left. It’s time for you to change.]

He stepped aside as to let me pass.

I brushed against him as I walked towards my bedroom. I opened my closet and

took out the tuxedo that I had bought yesterday.

I gave him a look, and amicably he looked away from me. I pulled away the

towel. Under the rays of the sun, my shadow reached out and touched my friend’s back.

[How long has it been since we last met?] I asked

[Long enough]

[5 years 8 months and 8 days, to be exact.] He started to laugh after uttering the

last word.

I looked downwards as I zipped up my trousers. Lucky for me, it was not too

tight.

[Jonathan] I called to him.

[What?]

[How long has it been since you last returned?]

[This will be the first time I return.]

Me too.

[Must we go?]

[Have you finished changing?] he asked



We remained silent for a few moments; it seemed as though we were getting

more and more distant. It felt as though echoes could be heard every time either of us

spoke out loud.

Next, I picked up my bag and walked out of the door. I locked the door, and

walked towards the car park. Suddenly, I realized that I had left the cuttings of an

obituary notice on my coffee table.

Chapter 3-You must never think a basketball is just a basketball – 1998

Jonathan Kang

Sounds of the players dribbling a basketball resonated throughout the court.

Compared to the stuffy hot classroom, such a scene seemed to liven up the atmosphere

of the school.

The bell which signified the end of the final mathematics exam had not rung.

Even so, there were those who had already started passing up their answer scripts. I

looked up for a moment, before continuing to change my answer over and over again.

Beads of sweat dripped onto my question paper.

I looked at my watch; time continued to move forward relentlessly in my mind.

I only had one more question to answer. The answer was floating somewhereinside my brain. Where did this question come from? I remembered seeing something

similar in one of my reference books. The way the question was asked, the method of

answering the question, and the logic behind deriving the answer was exactly the same.

Only – one – more – question – remained.

Calm down; reread the question carefully once more so that I do not get careless.

Focus; take a deep breath; don’t get distracted by another student’s amazing pen-turning

skills. Calm down… I’ve already calm down, and the next step in “Solving the

Mysteries of Mathematics” is….. Oh no, I’ve started to drift off.

Suddenly, someone threw a scrunched up paper slip at me. I was stunned for a

moment. With a guilty feeling in my heart, I picked up the wad of paper and held it

tightly in my hand.

Wait a moment, could this be…?

You did a good thing. This must be the true meaning of friendship. At least, that

was what I felt even though I did not know who passed that piece of paper to me. We

should always help our friends who are in need, and this wad of paper seemed to emit a

sacred radiance.



Even so, I still did not have the time to thank the mysterious help-giver Mr X.

The bell was going to ring soon, and I had no time to spare. There was no time for

hesitation.

Yes.

I looked up at the teacher-on-duty sneakily. As he was reading his newspaper, I

quietly opened the paper slip beneath my desk.

[The basketball court is waiting for you]. Beneath it was a very ugly smiley face.

The basketball court is waiting for me?

I looked upwards slightly, and saw Shane handing over his answer slip to the

teacher-on-duty. He looked back casually and gave me a wink. The grin that he had on

his face seemed to be saying: Give it up.

Give it up.

Give it up.

I should just give it up.

It was already noon time. Heat radiated from the basketball court.

I looked around as I hid under the shade of a tree. Shane was not to be seen.

Instead, I saw a few guys who studied the classroom beside mine.

I thought to myself: I will never understand why so many people love basketball

so passionately. Everyone fights tooth and nail just to get their hands on the ball. Under

the hot sun, everyone is covered in sweat. They stick so closely to each other, and

release animal-like grunts regardless whether they succeed or fail. The next thing you

know, they stick to each other once more.

Shane was also like that. He was HanYang High School’s basketball team

leader. The number of points he had gotten on the basketball court definitely exceeded

the marks he obtains in his History, Mathematics and Chinese exam combined.

One fine summer, Shane decided to teach me how to play basketball. Due to the

difference in our abilities, I lost to him frequently. In a rage, he threw the basketball atme and shouted: [Do not think that a basketball is a basketball.]

This must have been the most philosophical thing he has ever said. [Do – not –

think – that – a – basketball – is – a – basketball.] I still do not comprehend what he

meant by that.

Don’t think that a basketball is a basketball? Then what should I consider it to

be? A bowling ball? A durian? Or just some guy’s head?

Later on, I gave up, but not Shane. Suddenly, I started attending all his

basketball matches, because he asked me to. Once in a while, he would even request

that I stay back after school just to watch him train.



For the past few years, I’ve been to all of his matches, apart from the two

occasions. During the first occasion, I had gotten sick and on the other, I had been

visiting my grandma with my parents. Every time I missed a match, he would give me

the cold shoulder for a few days.

