Chapter 144

Chapter 144 Nicholas, Do You Want To Know Who He Is? (2)

He asked. Unable to contain his curiosity, he couldn’t help but ask.

“What?” Nancy looked at Nicholas with confusion. She couldn’t understand why he asked that.

“You mentioned that you had the best years of your life here. Was it because of him? The man you loved for ten years?” He gathered his courage and asked, no longer holding himself back.

Nancy realized what was going on. She turned around and stared at Nicholas, then blinked. Quietly, she asked, “Do you want to know the truth?”

“Yes.” Nicholas nodded.

Nancy nodded as well. “Yes, you’re right. It’s because of him.” It was indeed because of him. Why else? You fool, you are that person. You’re right here.

Nicholas knew that would be the answer, but his heart squeezed at the moment she told him anyway. It felt like a hand was gripping his throat, suffocating him. “Can you tell me about him?” Nicholas asked quietly, holding back his sadness.

Nancy looked at him, her eyes gleaming. “Do you want to know?”

“Yes.”

Nancy hesitated for a moment, then pushed her flowing hair back and walked ahead. Nicholas. followed. Eventually, Nancy stopped somewhere and looked around before nodding. “Alright. I’ll tell you about him. I first met him here, on this field. It’s been years, and many things have changed, but this field remains the same. I was in Grade 10 back then. We were in a boot camp, and I remember standing here. It was scorching hot that day. The weather was sweltering. I wasn’t feeling well, so I fainted just as we were about to start training.”

“That’s when he came rushing over. I was taken to the infirmary. I wasn’t fully conscious, but I could feel someone holding me.

He held me tightly, running and running and running. The infirmary was quite a distance from the field, but he never put me down. He carried me all the way to the infirmary. It was a hot day, but his embrace was cool. It calmed me down. I was taken to the infirmary, and when I woke up, I looked at the seat beside me, but it was empty. He was gone. I felt sad at that moment. He had saved me, but I didn’t even see who he was.”

“Just when I thought he was gone, he came back with a thermos and some heat packs. He gave them to me and told me to rest.

I blushed. I was having my period then, and the doctor told him that the intense training, combined with my period, caused me to faint. I thanked him, and he grunted and left. I didn’t even get to ask him his name.”

Nancy finished speaking, but she/still felt a little sad. Whenever she thought about that day, she had a feeling that fate had orchestrated their meeting. The school administration had a support team keeping an eye on the students/during the boot camp, but that day, too many students fell ill, and the support team was short on manpower. Her friend told her that the boy had passed by the road outside the field and heard cries for help. That’s when he rushed in and volunteered to take her to the infirmary. If any single element of that meeting hadn’t aligned, she would never have met him. She would never have fallen in love with him at first sight and stubbornly remained in love with him.

Sometimes, you just can’t escape the arrangements of fate. Their meeting wasn’t dramatic or memorable, but Nancy remembered it to this day. Of course, she loved the man deeply.

Nicholas felt something constricting his heart, squeezing it tightly. It pained him. He tried to break free, but it only caused more pain. He held back his anguish and asked, “What happened next? Did you find out his name?”

Nancy nodded, smiling. “I did. He delivered a speech on the podium during an outstanding student speech. I recognized him immediately, and that’s when I learned his name. I found out he was an Qutstanding student in Grade 12. I also discovered that he was a brilliant man. He excelled in his studies and was very popular, especially with the girls. You could say he was like a shining star. He left a lasting impression on my heart and continued to shine since then, but...” Nancy’s voice softened. “He had forgotten about me then. When I found out how great he was in his studies, I started working hard. I pushed myself to study as hard as I could, just so I could be as good as him and get into the same university. That way, I could have seen him more often.”

“Even if he didn’t know me, I would still be happy. I didn’t ask for much. Just something simple. As long as I could see him, I was content.” Nancy smiled. A gentle breeze whispered through the night.

Although they ended up getting a divorce after ten years, memories of the past, especially when he did everything he could to help her, filled her with joy. She considered it a beautiful moment frozen in time. Not every crush had to end bitterly. At least her high school crush was sweet.

Whenever she felt tired from studying, one look at him would rejuvenate her. Sometimes, just seeing him from a distance was enough to make her happy for a long time. When that happiness faded, she would sneak out just to catch another glimpse of him. “I was serious about studying back then. I burned the midnight oil all the time, except for one exception. When it was lunchtime and the teacher said, ‘Class dismissed,’ I would run like crazy. Do you know why?”

Nicholas shook his head. The bitterness in his heart overflowed. “I don’t.”

“Because...” Nancy said with a silly smile, “Grade 12 students got to eat first. His classroom was on the second floor, while mine was on the fourth. If I made it in time and their teacher let them go late, I could see him from the staircase. He would be in the first line during lunchtime, and I would be in the line next to him. Thanks to that, I could see him from a distance, but those moments were rare. Luck played a role. Grade 10 and Grade 12 students were dismissed a few minutes apart. Many times, they would have already finished getting their food by the time we came out of our class. At most, I could see him two or three times a month, but I...” was content.

She didn’t get to finish that sentence. Nicholas had already turned around and left. He couldn’t bear to listen to her sweet memories anymore. He stood tall, walking ahead like a lonely, desolate man.

For some reason, Nancy sensed that Nicholas felt lonely and sad. She stared at him and mustered up her courage. Loudly, she said, “Nicholas, do you want to know his name?”