"Ah, right!"
Tang Keke suddenly seemed to remember something. She rummaged through the desk drawers before bending down and crawling under the table—from Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou's perspective, only the lower half of her body was visible, wriggling outside.
"Mmm... mmm... that's weird... Mom should've put it here... mmm... found it!" Just as Tang Keke let out an excited cry, a loud thud echoed from under the desk, followed by the girl's yelp of pain—clearly, she'd bumped her head.
"You okay?" Ye Shuang asked.
"I'm fine." Tang Keke tried to push herself out with her legs but realized she was stuck, likely due to the sudden jolt earlier.
"......"
"......"
After a brief silence, Tang Keke whispered timidly, "I'm stuck..."
"Huh?"
"Brother, I'm stuck!" Tang Keke repeated.
Stuck?
How could she get stuck here?
Ye Shuang bent down to look and saw that Tang Keke's chest was wedged against the desk's crossbar. She'd squeezed in too eagerly, and now, like a latch mechanism, she could go in but not come out.
Bai Yuyou, curious, knelt beside them and peered underneath. After a few seconds, she reached out and grabbed Tang Keke's thigh, instinctively giving it a little rub.
"Ahahaha! S-stop! Brother, don't tickle my thigh!" Tang Keke, extremely ticklish, clamped her knees together, her voice trembling.
Ye Shuang: "......"
Why do you assume it's me?
"Alright, Yuyou, stop teasing her. Keke's ticklish." Ye Shuang examined the situation and said, "Keke, arch your back up, and I'll pull you out."
"Okay," Keke replied.
A few seconds later, Ye Shuang clarified, "Arch your back, not your butt."
"Mmm..."
Once Keke arched properly, Ye Shuang gripped her waist and gently tugged, finally freeing her.
"Oww..." Tang Keke inhaled sharply, rubbing her chest. "Hurts hurts hurts hurts... I swear I'll chop these things in half one day."
That’s... harsh.
"You're all dusty. What were you looking for in there so suddenly?" Ye Shuang pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, poured a bit of water from a nearby cup onto it, and handed it to Keke. "Wipe your face first."
"Thanks."
Before her lay a wooden box. After cleaning up, Keke opened it to reveal a Polaroid camera and a stack of tiny photos, even smaller than a bank card.
"Ta-da! A Polaroid!" Tang Keke proudly held up the lilac-colored camera.
"Polaroid... what is that?" Bai Yuyou tilted her head.
"An instant camera. Lots of people played with these when I was a student," Ye Shuang explained with a smile. "Just like its name, it gives you a photo right after you take it—hence 'Polaroid.'"
Though the image quality paled compared to regular cameras or phones, the soft, dreamy blur gave it a unique charm, making it a favorite among young girls.
Ye Shuang noticed the box was filled with Polaroid selfies—Keke puckering at the lens, posing in cosplay outfits in front of a mirror, even some in swimwear.
"Hehe, don’t look at those!" Embarrassed, Tang Keke shut the box and raised the camera. "Come on, let’s take a picture together—all three of us!"
They huddled close. "Yuyou, when I count to one, say 'cheese,' okay?"
"Okay," Bai Yuyou nodded.
"3... 2... 1..."
"Cheese," Bai Yuyou murmured softly.
Keke pressed the shutter. A flash burst, and a photo slid out.
"Here."
"Nothing’s there..." Bai Yuyou stared at the blank photo, puzzled.
"Just wait a bit—it’ll develop."
Soon, under the girls' watchful eyes, the image slowly emerged, capturing the three of them gazing at the lens, as if freezing that moment of warmth forever.
"Magic..." Bai Yuyou cradled the photo like a treasure. "Like... a photo booth picture."
"Photo booths give instant photos too, so they’re similar," Ye Shuang chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Do you like it?"
"Mhm."
"Then let’s take more. Yuyou, strike a cute pose."
"Cheese..."
"Yuyou, look at the camera, not at brother..."
......
......
Time slipped by unnoticed. The sky deepened to indigo, the neon glow of skyscrapers washing out the stars, leaving the night less dark.
"It’s getting late. We should head back—thank you for your hospitality today." At the Tangs' doorstep, Ye Shuang bid farewell politely.
"No, no, we should thank you, Ye Shuang. Thanks to your cooking tips tonight, Keke might actually eat more of our home-cooked meals," Tang's mother replied warmly.
"Bai Yuyou," Tang's father turned to her.
"Yes."
"Please take care of Keke from now on. I hope you two get along well." His voice was earnest. "Distance means little between true friends... Even if life takes you apart someday, may your friendship endure."
"It will. Keke is my important... friend." Bai Yuyou nodded slowly, her words deliberate but brimming with sincerity.
Tang's father smiled, his expression softening. "Then I entrust my daughter to you."
"Dad, why does this sound like a deathbed request?!" Keke interjected.
"You brat, are you cursing your old man?"
"Of course not!"
After their goodbyes, Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou left hand-in-hand, crossing the bustling plaza—
The entire way, Bai Yuyou kept her eyes glued to the photo in her hands.
"We can stick this on the fridge too," Ye Shuang suggested gently.
Suddenly, Bai Yuyou spoke up. "Ye Shuang..."
"What is it?"
She raised the photo high, murmuring, "I think... I understand what friends are now."
Ye Shuang paused mid-step, his gaze settling on her face.
"Will Keke and I... always be okay?" she asked.
Ye Shuang tousled her hair.
"You will."
"Then... let’s always be okay. You too, Ye Shuang."
He smiled, leading her forward again. "Deal."
Under the streetlights, their figures melted into the bright apartment entrance, the world around them shifting from shadows to light.
"Oh, let’s get you a Polaroid too," his voice carried into the distance.
"Okay... Can I use it in the bath?"
"No."