It was a bright Mid-Autumn Moon.
The autumn in Changkong City quietly thickened with the shortening days and cool evening breeze.
As Mid-Autumn Festival approached, street shops had already hung lantern decorations, and their windows were filled with various mooncake gift boxes. The air seemed to carry a hint of sweet filling fragrance.
Kael's perception of holidays was dull. Thirteen years of blankness left the word "Mid-Autumn" as only a vague concept in his mind, associated with "moon" and "reunion," but unable to stir much emotional ripple.
It wasn't until that afternoon, when he returned to his apartment after work, that he saw Kiana staring blankly at a supermarket flyer spread on the table, covered with dazzling mooncake advertisements.
"Kael!"
Kiana heard the sound of the door opening, looked up, her eyes sparkling, and pointed to a mooncake on the flyer with a cute rabbit design, "Let's buy this to eat tomorrow! Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival!"
"Mid-Autumn Festival?" Kael's action of changing his shoes paused.
"That's right! The day the moon is roundest! We eat mooncakes and admire the moon!"
Kiana nodded vigorously, then wrinkled her nose in slight distress, "It's just that mooncakes seem a bit expensive... But it's okay! This Young Miss just got her part-time job salary, buying a box is no problem!"
She patted her pocket, looking bold as if she had "a small fortune," but her eyes clearly showed a craving for mooncakes.
Kael looked at her, and something in a corner of his heart stirred slightly.
He recalled fragmented memories of this festival, which always seemed to be linked to "home" and "reunion."
"Mm." Kael responded, not saying much else.
The next day, Kael left Senba Academy a bit earlier than usual.
He detoured to a well-known traditional pastry shop in Changkong City, where a not-too-long, not-too-short line had formed, mostly people preparing for the festival.
He stood silently in the queue, listening to the people around him discussing which flavors were delicious, and how many boxes to buy as gifts. A strong, familiar yet strange sense of life enveloped him.
He finally chose a box of assorted mooncakes, with traditional five-nut and lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk, as well as new-style custard lava mooncakes.
When he returned home, Kiana hadn't come back yet.
Kael placed the mooncakes on the table, his gaze sweeping over the slightly quiet living room. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and went into the kitchen.
When Kiana pushed open the door, tired yet excited, a richer aroma of food than usual wafted towards her, mixed with a sweet, unique pastry scent of mooncakes.
"Wow! So fragrant!"
She sniffed and rushed into the living room, immediately spotting the exquisite mooncake box on the table, and several dishes next to it that looked especially carefully prepared—besides the usual dishes, there was also chestnut roasted chicken and steamed crab, both dishes Kael vaguely remembered as being more suitable for a festive atmosphere.
"Kael! You bought mooncakes! And so much delicious food!"
Kiana exclaimed in surprise, running to the table and examining the box of mooncakes like a curious kitten, "It's that famous old brand! I saw it on the flyer yesterday, it seems very expensive..."
"It's a festival."
Kael came out of the kitchen, brief and to the point, holding two bowls of rice, "Go wash your hands, eat."
"Oh!"
Kiana obediently ran to wash her hands, her face still beaming with uncontrollable excitement when she returned.
She carefully opened the mooncake box, looking at the exquisite, small mooncakes with various patterns inside. She picked up the one with the rabbit design and handed it to Kael, "Kael, you choose first! This rabbit one is for you!"
Kael looked at the mooncake she offered, and her blue eyes that appeared exceptionally clear under the light, and silently took it.
The dinner atmosphere was warmer than usual. Kiana chattered about how the dessert shop also launched mooncakes today, how many she helped sell, and how a customer even gave her a small lantern.
Kael mostly listened quietly, occasionally picking up a piece of food for her.
After dinner, Kiana couldn't wait to taste the mooncakes.
Kael, however, pointed to the balcony: "Let's eat there, we can see the moon."
The apartment's balcony was not large, but the view was decent, offering an unobstructed view of the night sky.
Tonight, the clouds were thin, and a silver-disk-like full moon hung high in the sky. Its clear light spilled down, gently outlining the city's silhouette.
