The autumn wind blew, carrying a faint chill as it brushed gently over the earth, and withered yellow leaves drifted softly down from the branches.
I left the restaurant with Wen Yanyu, who had eaten and drunk his fill.
It was the sixth month since we had met.
I had finally gotten close to him.
I knew his past inside out. He had grown up all alone, without parents by his side, without a single relative.
He did not even have a friend.
Honestly, I did not quite understand that.
There was nothing wrong with his personality. He could even be called gentle and soft.
Even when I first offered him resources, though he seemed to feel an aversion toward me that he himself was unaware of, he had declined with restraint and politeness.
As I kept coaxing and pestering him, the way he looked so at a loss.
Was rather cute.
People were always drawn to warmth, and I was no exception.
Seeing me lost in thought, Wen Yanyu looked back at me with a little puzzlement in his eyes and asked what was wrong.
I shook my head gently and caught up with him.
We walked along the street at dusk. The area was quiet, with hardly anyone around. The setting sun spilled over the earth, and fiery red maple leaves lined both sides of the road, casting long shadows on the ground.
I looked at Wen Yanyu beside me. His face in profile glowed with a healthy flush beneath the setting sun.
Suddenly, a fiery red maple leaf drifted into his hair.
I should have said something to let him know, but somehow, I reached out instead.
Just as my fingertips touched his soft hair, Wen Yanyu happened to turn toward me. The instant our eyes met,