27. Star In the Cave [2]

" I didn't like this part of the story. Although it had been years behind me, talking about it brought all the pain and bad memories to the surface again.

"We were not like family, only four people were related by blood and people call us one family." I smiled wryly. "I just thought that this world was so cruel. I didn't know how to be a child, and I didn't get an example of being a good mother. I just didn't want to create another me in the future, so I chose to be alone." Another reason I couldn't tell him because my heart hadn't let go of Zie completely. People could have fallen in love easily but letting it go wholeheartedly was another struggle they faced.

"Not all relationships work like that, right?"

"I've only seen the worst" maybe, what he said was true. But what was in front of me was the worst, and I didn't want that to happen to me again.

"If we eat just one watermelon, from one garden, and it tastes bland, it doesn't necessarily mean that other watermelons have the same taste."

So smart. His words were like a stab in my heart. Even so, I wouldn't seem to change my mind. The reason was that such trauma had been planted so firmly in my head. "You're right, but unfortunately that thought has been permanent in my head, and maybe I've had enough of that one bland watermelon so that I don't want to eat another watermelon although it might taste sweet."

We fell silent. Honestly, I hated this conversation, especially if I had to talk about it with this creature. He was more mature than me, always able to see the real side of me and think from the other side, which I used to do. He taught me by approaching me like a child, to be honest I really didn't like it.

I turned my attention back to the twinkling lights above me. It calmed me down, it also distracted my mind from anything that caused misery in my heart. I just wanted to enjoy the moment, forgetting all my problems and forgiving the past that made me who I was at present time.

"Are you still eager to be Azalea's subordinate?" Shashin handed me a box of fist rice.

"Can you just skip that topic now?!" I scolded him and felt upset.

He nodded, feeling sorry. "Alright."

We enjoyed our dinner in a quiet cave. Shashin said, people rarely came here, they believed the light in the ceiling of the cave held a curse and would bring bad luck to anyone who came. It was good. If they were afraid to come here, it could be useful for preserving the glow worms from any disturbance. "That's good" Perhaps it was a little cheeky.

"Let it be only us who know that this is actually insect larvaes. If they find out the truth, it's likely that they will disrupt the existence of glow worms and the ecosystem in this place." I noticed the small fish in this river, as well as various insects such as fireflies. "Rumors keep them from greedy people" It would be good to cheat once in a while, too.

Shashin laughed at my idea. "Let just us go over here," However, he seemed to agree with this naughty idea as well.

We talked a lot on this wooden canoe, from Shashin's training period, which I thought was far from humanity, to the crazy things I used to do when I was at the academy. He was very interested in school and all the boring things that students used to do. While I was very jealous of him because he had traveled to many places in his work. "I have known this place for seven years, when a prisoner escaped and ran here" he seemed to be remembering that time again.

"We searched for him for two days, until it made me sleepy due to dizziness. Then I saw him go into this cave when I was behind my team due to hunger. He said if I came closer I would get bad luck because the place was full of bad luck and misfortune because it was mostly used by people to kill themselves." I gasped while listening to it. Even it made me goosebumps.

Shashin chuckled, mocking me. "Not in this cave," he explained. "The boat we were on was used to go to the forest behind this cave. People who are in such bad conditions, such heartbroken or very frustrated, would stay in the forest for a few days, then committed suicide. People like Shaw—my friend, and a few others, who usually took care of their bodies, had said again and again not to do that, but they did it. And Shaw couldn't find all their bodies in time."

It might be a little annoying to say that Shashin's story changed my enjoyment and to be honest, I was getting scared. Sometimes, ignorance brought peace. "That's why this place is known to have misfortune."

"Why did you tell me?," I asked, annoyed. "I'm getting scared, you know?." I hit his arm so hard that the canoe we were in almost swayed "I want to go home!"

"Huh?" his expression was confused. "Earlier, you said you were happy here?"

'You spoil the mood!' I thought annoyed. I actually still wanted to be here, but after hearing all those stories, I changed my mind, I wanted to go out, but, "Can you take me to that forest?" my curiosity was acting up.

Shashin tilted his head, blinking once. "You're not afraid?" he looked at me confused.

"I'm curious and want to see it" Shashin's expression immediately changed. His eyes were wide with his lips parted, perhaps he was in shock. Meanwhile, I just smiled showing off my teeth, feeling strange at my own mindset.

He finally relented and began to row the boat down the river until we came out of the cave. Huge tree roots greeted us, arched, across the middle of the river, and formed a kind of small gate, so that we had to bend down to get through. No green leaves, all white with tree trunks which I found unnatural. I was kind of shrunk to see the trees here.