3 o'clock

Our prof in my lecture dismissed us earlier than usual. I went outside the lecture hall and went to the school ground. I saw an empty bench and sat there. I opened my mobile phone and texted My Life to tell where I am. It’s his schedule today to drive me home. After killing half an hour, I saw My Life gracefully walking towards me without really trying to be graceful. He was wearing all black; black sleeveless shirt, black denim pants, black converse shoes… all are black except his neon green belt that stands out and of course his gold and black revolver.

‘Hi there, My Life!’ he greeted me. ‘I missed you!’

I stood up and laid a short kiss on his lips, ‘Hello, I miss you too’, and smiled at him. ‘I always miss you.’ I pinched his nose.

He chuckled as he rubbed his fingers on his nose.

‘What’s funny?’ I asked curiously.

‘Well… I just remembered the time when you got mad at me for kissing you in the public’, he paused and flashed a crooked smile, ‘But who’s kissing me now in front of the public?’

I sighed, ‘Maybe you don’t like me doing it. Maybe you have changed your mind?’ I folded my arms.

‘Of course not!’ he was smiling and tickled me. ‘I want you to kiss me more.’

‘Silly,’ I was chuckling softly, ‘If you didn’t tell the whole world about our relationship then I shouldn’t be doing this.’

He wrapped his arms around my waist, ‘At least they now know who owns you now and forever,’ his voice was romantic.

‘Right’, I smiled and he kissed me passionately, not minding that there are people looking at us… rather, staring at us. After our kiss, I gave him a nosy look.

‘I love you Prince….’

‘I love you too Ryuuka…’

We started to walk, hand in hand towards the parking lot, ‘It’s kinda early still… do you wanna go out with me?’

‘Hmm… are you inviting me for a date?’ I chuckled.

He grinned and waited for my answer.

I thought for a while, ‘My Life… if I decline, would you be mad?’, I calmly asked.

He looked at me, ‘Nope… but tell me why not?’

‘I wanna go home’, I smiled at him… a smile that I know he couldn’t resist.

He sighed, ‘All right then’, he opened the door of his car for me, ‘Get in sexy…’

I pouted my lips and got in his car, as well as he. While he’s driving…

‘So, how was your day today, My Life?’, I asked.

‘It’s good. Finally, I finished all my exams for this week but perfectly great now because I am with you,’ he winked.

‘As always’, I smiled, ‘Anyway, how did it go then?’

‘I got a perfect score in one of my midterm exams’, he smiled.

‘Wow!’ I leaned myself closer to him and kissed his cheek.

He looked at me, ‘What was that for?’, and looked at the way again.

‘Prize for doing a good job?’ I grinned and sounded ridiculous.

‘It would be better if it’s on my lips’, he suggested as he snickered.

‘Silly…you’re driving. If I kiss you on your lips, I’ll block your sight’, I chuckled and then the car suddenly stopped. I looked at him, ‘My Life?’ my voice was trembling.

He turned his head and faced me, ‘Kiss me now.’

‘Huh? But we’re in the middle of the high way!’ I exclaimed with great emotions. I was kinda shocked about what he said.

‘Kiss me,’ his voice was demanding.

‘Oh – kay?’ again, I leaned myself closer to him and carefully laid my lips in his; we kissed sensually. As I slowly pull myself away from him, I felt that the car started to run again, and I saw him smile, I smiled too, ‘Bubble head.’

After a while, we’re in our house already. I waited for him to open the door for me. After he opened it, I got out, ‘Thank you for the ride, My Life.’

‘Don’t mention it,’ he gently pushed me against his car and cornered me, ‘What shall we do now?’, and showed me a perverted smile and wink.

I chuckled, ‘Sorry, My Life but I think I have to decline.’

‘Huh?’ his voice was upset, ‘Again? But…I’m waiting for this day. Please….please….please?’ he showed me some beautiful eyes.’

I put my hands on his head and massaged his scalp, ‘Don’t tempt me,’ and my hands slid down to his nape, ‘My Life… I want to be with Shin for now.’

He didn’t speak but his eyes were asking me why and lips were pouting. I continued, ‘You do know what he’s going through, right? And as his cousin, I want to be with him and help him.’

‘Okay then, I understand,’ he smiled and hugged me.

‘And besides, when I was in his shoes, he was there for me all the time so I think it’s my turn to give back the token.’

