Lilly was born into a single-parent family; her mother later remarried. Disliking her stepfather, she stayed with her uncle, but her stubborn personality often led to arguments with him. Unable to bear it, she had to ask her mother to agree to let her move out, so now she lived alone in a rented apartment. Perhaps because of her single-parent background, she was a very independent girl. Despite this, she was very understanding and compassionate.
Compared to Masky and the others, Rita was relatively happier. Her family was more stable compared to Masky’s. However, saying that seems a bit contradictory. If that’s the case, why did she end up working at the tea house like Masky? I must emphasize that I do not look down on such work; I just feel that at least one should finish high school first. Regarding my question, Rita’s answer was very simple: “I’m not interested in studying.”
Although they all dropped out of high school and had quite a bit of exposure to various aspects of society, their inner world still revered the student life, revealing a regret for not being able to continue their education through their conversations.
Masky had such concerns for a reason; I mean, the opposition from her family. Every relationship hopes to receive the blessing of everyone in the family to possibly achieve true happiness. I didn’t know the reason for the family’s opposition, and Masky was unwilling to elaborate, so of course, I had no right to ask further.
Aside from our interactions at the tea house, I had only gone out with them twice privately. Once was to a pub, and the other time was to go bowling.
Let’s talk about the pub visit first. Since it was a place similar to a dance club, I found it hard to muster much interest, and I couldn’t dance at all, so I could only sit on the side and watch. At that time, I happened to be sitting right in front of a massive speaker, trying with great patience to endure the noise transmitted at an extremely high volume and double bass through the speaker (of course, for some people, it might be something akin to a hallucinogen, intoxicating them and allowing them to move freely as they wished). This was truly torturous for me. So, not long after, I decided to leave early.
As for bowling, it had been a hobby of mine for many years, and thanks to my regular practice, I could say that I surprised Masky and the others, receiving compliments from several girls among the crowd, which was quite enjoyable. Among the girls, Masky was not bad at bowling; I heard she used to be a county representative in the district games, and watching her bowl seemed to confirm that. Compared to the pub experience, this was so much better.
Their working hours were quite long, averaging about ten hours a day, with four days off a month. As mentioned earlier, after deducting miscellaneous expenses (like breaking plates, cups, etc.), they could only take home a monthly salary ranging from four to six thousand. Most of the time, we chatted at the tea house. Since I was older than them, they respected me quite a bit and often asked me questions, and I could only do my best to help them solve their problems. On this day, I was feeling down to the depths of despair; although I tried hard to hide it, I couldn’t escape Masky’s keen eyes, and she quickly sensed that something was off.
“Are you okay? Sometimes talking about it can help. At least let us help you share the burden, alright?” Hearing this, I felt a bit at a loss. Usually, I was the one helping them with their problems, and this sudden role reversal made me feel that Masky’s delicate side was truly overwhelming.
“I like a girl in our class, but she already has a boyfriend. Recently, maybe because of my kindness towards her, she’s found herself in a dilemma. Honestly, I feel a bit guilty about it.” I instinctively looked up at Masky and the others, speaking about that past in a vague manner.
“Excuse me! Are you in our class?” This similar opening line came from a lovely girl, who asked with a friendly smile and an expectant look. It seemed my silence had drawn quite a bit of attention, especially from the girls.