The two moved chairs to the balcony. Kiana held the rabbit mooncake like a treasure, taking small bites.
As the custard lava filling flowed out, she quickly licked it, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction: "Mm! Delicious! Sweet and smooth!"
Kael also picked up his five-nut mooncake and took a bite.
The aroma of nuts and the sweetness of syrup filled his mouth, a distant yet familiar taste.
He looked up at the bright moon, his thoughts drifting.
Was the moon eleven years ago also like this? Theresa, Sirin, Bianca... were they also somewhere, looking at the same moon at this moment?
"The moon is so round and bright!"
Kiana tilted her head back, her mouth still full of mooncake, mumbling, "It's like a big lantern! I used to... I think I rarely looked at the moon so quietly."
Her voice gradually lowered, carrying a hint of imperceptible loneliness, "Always alone... Either on the road, or looking for a place to sleep..."
Kael turned his head to look at her.
Moonlight, like water, spilled on her silver hair and upturned face. Her ahoge seemed to have quieted down too.
The reflection of the moon was in her blue eyes, sparkling, yet seemingly a little deeper than usual.
"You're not alone now."
Kael's voice sounded a bit low in the night breeze, but it clearly reached Kiana's ears.
Kiana froze for a moment, turned to look at him, then a wide smile bloomed on her face, dispelling that hint of loneliness instantly: "That's right! Now I have you, Kael! And such delicious mooncakes and food!"
She nodded vigorously, as if to confirm something, "This is the best Mid-Autumn Festival This Young Miss has ever had!"
She raised the half mooncake remaining in her hand, like raising a toast to Kael: "Kael, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Kael looked at her earnest, slightly silly expression. His eyebrows and eyes softened unconsciously under the moonlight.
He also raised the mooncake in his hand and lightly touched hers.
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Kiana."
Their gazes met in the air, then together they looked at the unchanging bright moon in the night sky.
Moonlight flowed silently, enveloping the two on the balcony, and also enveloping the brightly lit city.
Faint laughter seemed to come from afar, further highlighting the tranquility of this place.
Kiana finished her mooncake, leaned back in her chair contentedly, looking at the moon, and suddenly said softly: "I heard that the Mid-Autumn moon can reflect all the longing and reunion in the human world. Kael, do you also have someone you miss?"
Kael's hand holding the mooncake tightened slightly. He didn't answer immediately.
People he missed... too many, too heavy.
In the end, he only gave a very soft "Mm."
Kiana seemed to sense his low spirits and didn't press him as she usually would.
She was quiet for a while, then suddenly laughed, her tone becoming cheerful again: "It's okay! No matter what happened before, now we have mooncakes to eat, the moon to see, and we're together! This is great! Just like they say, 'Family sits idly, lights are intimate'! Although we're not family..."
She paused, secretly glanced at Kael, her voice trailing off, "...but it's close enough!"
Kael's heart felt as if something had gently nudged it.
Not family... yet on this full moon night, they shared the same warmth and companionship.
This "cohabitation" life, which began with coincidence and a mission, had, at some point, etched real traces in his heart.
"Mm." He responded again, this time, his tone carried a hint of gentleness and affirmation that even he hadn't noticed.
As night deepened, the evening breeze brought a chill. Kiana let out a small yawn.
"Let's go back to sleep." Kael stood up.
"Okay." Kiana stood up with him, stretched, took one last look at the moon in the sky, and whispered a wish, "I hope next year, the year after, and every Mid-Autumn Festival after that, can be like this, with delicious food, the moon to see, and you, Kael!"
Her wish was simple and direct, just like her.
Kael listened to her words, watching the silver-haired girl walking ahead, humming an off-key tune. The frozen surface of the lake in his heart, caused by long slumber and heavy mists, seemed to have been cracked by the Mid-Autumn moonlight and the girl's pure smile. A warm stream of light quietly seeped in.
He looked up, taking one last look at the bright moon illuminating the human world.
Vast mountains and rivers, fireworks of the human world.
Where he was, was precisely a corner of this complex human world.