Ethan Young waited for a long time, but Henry Howard still didn’t reply. He curled his fingers and gently tapped this person on the back.

After playing a few rounds, they figured it was about time. Quinn Shaw gathered up the cards, and Luke Carter reminded everyone, “You all know where to meet up, right? Just wander around a bit more, but don’t be late when we gather.”

With only half an hour left, there wasn’t really anywhere to go, so they just wandered around.

The only things left to browse nearby were a few small stalls selling goods.

When Quinn Shaw was collecting the cards, Ethan Young had just handed his over when his other wrist was grabbed by Henry Howard, who pulled him out from the side, away from the noisy crowd.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“I just want to hug you,” Henry Howard said. “Just for a little while.”

After handing in his cards, Sean Parker turned to look for Henry Howard, only to find that no one was there anymore. He stared blankly for a moment, then looked down at his phone. There was a message from Henry Howard, just a short sentence: Let me introduce, Ethan Young, my boyfriend.

Once all the cards were collected, the group started worrying about where to go next.

Logan Wright suggested, “Why don’t we go buy some local specialties?”

Luke Carter: “It’s only a forty-minute drive, what local specialties are we going to buy? Is there anything in C City that our city doesn’t have?”

They discussed for a while, but in the end decided to check out the specialty shop anyway. It felt like a waste to come all this way and not buy anything. When they were about to leave, they realized someone was missing: “Group leader, so we’re going to—wait, where’s our group leader?”

“Ethan Bro isn’t here either?”

“”

Trying to find a place with no people at a tourist spot is basically a dream.

After wandering around the area for quite a while, they finally ran into Luke Carter and the others at the entrance of the specialty shop. Henry Howard’s wish to hug his boyfriend for a while didn’t come true.

“Bro Henry, I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person.”

“Leaving your own group members behind and running off with your desk mate—what kind of group leader does that?”

“Don’t say anything, what were you two up to?”

The group members all chimed in, like they were holding a criticism meeting.

Henry Howard: “Alright, that’s enough.”

Logan Wright: “No way, I’m a bit thirsty, unless a certain irresponsible group leader buys us two bottles of—”

The hint couldn’t have been more obvious.

Henry Howard went to buy water, while the others sat on the bench waiting.

Ethan Young glanced at the things they were holding, then looked up at the sign for “Beihu Specialty Shop.” Looking in from the entrance, he didn’t see any specialties at all, just snacks and pastries: “You guys are buying specialties?”

“Yeah, Ethan Bro, look, I bought a scarf.” Luke Carter opened his bag and pulled out a red-patterned scarf.

Ethan Young didn’t really get it: “How is that a specialty?”

“For some specialties, the place of origin doesn’t really matter—it’s all psychological.”

“”

These guys really do have an open mind.

When Henry Howard came back with the water, the tour guide had already started counting heads: “Is everyone here? Group leaders, count your group members.”

Four or five classes were lining up in this area, and it was really noisy.

After several headcounts with no one missing, they finally got on the bus to head back to school.

On the bus, Ethan Young continued watching the movie he hadn’t finished that morning. Henry Howard reached over and took one of his earphones.

Not long after, Henry Howard suddenly said, “Hey, I have something for you.”

Ethan Young was still trying to recall what had happened earlier in the movie, so he didn’t react right away when he heard this.

Henry Howard pulled out two bracelets from his school uniform pocket.

Red string, with a red bean threaded on each.

“Saw them when I was buying water,” Henry Howard was a bit embarrassed—after all, this kind of thing seemed like something only little girls would wear. He paused before saying, “Think about which wrist you want to wear it on.”

Ethan Young looked at it for a while and said, “It’s a bit girly.”

“It depends on who’s wearing it,” Henry Howard said. “I think if it’s us, it’s not girly at all.”

“Bro Henry, have some shame, will you.”

“Did you get it engraved too?”

Even though Ethan Young called it girly, he still took it. On the one he got, there was a “z” engraved on the back of the red bean—a simple English letter, written in Henry Howard’s bold handwriting.

Henry Howard mainly liked the slogan on the little stall’s sign: “Never be apart, c, string you and your beloved together. Buy now and get free engraving, a one-of-a-kind couple’s bracelet.”