I became a basketball fan. I would watch his every move on the basketball court.

His goals, successful or unsuccessful; would affect my mood dramatically. Even so, I

was not the kind of guy who would wave balloons in my hands as I cheered him on.

Suddenly, a wave of heat came from behind me. It felt familiar.

[Do you feel hot?] I knew it. It was Shane.

[This is for you.] Before I could even respond, he slipped a few ice cubes into

my shirt and ran off towards the basketball court.

He’s so childish. So so childish.

He must have used his good looks to charm the store lady who sold unheard-of

ice creams into giving him these ice cubes.

I pulled out my shirt, and I jumped around, looking like an idiot as I tried to get

all the ice cubes out.

Yes. I can even imagine the cute expression that Shane had on his face as he

stood in front of the store lady a few minutes ago.

The store lady of HanYang High School was known as Auntie Chen. She knewall sorts of gossip, including those regarding the fights between teachers, and the love

relationships between students. She knew everything. The information she stored in her

brain exceeded even that which was kept in the school library.

In her shop which was called [Timeless store], you could find sweets that had

gone on sale 6 years ago, or even chocolate which dated back to 1994.

Even so, the most classic thing in her shop was the [bread from the future].

Obviously, such things were not to be found that easily. Even so, if you got

lucky, you might just find some Polo bread whose expiry date was June 3998, or a

cupcake which would only be produced on 18 June 2008 in the basket of bread.

Even so, Shane continued to eat the things she sold. Even more astonishing was

the fact that he never got a tummy ache from eating her goods. I really am envious of

his steel-like digestive system.

Every lunch hour, we would buy our lunches and head for the rooftop of the

gymnasium. There laid a storage room which had not been used for ages. We decided to

make it our own secret hideout. From there, we could see the whole school grounds just

by looking through the window.



For some strange reason, Shane and I had always eaten lunch together.

Sometimes, I would bring my study materials for the upcoming test into the storeroom.

Other times, Shane would take a nap inside. Every time we were in the storeroom, it felt

as though we had already left the school grounds. Even though it only lasted for half anhour, it still felt like the two of us were secluded from everything else.

When on earth did we start eating our lunches by ourselves?

Nevermind, I had already forgotten.

I guessed that the habit started when we were still young.

The sky started to darken, and the sounds of a storm battering the Rhizophora

tree woke me up. (I had been pulling an all nighter last night. That really is bad for my

health.)

The people on the basketball court rushed towards the nearby classrooms. The

school grounds started to look empty once more.

Only Shane remained on the basketball court. He took off his shirt, and exposed

his bronze skin. His sweat and the rain started to blend together; even I could not tell

which was which.

Loudly, I told him that I would head home soon. He did not speak. He continued

holding on to his basketball as he smiled at me.

Chapter 4 Don’t you love Taipei? 2005

Shane

Jonathan, who was sitting in the back seat of the car pretended to shout my name

loudly. We had played this silly game in the past.

I smiled at him and knocked on the car windshield. After that, I handed some

money to the guy who was working in the petrol station.

Jonathan tugged at his tie and breathed slowly.

I got back into the car and turned on the engine. We continued on our journey to

the eastern parts of Taiwan.

[Recently, I have been thinking about starting my own movie production

company.]

[What?]

I turned down the stereo volume, even though the song that was currently being

played – [Passenger] by Faye Wong seemed like an appropriate song to use on a long

drive.



I had already forgotten who first introduced me to Faye Wong’s songs.

[Recently, I have been thinking about starting my own movie production

company.] I repeated.

[Movie?] He deliberately showed a doubtful expression on his face. That

expression of his looked quite comical.

[Yes, the kind which focuses on human character.]

[Character?]

I looked at him through the rear-view mirror.

[In each and every different scene, we will focus on a person’s different

emotion. All his expressions would be enlarged. It will be the kind which is notcompletely real-like, because you would not be able to touch those emotions with your

own two hands.]

[I see. So you’re applying to work at a philosophy research centre, right?]

[What do you mean by that?] I did not understand his words.

[Nothing.]

[How did we get onto this road?] I could not locate the road that we used to

enter this place.

[Which road are you referring to?]

[Should we turn back and ask the petrol station guy for directions?]

[Which road were you referring to a moment ago?]

[This doesn’t look like the one. We should have taken the last one instead.]

[Or could it be this one on the left?] I asked.

[I don’t know. Anyone would do.]

[Is it raining?] I asked.

[I don’t think so.]

[Really?]

[Do you like the rain that much?]

[I don’t remember seeing paddy fields on my left when we first entered this

place.]

[I think.] He looked back at the road that we had just taken.



[What do you mean?]

[I think we passed some paddy fields on the way here. However, I have the

feeling that we did not pass by some paddy fields as well.]

