Many things had changed back in Beth's hometown. The sunflower fields were empty in winter; only a couple of stems coming out from the soil could be seen by now. The candy store that used to be an unofficial children's gathering place was replaced with a hardware store. A new primary school opened in town. Some old houses were either repainted or replaced with newer ones that looked mass-produced. Now the streets looked less empty: rows of houses with generic brown bricks stood opposite them. Not a lot of people were out on the street now, which is understandable--cold winters make people seek warmth in their own homes.

A sound suddenly grabbed her attention.

In front of the local church were a young man and a public piano. The young man was playing a simple, yet nostalgic ballad. His eyes were half-closed, and his body tilted along when his hands moved left and right. No one seemed to have stopped for his performance, yet he didn't notice that. All he focused on were the keyboard and moving fingers. Sometimes, he played fiercely, tapping the keyboards rapidly; sometimes, he slowed down, savoring each sound he played. The classical ballad, under his performance, transformed into his own piece of a song.

That's beautiful.

✨

'Mom, dad. I am back.'

'Sweetheart, we have missed you a lot!' Luke rushed out of the door. 'Do you need any help with the luggage, honey? Shouldn't

'Sure, dad! Where's mom, by the way?'

Madison slowly walked towards the door, arms crossed.

'Heard you just got into college. That's good for you.'

'Mads, that's great news! Be a bit more positive to our daughter!'

'Pine Hill Polytechnic, to be exact...' Beth felt like she had to explain her college acceptance again.

'I know.' Madison chuckled softly. 'You have grown up so much. And Lisette, your dream school. You got deferred, right?'

'Yea...it's a pity. However, going to Pine Hills doesn't seem too bad for me. After all, what really matters is the work I do there and the effort I put in...'

'It's not a pity.' Madison shook her head.

'Why?'

'If you think you have worked hard and done everything you could to make your dream come true, then there should be no regrets. Go take a rest in your room.'

Most things were kept cleanly and in their original places in the old room. The scrapes of fashion magazine posters were still on the same wall, with the fairy lights. There were no posters that have been lost. The doodles and embarrassing diary pages Beth made from primary to middle school were now kept in a large folder. Beth opened the drawers from her desk to see if anything were there. Her eyes widened upon what she saw — a stack of handwritten letters she wrote back home. On the back of the stack, there was an envelope, with banknotes inside of it.

'Can't rest, huh?' Luke went into the room to check on his daughter. 'What are you up to in that little head of yours again, sweetheart?'

'I got those feelings again coming back home this time. They are hard to explain. It's like rewatching a sunset that I remembered from two years ago.'

'I know.'

'Shall we talk outside?'

Now the father-daughter duo was sitting next to each other, on the porch next to the garden.

'By the way, don't mind your mom. She can be judge-y and harsh when speaking to people. In fact, she's the one that cares the most. Don't tell her that it was me who spilled this secret — she had been working several jobs in the neighborhood last year to support our family, and of course, prepare a college fund for you.'

'Are we going to have sufficient money in the home, then?'

'We don't have a money shortage problem now, but Madison wants more. She wants to be prepared if you happen to have important needs. Your mom's changed; she was growing with you. Every message you sent us was read again and again by her. She didn't delete any of them.'

Beth walked several steps away from Luke and looked at afar, without saying anything. A long pause of silence followed before she asked a question.

'Why didn't she tell me all of those...? Why couldn't she have just mentioned something she did to me...!'

'I suppose that she hid those things since she doesn't want to bother you. It wouldn't be good for you to constantly think about problems happening at home while you are working hard at school. Hmm, you guys are just as stubborn as one another. By the way...we are sorry that we seldom told you that we love you so much. There wasn't a lot of talk like this back when we were growing up. Can you forgive us?

Smiling slightly, Beth sat closer to Luke, quietly putting her hands on his.

✨

Dear Laurel Class of 2019,

Congratulations on your graduation today! From now on, you will be starting a new and exciting chapter in life.

As the prime speaker today, I would like to share some of my visions with you.

I wish you develop an eye for beauty. The greatest inspirations are often found at the tiniest moments that we tend to overlook.

I wish you carry on your love for learning.. Learning and growing give you an open mind to people and things unfamiliar to you.

I wish you find your own definition of happiness. Happiness is not an achievement; it's a state of mind.

I wish you bold and fearless at whatever life hands you. Life can be full of turmoils and unpredictables; an optimistic attitude is the best friend that will carry you through the hard times.

The last but not least, I wish you become a person that chases sunshine. The brightness of the sunshine fears no shadow from the long night.

Last classes. Final exams. College decision day. Prom. Graduation. The countdown to the final days at Laurel Preparatory finally started. Everyone seemed to cherish their friends more at the impending farewell with them. Jokes about 'senioritis' flew around between social groups; classes were ended earlier than usual for students to hang out with each other. Restaurants and cafes became the most popular places for people to finish their last bits of homework in high school.

The deferral letter Beth received from Lisette became a priority waitlist. It was said that colleges may take students from the priority waitlist, but only after they had not received their expected yield for the next school year.

Pine Hills it is then. It's a little bit disappointing. However, college is what I make of it. I can still work hard and create lots of memories there.

Jules and Bianca...I wish you the very best with your future.

With Felicity back home to Laurel City for the summer, the original small friend group expanded to a larger one. Right after graduation, the group devised their own plan for grad trip: going to the Laurel Festival, a fancy festival held every year at the theme park, sponsored by Laurel Space. Apart from colorful rides and quirky performances, there would be a gigantic firework show at the end of the day, making luminous, sparky marks in the sky that resemble wild, watercolor artworks.

As expected, tonnes of people came to the festival. Julianna, being the usual strategist she is, calculated the expected waiting time for each ride and planned a route where everyone can enjoy the maximum number of rides. Simone and Felicity wandered around everywhere. Of course, Beth unleashed the little girl in her heart again. Jules got into Lisette; hee hee...how about she treats me now as a little compensation? With the permission from Julianna, she dragged her everywhere, acting in a cute and spoiled manner for photoshoots, gifts, and rides.

The two girls stopped to grab some food at a food market.

'Did you enjoy yourself today?

'Just now I was so happy.' Beth sat down at a nearby bench with her backpack. 'Me. You. We were taking selfies around, eating matching pop candy, making faces while going on rides, and screaming like no one was watching. Now the feeling of happiness wore off. It's weird thinking that we will both be leaving for college in one and half month, right?

'Leaving our high school bubble and pursuing higher education is a natural course of life.' Julianna casually played with her hair. 'But leaving doesn't mean leaving. You inspired me. You made me return to my inner, curious child. That's what really matters.'

'At the start of high school, I was worried if I couldn't be fully accepted by the community. Look where we are now — surrounded by friends that love and support us.'

'Hey, Beth.' Julianna had a question. 'Do you plan on carrying on with Dreamchasers in college? What do you plan on creating in the future after it?'

'The future, haha. I may carry on with Dreamchasers performances if I find the right group of people willing to do it. I want to take some time to enjoy college life, create lots of memories, experiment with my own style, and see what suits me.'

'Would you consider writing about today in your future works?'

'I would. But for now, let's just enjoy today, and hope it lasts a little longer.'