Henry Howard boasted, “Yeah, I engraved it myself.”

Ethan Young: “I can tell. Most people couldn’t make it look this ugly.”

“”

The ride back wasn’t as lively as the trip there.

After a whole day of fun, everyone was tired, earphones in, listening to music until they fell asleep.

The tour guide stood at the front, sharing his feelings and joy about spending the day with Class Three: “In this vast sea of people, it’s fate that we could meet. After today, you’ll go back to school and continue your classes. I hope the happiness from today can stay with you—”

Ethan Young complained for a while, and just when Henry Howard thought the kid definitely wouldn’t wear it, Ethan Young said, “Fine, I’ll give you some face.”

The bracelet wasn’t even ugly—just a plain red string, nothing flashy.

The style was simple, not really girly at all.

The boy’s wrist was slender but with defined bones, and the red string on it made Henry Howard’s Adam’s apple bob.

On Henry Howard’s bracelet, the letter “y” was engraved—for Ethan Young’s “俞”.

After Ethan Young put it on, he couldn’t help but look at Henry Howard’s. The two of them looked at each other’s wrists for a long time, until Henry Howard simply grabbed Ethan Young’s hand and put their wrists together.

The two red strings looked like they were twisted into one.

After the tour guide finished his speech, he sat down, and the bus fell completely silent.

Only Logan Wright’s snoring could be heard.

Ethan Young didn’t care about the movie anymore. After watching for a bit, he started to feel sleepy too, slowly closed his eyes, and finally fell asleep leaning on Henry Howard’s shoulder.

All good things must come to an end.

From now on, this day could only be recalled from memory—a day that seemed plain and uneventful.

Old Thompson had taught for so many years, led who knows how many classes, but he never got tired of these spring and autumn outings that happened every semester.

He stood up, clumsily took a photo with his phone, carefully focusing, and finally captured a group of people sleeping in all sorts of positions.

It felt like they slept the whole way.

When Ethan Young opened his eyes, the bus had already turned onto a small road near No. 2 High School.

Quinn Shaw was quietly calling on the phone: “Hi Mom, I’m almost there. Mm, are you at the school gate?”

Logan Wright’s snoring was too much, and finally Wanda woke him up: “We’re almost there, PE rep!”

Logan Wright touched the corner of his mouth, and only felt reluctant to leave as they were about to get off: “Ah, so soon?”

“It’s fine, even though the autumn outing is over, we still have the weekend, and we can look forward to the next holiday and winter break,” Luke Carter said. “There’s always hope for students. Oh, everyone pass your hats over, I need to collect them and give them to Old Thompson.”

The hats were No. 2 High’s school hats—maybe to keep them from getting lost, or just so it was obvious at a glance who was from No. 2 High. Even though everyone thought they were too ugly and didn’t want to wear them, they still handed them out every spring and autumn outing.

When Henry Howard passed his hat over, Luke Carter immediately noticed the red string on his wrist and asked curiously, “Bro Henry, when did you buy a bracelet?”

After saying that, Luke Carter saw that Ethan Young had the exact same one, paused, and said, “Ethan Bro got one too? Looks pretty nice. Is it some kind of good luck charm for exams? One of those blessed ones?”

Henry Howard: “”

Ethan Young: “”

Even with couple bracelets, the two students at the bottom of the grade would only be seen as wearing good luck charms for exams.

“We’re at school—everyone who’s sleeping, wake up. If you’re going home, go home; if you’re going back to the dorm, go to the dorm. Be careful on the way,” Old Thompson reminded them. “Get your mood in order and finish your weekend homework seriously.”

Henry Howard remembered that the question he’d asked earlier still hadn’t been answered: “Are you going home this weekend?”

Ethan Young still had to go home for the weekend.

Last weekend he’d gone to Aunt Mei’s, so if he didn’t spend a couple of days with Ms. Miller this week, even if Ms. Miller didn’t say anything, she’d definitely be upset.

“Yeah,” thinking of this, Ethan Young said, “I have to go home and cheer up my mom.”

Henry Howard made a sound of acknowledgment.

After a while, he leaned over and asked, “So, may I ask when Ethan Young plans to cheer up his boyfriend?”

The students of Class Three got off the bus one after another.