Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 35

From,
China Central Broadcasting Station
“Ugh, why does everyone get my name wrong. It’s Corporal General Akio not Mr. Akio,” he thought then
walked back to his bed.
The next morning, Akio woke up and got ready for the upcoming interview. When the interviewer’s car
arrived, Akio got in and the driver took him to the studio which used to be an abandoned police station.
“Okay, General Akio. Here’s how it works. You will first introduce yourself to me, not the camera, and then, you
will tell me what happened with you and that girl Chen Mani in the ballroom a few weeks ago,” said the interviewer.
The camera was rolling and Corporal General Akio was allowed to speak.
“I am Corporal General Akio. I am and always will be one of the greatest and the strongest soldiers. All of you think
that I made a wrong choice, but it was Chen Mani that made the wrong choice. Let me explain. I was walking to the
hotel ballroom to check that everything was going alright. Then, I saw Chen Mani, a girl with porcelain skin, brown
eyes, and long dark brown hair, the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. I came up to her and asked if we could dance
together,” Akio said, looking up at the ceiling drowning himself in the memory of the girl. “But I was wrong. She
said ‘Get away from me! You’re rubbish!’ No one can ever treat a soldier like that, especially in public. Sure, you can
blame me for shooting her in anger, but I was trained to point my gun at anyone who disrespects the army or any of
the soldiers including myself. So there you have it. The whole story about what happened between me and that
wretched girl Chen Mani. ”
The interview was over and Corporal General Akio furiously walked down to the lobby and went outside.
Years passed, the battle had ended and everything was back to normal, except for Corporal General Akio.
For years, he continuously paid visits to the hotel ballroom, thinking to himself; What would have happened if I
didn’t shoot Chen Mani in the first place? Feeling guilty, Akio looked around the ballroom, imagining her dancing
happily with him. He resigned from his position because he couldn’t keep his mind off Chen Mani, so he decided to
be an artist. Each time he thought about Chen Mani, he would draw a picture of her in different scenery - until one
day, he reached a certain age and passed away.
He woke up in this cheerful place, and there she was, the girl he had been waiting to see for 20 years.
Corporal General Akio apologized to her and she smiled. Now when you go to the Paramount Hotel ballroom, you
will see the ghosts of both Akio and Chen Mani dancing together.