February 22nd, 10 years later.
Cupid was enjoying the popcorn Nova had just made for him after he got out of the shower.
"Listen, I didn't mean to have a crush on anyone!" Nova shook his head, pacing back and forth around the kitchen: "I…it was just…an accidental! It was just…suddenly…"
Cupid chewed on the popcorn, tilted his head, and asked: "Suddenly…what?"
"Suddenly…bomb! Ah! "So I like someone" or something like that…!"
Nova was known in school as a model student—gentle and calm—who was good at many things, from math to chemistry, from literature to physics.
But the only person who knew what Nova's personality was like was a kid who had been with Nova for ten years.
Nova's food always suited Cupid's taste, happily chewing another spoon, he didn't hear much about his panicking friend Nova's confession.
"He looks... okay... I think…? I don't care much about his appearance... but I also... pay attention to... something about him!"
"Hm... Wat as e in?" (What class is he in?) Cupid asked curiously while chewing his food.
"I think it's... class A-1..."
"Oh...close to our class." After swallowing that spoon of corn, Cupid continued to eat another one.
"Because when I came to school, I saw him... going into that class, so he must be in that class! Right? Right…Haha...hahahaha!"
Turning on the TV to see if there was any good news today, Cupid wasn't too worried about his best friend going crazy and laughed to himself. He just nodded, thinking that if needed, he would quickly jump in to help.
Even though… he's a terrible Cupid.
"Haha… ahahaha…" Nova walked around the room, laughing like a madman, then after a few minutes, he slowed down and sat down on the sofa next to Cupid: "Ha… uh…" the laughter had turned into a sigh, along with a pair of hands tightly holding onto Cupid's hand.
Nova trembled, shaking Cupid's arm back and forth, making him unable to scoop up any more corn.
Cupid gradually frowned, even though he knew that this friend had no bad intentions, but if this continued, he wouldn't be able to bite another kernel of corn!
"Nova… if you need help then…"
"No! No! No, no!!!" He shouted straight into Cupid's face "I… I forbid you to help me! Asking Cupid for help is no different from cheating!"
Nova continued to sway Cupid's arm back and forth.
Cupid let out a long sigh. Well… let Nova do as he pleases for now… but if things turn bad, then he'll have to make some plans just in case.
The noise of the pouring rain outside, the voice of the host introducing a sea creature on the TV, and the clatter of the spoon hitting the side of the bowl as Nova kept shaking Cupid.
- They were barnacles. A special kind of arthropod.
Everything about Cupid's life is a mess.
- They were related to crabs and shrimp. Usually found in shallow water.
And so was the story of something called "love".
- Over 1,400 different species…
-o-
"Hello everyone! This is Nana! From the school's news team! Today, our school will introduce to you a famous person in this school!"
Standing in front of the camera lens of the phone that Nana's colleague was holding, Nana cheerfully said: "As you all know. In this school, there are four or five brightest faces in the grade! Whether it's academic achievements or extraordinary talents. Among those characters, today we will meet the guardian angel of love! Cupid!"
The scene immediately changed to someone standing in the hallway opposite class A-2. Looking out at the schoolyard, he was leaning against the railing, looking bored.
"Hehe, he looks cold and unpleasant, but every love advice he gives is an excellent one." Nana giggled, she was about to give a few examples when she suddenly jumped when she saw Cupid tilt his head to look in her direction.
"Ah…h…hello Cupid…"
"Hello." He nodded back and continued to look at the sky, watching the clouds. But a few seconds later, Cupid turned back, his voice low as he said: "I don't think I'm very good at being a cupid."
"Huh...ah...ah!" Nana quickly replied: "No, no. Cupid, don't be so modest."
"Modest?"
"Yes, yes." Nana beckoned, telling her friend who was holding the phone to come closer to Cupid: "Didn't you help a girl in class B last week? Do you remember what you told her to do?"
"Uh...I just told her to check her locker carefully when she is about to get back home?" Because at that moment Cupid saw someone put a letter in that person's locker. The next day, the same girl ran up to Cupid and asked him if he knew who sent this letter when he told her about looking at the closet before going back home. Cupid thought for a moment and then suddenly remembered which class he had seen the sender of the letter come out of.
