"Why Taipei and not Hong Kong for the marathon?" I asked Hana as we left the sushi restaurant.
With a serious expression, she explained, "The government handed out $6000 to everyone to revive the economy a few years ago, remember? With that as our limited budget, we ended up choosing the nearby Taipei. It was also my first time flying on a plane! Taipei felt a bit like Hong Kong, but without the busyness and pressure. The locals we met were very friendly, so I began to like the place. But my family is not well off, and I never had the chance to go again. But since I graduated, our financial pressure has eased a bit, so I hope to go to Taipei again and challenge myself with my first marathon."
"As for not choosing the Hong Kong marathon, it's because the route and scale have changed a lot over the years. It's completely different from the one my parents planned to participate in. So the location isn't important. The Taipei marathon's route, scenery, and atmosphere all seems more attractive to me."
I understood her thoughts. I wasn't sure if I could complete the full 42.195 kilometers of the marathon, but since we had a whole year to prepare and I was willing to train with Hana, I would give it a try.
"Oh just trust me! If you have a year to prepare, it won't be too hard," Hana said confidently. "The most important thing is that as long as we maintain enough training during the hot summer, we will see significant results by the end of the season."
"I understand!" I laughed, "It's like in the manga 'Initial D,' where Ryosuke Takahashi tells his brother Keisuke to train in the winter, right?"
"Why do you think a girl watches 'Initial D'?" Hana exclaimed, "But actually I did, and it's a good analogy."
From then on, our training increased from twice a week to three times a week. Hana considered switching to four times a week, but she decided against it in case work got too busy and she had to abandon the training plan. So three times a week it was.
On Mondays or Tuesdays, we focused on high-intensity training or benchmark runs in test conditions. On Wednesdays or Thursdays, we did recovery runs or moderate-intensity long runs to prepare for the long weekend runs. Saturdays were for long runs, and the longest distance we ran gradually increased to about 35 kilometers.
Another reason for preparing for a year was that Hana loved to eat. According to her, if she had a year to prepare, she wouldn't have to control her diet too strictly.
"In addition to running, my other hobby is eating! I run so that I can eat, and I eat so that I can run. They complement each other, isn't it great?" It's not hard to imagine that when she said this, her face was covered in food crumbs.
Clearing the food crumbs off her face has become one of my daily tasks as her boyfriend.
That evening, we arranged to have dinner with Kevin, who happened to work nearby.
Unlike the rough and careless style of Penny, Kevin is a very thoughtful and attentive person.
"You two really match well, congratulations." When Kevin arrived, he gave his blessings.
"Thank you." Hana responded sweetly.
"By the way, do you ever feel awkward at work? I mean, do your colleagues notice that you are dating?" Kevin always thinks about these little details.
"No, we don't." I replied. "We have a good understanding, and we try our best to feign normal at work. Even on our dates after work, we leave 'one after another' to make sure that others don't notice."
"Haha, an 'underground-office-romance'?" Kevin joked.
"For now, yes!" Hana said. "After all, people in the office love to spread rumours."
"Jan," Kevin laughed, "you've found a young, beautiful girlfriend who cares about you. You must cherish her."
Hana face turned red.
I nodded, understanding Kevin's meaning.
My ex-girlfriend, Lolly, was a flight attendant. Honestly, in terms of personalities we were compatible, but she hasn't got a clue about my work, and didn't care nor understand my work habits and the professional demands of IT personnels. She would get upset when I had to pay attention to company messages during our dates, and bringing out my laptop for remote support would often trigger quarrels. Although our breakup was not directly related to work, the problem between us was not something that could be solved overnight.
With Hana, who is also in IT, we don't have this problem, and for this I'm really grateful.
Furthermore, when I need to provide remote support during our date, she will try to help me without any hesitation. In fact, most of the problems can be resolved by myself, but I will pretend to appreciate her help and make sure she felt appreciated.
This is probably our unique way of life.
After paying the bill, Kevin asked me while Hana was in the bathroom, "Do you have any plans?"
"What plans? Do you mean going to the bathroom?" I pretended to be innocent.
"This is a serious question!" Kevin said. "I mean, what are your plans with Hana? Although Hong Kong people generally marry late, you are not young anymore, and your mother has always hoped for a grandchild."
"We just started dating, isn't it too fast to think about this?" I said in confusion.
"Not at all, my friend." Kevin said. "Do you remember what I said to you when your grandmother passed away? If you have a chance, talk to her seriously. Even if there is no conclusion, at least there should be a consensus."
While I was pondering, Hana came back.
After saying goodbye to Kevin, we walked to the station together and took the train. Hana was so tired that she fell asleep leaning on my shoulder. While she slept, I thought about Kevin's words to me when my grandmother passed away.
"Your weakness is being too cautious and indecisive. If you keep going like this, you will end up regretting every misfortune that comes your way. Let the past go! Live for the moment, cherish the people in front of you, and don't fall in love too late again."
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