This piece is for my dearest sister.

She is the most vibrant, adorable soul I've ever known — a boundless energy that feels like nature itself. I used to tease her, calling her my "curious little fox," which is exactly what inspired this generation.

Sadly, I'm no artist. I can't draw her with my own hands, so this will have to do for now. But if the day ever comes, I swear I'll pick up a brush and clumsily teach myself to paint, just for her.

Looking at this picture takes me straight back to our school days. My most treasured memories are of those quiet afternoons after class, when we'd wander side by side along the trails of a park near our school.

I still remember one late autumn day. She was walking lightly ahead of me, as if she could feel the rhythm of the wind and the scent of the fallen leaves with every part of her. Gazing at the golden carpet beneath us, I couldn't help but sigh. "These leaves are so beautiful. Technically, this kind of tree shouldn't even be growing around here."

She paused, thought for a moment, and turned to me. "Maybe," she said, "all the other leaves obey the old law of staying evergreen, clinging desperately to their branches. But these ones... They understood the message the autumn wind brought. They were brave enough to step into an unknown world, turning themselves brilliant gold before being the first to let go. They know that obediently staying green is merely surviving — but falling with all your heart, that is truly living. This tiny piece of gold is the prologue to all the splendor this forest will witness in some future autumn."

She lowered her eyes thoughtfully, then looked back up at me, completely earnest. "If there ever comes a day when we have to be apart, please don't sigh for me. Because I will have already lived the forest's most magnificent farewell. I will have turned into an autumn that never fades in your eyes."

I've held onto those words like a vow. I swore I would always protect her — protect this longing, protect this autumn of ours — and in doing so, protect the sanctuary within my own heart.

But life doesn't always go the way we think it will. Our studies have taken us to opposite ends of the earth. Now, every single day, my sunrise is her sunset. My today is her tomorrow.

The gears of fate turned in a way I never expected. In the end, I became the fallen leaf — bravely stepping out of my comfort zone into a complex, unfamiliar world full of evergreen leaves.

And my sister... it's strange. I used to think she was the leaf in her own story. But somewhere along the way, she became that deep, comforting autumn instead — quietly watching over all living things from afar. She watches over me, waiting for the spring when we will finally be together again.

English isn't my first language, so maybe these clumsy words still can't quite carry everything I want to say.

But I miss her. I miss her so much...