He smiled again, ‘Sure, it’s all right. He needs you now more than I do’, he looked at me and rubbed his nose into mine, ‘I love you…’ he whispered.

I kissed him again, ‘Thanks for understanding, My Life and I love you too’ he bid his goodbye as I entered the door of our house. As I pass through our living room, I saw my mom and her friends. I greeted them of course and went straight upstairs, and there I saw Ashley, staring at nowhere.

‘Hi Ash!’ I greeted her though she looks depressed about something, ‘You okay?’

‘Ugh, Prince…’she was astounded when I asked her, ‘I beg your pardon?’

I stood beside her, ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m really fine…,’ she nodded, ‘…just worried about brother. Shin doesn’t look like he’s okay,’ and she sighed.

‘Something happened?’

She shrugged her head, ‘I just feel that he’s not okay. I know when he’s not feeling good, we’re twins remember so I sort of know what he feels.’

I nodded as I patted Ashley on her back, ‘Gonna check up on him then,’ I told her and went straight to Shin’s room. I knocked five times but he didn’t answer. I held on the doorknob and luckily it was open so I let myself in. As I walk inside his room, I saw Shin lying on his bed singing loudly with earplugs on his ears. When I approached him, his eyes were closed so I pulled the earplugs and greeted him.

‘Oh hi there, my dear cousin!’ he greeted me even though his face was happy-looking, his voice was obviously breaking.

‘Hi!’ I answered back, trying my best not to upset him more, ‘How are you, Shin?’

But he ignored my question, ‘How’s university, Prince? Where’s in law?’

I sat beside him, ‘Well school’s fine, as always…and I sent your in law home.’

‘Already? That’s very unusual,’ he chuckled. Shin is really trying his best to look and sound high but again, he’s obviously not. ‘I’m missing in law too, you shouldn’t have sent him home yet. Maybe I could ask him for a drink while he’s here? Oh! Yeah,’ he sat down too, cuddling his cushion, ‘we should drink tonight, the three of us…oh, maybe four?’ obviously talking about VII, the fourth one but he suddenly quipped, ‘Maybe not. Only the three of us. I know you guys are stressed because of school stuff. So what do you think?’

I didn’t respond.

‘What do you want to drink, Prince?’ he chuckled softly, talking to himself. ‘I wonder what in law wants too.’

Still, I didn’t respond.

He waved his hand in front of my face, ‘Hey? Are you already out of this world?’ He smirked, ‘Well, looks like I’m already left alone here,’ he slumbered on his bed and covered his face with his cushion. ‘Oh, my…this world is being invaded by aliens,’ and he chuckled again. ‘Prince is already an alien. What a crap.’

‘Nice try, Shin…’ I finally told him.

He removed the cushion and grinned, ‘What?’ again trying to look and sound okay.

I patted his head and pinched his cheek. I even laid a hand on his swollen eyes, ‘It’s all right, Shin. Express what you really feel. You don’t have to act in front of me, I would understand.’

He was quiet for a while, just staring at the cushion.

I stood up and sat in the couch in front of him, ‘Please, Shin.’

He sighed, ‘Am I that of a sucker now in acting? Are my talents not good enough to deceive people anymore?’

I didn’t respond, he continued acting the heck out of him.

‘Damn it! I should really file that leave-of-absence and delay my practicum,’ he chuckled. ‘What a pity… bad timing, I thought my practicum would be perfect.’ He was staring at the ceiling, ‘I have created the story…’ he smiled a bit, ‘yeah, the story…a love story of an ordinary individual who happens to fall in love with a prince… and this prince fortunately fell in love with him too…’, he paused. I stared at him and he was laughing I thought he was being silly again but then when I get a good look into his face, behind those fun laughs, Shin was really shedding his tears silently.

‘Now I know why he was staring at the ceiling…to prevent the tears from falling,’ I murmured to myself, ‘but it can’t be…’ I readily stood up and went beside him. ‘Shin?’ I called out for him but he just looked at me and continued talking.

‘Well,’ he snuffled and rubbed his tears with his cushion, ‘that’s what the fool thought… the prince really… didn’t fell in love with him. The prince was just confused…and thought that he really loves the ordinary fool but actually… he didn’t,’ Shin said as he continued laughing and…crying, ‘Damn… the fool is really a fool!’

