‘Every Moment That I Think Of You: A Promise of Youth

BL Recaps China

2023-08-01
14:12

What if you promised to give him the best in the world but were still unsure about what would happen in the future? Can you keep that promise?

Starring Cui Tao and Lin Shuai, ‘Every Moment That I Think Of You‘ is a Chinese BL short series about pure love and a promise made by young teenagers in their high school journey. The story depicts how, in the hot summer of 2019, 18-year-old Chen Zihao and Yang Yuhang meet. Chen Zihao, who’s often at the bottom of the class, accidentally discovers that the handsome Yang Yuhang, the topper of his class, is his secret pen pal of the past two years. Upon the chance encounter, the two of them take the time to talk about everything, and gradually, their relationship becomes closer than ever. But with the looming college examinations right around the corner, how will they go on from here?

WARNING: Spoilers alert! Read at your own risk.

Episode 1.

The series opens with Chen Zhao narrating his memories of 2019 and the story of him and Yang Yuhang in that hot summer that started with the extra lessons in the third year of high school and a special letter. His letter is addressed to someone he calls “Iron Arm Calabash Brother”. He wrote about everything that happens in school. At school, a pretty girl came to Yuhang and tried to give him a letter, but he just ignored her. The girl says that she can write the letter next time. He noticed that even though the prettiest girl came to him, Yuhang didn’t mind, and his classmate told him that he was cocky because it is the third time Yuhang declined a girl.

He also wrote in his letter that there was one thing he wanted to share about his recent life with his so-called brother. He told him that he noticed that although Yang Yuhang, the study committee member of their class, looks handsome, he is always alone and has no friends. When going out to do exercise, everyone else is in a group while he goes alone. When eating at the canteen, everyone else is in a group while he goes alone. Whether it’s going to school or after school, everyone else is in a group while he goes alone. He’s like a lonely prince living under a glass cover. He was always alone. While writing the letter, he suddenly remembered what he said to him. He hopes that every lonely person can experience warm companionship. No matter how long it takes.

Because of that, he decided to do something for the lonely boy. To make his life a little different. Yuhang is sleeping on his desk, and he wakes him up. The latter looks at him, and he asks who he is. He was shocked that he didn’t know him, so he introduced himself as his most handsome classmate. And Yuhang identified him as someone who always doesn’t have an assignment and always takes the last one in the exams. Their classmates laughed after hearing what Yuhang said. But he told him that it doesn’t matter who he is, and from that moment on, he will be his best friend. The latter declined, but he says that he will do whatever he wants. Although his first initiative was rejected decisively, it just aroused his desire to win. It made him want to be his good friend even more. And get to know the boy who has been in the same class with him for three years but always alone.

He continued writing the letter. He wrote about how he came up with a strategy after reading his novel. The first thing is having things in common. Everyone likes people who are similar to them. So he decided to imitate him to get his attention. He studies more, reads more, and listens to music. However, he didn’t notice his existence at all, so his first step is a failure. So he proceeds to the next step, which is to keep being nice to him. As the saying goes, when fate is not enough, just keep going relentlessly. And he thinks that if he keeps on being nice to him, he will accept him someday. He read in the novel that buying breakfast is a must and that the probability test is very high. So he bought him a sandwich and put him on his desk, but Yuhang threw it away immediately. He thought that giving him a bottle of water would be a good step, but when he tried to give him one, his classmate drank the water. So the second step is failure.

The third step is to tease him hard. He finds Yuhang weak and thin. And for him, it looks like he can do nothing except study. So he decided to tease him so that he would admire his power. Zhao and his friends teased him a lot, but they failed after no one told him that Yuhan learned Taekwondo. So the third step is another failure. He told his so-called brother in the letter that after a month of his persistence, it can be said that his relationship with him has not progressed. And although he felt a bit down, he decided to respect his classmate. And that’s the end of his 52nd letter to his Iron Arm Calabash Brother.

