On The Eiffel Tower

The next day, the group of students from St. Catherine visited the Musee D'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower. They were all excited because they could finally take beautiful photos of the iconic tower of Paris City.

"When we passed by Eiffel Tower on the way to the hotel"—said Haoran, sitting next to Emma on the shuttle bus—"you shed tears right then and there. I was worried."

"I don't remember," Emma admitted. However, she had a feeling that was the first day they had arrived in Paris. And later that night, she suddenly woke up on top of the Eiffel Tower, unable to remember what had happened. "But I know I went there alone before the blackout."

Haoran nodded in understanding. "Was that when you got your memories back?"

"Yes, I must have exerted myself trying to remember, but I got injured instead and lost my memory of the previous two days. The last thing I can remember is reading an SMS from you. You deceived me and made me think you failed your exam." Emma narrowed her eyes, accusing Haoran of deceiving her.

The young man grinned and shook his head. "I told you, I wasn't deceiving you. Those were tears of happiness."

"Really," Emma grumbled. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Ahaha, I'm sorry, Stardust." Haoran held out his hands, frowning his face. "I just like teasing you so much. It's because you always have this look of seriousness on you all the time, that I can't help but want to make you smile."

"Really?" asked Emma, unconsciously frowning. "I didn't know I look that serious."

"There! If you frown like that too often, you'll get old and wrinkly fast!" Haoran commented. He hurriedly smiled so Emma could understand he was only joking. "I'm just pulling your leg. Don't take it to heart."

"Hmm..." Emma didn't reply to Haoran's joke. She was more interested in knowing what had happened that day. "I'll forgive you if you stop joking and tell me what happened after the exam scores and before the Paris blackout. I need to know."

"Now?" Haoran surveyed their surroundings. He leaned in and said in a soft voice, "I'll tell you after all the programs are over. I don't want people eavesdropping on us."

Haoran's eyes glanced sideways and saw Nadya staring at him and Emma with a concerned look.

"Looks like your friend is suspecting us," Haoran said to Emma. He subtly pointed his chin toward Nadya. Emma glanced in the direction he was pointing and noticed Nadya watching them with suspicious eyes.

For a moment, their two pairs of eyes met. What was Nadya thinking about?

[Gosh, why do Emma and Haoran look so close? Do they have a special relationship? Does Haoran like Emma? This cannot be tolerated! Poor Mary, she'll definitely be upset if she found out.]

Ugh... Emma sighed. It was very easy for her to read Nadya's mind. And as Emma feared, Nadya was becoming suspicious of her closeness to Haoran.

Inwardly, Emma complained. Why should she be bothered by such trivial problems? She hated being made to choose between friends. She liked Nadya and Mary. However, Emma was friends with Haoran before she even knew them, not to mention, Haoran was always kind to her.

If she had to choose, Emma would choose Haoran over her friendship with Nadya and Mary. After all, she had already told Haoran almost all of her secrets, and they had made plans to find information about her parents together.

"Do you know why I cried after I saw the Eiffel Tower?" asked Emma, ​​finally deciding to ignore Nadya. "I don't remember what happened. But if you can give me a hint, maybe I can remember something."

Haoran frowned and tried to think. "I don't know for sure. You refused to tell me why, but you mentioned that your family had been there and your mother loved the tower very much. So, I suspect you were crying because you miss your parents."

Emma was silent. She couldn't remember when she and her parents had gone to Paris. But maybe it was before they left her at the orphanage in winter 2043. Emma was three-and-a-half-years-old when they had left her in the orphanage. Unfortunately, as a child, Emma's memory was limited. Even if she occasionally got flashes of memories, those were only fleeting, and she couldn't control which memories would appear.

'Maybe I should train my mind, so that I'll be able to remember everything that had happened,' Emma thought. She knew her mother was a telemancer; and since Emma could read people's minds, then she must have inherited her mother's power. She should be able to control her mind and bring out important memories.

"Haoran, I feel like there's something amiss. Clues. Do you want to come with me to the Eiffel Tower tonight?" Emma asked Haoran.

The bus pulled over in Trocadero, and the students were told to get off the bus, so they could see the magnificent Eiffel Tower up close. Haoran and Emma were the last to leave the bus.

"Of course," Haoran said quickly.

They stopped talking about Emma's parents and shifted their attention to the gigantic tower standing proud in front of them. Madame Delaval began enthusiastically lecturing her students about the history of the Eiffel Tower, even though they were already busy taking photos and sharing them on the social media Splitz.