Pause.

[Are you thirsty?] I asked.

[No.]

[I have some mineral water with me.]

[I’ll have some please.]

[What kind of idiotic place is this? This doesn’t look like the correct road,

right?]

The direction signboard that lay in front of us listed down the names of a few

unfamiliar places. Immediately, I made a U-turn.

[Could this be the one?]

[Everything looks the same.]

[It’s been such a long time since I last saw so much greenery.]

[Taipei is really not appropriate for human habitation.]

[Don’t you like Taipei?]

[No, I don’t.]

[Why?]

[A year ago, I decided to plant a few shrubs in my balcony. I went to the flower

market in Taipei and bought a Giant Alocasia. For the first few weeks, I took great care

of the plant. Nevertheless, after half a year had gone pass, I realized that I had not

watered the plant for ages. I walked towards the balcony. Unbelievably, that plant was

still alive. Some of its leaves had already turned yellow, but it was still alive. In fact, it

looked quite lonely. I started to feel quite guilty, and I imagined that the plant wasalready quite thirsty, so I poured a whole kettle of water onto the plant. Two days later,

when I was sleeping peacefully in my bed, I heard something snapped. I rushed toward

the balcony, only to find that its stem had snapped into half. The outer layer was still

intact. Nevertheless, its roots were done for. I felt guilty, guilty because the plant could

have continued with its life if I had not watered it that day. It might not have died so

soon.]

[That’s why I told you that I think you’re applying to work at a philosophy

research centre.]

[What?] I still did not understand his words.



[Nothing.]

There was an even longer pause.

I turned up the music volume.

Chapter 5 [You are Shane’s best friend.] 1998

Jonathan Kang

This morning was as hot as ever. I laid my head down on the desk of my tuition

centre. I could hear the air-conditioner whirring from both sides. In front of the class,

the Chemistry teacher wrote things on the blackboard, causing chalk particles to fly all

over the place. As for the students… Did they really understood what the teacher wassaying, or were they just trying to act serious by nodding their heads incessantly?

Another thing, who on earth was the person who had first initiated of this form

of living hell – Holiday Remedial Classes]?

I listened to my walkman subtly (After starving myself for a whole year, I

finally saved up enough pocket money to buy the thing.) The song [Restless] by Faye

Wong was currently being played, and I really felt like singing it out loud. Nevertheless,

I only dared to write down a few lines of song lyrics on the last page of my text book.

September had not yet arrives, but the hot weather had already started making

me feel restless.

I looked at the girl who sat in the first row. I did not know her; it’s just that her

long fluffy hair (Suddenly, I started to recall the time when my dad went to visit my

aunt who lived in Hsinchu. He had brought back some Hsinchu souvenirs.) her hair

constantly irritated my nose, and it blocked my line of sight too. When I pushed it aside,

she swept it back to its original position. If I repeated my actions, so did she.

In fact, that felt quite entertaining.

It had a humorous regularity to it.

No more playing, or else the teacher will find out.

But.

I’ll just do it one last time.

And I’ll do it according to the music beat.

[Jonathan Kang!]

[Yes!]



As I stood up hurriedly, I accidentally tugged on my earphone wires. The

walkman that I had been hiding in the drawer fell to the ground with a loud thud and

broke into pieces. Everyone turned and looked at me. The class was deathly silent, and

the only sound that could be heard was the rolling of the walkman battery on the floor.

[What have you been doing?] In a rage, the teacher threw the chalk into the

blackboard groove. He must have thought that he looked cool doing such a thing. In

truth, that did not look cool at all.

[Stand for the rest of the period.]

Alright, I stood up, just as I was told.

I had originally planned on paying attention to his teaching but the students

sitting behind me kept making “Tsk Tsk” sounds, for I was blocking their view.

Amicably, I pressed my body against the wall. I looked as though I was standing

sideways.

[Jonathan Kang!]

[Yes!]

[I told you to stand up. Why are you standing so crookedly?]

Oh.

I started to worry that the teacher would think that I was up to no good, so Iforced my shoulders and head into a stiff straight position. On the other hand, I was also

worried that I would be obstructing the students behind me, so I tried my best to move

closer to the wall.

In short, my body got into a twisted and comical pose.

And that was how I spent the rest of the morning Chemistry class.

I started to put my books back into my bag. The students looked at me

scornfully as they passed me by. I dropped my glance, and saw my broken walkman. I

started to wonder whether it would still work if I taped it back together.

Suddenly, someone picked up my Faye Wong CD from my desk and handed it

to me.

I looked up, and saw the girl whose name I did not know; the girl with the long

fluffy hair.

[Jonathan Kang.]

[Do I know you?]

[I, too have this CD.]