Who would have thought that they would end up together after that day… and even come to thank him right in front of his classroom door…
"But you can observe and recognize who is in love, right?!" Nana moved closer.
"Well… it's easy to notice when someone… falls in love…so…"
"W-wow! As expected of the god of love."
Cupid quickly retreated: "No…it's just luck…" Even Cupid himself didn't know where it came from, but the remarkable actions of others often caught Cupid's eye.
He thought this wasn't just a matter of luck, it was truly a strange ability to perceive, even though he didn't expect it to be useful in pairing other people…
"So, so! Can you look at me and guess who I have a crush on, too…?" Nana asked excitedly.
"Do you have anyone you like right now to ask me such a question…?"
"Of course not now…but if one day I do, I'll ask you to pair me up with them, alright? Angel of love!"
"Uh…hm…" Cupid frowned, he really, really wanted to carry his leg over his shoulder and start running away from them, but doing so in front of the camera would be weird… If Nova saw the footage, he would scold him for it…
"Uhm hm!" Suddenly someone coughed a few times: "Hello, are you a member of the news up date team?"
Nana was a little annoyed at being interrupted, but looking at the direction the voice came from, Nana was startled, happily cheering: "N…Nova! He is one of the school's outstanding characters. The most exemplary, gentle, and charming student in class A-2 as well as the whole school!"
Nova frowned, not knowing where the word charming came from, he had been praised to be a "gentle" person so much that he's used to it, but using this word to describe him was a bit strange…?
Nova then walked over: "Excuse me, but lunch break is almost over, would you mind…going somewhere else? I want to discuss some important matters with Cupid."
"Ah… alright. We're sorry for bothering you." Nana bowed and said goodbye before leaving with her companion: "I'm a little glad that Cupid finally started talking so…"
"It's nothing. Have a nice day you two."
Nana squinted her eyes and smiled, turning to look at the two prominent figures standing next to each other talking for a long time, then walked out of the corridor of class A-2.
"Sorry…" Cupid said softly, lowering his head to look at the floor.
"It's okay! There's nothing to apologize for, why did you apologize?" Nova shaking his head in refusal.
"It smells…" Cupid then frowned, raising his hand to rub his nose as if he really smelled something strange around here.
"Smell?"
"They…some students in the school…I can smell it…"
"The smell of…?" Nova asked in confusion. Cupid's way of speaking is a bit strange, but it has been like that for a long time, once you understand how Cupid uses words, you will realize that this guy is an easy-going one.
"They... think that we like each other..."
"Ah. That." Nova thought for a long time: "That's true... no one knows about us being best friends since we were little so…But, school is a place to study, so I don't care much about those rumors."
"School is also a place to learn about love~"
"Cupid!"
Cupid stuck out his tongue and turned to look outside again.
"This guy!" Nova swung his leg, kicking Cupid's thigh.
Lunch break is still long before end and not many people have returned to class yet, so Cupid wasn't afraid of anyone seeing Nova's true personality. Ah, no…he himself was wondering why Nova was so gentle in school…maybe it was just word of mouth, maybe it was because of his appearance…or the truth. And if so, why did Nova keep himself in such a framework? Was it because, to Nova, school was just a place to study so we shouldn't play around here?
The two of them watched the sky, counting the clouds drifting across the schoolyard for a long time. When Cupid was about to open his mouth to ask Nova if he had eaten anything yet, Nova suddenly turned around, tightly holding his hands onto one of Cupid's arms.
Cupid was startled, when he looked back at Nova, Nova was heading towards the table on the right side of the schoolyard, under the table were stone benches and there was a group of people sitting there eating lunch, discussing something with a soccer ball under their chair.
"N…Nova…?"
There was no answer to Cupid's call.
"Nova…"
Well… Nova forbade Cupid from interfering in his love life, so Cupid will not use such drastic measures for now.
Now… squint at the people sitting near that table. Let's see, who has caught Nova's eye.