"This Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel and was the tallest building in the world for four decades. But did you know that this tower was once yellow?" Madame Delaval appeared satisfied seeing how shocked the students were after they heard her statement. "In the past, many French people opposed the construction of this marvelous tower because they thought it was ugly."

All the students stared at each other with gaping mouths.

The Eiffel Tower was thought to be ugly? Was this for real?

This was one of the most romantic buildings in the world! Many couples had taken pictures of this tower as a background for their pre-wedding pictures. They also went up to the top, so they could see the city of Paris from a lofty height. Many proposals even happened there every week!

How could people think it was ugly? That was so shocking!

"Although many Parisians protested the construction of this tower, it was only after World War 2 that people accepted it because the tower functioned as a radio tower. But now, the Eiffel Tower has become the pride of the people of France. It's the symbol of Paris. It even has copyright attached to it. You may not photograph this tower at night because of the lights. The lights were installed in 1985 and were considered a work of art. The copyright is still held by the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel."

Madame Delaval's explanation made the students shocked even more.

Cedric raised his hand and asked a question on behalf of his friends. "So, does that mean we can't take pictures now?"

"Oh, if you take pictures during the day, it's okay. The architect of the Eiffel Tower died in 1923, and the copyright of this tower design ended 70 years later, or in 1993. That's why you can find the imitations of Eiffel Tower, like the one in the United States' Las Vegas, China, and Japan." Madame Delaval hurriedly added, "But the lighting design, or the appearance of the Eiffel Tower at night, is still under copyright. So you can't photograph it and share it on social media."

"Ahhhh..." Complaints here and there were thrown after Madame Delaval's explanation. The picture of the Eiffel Tower at night with its lights was very charming, and obviously, they hoped to take the pictures. How unfortunate!

Monsieur Thomas continued Madame Delaval's explanation about the history of the Eiffel Tower while guiding his students to march up the tower using the elevator.

He stated that Gustave Eiffel once used the 324-meter-high tower as a science laboratory. Once they were at the top, they'd be able to see the remarkable view of the whole city of Paris and explore the museum inside.

"I think my mother liked this tower because it reminded her of a tower back home." Emma blurted without thought. She didn't know how she knew that, so she quickly added, "I don't know exactly how I found out about it. I think my mother once told me that."

Haoran nodded. "Maybe you just suddenly remember. You did mention your parents brought you here."

"It could be. I wish I could remember more."

"Take it easy, Stardust. I'm sure your memories will slowly return. Don't force yourself," Haoran said. "Remember, we must be patient. It may take years to find their tracks."

"Hmm, you're right." Emma realized she was too impatient. She must learn to control her desire. "By the way, has there been any response from Goose?"

They were in the elevator, along with other students, so Haoran felt the situation wasn't appropriate to discuss their personal issues. Therefore, he just shrugged and gave a sign, so Emma wouldn't ask again.

David, Alex, Eric, and Dinh noticed the two whispering while having serious expressions. They thought Haoran and Emma were planning something without them, and they protested because they weren't involved.

"You seem to be up to something exciting," Alex commented with a curious look. "Care to share?"

Haoran narrowed his eyes and shook his head as if to signal his 'boys' not to be nosy.

"It's an adult's affairs," Haoran said simply.

Alex only frowned, but he didn't protest further. "We must take photos together. We've been in Paris for three days now but there hasn't been a single picture of us six yet."

"That's right. I want us to take pictures together." Dinh chimed in.

Haoran glanced at Emma and nodded. "Okay, but DON'T post it on social media."

Emma nodded in agreement. She didn't want her relationship with the five boys to be the talk of the school. The last thing she wanted in this world is to attract people's attention.

"Of course." Alex gave a thumbs-up.

"Let's take the photo down at Trocadero later. The Eiffel Tower would make a nice background," Haoran suggested. "I don't like photos taken from this side."

In order not to attract their schoolmates' attention, taking a picture together in the crowded Trocadero was ideal, so they all quickly agreed with Haoran.

The students explored the Eiffel Tower for a good half an hour and took many pictures before being given an hour of free time for a picnic on a grassy lawn near Trocadero.

They were so excited and threw picnic blankets on the grass. The students gathered in small groups and prepared snacks and drinks to enjoy a nice picnic while chatting with their friends. The sunny weather, beautiful scenery, and the warm feeling for being with friends that day truly became an unforgettable experience for them.