Micro-story: Ping-jai's Love Story (by Tonkabean)
Micro-story: Ping-jai's Love Story (by Tonkabean)
Ping-jai was heartbroken. His life went back to the state of "two combs of bananas"—empty-handed with nothing left. His girlfriend’s eyes had become cold, and she left him without looking back. Every day, Ping-jai kept replaying the romantic memories of meeting her in heavy rain. He locked himself up in his own sad thoughts.
His good friend, Lei-ching, wanted to help. She brought him into a nightly Zoom Laughter Yoga class. Lei-ching was a Laughter Yoga Teacher. She knew that Ping-jai’s mind was stuck in the past, repeating his painful memories over and over again.
In the class, everyone started doing "Lion Laughter" and stretching. Ping-jai’s body was stiff, and his eyes were blank. Lei-ching watched him through the screen. She remembered the "University of Auckland Cardiovascular Regulation Study" from her notes. When a person is trapped in negative thinking, "simulated laughter" (laughing on purpose) actually works like a strong aerobic exercise. It can push the heart rate up to over 90 beats per minute and lower heart rate variability (rMSSD). By making the heart and lungs work fully through simple body movements, it builds a protective shield in the body to help handle stress and anxiety later on.
"Ping-jai, don’t worry about why you are laughing. Just move your body!" Lei-ching guided.
Ping-jai looked at all the moving boxes on the screen. At that moment, he felt this group of people—who just moved their bodies without asking for a reason—was like a safe shelter without any judgment. His mind was still hurting from the lost love, but the deep, regular breathing began to unlock his tight stomach. He breathed in and out. His diaphragm started to shake. Finally, a laugh came out from his belly. It was not because he felt happy, but because his body was finding its natural energy again through the physical rhythm.
At sunset, the two friends sat on a hill. Ping-jai’s eyes looked less worried and more relaxed.
Looking into the distance, Lei-ching suddenly said softly, "If your father had been like you, always trying to fix everything with his brain when facing a problem, I wonder what my life would be like?"
Ping-jai turned his head to look at her. The mountain breeze blew past, and they both stayed silent.
End
*Cultural Note : What does "Two combs of bananas" (兩梳蕉) mean?
This is a traditional Cantonese slang. Imagine a person walking with their arms hanging down loosely, looking like two combs of bananas hanging from their shoulders. It simply means "empty-handed"—you go somewhere with nothing, and you return with nothing. In this story, it describes how Ping-jai lost his love and felt he had absolutely nothing left in his life but his own two hands.
End
日期 Date：15 June 2026
圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)
文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)
我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。
喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。
Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.
Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.
關於我 /About me ：tonkabean.me/
故事選集 / Story Collection