Chapter 2

The Rubik's Cube was old and worn out, but I couldn't bear to throw it away because it was the first gift I received after Mom and Dad took me home.

Dad was the one who gave me the baseball cap with the moon design. He brought it back with him after one of his business trips. My name was embroidered on it.

Lastly, I picked up a family portrait.

The photo was taken five years ago, not long after Mom and Dad took me home. I was grinning from ear to ear as Mom and Dad sandwiched me in between them.

I carefully wrapped the photo frame in a sweater and tucked it between my other clothes. I could look at it whenever I missed them.

I zipped the luggage bag closed after I was done packing. It was a little heavier compared to when I first arrived, but I could still pick it up with some effort.

The sky had completely darkened outside.

I sat on the luggage bag and quietly waited for Mom and Dad to come home.

If they truly wanted to send me back to the orphanage, I would tell them that I was already done packing.

But what if they wanted me to stay?

If that were the case, I would return the luggage bag back to its spot under my bed and pretend that nothing happened.

7:00 pm turned to 8:00 pm, and finally 9:00 pm.

However, Mom and Dad were still not home.

Were they intentionally giving me time to leave of my own accord? Perhaps I should take the hint and make myself scarce before they returned.

At 9:05 pm, I stood and took one final look at my room. My unfinished homework was still on the desk. The blanket that Mom had put out to air yesterday was folded on my bed, still smelling of the sun.

The flowers that Dad and I were tending to together were placed on the windowsill. We had promised each other to watch them bloom together.

Unfortunately, that day would never come.

I gently closed the door behind me and dragged my luggage bag to the living room. I then left the house.

A gust of cold wind billowed past me, making me shiver violently. I tightened the scarf around my neck and walked into the night, dragging my luggage bag behind me.

There were barely any people around. Occasionally, someone would hurry past me, but none of them stopped to wonder why a young boy was wandering the streets with a luggage bag.

The streetlights elongated my and my luggage bag's shadows.

Truth be told, I had long forgotten where the orphanage was located. I simply kept heading west, guided by my hazy memories.

My arm was aching terribly, and I could barely lift it by the time I made it to the fourth traffic light.

The road was very wide. I was halfway across it when my luggage bag suddenly got stuck in a hole in the road.

I tugged on it with all my might, but it refused to budge. I had no choice but to kneel and try to lift the bag out of the hole.

Just then, a blinding light suddenly appeared on my right. It was so glaringly bright that I couldn't open my eyes.

I heard the screeching sounds of a brake before something rammed into me.

It didn't hurt at all.

I felt incredibly light as I soared through the air like a feather. I also noticed that my luggage bag had been knocked over. Everything inside had spilled out onto the road.

My vision began to blur, and there was a buzzing noise in my ears.

I heard footsteps running toward me. I could also hear people shouting, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

When I regained consciousness, I realized that I was floating in midair.

I looked down and saw that a crowd had gathered in a circle on the road.

There was a young boy in the middle of the circle. He had a red scarf wrapped around his neck, and clothes and toys were scattered around him. His eyes were closed, and he was very quiet.

I jolted in surprise when I finally got a good look at the boy's face.

It was me.

The ambulance's red and blue lights flashed and spun, casting everyone's faces in light and shadow.

The paramedics kneeled next to me. They were doing something to me, but a few seconds later, they shook their heads regrettably. They then pulled out a piece of white cloth and used it to cover my small body.