[Really?]

[How much did you pay for your walkman?]

[Quite a lot.]

[My favorite song is “I am willing”.] She kept twirling her fingers.

[I see.] I did not understand the logic behind her thinking, so I had no idea how

to give a reply.

[What are you eating?]

[What?]

[What are you eating for lunch?]

[No idea.]

[Do you know about “The Moustache Guy”?]

[Who?]

[The Moustache Guy.]

[No, I don’t.]

[The one which sells tidbits.]

[Oh.]

[Their Meehoon soup is really delicious.]

[Oh.]

[Let’s go.]

[What?]

This unfamiliar girl was pulling me towards the unfamiliar shop [The Moustache

Guy].

After exiting the tuition centre, we took a left turn and walked pass two streets.

Next, we turned into a back alley at the corner of the convenience store. She blatantly

ignored the curious stares that came our way and continued to pull me along. Next, we

walked along the path of a public garden before entering a dead end.

There lay a shop in the dead end. There was an A grade sign pasted to its door.

Written in red ink, was another sign which read [Moustache Guy’s Delicious Meehoon

Soup!!!]

We entered the dimly lit shop. There were no menus to be seen. Suddenly, the

shop owner came out of nowhere and placed two bowls of Meehoon soup in front of us.



This was all very bizarre. I had been forced into this shop to consume this

unappetizing bowl of Meehoon soup, by a girl whose name I don’t even know. She took

a sip of the soup, and smiled at me.

I was sure that I had seen that expression before. Yes. That looked really

familiar.

I remember.

That was the expression that Zi Wei had on her face whenever she looked at Er

Kang in the show Princess Pearl.

This – can’t – be – happening, right?

[You… why did you invite me to have Meehoon soup with you?] I gathered all

my courage and asked her directly.

She looked away shyly.

[You’re his best friend, right?]

[What?]

[You are.]

[I am?]

[You are.]

[Am what?]

[You are his best friend.]

[No, I’m not.]

[You are Shane’s best friend.]

She covered her face. Once again, that expression of hers looked familiar.

However, that was not from one of the Princess Pearl scenes.

Yes, that’s right. This girl. I’ve seen her a few times in the past. The first timewas during one of the interschool basketball matches. She had been hiding behind a tree

near the basketball court.

The next occasion was when Shane and I were getting refreshments from the

store. As we were walking pass the toilets, I suddenly felt a chill; it was as though

something mysterious was gazing at us.

The third time I saw her was during the cleaning period. As I walked towards

the school back door to empty the rubbish bins, a girl who held a bucket in her hands

kept following us.



She had that same expression on her face every single time. And every single

time, her eyes were on Shane.

Strangely, I felt relieved and a tad disappointed.

Why did I feel disappointed?

Ah. I got it. It’s like when someone places a big bowl of potato chips in front of

you, you would reach out and take a piece even though you actually hate the stuff.

No, that does not sound right.

Nevermind.

[Jonathan Kang is on a date.]

Who? Who? With who?

There was a strange guy standing behind us. That big guy wore a mask on his

face, and he also had on a pink lace apron as well. On the apron was a picture of a white

dog was covered in oil stains. The dog had a Labrador’s head and a Golden Retriever’s

fur.

The guy held a broom in one hand and two plastic bags in the other. On his feet

was a pair of blue and white slippers.

[Do I know you?] I asked

[You know him?] She asked.

That guy took off his face mask.

[Shane?] The unfamiliar girl suddenly gave a shriek.

Shane? Shane? Why would he come to this place? More importantly, this guy is

wearing a lacy apron.

In fact, he looked quite comical in it.

[What are you doing?] I asked.

[I’m working here. This is my uncle’s nephew’s shop.]

[I see. So the moustache guy is actually your uncle’s nephew.] The girl repeated

Shane’s words.

[What are you doing here?] He asked

[Yes, what are you doing here?] She asked

[Why are you repeating all my words?] He asked.

[I’m not repeating all your words.] She said.



[Who are you?] He asked.

[I am…] She twirled her hair around her fingers as she continued speaking.

[Nevermind. Hold this for me.] He said.

[Alright.] She said.

[Let’s go.] He said.

[Alright.] She said.

[Not you, you.] He pointed at me.

After that repetitive conversation of theirs, Shane threw the broom and the two

plastic bags at the girl. He took off the pink apron and placed it on the table. Next, he

pulled me out of the shop.

[I just got paid. Let’s have some ice-cream.]

[What about that girl?]

[I don’t know her.]

[Me neither.]

[Well then, let’s just go eat some ice-cream.]

[Alright.]

At that, we started to act as though we had never bumped into that girl.

However, we would still see that familiar expression of hers every now and then.

Eternal Summer (Full)

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