‘Shin!’ I placed my hands in his shoulder but he ignored me and continued talking.

‘He’s really a fool…obviously he is,’ he hiccupped, ‘even from the beginning… how the hell could he think…that a prince…would ever fall in love to a person… like him?’ his tears were continuously flowing, ‘What a damn fool…’ he spanked his head then covered his eyes with his hand. He paused for a while and stopped laughing, ‘I’m such a damn fool, Prince.’ He slowly moved his hand to his forehead and looked at me in my eyes, ‘Right?’

‘No, Shin… of course not!’ my voice was stern but he didn’t fret.

‘Prince…’ he reached out for me, ‘Please… don’t leave me… even just this once.’

I just stared at him.

‘I haven’t slept for couple of days now…because whenever I am left alone… all I think is se… sev… Laurence…’ his voice was breaking.

I smiled at him, trying to cheer him up somehow, ‘Of course, I won’t.’ I stroked my hand into his hair, ‘You go to sleep. I’ll be here and I’ll watch you until you fall asleep. You don’t have to worry about anything…’

‘No… don’t leave me….’ he hiccupped. ‘even if I am already asleep…don’t….don’t leave…I wanna see you…when I wake up’ his voice was pleading. Of course, how can I resist him?

I nodded, ‘Okay then. Go to sleep now, Shin…’ I pushed him gently to lay rest in his bed. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t be going anywhere.’

As he closed his eyes, ‘I don’t wanna be alone, Prince… not like you…’ he snuffled. ‘I can’t be alone in times like this. I need… someone to be with me… I am sorry…sorry, Prince…’ he held onto my arm and tightened his grip, assuring that I won’t leave him. ‘I won’t go…’ I placed my other hand over his arm then I sat on the floor and tapped his legs, ‘Go to sleep now Shin… I won’t leave you…’

He smiled, ‘Please…sing for me…’

‘What do you want?’

‘Anything…’

I nodded and started to sing for him until he fell asleep. I didn’t leave his side. After a couple of hours, I received a message from My Life.

‘Hey, My Life! Mm… can I call you? I miss your voice. Haha. If it’s not okay it’s fine. Don’t reply anymore. See yah, and I love you… J’

I smiled and replied to him.

‘Just my voice? Hmf. >_<’

‘It’s just one, My Life. I miss everything from you!J’

‘Hmf. >_<’ I was snickering.

‘Aw…My Life? I’m sorry. L I don’t mean too, I miss you terribly that’s why I need to hear your voice. L’

I smiled, ‘Haha. I was just kidding, My Life. Of course, you can call me. I’ll wait for you. J’

After a few seconds, my mobile phone was already vibrating. I answered him but in a low voice, I don’t want to wake Shin up.

‘Hey, My Life! I miss you!’

‘Hi there,’ I whispered.

‘You’re too low? Is the signal down?’

‘No, but I am in Shin’s room and he’s asleep. I don’t want to wake him up…’

‘Oh… how’s in law doing?’

‘He’s… not fine.’

‘Weh? Why?’

‘VII.’

I heard him sighed, ‘I mean his not feeling well…’ I quipped.

‘Nah… it’s all right, My Life. I know its VII’s fault.’

‘Of course it is…’

He chuckled, ‘Here comes my antagonistic Prince charming….’

‘Whatever…’

‘Hey! I was just kidding, come on Prince’

‘I was just kidding too,’ I chuckled.

‘I should have known, anyway… can I visit you now? I mean you said in law’s asleep?’

‘No… I’m sorry, you cannot see me.’

‘Please My Life?’ he begged.

‘No.’

‘Pretty please?’

‘No.’

‘Please… please… please?’

‘I said no,’ my voice sounded pissed but I wasn’t really pissed.

‘Oh right… sorry’, of course he sounded disappointed.

I sighed, ‘Ryuu… just this time? Okay?’

‘Yeah… okay, I understand’

‘Sure?’

‘Yes…’ but his voice sounded still disappointed.

‘I love you, Ryuu…’ I quipped, trying to make him feel better.

‘I love you too…’

‘I’ll hang up now, see you soon’

‘Right… see yah. I love you…’

‘I love you…’

‘I love you…’

‘I love you…’

‘I love you…’

‘Ryuu?’ I made my voice authoritarian.

