glass lover

■

Mr. Oberstein really did what he said in the letter, he was successfully transferred back a month later.

On the day he returned, several days of heavy snow had frozen the road.I had just finished my shopping at the market and was walking slowly along the road home.Turning into Fengyuan Road, I accidentally bumped into a street lamp, slipped and fell to the ground, and my things scattered all over the place.While cursing, I struggled to get up and try to clean up.Suddenly, a hand stretched out in front of me, trying to pull me up.

I looked up to see which kind passerby.Before my brain could react, I was already screaming and rushing towards the other party.

"...You are finally back..."

Holding Mr. Oberstein, I found myself crying.But what surprised me even more was that he was stroking my hair gently.

I let go and squatted down to pick up things in a panic, and Mr. Oberstein also squatted down to help me pick them up.When he wasn't paying attention, I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.The two walked into the house carrying big and small bags.

While Mr. Oberstein was talking to my father, I stood aside and looked intently at this man whom I hadn't seen for more than half a year.He seemed to be a little thinner, and his black hair was cut in a different style from the day he left, but his expression was as calm as usual.I didn't hear what they were talking about at all. It wasn't until my father seemed to say something that my name was there, and I came back to my senses like waking up from a dream.

I wonder if my eyes are blurred.Mr. Oberstein turned his head and gave me a faint smile.

After he had finished his sumptuous dinner, I returned the key to the study to Mr. Oberstein.

"Since you have returned, I will return the key to you."

"You can use it if you want. Have you read any books you like?" He answered me inattentively.

"I like a few books very much." I whispered as if hitting an invisible wall.

After dinner, I went into the study and planned to tidy up the things I had piled there. I guessed that Mr. Oberstein, who was always neat and tidy, would not be able to bear my behavior like this.

"Why are you in a hurry to move? Anyway, your room can't fit so many things."

I turned around and saw Mr. Oberstein behind me.

"It's not that there is no space in the bookcase. I think you can put the books in the bookcase. You can buy another box to store your painting utensils. Otherwise, you just change the place for this messy thing."

He made reasonable suggestions.My face turned red all of a sudden.

"But, this is your study. I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for you." I muttered.

"I've already told you that it can be used by you. You should keep it tidy." He said as he walked towards the bookcase, "You spend a lot of time here every day, right?"

It was as if something on my mind had been revealed all of a sudden, and my heart beat fast.Resisting the urge to rush out the door, I turned around and sorted out the pile of things.

Early the next morning, Millhasen ran to my house and asked me to go out to sketch.

"Margaret—"

He stood downstairs and yelled towards the balcony on the second floor, as if he wanted to be heard by everyone around him.He thought it was my room.

"I'm not deaf, can you keep your voice down!"

I looked down from the study balcony.Milharson waved vigorously at me.The morning sun shone on his auburn hair, making it even redder.

"who is he?"

I was startled by Mr. Oberstein's voice behind me.

"He's my classmate, Paul Millhasen. He's coming to ask me to go out to sketch."

He seemed to want to say something, but he swallowed it when he got to his lips.I hurriedly took the drawing board and painting tools, went downstairs and went out.

"Hey, that's your father's master?" Millhasen looked curiously at the balcony.

"Yeah. I have the same name as you." I turned around and found Mr. Oberstein standing on the balcony watching us.

"Wait a moment."

Millhasson reached over and straightened my collar, which was left unturned in my haste.I also put down the painting tools and helped him straighten his bow tie.This is a common action between us.We didn't move until we were ready to leave the house.And I noticed that Mr. Oberstein was standing on the balcony looking in our direction.

"I always think he's weird." After walking a certain distance, Millhasen stuck out his tongue and told me.

"Why is it strange?"

"I think he looks so cold." He shivered exaggeratedly.I laughed.

"He does that to strangers, hehe."

In this way, I spent a day outside with Millhasen.In fact, nothing was really drawn.The sun has been strong these days, part of the snow has melted, and it is extremely cold.Me and Millhasson wandered around looking for something that looked like it could be drawn.In the end, we were still defeated by the cold air outside and hid in the cafe we ​​often go to.We met a strange violinist in a cafe and his performance was very moving.

After the end of the piece, the violinist suddenly turned to me and asked, "Do you think of that unfortunate lover? Do you think of the distant future?" I stood there, not knowing what kind of profound prophecy this was.

After parting with Millhassen, I was walking home alone, and two streets away I saw Mr. Oberstein taking Hugo out for a walk.Hugo approached my feet affectionately, and I also bent down to touch its head.

"You look like you're having a good time."

"Yeah." For some reason, I actually felt like I was caught for not doing my job, and I felt guilty.Although this sketching is just a temporary play.

"You said you were classmates?"

"That's right."

"Where are you going to sketch today?"

"Uh—we—"

I laughed embarrassedly. "We walked for a long time and didn't see anything good to paint, so we went to drink coffee."

"That's it..." Mr. Oberstein lightly tugged on Hugo's dog leash, signaling him to go home.I noticed that his tone seemed to have a tendency to cool down a bit.

"Are you going out with him tomorrow?" After a long silence, he suddenly asked.

"What? With whom?" I, who was so focused on teasing Hugo, couldn't hear clearly for a moment, so I raised my head and asked.

"That classmate named Paul."

"Oh, he didn't say that."

