A pull tab only loves one can.

The teapot and the teacup are in love, so you and I should be in love.

Unfortunately, a teapot always loves four teacups, which isn’t suitable for a boy and a girl’s relationship. That’s why I like cola, because a pull tab only loves one can—how pleasant!

I am happy because I was born connected to you. We live in love and only breathe once in a long while.

Until one day, our world was in turmoil, and you and I were squeezed among other colorful bottles, jars, bags and pouches. You held my hand and said, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

The potato chips next to me screamed loudly, and then the preserved plums and coffee started crying. A red light swept over us with a “beep” sound, and you whispered in my ear, “Maybe you’re going to leave me.”

“No, look how beautiful the red on you is!” For the first time, I felt water sliding down my face, more and more, slowly flowing down your arm that was gently stroking my cheek.

Soon, we arrived at a dark and cold place, with the occasional crackling of electricity echoing in our ears. You held me tightly and said, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here!”

Gradually, you fell silent, and I felt the coldness in your blood. I saw my tears freeze on your skin, glistening and reflecting the light of the night, a light that momentarily eclipsed the moon’s brilliance and illuminated your eyes. There, I saw you say, “You love me.”

A wave of heat swept in, ending our frozen existence, and tears instantly streamed down our faces. I knew the moment of parting was approaching, and we hugged each other tightly. I heard your pounding heartbeat; I have no heart, I only know that I love you.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hair and forcefully ripped me away from you. At that moment, I heard my own heartbeat for the first time.

I’ve never known so clearly how much I love you, and in this instant, I felt at peace. I’m no longer afraid of our separation, because I know we love each other, and I will eventually return to you and be with you again. You held my hand and said, “The can and the pull tab are in love; a can only loves one pull tab.”

The boy tossed his hand, and I traced an arc through the air before landing on the lawn. In the air, my long hair flew, and I looked at you, more at peace than ever before. I clasped my hands to my chest, wanting to protect my heart, for it was given to me by you.

You gaze at me intently from the girl’s hands, while I silently watch you from the grass. We gaze at each other from afar. You speak to me, but I can’t hear you. Yet, looking at your lips, I know you are saying, “I love you.” I say, “Me too.”

Let the wind carry it away, and tell him how much I love him.

The girl playfully scolded the boy, “How can you be so environmentally unaware!” He led you toward me, and as we drew closer, I saw the deep affection in your eyes. The girl bent down, her long hair brushing against his face, and picked me up, hooking me on her finger. Just as she needed to free one hand to shake hands with the boy, I finally returned to your side.

I leaned against your chest, and you said to me, “I knew you would come back, because a pull tab only loves one can.”

The girl looked at the boy and said, “I like Coke because a pull tab only loves one can, isn’t that beautiful?” The girl peeled me off her fingers and put me inside the can. And so, I slept inside you, and you told me we would never be apart again. I gazed through that little window, longing for eternity…

I’ve followed you to many places, and I’ve kept you company and chatted with you whenever you had a moment to rest. Even though your clothes were worn out and your body was twisted, you said that as long as I was by your side, none of that mattered.

I live in your heart, and every day a tiny ray of sunshine streams in through the window—this is the warmth you give me, and it’s enough. For you, I can forget the sky, forget the sea, forget the air. We live in love, taking only one breath in a long while.

Until one day, you were crushed, and you hugged me tightly, saying, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” We had never been so close, every inch of our skin was tightly connected.

This must be forever, I think.

As the intense heat intensified, our bodies began to melt. In our intertwined gazes, our consciousness gradually blurred. I felt as if I had returned to the embryonic stage, our bodies as transparent as infants, each containing the other…

In my next life, I cut my long hair. The boy pulled, and it broke. The girl took us, looked at us, and said, “A pull tab is only in love with one can; they don’t want to be separated.” Then I saw you cry, sadly stroking my hair. I told you, I don’t want to be separated from you, not even for a moment, because you are my only love. I want to be with you forever, until I am no longer beautiful, until you are no longer strong, until the earth stops spinning, until the sun loses its radiance…

If one day you break the tab on a can of Coke, that’s us;

If one day you see a short-haired girl pulling a jar-shaped boy on the street, that’s us;

I want to find a place where I can only love you and have nothing else to do.