I heard him sighed again, ‘Okay…. Bye, stay safe’

Before I hang up, I whispered ‘I love you’ to him again then turned my phone off. I looked at the bed and saw Shin already awake, ‘Shin?’

‘Is that in law?’

I nodded.

‘What does he wants?’

‘He wants to see me but I told him I can’t’

‘Because of me?’

I nodded and sat beside him.

‘You shouldn’t have done that… call him again and tell him that you change your mind.’

‘I won’t leave you until you’re fine again, Shin’

He shows two thumbs up, ‘I’m fine’ and faked a grin.

‘No.’

Shin sighed, ‘I wanna eat…Prince’

‘Good, so what do you want to eat?’ I stood up.

‘Apple.’

‘Huh? Just an apple?’

He nodded.

‘That’s the only thing you ate too yesterday…’

‘And the other day as well’ he closed his eyes, ‘Can you get one for me?’

‘Sure, if you want I could get a lot for you…’ I smiled but he didn’t respond. Instead, he covered his face again with his cushion. I tapped his leg and I went downstairs. I prepared him some peeled apples.

‘Is that for brother?’ Ashley asked as she took the pitcher of water outside the fridge..

‘Yeah…’

‘Apples again huh?’

‘You noticed too?’

‘That’s what he asked from me a while ago.’

‘Well… at least he’s eating’, I told her as I was done preparing.

‘Perhaps you could bring this pitcher of water for him too…’

‘Sure,’ I took the pitcher and went to Shin’s room. I saw Shin opened his laptop and I placed the apples beside his laptop, ‘Here you go…’

He smiled a little bit, ‘Thanks,’ and bit on a slice.

‘Ashley told me to bring this water for you too. Do you want to drink?’

He shook his head, ‘I’m fine with these…beside I’m not thirsty.’

‘You might get dehydrated—‘

‘No…’ and he started to open his mails

‘What will you do?’ I hesitantly asked.

‘I’ll check if VII—’

I closed his laptop and unplug the power source.

‘Hey!’ he exclaimed. ‘Why did you do that for?’ he tried to plug it again but I refrained him from doing it.

‘No, Shin… you want me to be with you, right? So you shouldn’t look on your mails.’

He sighed, ‘But…’

‘No buts!’ I reprimanded.

He nodded and slowly ate the remaining apples I prepared for him, ‘Want some?’

I shrugged my head, ‘Those are all for you.’

He nodded, ‘Hmm… you know Prince, I now understand why.’

‘Huh?’ I sat on the floor and looked at him.

‘Before I really can’t figure it out why the hell are you crying whenever you and in law are having some conflicts with each other,’ he slouched on his seat as his toes were playing.

I didn’t speak.

‘Because it’s too hurting… too painful, that no amount of drug or pain killers can make it… fade away,’ he took a deep breath. ‘It’s very hard to breathe…like I’m already dying.’

I smirked, ‘When you think about it… it makes you feel stupid and cliché, right?’

He nodded, ‘You know, if I could get out of his life right now, I would do it but…’ he paused for a while and his tears started to roll down onto his cheeks again, ‘I couldn’t because I love him. So much of a stupid, right?’

‘Everyone who’s in love is stupid… so stupid as it may; I think that’s how it must go.’

‘I agree… but is it possible for a human to fall in love twice?’ he looked at me.

‘Well actually Shin, it’s not just twice… it can be thrice and so… we could love many people but of course in different levels.’

‘I couldn’t understand…’ he shook his head.

‘Our parents, our siblings, our friends… and then of course that one person whom you’ll devote your whole self to.’

‘That one person?’ he quoted

‘Yes.’

‘Oh? Then how come we are two?’

My eyes flickered, ‘You don’t seriously believe that VII loves Mandy, right?’

‘Or is it… he just loves her alone…’

‘Shin’, my voice was rigid.

‘I don’t deserve this kind of treatment, right Prince?’ he wiped his tears, ‘What did I do wrong to deserve this? All I did… all I do is to love him so much, is that too much for him to bear? Too much that I have to be hurt like this? Tell me Prince… tell me!’ he yelled at me.

I don’t know what to say, I failed to decipher the right words that I should tell him.

He stood up and freely falls on the floor in front of me, ‘What will I do…’, his voice started to be calm but his tears are still falling out, ‘if ever he tells me that…’, he paused, ‘he doesn’t love me anymore?’

‘That would never happen, Shin’ I told him confidently.

