Chapter 74

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" I asked Mari who was dragging me everywhere that the soles of my feet can no longer withstand the pain due to long hours of walking and being dragged.

"We haven't. You haven't even bought yourself a nice dress for Christmas!" Mari said, agitated with my own timidity on shopping. It's not really my thing and the sole reason why I am with them this very moment is because they did not let me go from the train we rode to get here. It was like it was all planned out from the very beginning- me going with them in this very highly progressive city. I don't loathe it, really- believe me on that- but I believe that going here was their means to distract me. I know that I've been out of the zone lately, but I just can't help it since it was my heart that leads me to be like that. Don't get me wrong. I hate the feeling of loneliness- I don't even know why I feel like that when I basically have everything I could ever ask for. I have my family, friends, nice teachers, and nice surroundings. I really don't have any reason to feel this way, but I just can't help but become lonely and feeling lonely makes me lonelier.

"I guess I will." I replied and Mari seemed to lighten very drastically for she showed me her happy smile again- she was twinkling- and sparkly that she looks like my dog when he was given food.

"I noticed that your dark circles are as big as ever Joy. Have you been sleeping well?" Mari asked me.

"Nope. To be honest, I've been seeing the man on my dreams again. I know that it was strange seeing a complete stranger on my dream but the moment I wake up, his face was already blurry- and I can't remember anything except the fact that I dreamt about a person." I told her. It was true that I cannot remember any part of his face, but his back was something I can never forget. It was so wide, and it looked so dependable- the kind of back that would force me to rely on- the back that felt like it would shield me from all the sadness I was feeling. However, every time I wake up, there are tears on my eyes.

"I told you that you are manifesting something! You'd probably meet that man! By the way- what did you think of Bright?" Mari said, changing the subject.

"You already have Nick. Don't tell me that Bright got your attention as well?" I asked her but she slapped my shoulder very lightly.

"Nope. Jeez. But the way he looked at you was very intriguing. He looked sad to see you. I wonder why." Mari said. I looked down at my hand because I subconsciously pinched myself hard. She was right. For a moment, I was drawn into his eyes- his left iris was green, and his right was blue- and it was so rare to see someone with that condition- and his blue hair was also astounding. His abnormalities were somehow not abnormal to me. I wasn't even surprised to see such magnificent eyes- and I know that if I am not impressed with something, then that means, I have seen something much better that what I saw in the present. That's it. Maybe I knew someone who had the same qualities as him like maybe [let's start from the hair] blonde hair- or violet hair- or chestnut brown hair- or-

"There's a silver wig there! Do you think I'll look good with a silver hair on? We'd be matching then! You never told me, your very best friend- that you dyed your hair with silver highlights that weren't even!" Mari said but hearing silver and seeing the hair inside the department store just behind the pristine glass rang a bell inside my mind. Silver hair….. Silver hair…

"Silver hair!" I accidentally blurted out. Turns out that the person I kept seeing on my dream had silver hair. I remember now! "Thanks Mari!"

"What? Are you nuts?" She asked me as I hugged her but she still hugged me back even is she doesn't even know why I did it.

"No, I am not nuts- but I am happy because of you!" I said and pulled her to go strolling on the shops inside the mall.

[Does she like that wig? Should I buy it for her? – Mari thought]

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Meanwhile

"Hey Bright, does this thing look good on me?" Nick held the shirt asked Bright as they were all alone because Brennan and Nathan went inside the fitting room to try their pants out. Bright looked at him while he was holding the tons of t-shirts he was planning to buy [as a chosen, he came to this world without any possessions- just house and huge amount of money].

"I don't have a nice fashion sense- but I think it does look great on you. You are as fashionable as ever, Nickolas." Bright said and continued searching for the shirts he can buy. However, Nick, who was really good at statement analysis analyzed what he just heard, and it made him come up with only one conclusion: Bright knew his full name when he never told him that- as by saying as ever- that means he already saw him before.

"Hmm.. Maybe he is my fan." Nick thought and continued searching for clothes. "Say, Bright- wanna go to our town to celebrate Christmas? We have a very beautiful view there that you can enjoy. We'd be very delighted to have the both of you as our guests. By the way- we always go to Hope's house every morning of Christmas and we always hang out there. I'm just thinking if you wanna go-"

"Yes I do. Please anticipate. Thanks for having us." Bright said joyously and picked another shirt. Brennan and Nathan came out of the fitting room with such happy faces. They really liked the fit of their pants and they realized that it was 50% off.

