She has a pure heart, more so than others her age, which is what makes her stand out.
I told her about my experiences with the midnight sun and polar night, describing the magnificent light as best I could; I told her about my experience riding in an airship, the wonderful feeling of being in the sky, and the overwhelming sense of looking down at the earth; I also told her about my experience of being kidnapped by thieves in a foreign land, and how a mysterious white-haired knight rescued me from the clutches of evil men.
Since meeting Jielu, I've gradually stopped feeling that life is monotonous. I told a girl about my experiences, sharing the joys and sorrows, the mysteries and fears I've encountered. She dispelled my emptiness. I had planned to leave this place three months ago to find another place to stay, but I ultimately changed my mind.
Half a year passed like this.
One day, Jielu asked me curiously, "Hey, what exactly is a dream?"
This was a completely unexpected problem for me. I thought about it for a while and answered very seriously:
"That is a signpost, the final signpost on the journey of life, people's purest aspirations and desires for their future."
I wasn't sure if she understood, so I continued to explain: "A dream is something that makes you feel energetic just thinking about it."
She nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. Then she took my hand and asked me to tell her a story. But from then on, she became very strange. She rarely interacted with her companions, often lost in thought; when I told her interesting stories, she was often absent-minded, not as focused as before, as if her thoughts had drifted to the other side of the continent of Valentino.
Two weeks later, she suddenly said to me, "I'm saying goodbye in advance—goodbye, I'm going to chase my dreams."
The girl who usually only likes to play suddenly told me she was going to pursue her dream. Just as I was wondering if she was joking,
"My dream is to travel around the world," she said to me solemnly, with a slightly shy smile on her face.
At first, I was a little surprised. But I still decided to support and encourage her.
"Why do you want to travel around the world?" I asked.
When the reason was brought up, she became very nervous and explained it haltingly.
She longed to see this vast, boundless world, to explore its mysterious and unknown lands, and to meet adventurers she had never met. She was filled with a deep interest and endless anticipation for the unknown and for new experiences. Jelu said something that truly comforted me: she wanted to find the footsteps I had followed and surpass them. As for why I felt comforted, perhaps it was because I had met someone who could continue my journey. At this point, my wandering heart had gradually settled, and I had grown accustomed to a stable life. My journey was drawing to a close in this small town, and I decided to settle down here permanently.
At first, Jielu was quite puzzled by this grand dream. The adults, upon hearing the little girl say she wanted to travel the world, immediately showed disbelief and criticized her for being unrealistic. Perhaps only someone like me, a wanderer who has actually traveled, could truly understand the meaning of Jielu's dream.
However, she said she lacked the relevant knowledge, so she wanted to read more books and notes about round-the-world exploration before leaving. Jelu also told me that I was the first person to support her, and since she didn't know when she would be leaving, she said goodbye to me in advance.
"Is that so... Then, please come back when you're tired."
She gave me a sweet, grateful smile.
Jelu also promised me that she would return to this town when she turned sixteen—the age when she was old enough to qualify as an adventurer.
From that day on, she began reading formal books about adventure. And the anecdotes I could tell her gradually diminished. She certainly wouldn't be satisfied with just my stories; only what Jelu experienced firsthand was her own most precious treasure.
Jielu continued to read diligently for her journey, so focused that she ignored her surroundings. At these times, I would quietly pour her a glass of water and place it beside her.
Sometimes she would fall asleep on the table because she was tired, and at those times I would carefully put a coat on her.
Several more months passed. She stopped touching those books and reverted to her usual playful self. She also stopped chatting with me about her dream.
I wondered if she was having second thoughts. And rightly so. Although she seemed interested in all the new and exotic things, traveling the world was still too early for a minor like Jelu.
I was thinking this until one day, quite suddenly, Jelu disappeared from my sight.
She left without the slightest hesitation, because she had already said goodbye to me beforehand.
Unlike me back then, she didn't hesitate for days at the starting point before taking the first step on her journey.
Located on the west side of the town, at a port connecting to the Valentino Strait, the place where travelers' dreams set sail must be the starting point for Jelu.
The starting point of the dream has such imagery—a vast clear sky, a flock of soaring seagulls, flags fluttering in the wind, and the chiming of clocks on the hour…all of which contain the best wishes for travelers like Jelu.
The girl sailed on a ship whose goal was to explore the ends of the earth, heading to distant places to depict her ideals and pursue her dreams.
On the journey to pursue dreams, everyone's heart will face devilish temptations and hellish trials. Don't be afraid then, because I believe that if it were you, you wouldn't be lost.
Valentino has a saying that has been passed down through generations: "The reflux in the Evil River baptizes out a lucider heart."
I couldn't see her off in person; I could only imagine saying goodbye to her at the dock.
My thoughts returned to the present, and all I could see was a withered, yellow ceiling.
Sadly, I never saw her again after that. Perhaps we had countless near misses over the past sixty years. Maybe neither of us had the courage to go up and say hello, both of us hesitant and afraid, wondering if the other had already forgotten us, so…
Getting to know each other, having long conversations, saying goodbye... everything has been swept away by the torrent of time, like fleeting clouds, but it has left me with the most precious memories and unforgettable longing.
Even today, I still remember what the cleansing lotion looked like. But I also remember her perseverance, because girls who know how to grow are all persevering; she was beautiful, because girls who know how to pursue their dreams are all beautiful.
(Author's note: This short story is dedicated to someone, the one who has made up their mind and is ready to set sail. The ending of this story is a Bad End, but I hope you can change it so that I can write a True End.)
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