It was getting dark.I couldn't see Mr. Oberstein's expression clearly, so I walked home with him silently.

■

Millhassen didn't ask me out the next day.I didn't know until a few days later that his excellent sister committed suicide on the day of sketching.He didn't cry or speak at the funeral, and I saw the blank look in his gray eyes, as if he had foreseen this moment.I suddenly felt an ominous and intense sadness.

The holiday is coming to an end, and everyone expects that the ice and snow in this spring will not melt so quickly, and the cold days will last for another half month.Looking at the vast white city, I felt an indescribable boredom in my heart, and I really hoped that this freezing winter would pass sooner.

Ever since Mr. Oberstein came back, I have shared the study with him.I was careful not to disturb his reading mood.But he started playing chess with me often at night.I guess it was the only entertainment that interested him.Only when playing chess, he will show a more relaxed side.

Usually it takes about two hours to play a game of chess, that's because the strength of the two of us is equal.We have to think for a long time every time we make a move.Mr. Oberstein is very confident in his moves and will not make any regrets.I am also embarrassed to play tricks, and I go all out every time.After playing two sets in one night, it's almost time for bed.

One day, he suddenly asked me a question while playing chess:

"Do you often play chess with your classmates?"

"Not often. Because I haven't met anyone who makes me want to play." As I said, I moved the queen forward three squares.

"Paul too? Aren't you good friends?"

I raised my head, and found that he was pushing his castle forward while looking at me, with a faint questioning aura, which made me feel uncomfortable all over.

"Millhassen is good at drawing, but his chess skills are really not flattering."

I was wondering in my heart when Mr. Oberstein became concerned about Millhassen.My queen went sideways and ate his castle.

"So, I play chess with you most often." Mr. Oberstein, whose castle was eaten, didn't move his expression at all. Immediately afterwards, his queen also moved forward. Seeing that my knight would have an immediate reaction Danger.

Eat my knight?Should I immediately turn my queen around to save my knight, or do I make another move?

Who is playing chess with whom? ...I smiled lightly.

"What are you laughing at?" Mr. Oberstein, who was waiting for the knight who wanted to eat me, tapped his fingers on the table and asked in a low voice.

"I was thinking, you're very interesting. I'd love to play chess with you." I honestly said how I felt.

Mr. Oberstein showed a slightly smug expression, reached out and pushed the queen, eating my knight.

"It's rare that I can be connected with the word interesting. It's more likely to describe you as interesting."

"My classmates don't necessarily think I'm funny." I opened my eyes and thought about the situation.I found out that after the knight is eaten, I only need to take two more steps to be the general.But Mr. Oberstein had to go at least three more steps before he could general.

"Does that Milharson think so too?"

I move the pope.This is actually a way of retreating and advancing secretly. "I don't play chess with him very often, and he never said I was an interesting chess player."

"Okay." Mr. Oberstein moved his queen again, ready to threaten my Pope.

"I think you're more interesting than you think."

This is all from my heart.He froze for a moment, crossing his hands over his chest.As if trying to guess whether I'm telling the truth or just a compliment.I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that my Pope was going to generalize him next.

"Really?" He smiled slightly and let go of his arms.There seemed to be a sense of clarity in his expression.

"I mean it." I reached out and pushed the Pope. "General."

He raised his head and stared at me for ten seconds, with a little bit of surprise, a little bit of admiration, and a little bit of joy mixed in that way.

"So that's how it is." Mr. Oberstein picked up his king piece and played with it in the palm of his hand.Although I lost the game, I didn't show any reluctance, "You sacrificed your knight, and what you got was the pope's route of action. In addition, your queen didn't eat my knight nearby, but let it occupy my place." Suppress my queen. In this way, even if I eat your pope, you can still use my queen to eat my king. The sacrifices of your knights are really valuable."

Listening to his methodical analysis of the chess game, I was replaced by the person with arms around and smiling.

"But I don't have this kind of inspiration every time, that's why I often lose." I met his gaze and replied softly.In fact, we often end in a draw.

We just looked at each other for a few seconds.

"Do you want another game?" I leaned forward and rearranged the chessboard.

"That's it for today. Thank you." He stood up and left the study.

■

"You know, this kind of day will make people think that it can be repeated day after day indefinitely. It is very ordinary. You always have to wait until a long time before you know that it is happiness."

Margaret sighed softly and sat down on the sofa.Murat quietly recalled the pieces of trivial stories she told.The pencil portrait of Oberstein became clearer in Murat's mind.Not the Marshal, not the staff officer next to Reinhardt, not the Minister of Military Affairs, not even a dry ice sword.Just a young soldier in his early 20s.

"...Okay, I've said so much, it's time for you to tell me."

"Say what?" Murat raised his silvery eyes and stared at Margaret.

As if she had discovered something suddenly, Margaret stared intently at Murat's eyes for several seconds with a slightly surprised expression, as if she wanted to find something inside.Stared at by those beautiful lake-green eyes, Murat felt a slight heat on her face, but Marguerite looked disappointed shortly afterwards.

"What’s wrong with you?"

"I just found out that your eyes are the same color as Millhasson's."

"How good friends are you two?" Murat asked with a thought.

"It's hard to describe. I always thought we were just ordinary classmates." Margaret smiled mysteriously, with a little sentimentality.