By lunch, all of them met each other at the ground floor where all of the foods were located. They ate happily like there was no tomorrow and they shared jokes and laughter as they ate. It was like they knew each other for a long time and Brennan, who really loathes social interaction seemed to be doing just fine because their circle was easy to interact with. They speak casually and they were all comfortable with each other. However, he always steals glimpses from Hope because she looked exactly like a doll and her appearance was more beautiful because of her dress that extended up to above her knee and on her wrists. However, the bandages she wrapped on her wrists and hid through the long sleeves of her dress indicated that she was hiding cuts on her skin. He did not pity her- but he felt sad. She was so innocent and beautiful that he wanted to protect her from all the pain in the world because he can imagine her crying, alone in her room, feeling helpless and tired of all the things. He knew she was suffering.

"Hey Brennan. Nick invited us to go visit them at Christmas. I heard Hope's Grandma cooks deliciously." Bright said as they were alone on the table for all of them went to the toilet, leaving the both of them behind.

"Let's go." He replied and smiled genuinely.

"Have you noticed it as well? Joy's wrists." Bright asked him. However, he was already certain about that the moment he asked him. He just wanted to be sure.

"Yes, I did." Brennan replied. "I promise you I wouldn't experience that when you leave me."

"Are you a psychic or something?" Bright asked him and laughed at his own helplessness. Seeing Joy made him feel worried about Brennan the moment he leaves, but looking at their necklaces, he sighed in relief because the colors haven't changed drastically- yet- meaning he still have time to teach his brother means to live in this world.

"Yo." Joy said weakly with a frail smile on her face as she approached their table. The both of them faced her with a smile on their faces to signify that they weren't really talking about her before she got there. Joy just sat down and tried not to notice the. Weirdness of the two. "So, what's your nationality?"

"I'm whatever you want to call. Do I look like a foreigner to you?" Bright asked her and smiled nervously. Brennan from the other side looked at her. Joy chuckled.

" Yeah. I thought you were a foreigner because you look different." She said and laughed at her own self. "Nice hair."

"Thanks. This is in born." Bright said and combed his hair with his fingers and drank his cola.

"In born? So people can have blue hair. Do you know someone with silver hair?" Joy asked with a tone that was strange for Bright because she looked really nervous and anticipating. He can never lie- he knows that very well and his conscience was tearing his mind apart that he just wanted to run away from everything but he recognized that there was no way out of the confrontation.

"Yes, they can be people born with silver hair." he said and gave up as he sighed and breathed hard again. She chuckled because he dis not answer his question.

Joy was wondering why the person seemed to be familiar to her- or rather - his mannerisms were somehow identical to someone. At some point, she thought that he was the man that keeps appearing in her dreams but she can clearly remember the person's back and Bright's looked different.

"Sorry about asking innane questions." She said and laid back on her seat as Bright sighed in relief.

"How are you Hope?" Brennan asked and broke the ice that surrounded them. She looked at him and studied his face. To Joy, he seemed intelligent and calm but with the tremors in his hands that he kept on hiding from everyone told her that he was nervous and afraid of social interactions. She smiled at him with the prettiest smile she could to hide every possible holes for him to peek at and to hide the fact that she was lonely and sad.

"I'm doing great. How about you? Brennan, right?"

"Yes. Brennan. I'm okay as well. It's nice to meet you and your friends." he said nervously and Bright tried hard to suppress his laughter. However, Nathan and Nick arrived and did funny things again like dissing each other and having contests. They connected their smartphones to each other and played chess 2 vs 2 because of Bright's challenge. Mari came last because she had to retouch and pamper herself at the bathroom. The most anticipated match came to an end after a good 30 minutes and the two idiots - Nathan and Nick surprisingly got along well witg each other as the match went on. They ended up in a draw because Both teams were good and kept fighting.

They were having a great time- however, Joy noticed the necklace of Bright glowing faintly- and she looked at Brennan and saw that he was wearing identical necklace as Bright. She looked closely and Bright felt her intense gaze. They looked at each other.

'This is trouble.'