#BAOOOBEEEIIIIII ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s Sea-circle Event (Chapter 5)

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for content yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

✧ mum’s smile || little gentleman || art and love || mum’s companionship || endearing thoughts

【Endearing Thoughts】

By the tenth day of the study tour, children from different classes have already formed close bonds with each other. Even during the downtime of waiting for the bus, they would spiritedly chase each other and engage in playful activities. At an age when children naturally love to play, under the precondition of safety, teachers and parents allow them to freely engage in activities.

Among these lively figures, there is one small figure who appears quieter than the rest, making him stand out as particularly unique. The boy’s back is straight as a ramrod, and his shirt is neatly tucked in. His demeanor is calm and composed, resembling a little adult, without any signs of constraint. He always stands by his mum’s side throughout, not displaying any traces of impatience despite the bus being late.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Vic, why don’t you come and play with KeKe and the others too?”

A parent smilingly calls out to the boy.

Upon hearing this, the boy’s mum lowers her head and strokes his hair, 

“Vic-Vic, go play with them. I’ll call you when the bus comes.”

The boy shakes his head, not saying anything to explain his refusal.

Seeing this, the enthusiastic parent walks up to the mother and son, striking up a friendly conversation with the boy’s mum.

“Out of all these children, Vic is the most obedient. He didn’t stir up any mischief throughout the journey, unlike our little tyrant who almost tore off the ceiling of the plane…”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The boy’s mum smiles along with the other parent, looking at her son with a gaze filled with pride. But there appears to be an additional layer of emotions mixed in her gaze, resembling the feelings of regret and being ridden with guilt,

“He has indeed never caused me any worries since childhood.”

“But, it’s important to let him play more often. Children should be livelier and more adorable when they are young, so they can better integrate into society as they grow up. It’s not good to be too introverted. We, parents, can’t be by their side forever, can we?”

The boy’s mum smiles but doesn’t say anything, slowly lowering her eyelashes as if lost in deep thought. The boy lifts his head, and his mother’s silent demeanor is reflected in his clear eyes. After a while, he suddenly speaks.

“Mum, I want to go and play with my classmates.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The boy’s mum is taken aback for a moment, then she nudges the tip of his nose,

“Go ahead.”

As she watches the boy quickly join the children in play, faint dimples form on her cheeks.

“He... actually isn’t introverted.”

“He is very sensible and has his own ideas about things.”

The bus finally arrives after a ten-minute delay.

Today’s itinerary is quite relaxed. In the morning, they visit an art university, and at noon, they will have a group meal at a restaurant booked by the school.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The bright-hued family restaurant has been decorated with the utmost care, with colorful balloons and beautiful embellishments adorning every corner. The children cheerfully shuttle through the restaurant, but soon the teacher requests everyone to take their seats. 

“While we wait for the meal, the teachers have prepared a little art knowledge quiz for everyone! There are prizes for this competition~ Let the teacher reveal what the prizes are! The third prize is…”

The children clamor with excitement, enthusiastically raising their hands to sign up.

But the little grown-up boy shows no interest, because he is very hungry now and just wants to have lunch as soon as possible.

“And now, I’m thrilled to reveal the most exciting grand prize, which is–– tickets to a music concert by the celebrated French symphony orchestra!”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“The tickets to this concert are very difficult to get.”

The boy’s mum suddenly exclaims in a soft voice.

The boy gazes at his mum’s glowing eyes. His little head seems to be in deep thought, and then he lifts his hand.

“I want to participate too.”

The contest wraps up swiftly.

All the questions were related to the knowledge points that the teachers had explained during the study tour, so the boy found them very simple. 

The teacher places a beautiful flower garland around the boy’s neck and puts a small crown with “No.1” written on it on his head. The boy politely expresses his thanks and solemnly accepts two tickets from the teacher. He then returns to his seat and hands them over to his mum. However, compared to the joy of receiving tickets to the concert, his mum seems to be even more proud of his performance. She opens her arms and gives him a big hug.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Our Vic-Vic is number one~”

With his chin resting on his mum’s shoulder, the boy looks at the tickets in his hand, and a hint of joy quietly surfaces in his serious expression. 

The reason he took the initiative to participate in the competition was originally to win the concert tickets for his mum and make her happy. But he seems to have forgotten that his mum actually really loves to smile–– whether it’s because of his great performance, or when he and his dad debate over a difference of opinion on something, or when he achieves good grades… but most of the time, though, it seems that as long as he smiles, she would also have such a radiant smile on her face.

The reason his mum is so happy right now is probably that he not only won the concert tickets but also performed well in the competition. Perhaps, this is what they mean by “killing two birds with one stone.” As the boy thinks this to himself, the corners of his lips unconsciously curl up into a smile.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Before the arrival of the main course, the waiters bring some desserts for the students. The boy ponders for a moment and chooses a pudding. The plump pudding is adorned with a tantalizing drizzle of chocolate sauce on top, and the velvety whipped cream is embellished with bright red strawberries.

The boy wipes his fork meticulously and takes a bite with great anticipation, only to furrow his brows and put the fork down. The boy’s mum, who is taking pictures of the concert tickets with her Polaroid on the side, notices his reaction,

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to eat Mum’s pudding.”

The boy blurts out.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The mother is momentarily surprised, but when she looks up and sees the boy’s frowning little face, she can’t help but burst into laughter–– That little face, which is always mature and composed, finally reveals a rare childishness and willfulness. Even the corners of his lips and arches of his brows are adorned with liveliness and cuteness that cannot be concealed.

“Okay, Mum will definitely make it for you.”

After her words, she can’t resist reaching out and poking the boy’s cheek.

“Who says our Vic-Vic isn’t adorable?”

The boy’s eyes squint involuntarily due to his mum’s actions, and in his slightly distorted vision, his mum’s brilliant smiling face blends together with the splendid sunlight, creating a resemblance to a beautiful oil painting.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

For a brief instant, the boy suddenly wishes to use that ability he has never told anyone about–– to pause time; so that he can preserve this smile like those beautiful oil paintings, frozen in its most radiant moment.

But this thought flashes through his mind for only a fleeting moment.

Because he couldn’t bear to let this smile come to a pause. It should be vivacious, ever-changing, and lasting for a long, very long time.

He resolves to bring a beautiful bouquet of flowers every time he sees his mum, to let her know that he is growing up well, becoming more sensible and more outstanding.

In this way, he will be able to see such a smile frequently.

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💘 • Date: here!

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