Chapter 65: Who Knows What the Future Holds

This was truly a leap of faith.

Being clever does not equal having high emotional intelligence, nor can social experience be fully gleaned from books. Sumu was only in his early teens, and if you traced his life back to before this summer, he was hardly different from other kids his age, living each day in comfort and ease.

Even though Sumu had devoured countless romance novels and studied the art of confession, when he finally encountered Kate—the girl he had liked for years—he still didn't know how to talk to her, lacking even the courage to initiate a conversation.

Everyone has their weaknesses, and Sumu’s was clearly in matters of the heart. Even Li Ping’an had already dated two girlfriends, and almost all their friends had been in relationships, yet Sumu never had.

He was never short of admirers. Girls would often cast him affectionate glances, or even boldly invite him out to eat, but Sumu remained single, simply because he refused to settle.

He’d met Kate when he was very young and felt a jolt like electricity—he understood then what it meant to like someone. He never felt that way about any other girl.

So until he was certain he had no chance with her, he simply stayed single, content just to see her from time to time. He never pursued her with shameless persistence.

His close friends, Duzhong and Li Ping’an, never understood Sumu’s thinking and always believed he was hopelessly smitten, half-jokingly calling him “the love guru.”

Of course, it was meant in a teasing, even derogatory way.

His feelings were simple and pure, so Sumu spoke with genuine sincerity. Liking Kate was a secret he’d kept for years, and now, finally saying it out loud, his heart pounded with nerves.

The largest produce market in the area was not far from Kate’s home. Vegetable vendors shouted about their fresh greens, butchers urged customers to buy a few pounds of meat, and thanks to Los Angeles’ proximity to the Pacific, the stalls were flush with every kind of seafood imaginable.

Having paid for the octopus and holding the bag in his hand, Sumu waited tensely—ten seconds, then more—yet Kate still said nothing.

She was never lacking in admirers. At Castellar and even at nearby schools, most of the boys were interested in Kate. Confessions came her way almost daily, and she’d heard every line and trick there was. She’d long since grown tired of it all.

Most young men focused only on appearance, and liking Kate was the most natural thing in the world. Her mixed heritage had given her a beautiful face, and her temperament was just as charming.

Every summer, wherever she walked, people would sneak glances at her. Her long legs were more beautiful than a model’s, and even now, in the marketplace, many were watching her.

For instance, a bespectacled young man had already passed by her five or six times, glaring at Sumu with a look of regret, as if watching a tender cabbage being claimed by a pig.

But today was different.

Kate sensed that Sumu’s feelings for her were real. She could see it in his eyes. At first, she thought he was joking, speaking as friends do, but then realized he was utterly serious.

His sudden confession caught her off guard. With anyone else, it would be easy to refuse—just ignore them—but subconsciously, Kate regarded Sumu as special. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she wasn’t ready to start a relationship either.

After a long pause, she finally mustered, in her British-accented English, “No one’s called me cute in years. As a child, lots of people used to say it.”

She was clearly trying to change the subject. For a moment, Sumu felt discouraged, as if he’d confessed his feelings only to receive a polite thank you in return.

He didn’t blame Kate; instead, he chastised himself for his rashness. Was a marketplace really the right place for a confession?

“I never had the courage to tell you before. I mean your personality is really cute, and it’s just so easy to talk with you.” Worried he’d ruined their friendship and might not even remain friends, Sumu tried to console himself and added, “Now that I’m transferring schools, I probably won’t see you much anymore… I guess my chance is gone.”

It was an excuse for himself, and a way out for Kate too. Her voice was softer than before as she replied, “I’ll probably be very busy for the next few years. I have to balance studying and acting training, and I’ve signed a contract with a management company, so I’m not thinking about being with anyone.”

“But who knows what the future holds, right?”

Kate’s heart softened.

Every girl with a normal orientation has an image in her mind of an ideal partner. Sumu’s personality was exactly her type, much like her Chinese father—so good to her mother. Maybe not the most exciting, but very suitable for a shared life.

To Sumu, her words brimmed with endless possibilities—the possibility of being with Kate. Seeing her smile, he was instantly revived.

Even the fishy smell no longer bothered him. He stared wide-eyed at Kate, trying to decipher her meaning, hoping it was just as he imagined.

But Kate didn’t give him a chance. She smiled and walked ahead, saying, “I need to buy some groceries now. No one’s home for lunch; I’ll make myself a salad.”

“Salad sounds great—healthy! Wait for me, I’ll get some too…”

**********************

For the second time, Sumu walked Kate to her door, taking a longer route.

An enormous king crab, still alive after being kept on ice, lay in a bag in his hand. The vendor had told him that as long as the temperature stayed near zero, it would survive for a while yet.

Holding an ice cream, Sumu walked home alone. He’d just bought it, and had also given one to Kate. No matter how frugal he was usually, he wouldn’t skimp on treats for the girl he liked. In these days, feminism wasn’t yet in vogue, and it was rare for men and women to split the bill.

He was puzzled at how just eating ice cream had made Kate so happy, unaware that she was recalling what had happened last time at the convenience store.

She’d gone in to buy tampons but ended up eating Häagen-Dazs ice cream, then suffered stomach pains for two days. To this day, Kate felt Sumu was a bit clueless.

Now that the invisible wall between them had been breached, their conversation was much more relaxed as they walked back, their banter easy and harmonious.

Even now, Sumu kept pondering whether Kate had deliberately left the door open for him to pursue her in the future. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became, and every so often he’d break into a silly grin, drawing odd looks from passersby.

Thinking that Kate might become a star one day, Sumu felt he had to work hard to be worthy of her then. His heart brimmed with the drive to move forward.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man dashed past Sumu in a panic, bumping into him and nearly knocking the bag from his hand.

Two Chinese men in black clothes pursued him, shouting, “Stop! You can’t get away!”

Sumu, having been bumped once, quickly stepped aside to avoid being hit again. He noticed the insignia on their uniforms: “INS”—the abbreviation for Immigration and Naturalization Service. Instantly, he understood—another sweep for illegal immigrants. If caught, they’d be deported to their country of origin.

Looking down the street where the commotion had started, Sumu saw exactly what he’d expected: people hastily packing up, afraid the INS might return. In Chinatown, there were plenty of undocumented immigrants—many who could hardly speak English, yet had come to America to strike it rich…