stonecrandall Chapter 455 The Boy's Chapter, Two Idiots
Chapter 455 The Boy's Chapter, Two Idiots
Serena abruptly turned off the TV and ran back to her room. The door slammed shut with a bang, cutting off all outside noise.
She leaned against the door, slowly slid down to sit on the floor, hugged her knees tightly with both hands, buried her head in her arms, and her body trembled slightly.
"What exactly happened? Why did this happen?"
Serena's voice had calmed down considerably, but she was still muttering something intermittently, as if she was unwilling to accept reality.
She got up and carefully took out a neatly folded blue handkerchief from the bedside drawer. The edges of the handkerchief were a little faded, but it was still well preserved, as if it carried a precious memory.
Serena gently stroked the handkerchief, her eyes gradually softening.
This was given to her by Ash during a summer camp in the Kanto region years ago... well, she "gave" it to her, and she has kept it very well over the years.
Back then, she was just as reluctant to go out as she is now, but she only went to the Kanto region to attend Professor Oak's summer camp under her mother's pressure.
Later, she got lost in the forest and was so frightened by a Poliwag that she fell and scraped her knee. Just as she was crying helplessly in the forest, Ash found her, carefully cleaned her wound, and bandaged it with this handkerchief.
Moreover, he noticed his own emotions throughout the journey and kept comforting himself.
Looking back now, those words of comfort seem a bit too sentimental.
"Honestly, saying things like 'Don't give up until the very end' doesn't mean the wound will still hurt even after it's bandaged up."
Looking at the handkerchief lying quietly in her hand, Serena couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Finding that figure in despair, the smile that seemed to dispel all gloom when you were utterly hopeless, the simple yet powerful words of encouragement, and the hand that led you step by step forward...
That feeling of being enveloped in warmth and kindness.
These memories were deeply etched in Serena's heart.
From that moment on, Ash became the most special person in her heart.
Over the years, Serena has been fantasizing about the scene of reuniting with Ash.
Perhaps it's on a bustling street corner, perhaps in a beautiful scenic area, or perhaps on an ordinary afternoon. ...
They haven't seen each other since that summer camp.
Over the years, Serena has kept this handkerchief with her at all times, taking it out to look at it every day, as if she could draw strength from it.
She never imagined that she would learn about Xiaozhi's situation under such circumstances and in such a way.
She was as happy as she was before she got the CD, and as sad as she was when she saw Ash and Dawn together on the CD.
"Clearly...clearly I was the one who met him first..."
Serena murmured to herself, seemingly to no one in particular, perhaps just trying to soothe her current mood.
They were classmates at summer camp back then.
But what about now?
He was dazzling on screen.
All these years, besides participating in the armored rhinoceros riding training that I didn't like every day, I've been living the same repetitive and monotonous life day after day.
It's not hard to imagine that Ash is so dazzling now. After all, he had such a courageous and fearless character back then, let alone now.
He must have long forgotten that little girl who used to cry so much.
Serena gave a self-deprecating laugh, a bitter smile tinged with sadness. Her hands, gripping the handkerchief tightly, had knuckles that were turning white from the force of her grip.
In fact, over the years she had thought about taking the initiative to create an opportunity for them to meet again...
But she never took that step, because her personality had always been so weak, prone to escapism, and full of confusion.
Sakiko's criticisms of her have always been accurate.
With her personality, she certainly can't compare to Dawn, who shines just as brightly as Ash on screen.
"It's probably too late to start again now."
Serena's voice was barely audible, tinged with regret.
"What an idiot..."
She felt like a fool, constantly indulging in past fantasies and missing so many opportunities to reunite with Xiaozhi.
Ash had told her before that he liked Pokémon battles, so Ash should have been one of the trainers who became trainers in the same year. If she wanted to reunite with Ash, she should have a clear direction.
Now, she can only watch helplessly as Xiaozhi and other girls appear on the television screen, enjoying their spotlight.
This feeling was like having a treasured possession stolen from her by someone else, leaving her feeling incredibly lost and sad.
No, it doesn't make sense to say that it was stolen by someone else.
It seems like I just let go and left him there all along.
Honestly, then you can't blame anyone else, can you? The root of the problem is simply that she stood still and didn't move forward. Even Serena herself has started to hate her personality.
"If...if only I saw him on another show..."
Serena buried her head in her hands and collapsed onto the bed, curling herself into a ball once more, trying to shut down all her emotions.
She didn't want her mother to see her in this distraught state, and she didn't want her to know about her thoughts and inner conflicts over the years. Otherwise, Serena could already imagine Sakiko laughing at her with an "I knew it" look on her face.
However, Serena couldn't suppress her anxiety and restlessness when she thought about the intimate interactions between Ash and that girl.
"The Sinnoh Twins, the best partners... They've only just started their journey..."
Serena pouted and complained softly, her tone tinged with resentment and unfounded grievance.
"Dating in the first year... That's too sudden... When he was interviewed, he said he wanted to become the top Coordinator, with such grand ambitions, but then he started dating. That's so strange!"
Despite saying this, Serena's mind continued to wander along this line of thought, and before she knew it, her anxiety suddenly disappeared.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, as if she had overlooked something.
Suddenly, Serena raised her head sharply, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
"Wait a minute...it seems...no one has ever said they're a couple, right?"
She recalled the reports and comments she had seen before, including the discussions among the people of Twinleaf Town, where everyone talked about Ash and Dawn's chemistry and teamwork, as well as their wonderful performance on the show, and simply said that the two of them looked good together.
It seems that no one has ever mentioned that they are a couple, and there has never been any question about it during their interviews.
"Could it be... that this is just everyone's guess?"
A glimmer of hope ignited in Serena's heart.
She quickly got up, rushed downstairs, turned the TV back on, and put the CD back in, ready to watch the contents of the CD carefully from beginning to end.
She knew that this seemed to be her last hope!
We absolutely cannot give up!
Just like you once told me.
Serena hugged her knees and watched the program quietly.
Don't give up until the very end.
Really.
Why is that?
Serena, who had been so sad just a short while ago, inexplicably smiled at this moment.
"It's a common sense principle that anyone can say, but why... do I always feel like I can listen to it when I think it's you saying it?"
Serena smiled foolishly.
He muttered to himself, complaining about Xiaozhi and also about himself.
"As expected, I'm a bit of a silly idiot, just like you."
......
P.S.: Tomorrow evening self-study will involve memorization and dictation practice in the classroom. The last bonus chapter will be released the day after tomorrow.