After Zhao Ming returned with the giant stuffed toy and suspicious eyes, the three of them continued walking around the amusement park like nothing had happened.
But something had happened.
And both Jiang Chen and Su Ran knew it.
They just didn't talk about it.
---
More Amusement Park Chaos
Zhao Ming insisted they play more games so he could "expand his stuffed toy empire."
He failed most of the games.
"This game is rigged," he said after missing five shots in a row.
"You said that about the last game too," Su Ran replied.
"And I was correct both times," he said confidently.
Jiang Chen tried once and won a small keychain.
Zhao Ming looked personally betrayed.
"You never play, but when you do, you win? This is unfair."
Jiang Chen handed the keychain to Su Ran without saying anything.
Zhao Ming pointed at him dramatically.
"Again! Again! I am witnessing a romance story in front of my eyes."
"There is no romance story," Su Ran said quickly.
"There is always a romance story," Zhao Ming replied.
Jiang Chen ignored him and started walking toward the food stalls.
---
Fireworks
Before leaving, the park had a small fireworks show.
Students gathered in the open area to watch.
The sky lit up with colors, red, gold, blue, reflections in everyone's eyes.
Su Ran watched the fireworks quietly.
Zhao Ming was recording videos and shouting every time a big firework exploded.
Jiang Chen wasn't watching the fireworks.
He was looking at Su Ran.
When she turned slightly, he quickly looked back at the sky.
"Next year, we probably won't be watching fireworks together," Zhao Ming said suddenly.
Su Ran didn't reply.
Jiang Chen said quietly,
"Maybe we will. We don't know yet."
Zhao Ming nodded.
"Then next year, same place. Fireworks reunion."
"It's not that simple," Su Ran said softly.
But she didn't say anything else after that.
---
Leaving the Amusement Park
Late at night, the students started leaving.
Instead of taking the bus back, Zhao Ming's older brother came to pick them up and offered to drop Jiang Chen and Su Ran home too.
In the car, Zhao Ming talked the entire time about the roller coaster, the games, the fireworks, and how he almost died three times.
"No one almost died," Su Ran said.
"I almost died emotionally," he replied.
They dropped Zhao Ming first.
Before getting out of the car, he looked at both of them suspiciously again.
"You two are very quiet today," he said.
"We are tired," Jiang Chen replied.
Zhao Ming pointed at both of them.
"I feel like if this was a drama, something important would have happened today."
"Go home," Su Ran said.
He got out of the car but leaned back into the window and said,
"If you two start dating and don't tell me first, I will be very angry."
"We are not dating," Su Ran said immediately.
"Okay," Zhao Ming said, smiling.
"But I am watching."
Then he closed the door and left.
---
Alone in the Car
Now it was just Jiang Chen and Su Ran in the back seat while the driver continued toward her house first.
The car was quiet.
Streetlights passed one by one outside the window.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Finally, Su Ran said quietly,
"About what you said earlier… at the park…"
Jiang Chen didn't interrupt.
She looked down at her hands.
"I didn't know what to say at that time."
"It's okay," he said.
"I'm not very good at talking about things like that," she said.
"I know," he replied.
She looked out the window again.
"I just… don't want things to become awkward."
"They won't," he said.
"And I don't want our friendship to change," she continued.
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he said,
"It doesn't have to change."
She looked at him.
He continued slowly,
"We're graduating soon. Everything else will change anyway. Schools, cities, schedules… a lot of things will change."
He looked out the window too.
"But I don't want us to pretend nothing matters just because we're afraid things will change."
She didn't reply immediately.
The car stopped at a red light, and the soft red glow filled the car for a moment.
Then she said very quietly,
"I'm not pretending nothing matters."
He turned slightly to look at her.
She was still looking at her hands when she said,
"I just don't know what to do about it yet."
He nodded slowly.
"That's okay," he said.
---
In Front of Her House
The car stopped in front of Su Ran's house.
She didn't open the door immediately.
"Today was really fun," she said.
"Yes," he replied.
She hesitated for a second, then said,
"I'm glad it was with you guys."
"Me too," he said.
She opened the door, then stopped and turned back slightly.
"Jiang Chen."
"Yeah?"
She thought for a moment, then smiled a little and said,
"Don't worry. I won't pretend nothing matters."
Then she got out of the car and closed the door.
Jiang Chen watched her walk to her door, turn the lights on, and go inside.
As the car started moving again toward his house, he leaned back slightly and looked out the window.
For the first time in a long time,
he felt nervous about the future.
But also, for the first time,
he felt like maybe the future was not something to be afraid of.
Because no matter what happened next,
some things were already too important to lose.