When Ming Yue Guang had changed and finished the debrief with his team, the boy went to look for his mother and friend, Li Ming. The mother and friend duo were waiting for Yue Guang in the stadium's cafe. The pair were chatting about Ming's future plans, to which he told her that he planned to work for a space program company. When Yue Guang arrived, he asked cheerfully, "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing much son," Melisa stop up and gave her son a nice loving hug. In her heart, she was hoping that the news that Li Ming was about to tell her son, would not break him. "Congratulations on your debut match."
"Thank you mother."
"I will be heading off first. You can talk more with Little Ming. Come home when you are free, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I will. Love you!"
"Love you too." Melisa smiled as she turned around and left solemnly. Now, it was all up to the two boys to settle their own differences.
At the cafe, Ming Yue Guang got himself a cup of coffee. Sitting down with Li Ming, the two started talking. As usual, Ming Yue Guang did most of the speaking, while Li Ming listened and threw in side comments whenever he felt like it.
"So just now, when the ball came into my possession. I felt like I was in a state of nirvana. Everything around me felt like it was slow motion and I could see the balls trajectory to the goal. I kicked! And goal! It curved around the dude that was blocking me and it went in!" Ming Yue Guang commented on his last goal that secured the match. To be more low-key, the young man wore sunglasses and his hood up. Since he was a new rookie, no one knew of his voice and so, they did not know that the person was Ming Yue Guang.
"That sounds pretty good." Li Ming gave a perfunctory reply. His head was focused on a different topic.
"Sounds? Whats wrong today, Ming?" Ming Yue Guang picked it up easily as he took off his sunglasses to get a closer look at the young man in front of him. He could see that something was bothering him and that premonition from before was accurate.
"I…" Ming bite his lower lip. With a conflicting gaze, he told the truth to Ming Yue Guang, "I will actually be leaving Country Z on Sunday to Country U."
"You're leaving? What for? How Long?"
"I'll be studying at Muller's Institute of Sciences and Technology under a financial aid program for 2 years, before starting work in Country U. It was something I had considered on doing for two years. I got the opportunity this year under discretionary application."
"You don't know how long you will be gone for?"
"I do not."
"Huh…" There was rarely a time where Ming would see the senior in front of him look lost. Ming Yue Guang was an honest person that knew how to follow him own feelings. Once he settle on his decision, he would not regret it and so, he lived everyday to its fullest. Knowing that, Ming Yue Guang's current expression showed that he did not know what he should do or say.
"Hey Yue Guang," Li Ming spoke, snapping the soccer player out of his stupor, "Come with me somewhere."
Ming Yue Guang nodded. As Li Ming reached out and held his hand, the young man pulled the taller and well-built soccer players along with him into a cab. The boy was making an exception today as he wanted to bring this special someone to a special location.
As Li Ming had called the taxi using his phone, Ming Yue Guang could only guess where they were heading to. At first, he did not know where the final destination was, but after seeing the general direction, he recalled where he was. The taxi soon came to a stop 15 minutes from the sports stadium. It was by the side of a road that was relatively close to a bridge. This bridge was none other than the place where Li Ming and Ming Yue Guang had met for the first time. It was this place that had changed both of their lives altogether.
When they got off the taxi, Li Ming pulled Ming Yue Guang along with him again as they finally stood still at the very spot that Yue Guang had saved the boy's live.
"Ming Yue Guang, I brought you here today because I wanted to tell you that you were the reason why I am still alive today, both physically and mentally. You had shaped me into a better person and gave me a new purpose in living my life. You taught me how to be my own person and how to rely on others when I need help. You changed me for the better." Li Ming grasped his chest as he came out clean to Ming Yue Guang. These were things that he needed to let out before he left. If not, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"Ming Yue Guang, during the first few months of knowing you, I treated you as my closest confidante. When my best friend was sick, you were there for me and you helped cheer me up. In the end, with your constant support and care, I had started developing feelings for you. And so now, me having to leave you for my dream is certainly tough and painful."
When Ming Yue Guang heard what Li Ming had confessed to him, the senior's heart started beating quicker as his eyes widened in surprise. "You..You like me?"
"Yes, yes I do." Li Ming smiled with carefree expression. Within a second after he had said that, Ming Yue Guang had dashed up onto Ming and wrapped his arm around him.