LB 30 [END]

After 30 minutes drive, they reached Mellow's house. Rem and Mellow both got out of the car and thanked Iory for driving them home.

"By the way..", Mellow leaned through the driver's window. "She might be into you more than you think", he winked and walked away.

Iory stared blankly at Mellow's back as he walked to the front door. He was thinking about Sara. Is it true? Does Sara still like him? He tapped his fingers on the steering with a blank expression. Ariy, who was sitting on the back noticed that her brother haven't started the car yet. "Iory? What's wrong?", she asked, making Iory startled.

"Woah! What, what is it?", he flustered.

Hearing Iory startled, Mellow appeared at the front door while looking confused. "What's wrong? You need to go to the toilet or something?", he asked while placing his right hand against the door.

Iory turned his head towards him and yelled, "nothing! We'll be going now!".

Mellow stared at the two siblings as the older one trying to get the engine started The siblings waved goodbye and drove off.

"What's his deal?", Mellow frowned. Not a second later, Rem came out from the bathroom.

"Rem, are you alright?", questioned the boy. He thought that Rem looked a little pale. Rem nodded his head and said, "I'm okay". Mellow doubt that he was fine.

"I see.. okay then", Mellow replied as he pat Rem's hair. "Go get dressed. Is there anything you want to eat?"

Rem looked down for a second and responded, "not particularly, I'll leave it to you"

The boy went to Mellow's room and switched the light on. Mellow stood still as he watched Rem shut the door. "Smells fishy to me..", he raised his left brow. He shrugged it off and went to the kitchen.

"What am I in the mood for?", he mumbled as he opened the fridge.

"Hmm..", he scanned inside the fridge and expectedly, it was full with various fruits and vegetables from the old woman.

His eyes focused on the cabagge inside the crisper drawer. He took the cabbage out along with four cloves of garlic.

"well then, stir fry cabbage it is", he muttered to himself.

Throughout the dinner, Rem barely spoke a word. "Maybe he's tired", Mellow thought. Mellow was watching a cartoon show called Adventure Time while Rem was doing his homework on the table. Mellow would constantly glanced Rem every 10 minutes. He noticed that Rem was spaced out with a piece of blank paper in front of him.

Finally, Mellow decided to ask him. He stood up and walked up to him. "Rem..", he said. The boy met his eyes and asked, "What is it?"

Mellow sat down in front of him and took a pencil from Rem's pencil case.

"Do you..have something in your mind?", he asked as he maintained eye contact with Rem. The boy slowly looked down and after a while, he spoke.

"Mellow, am I a burden?", he asked on the verge of tears. Mellow was surprised by the question. Did someone said something to him?

Rem kept on and said, "today, my teacher told us to draw our parents along with their names, age and occupations. A lot of my classmates whined about their drawings while some of them drew very well. But when it comes to me..", he paused and looked at Mellow in the eyes.

"Am I a bad child? Is that why my parents left me?"

Mellow immediately responded, "huh? What are you talking about.. " but Rem cut him off and went on, "it's not that I wanted my own parents, I would rather have you instead. But if you leave me too, then I'll.. "

All of a sudden, Rem felt something stroking his hair.

"Rem, you are important to me. Not just now, not until tomorrow, but until the end of time. I'll be anyone you want me to be. I will take care of you as a family, a parent and a friend"

Mellow kept stroking Rem's hair as Rem lift his head. The way he looked at Mellow made him chuckled.

"What's wrong?", the boy asked confusedly. Mellow pat his head and said, "nothing, it's just that you're finally looked at me as the Rem I know", he grinned at the last sentence.

"And about this homework of yours..", he tapped his finger on the blank paper. "How about drawing me instead?"

Rem stared at Mellow with anticipation. "Really? Then stay there for a while", he said excitedly as he began to draw Mellow. The night felt short for the both of them but it was one of the best nights that may remained in their memories forever.