"Western Eagle University," I whispered as I felt the triumph approaching me.It’s good to be back! It’s good to be here again! After many years, I am here again, where the game started. Same ambiance. Same place. Nothing has changed; it’s still the same. But I guess there’s one thing that has changed—people. Some are now mature and getting older. And some are now popular in the business industry and have succeeded in their lives.A playful grin stretched across my lips.Finally, I will meet those people again who played an important part in my comeback."Are you ready, Sean?" Marl asked.My eyes turned into slits because of that question as I turned to the driver’s seat, where he was. Am I really ready? Yes, of course! Spending five years in the States was already enough. I struggled a lot and worked my ass off for this. They have already lived their lives in peace for five years. Now, it’s time for them to pay for what they've done to me."What do you think?" I shook my head an
That day… was the day that I should have been happy, but everything turned out the other way. I lost everything in one snap. As if I wasn’t allowed to feel happiness because I don’t deserve any. That I have no rights because I have everything. Name. Wealth. Power. And anything.With my blurry eyes, I stared at the flatscreen TV and let my tears continue running down my cheeks. It was one of the cold days in December, but the news that morning was hot and burning. Like it was a scorching fire that burned my young and innocent heart and turned it into ashes.“Two of the most successful business couples in the Philippines were declared dead on arrival this early morning. Engineer Akem Jhyun Lee and his wife, Architect Oseanna Lee, had a plane crash after their business trip in Palawan,” the popular female newscaster said.My teary eyes remained on the screen as my parents’ pictures flashed after she declared the headline. My heart started to beat fast and loud. I couldn’t believe what I
The cold breeze of December blew one fine afternoon. And a deafening silence suddenly ate up the whole place when the people left after the funeral of my parents, and the only noises around were the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees.After our family's close friends expressed their condolences and sadness over my parents' sudden death, I chose to remain at the graves and stand on the Bermuda grass like a tree without life. I just continued staring at the three tombstones and hugging the picture that I had drawn.I sobbed again as I felt the sweet wind caress my skin. I felt my mother. It was her embrace.I missed them so much!Why me?To all the children in the world, why am I the one who will lose parents?The bad news is that He took both mommy and daddy in an instant!"Here," a manly voice said behind me.I gasped and immediately looked at the person who spoke. Behind me was a young man in a white button-down polo and denim shorts. Even though my vision was
"Are you alright?" "N-no… I mean... yes… I'm feeling okay," I stammered. I shook my head in defensiveness as I pushed his hand away from me,He would have tried again with the back of his hand to see if I had a fever.I do feel hot, but I know it's not because of the fever. That's because—are you crazy, Akemi?! Aside from being young, your parents just died!Ryu's thick brows furrowed. His narrow-eyed stare told me that he was not buying my alibi. The same hand that I slapped came up, again trying to check my temperature. But I had already taken a step back before his palm touched my skin, and I shook my head again."I am okay, Ryu," I said with a laugh, but the shock in my voice was almost obvious.He nodded. But he was still not convinced, and it was obvious from his stoic face."Why are you here?" I asked to sway the topic and loosen myself up."Just checking in on you---""There's no problem, Ryu. I'm not sick... or anything."He nodded again, pouting his lips. "Alright, then. If
Birds flew from the terrace. My eyes grew wider as horror spread across my body. My throat stung a bit from my sudden screaming. Holding my breath, I stepped closer to the dresser. My knees and hands trembled as I observed the red liquid in the mirror.My heart pounded as I saw those words again."Goddamnit! You make me laugh so hard, Akemi! Until now, you're still the Akemi that I've known!" she said between her laughs. "Freaking timorous lady!"El Sandra walked out of the bathroom. She was elated with my reaction and teased me for being able to scare me.I passed my index finger through the mirror and saw my pale face!Ketchup.It turns out it's just ketchup, not blood.I remember it being like this in the past. The only difference was that she used real blood to write the gruesome letters.SHE IS DEAD. YOU ARE NEXT.It's been five years, but I still remember those words vividly. And I have to admit, I still felt the same fear when I read it again.Even so, Aunt Ingrid explained tha
Raising his brows, Ryu held my arm until we reached the parking lot where his car was. I'm very irritated, especially now that he showed up after five years. Then it went like this?"I said it hurts, Ryu!"He immediately let go of my arm as he realized what I had told him. I probed my arm. The redness was bright, and I could feel the pain in the part he touched.I looked at his face and immediately found his eyes. His hooded eyes were dark and cold. Like I pushed his patience to the limit as I saw how his jaws struggled to clench.After five years of not seeing, texting, or even calling, he's going to face us—me—like this? I guess I should be the one to act like that because, in the first place, he never finds a way to communicate with me! To ask how I am after leaving me without his words!I was very worried about his sudden disappearance. Then, I find out that he is already in another country? Am I not a worthy friend for not letting me know that they were leaving? Because me? I tre
"Who did it then?" I asked them, almost pleading. But no one spoke. No one said a word. No one answered. Just when I believed that maybe it wasn't just an accident that happened to Mommy and Daddy, Ryu and Ren went silent.I want to force them. Beg and kneel down. They would tell me everything they knew. However, El Sandra suddenly came and inquired as to what Ren and Ryu had done to me and why I was kneeling in front of them.She was worried about me.She was too angry and argued with Ren and Ryu.She cared for me.Or so I thought."I really don't get why I am freaking here! This is all your fault. Gosh! I shouldn’t be here in the first place!"It was a Saturday afternoon, and the blazing sun above almost burned my skin. The trees around the place were big and towering. And the land was covered with high wild grass.The birds flew as El Sandra screamed. "Gosh! It's too freaking hot! My skin, damn! I forgot to bring my sunscreen here!"Holding the head of the boulou, I sweated up the
GAME SEVEN:In LoveAunt Ingrid greeted me with a crisp slap when she returned home from the mansion. She lifted a hand to me for the second time. My face turned to my left shoulder, and I could feel the burning sensation in the part of my face where her palm kissed.I touched my cheek, hoping to ease the pain."How dare you see that bastard guy again, Akemi? Did you know that his family is a traitor?" she screamed angrily.The tears that I was shedding had already pooled in my eyes. I don't know what Aunt Ingrid was talking about. But I saw the anger on her face when she rushed me into the living room."I don't know what you're talking about, Aunt Ingrid." I faced her with confusion on my face."You’re clueless?" Aunt Ingrid laughed; there was sarcasm in her voice. "What is the reason why they went abroad? Think of it, Akemi! You're as brilliant as your mother, so tell me, what's the reason why they left the country?"I blinked and shook my head. I really don't know the answer to her