Square One (Poolside Story 2)

The previously dubbed "uncarved jade" has now become an "incompatible jade."

They say a story should have coherent beginning and ending. To make my story complete and coherent, I decided to visit the location where the beginning of this story took place about 6 weeks ago.

I went inside the swimming pool premise around the same time as last time when the sun was leaning against the western sky. The sun felt stronger and harsher than last time. It had been a softer and gentler sunlight the first time I was there when the story began.

I chose exactly the same spot to sit and lay down. As I sat back and relaxed, I found that the poolside area right in front of me was as almost deserted as when it is winter time. People were either leaving, swimming in the pool, or sitting somewhere farther away to my right.

Where had he sat by the pool 6 weeks ago? I was recalling every single detail I remembered. He was sitting or lying down right in front of me, reading, listening to music, stretching his body, checking people out, and occassionally glancing at me. He even moved to a spot to my right when his original spot was shadowed by the nearby structure, all the while kept checking me out with all his innocence.

Of course I was checking him out, too. What a cute guy from the same gym I go to.

But today at the exact spot, nobody was there, except that swimmers occassionallywould get out of the water and walk by.

I took out my book, trying to read, but I was staring at the empty spot in front of me, looking for any sign of glances directed towards me, and a face I had been thinking of fairly often for the past 6 weeks.

As the sun was sliding lower and lower, and finally blocked by the structure, I decided to bid farewell to this deserted poolside before the sun set. I walked past the spot where he had been lying the first time. I rinsed off my body in the shower room and left the builindg as the sun was nowhere to be seen. Then here came the bench.

Nobody was on the bench, waiting for me to come out of the building. I stood there and let the image of desertion sink into my brain, and then took a right turn and kept walking, looking for the location when he first smiled at me and voiced his desire to get to know me. When I arrived at the forking path and looked behind my shoulder, well... I let a few drops of tears fall and then kept walking.

Maybe I should pretend that nothing had happened when I left the swimming pool 6 weeks ago, just as nothing happened today when I left. However, I can't pretend that I didn't have fun these past 6 weeks.

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