October 13^th, 2000

Tao's Current Age: 6

2:30 pm

"Tao!" the black-haired boy yelled.

"Hey!" Tao yelled back, smiling. "Wanna go outside? I'll buy sodas!"

The boy smiled. "Sure! Let's go to the park!"

Side by side, the boys ran to the neighborhood park. At the nearby vendor, Tao paid for two sodas.

They happily ran around the park, sipping their sodas. Laughing about jokes, complaining about teachers and homework, and just talking.

You wouldn't have ever seen such close friends.

6:00 pm

*ring ring*

Tao grabbed his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Huang Zitao?" a sad voice asked.

"Yes. Who is this?" Tao questioned, glancing at the other boy.

"Please come to the Seoul Hospital right away," the voice answered, and hung up.

Tao looked at the other. "We have to go to Seoul Hospital, now."

7:30 pm

"Tao, can you stop crying?" the black-haired boy pleaded.

Tao was hunched over, his back to the wall of the hospital hallway.

They're dead. . . Mom. . . Dad. . . Tao thought.

"It'll be alright, Tao," the boy promised.

Tao looked up. "Promise me you'll be here for me. Please," he begged.

The boy put an arm around Tao. "Of course. I promise."

The boy's phone rang, and he answered it. A little talk exchanged, and the boy hung up.

"Tao, I need to go home. My parents want to see me. It's some kind of emergency. I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Feel better! Remember, I'm here for you!" he said before running to the exit.

Tao smiled, grateful for such a good friend.

Tao hunched back over, and sat in silence.

8:30 pm

Tao sobbed again in his now empty house. He threw his phone down, and ran into his room. Screaming and crying, he threw stuff at the walls, pulled posters down, and finally sank into the pillow of his bed.

Turning so that he was face-up, he thought about the text he received minutes ago.

I'll never forgive you. I'll never forgive you. I'll never forgive you, Tao thought.

The fallen phone flashed its last message:

{Friday, July 13th, 2007} "I'm sorry, Tao. I'm leaving to North America. Actually, Canada. Will you forgive me, please? I'm so sorry, Tao. I know I promised I'll be there, but please, forgive me. Sorry again, Tao."

No, Tao thought. I'll never forgive you. Never, Wu Yifan.