NEW START

Shin woke up on the newest day. He washed his face, eat breakfast, take a shower, and rest a bit

in the living, then soon left to start the day.

As always, he went to the main front desk and the first person to greet him was Sam.

"Morning!" She said.

"morning."

Shin answered normally, but it's a bit off. Sam notice it and so she asked,

"Something's wrong?"

"No, nothing."

"Are you sure? You can tell me about it, I might be able to help."

"No, It's really nothing." He looks at the guest. "Look, there's a guest. I should go now." And so he walks away.

Sam knows that Shin is using the guest as an excuse to just avoid her, and that fully convinces her that there's something bothering him. So she decided to follow him. But before doing so, she first called a friend, a fellow receptionist who has a day off today, and asked or requested the friend to take her fort. The friend agreed and is on the way to the front desk. And then now, Sam followed Shin for a whole day.

Without changing her clothes, wearing its uniform, she observes him carefully. But there's nothing he did than do his job as usual. Typical carrying luggage, typical cleaning room, and typical food. However, she noticed that Shin's dazing from time to time. Dazing like that, she wondered what's that about and continued to observe him until the shift was over.

…

{DINNER}

"Heeeyyyy… anyone there? Heeeeeyyy… Earth to Sam, can you hear me?!"

Even at the dinner, Sam is still observing Shin from afar while eating. Her friends tried to catch her attention, but it failed, so they tried moving her.

"What is it?" Sam said.

"We've been calling you for many times, and you just ignore us. Where are you even looking at?" Friend #1 said.

"She's probably gazing at Shin." Friend #2.

"Eh? Have you fallen up for him?" Friend #3.

"..." Sam didn't bother answering, or rather, she's too focused on observing Shin.

"Ooo… you're quiet, you must be like him." Friend #3.

"Shhh, be quiet. Don't distract me."

"Eh…" Friend #3.

"Why are you even looking at him?" Friend #2 asked.

That got Sam's attention and looked at them then asked, "Hey guys, doesn't Shin look a bit not right?"

"Hmm?" Friend #3 was confused.

"Yeah, yeah, we know that he looks handsome in your eyes." Friend #1 said.

"The f*ck, stop with that nonsense. I'm serious here." Sam said.

"Then if you ask me, he looks… it seems there's something in his mind." Friend #2.

"You think so too?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"That's what's bothering me, about what he's thinking."

"That bothers you? You're not even his girlfriend." Friend #3 said.

"This has nothing to do with being a girlfriend or not. I'm just worried." Sam said.

"Then why don't you just ask him?" Friend #3.

"No, I can't. It's probably personal."

Sam is really worried, but she knows that she can't just pry into Shin's life. Whatever her relation was to him, but for her, it's genuine, and she wants to help him as much as she can.

"Sam, look, he's already done eating." Friend #2.

Seeing Shin was done, Sam hurried to finish her as well. Then next, he put his plate in the basket and soon left the canteen. She follows him, leaving her plate on the table, saying, "I leave that to you guys.

She follows him, getting far from the canteen, on the way to his room, but he suddenly stops, so she is forced to hide at the corner and just peek. Shin just stood there in the middle without moving an inch.

"Did he find me out?" Sam thought.

But it's not the case. After some silence, he finally moved.

"What's that? He's looking at his hand?" She said.

While she's trying to think what's the meaning of that, someone's touch her shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing?" The person said.

"..." She was surprised. "Oh, it's just you, Noki. You surprised me."

"Haha, sorry, sorry." He apologized, then his tone changed quickly to ask me, "Then what are you doing?"

Lying through this type of person is really useless, so instead of lying, she tells the truth.

"I'm observing him." She said.

"Hmm, why?"

"Look at him, he's bothered by something."

"Hhmm?" Noki takes a peek. "Why don't you ask him?"

"I can't. I don't want to make it worse."

Noki stares at her. "Then, need my help?"

"No, need."

"Don't be like that, we're just going to ask him."

Noki grabs her hand and drags her.

"W…wait–"

Without completing Sam's sentence, as Noki peeks, they suddenly instantly appear from Shin's behind.

"Huh???" Sam was surprised and confused.

"Hey, Shin…" Noki called him as he tapped its back.

Shin turns around. "Oh, it's you, Noki… and Sam?" Seeing both of them together, plus Noki holding Sam's hand, made Shin misunderstood. "Y… you guys, what are you two doing?"

Sam quickly realizes and releases her hand from Noki. "Don't misunderstand this! Noki just dragged me here."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Oh, right, Sam has something to ask." Noki spoke.

"Ask? What is it?" He looks at Sam.

"..." Sam just stared at him.

"Just tell him already." Noki said.

"...well… you've been just quiet and dazed, as if your mind was not there… Does something bother you?..." Sam said.

"Oh… you… worried about me?"

"Yeah…"

"Sorry for worrying you, but it's not something that can be worried about."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's not that big a deal."

"Is it about yesterday?" Noki spoke.

"Yesterday?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, yesterday, we talked about his school." Noki answered.

"School? What's that about?" She asked as she looked at Shin.

"..." After some long thoughts, he decided to explain it. "Let's go to our room, I will explain it there."

"I don't mind if you don't want to tell it." Sam said.

"I already made up my mind, so I will explain it properly."

"Alright, if you're fine with it."

"Then, my part here is done. I should give you guys some alone time." Noki was about to leave, but...

Shin stopped him. "No, you come too."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go."

So they went to Shin and Noki's room. After entering, Lucas, William, Logan, even Elin were there.

"Hmm? Why is Sam entering with you guys?" Lucas asked.

"Perfect timing, I have something to talk about with you guys." Shin said.

"Is it important?" William asked.

"No, it's not that important."

"Then go on."

"It's about why I am here."

"Whoa, that sounds serious." Lucas commented.

"...um, should I leave?..." Elin asked.

"No, you don't have to." Shin answered. "Now, back to the topic. I–"

Shin talks about his life. How his parents gone, meeting a murderer, and how his time at school and what he has done there before coming to the hotel.

"That's…" Elin said.

"Are you sure, telling that to us?" William asked.

"I don't know…"

"You don't know?"

"...I'm confused, I'm confused on what i' going to do at this point. Since that day, I lost everything that I have, I'm just moving forward blindly. After coming to this place, I've been carefree lately, forgetting the last attachment I have, my attachment in the school even though I didn't have a great time there, and not knowing that it's already gone. My path has long gone."

For this moment, as Shin talks this much, no one dares to say anything and just listen. They understood what it means to talk about its past. A past, an event that never can be changed, and to just recall the fragments of a memory as our emotions flow.

"I…i can't help you about your past, but now, I'm here for you– no, we're here for you." Sam said.

"Right, just like what Sam said, we're here. Don't forget that you're not the only one that lost its path, we're here trying to find one. So let you, me, we move forward." Lucas said.

"Just don't be a wimp–" Logan tries to say something, but Elin interrupts him.

"Hey, dad, this is not the time to say that!" Elin scolded him.

"You didn't let me finish. What i was saying, don't be a wimp. It's okay to run away, but don't forget to fight back."

"Dad…"

"Life is not just about pain and suffering, life is about traveling to find happiness. So just don't be sad, just look forward to fun." Noki said.

These words, compare what Shin's hearing in the past to this, it was completely different and meaningful.

"As the past has gone, a present for new to come." William said. "Have you already gotten an answer for your path?"

"No…" Shin still doesn't have an answer, but his eyes have a will. "But, it's not wrong to have a NEW START, right?"

" " " " " "Right." " " " " " To Shin's question, all of them answered.