At school, they’re having an exercise, but Yuhang forgot to bring his workbook. So he has to go outside and stand by the wall. Zhao noticed that he didn’t have his workbook, so he threw his workbook at him and told his teacher that he forgot it. Their teacher gave him an earful and told him to stand outside and review their lessons. Yuhang looks at him while he walks out of the classroom. He didn’t know why he threw his workbook at him that day. And he also didn’t know why he looked at him that way. All he knows is that, after that day, the relationship between him and Yuhang is not as awkward as it used to be. In the music room, Yuhang stops playing the piano to open an envelope. When he read the letter, he was shocked by what was written on it. Zhao sneaks into the music room and finds out that his Iron Arm Calabash Brother is none other than Yang Yuhang.

After knowing that revelation, Zhao admitted to him that he had liked him for a long time. And Yuhang thought that Black-Faced King Kong was a muscular guy. Zhao told him that he’d been reading his article for two years, and the latter had also read his letter for two years. He asked him why he never replied, and he says that it was enough for him to know that he was there. Yuhang thanked him for the exercise book and promised to help him study. After that day, the two finally became friends. They studied together, and Zhao’s grades improved. Their friendship blossoms as time passes. Their girl classmate wanted to write a letter to Yuhang, but he told her that he was in love with someone else. The latter hears him and says that he’s ruining his luck in love. Zhao told him to keep in touch as the winter vacation approached, and the latter agreed. He wrote again to his so-called brother, saying he hoped to still read his articles and hang out with him on winter vacation.

Episode 2.

Their winter vacation ended, and they were back at school again. Yuhang noticed that they were wearing the same outfit and told him that he was imitating him. But the latter disagrees and says that it’s just chemistry. The appearance of Yuhang in his life was a surprise. It gave his goalless life a wild imagination. And it also made everyday sparkle. He noticed that something was bothering him, and Yuhang told him that his parents might have divorced. He taps his shoulder as a sign that it’s alright, and the latter asks him if people always say goodbye. And he said that life is like a train; some people get on and some people get off. And some separations are normal. He also promised him that he wouldn’t leave him alone. They spent their winter vacation together. And because they hang out a lot, he discovers that Yuhang likes sunflowers, so he picks one up every day and gives it to him.

Happy days are short, and they have to start their new life. Zhao celebrated the new year with his family. Over dinner, he decided to call Yuhang to greet him. He noticed that it was very quiet in his house as he answered his call. The latter told him that he was home alone, so he decided to do a video call to accompany his friend on New Year’s Eve. They kept in touch, even if they couldn’t meet sometimes. And the new year’s Eve of the year 2020 became special to Zhao because they talked a lot about zodiac signs, learning, dreams, and the future, and both of them felt safe and happy that night. The next day, Yuhang called him early in the morning to study.

Because of the pandemic, their face-to-face classes turned into online classes. So to help him study, Yuhang gave him video calls every day to study with him. His grades have improved significantly. Days went by, and nothing changed. Until Yuhang’s birthday in April, he lost contact with him. He tried to call him many times, but the latter didn’t answer. So he decided to go to his house. His mom stops him at first, but when he says that he lost contact with his classmate, who helped him improve his grades, she finally agrees. Yuhang told him that his mom doesn’t like the idea of him writing articles and says it’s useless. Zhao told him not to give up because he has a beautiful dream. He told him that he had no dreams before, but everything changed when he met him. He now dreams of being a photographer.

Zhao put the candle on the bread he bought, and they sang the “Happy Birthday” song together. He asks what he wishes for, and the latter says that he wishes that the two of them can go to the same city for college in the future. And he promised Yuhang that he would do his best to pass the entrance exams. After that night, Zhao studied harder. Just to be able to fulfill the promise they made together that night under the candlelight. And after their graduation party, while walking home, they promised each other that even if they didn’t go to the same university, they would go to the same city in the future. And in the summer of 2020, the two teenagers’ promises were sincere and true.

They say promises are meant to be broken, but in this series, they proved that even a young heart knows how to keep a promise. No matter how difficult life can be, if there’s someone who promises you the best things in the world, you can always keep going.

Watch ‘Every Moment That I Think Of You in GagaOOlala.