‘How sure are you, Prince?’ his eyes were beseeching.

‘I just know it.’

He sighed, ‘You… you just know it?’

‘Yeah?’

‘That’s what you know, how about… VII?’

I sighed, ‘Shin… I don’t know, I’m so sorry’

He didn’t respond, he stood up and crawled over his bed, ‘I wanna sleep again, Prince. ‘If that’s okay with you.’

‘Sure. Should I sleep here with you?’

‘Please do so…’

I nodded and I stood up and laid comfortably on one of the couches.

‘No, Prince… lay down here beside me…’

I looked at him, ‘Huh?’

He tried to chuckle, ‘Don’t worry, we’re cousins.’

I chuckled to make the environment lighter, ‘Of course’, then I went beside him and laid down as well

He moved his head up and laid it on my tummy, ‘Don’t leave me, Prince…’

‘Don’t worry’, I answered. When will this end? I asked myself as I closed my eyes and started to fall asleep too.

The chirps of the birds woke me up the next day. As I opened my eyes, there was no sign of Shin so I straightly went downstairs and saw my dad putting down his medical bag, ‘Hi dad, good morning!’ I greeted him smiling.

‘Oh, hi there son!’ he answered me back as he removed his white doctor coat, ‘You’re early for a weekend?’

I smiled, ‘Just got home?’

He nodded, ‘I had an emergency operation and I just finished it this midnight.’

‘How was it then?’

‘Luckily, it was a success,’ he smiled as he took his seat and started to browse the newspaper.

‘Ah, that’s great dad,’ as expected from my father, ‘Anyway, have you seen, Shin?’

He looked at me, ‘Yes. When I arrived, he was already at the entrance gate. He told me that he’ll gonna jog around the vicinity, the thing he always does every morning, right?’

I nodded, ‘Right’ and then my mom came in and greeted us.

‘Welcome home, my dear’, she said as she kissed my dad’s cheek and placed the coffee on the center table.

My dad smiled sweetly to her.

I chuckled, ‘Okay? I’ll leave you two love birds now.’

Mom and dad chuckled. Then my mom teased me, ‘Why son, aren’t you sweet to your husband too?’

I smirked, ‘Of course I am’, I was in the mood to play along with their jokes.

‘So then… when will you two give us our grand children?’ dad asked me.

‘Don’t worry, as soon as we’re married’, I chuckled, ‘Anyway, I’ll go to my room now. Please inform me when Shin’s back’, I smiled at them and left to my room.

When I got in my room, I threw myself in my bed and let myself sleep again. It’s weekends anyway. After long hours of sleeping, I woke up and looked at the clock; it was pass 11am now. I stretched my bones and checked my mobile phone. There were three messages received, I bet one of these three is from My Life… but I was wrong because all were from him.

Message 1: ‘Good morning My Life! I love you! J’

Message 2: ‘I bet you’re still asleep? L Haha, anyway, I want to see you but I guess it can’t be done? Haha, anyway… I miss you. Always stay safe and regards me to in law. J’

Message 3: ‘Btw, there’s something you should know. I’ll tell you as soon you message me back. I love you! J’

I smiled, ‘Oh My Life…’ I didn’t reply to him yet. I know that this is just his tactic so that I would be startled and respond to him quickly but he won’t get me this time. Anyway, I went to the bathroom and took my bath, after that I change my clothes and hurriedly went downstairs. As I pass through the hallway, I saw Ashley.

‘Hey Ash!’ I greeted her.

She just looked at me, worried, ‘Prince?’

‘Yes?’

‘Do you know where my brother is?’

‘Huh? I thought he jogged this morning?’

She sighed, ‘That’s what I know too but it’s already late in the afternoon and he’s still not here…’

‘Huh?’ I looked at my wrist watch and it’s pass 3pm already, ‘Oh shit!’

‘Hm?’

‘I thought it was just past 11 in the morning, tsk, stupid clock… I forgot, it’s not working anymore’ I sighed.

‘I am worried about Shin’, she dialed on her phone, ‘I kept on calling him but he won’t answer me.’

I sighed again. Where is he at times like this? Then Ashley suddenly rushed to Shin’s room and I followed her, ‘Hey!’ I called out.

‘Damn! I was right!’ we found Shin’s cellphone on his bed, ‘He left his phone… and his wallet too’, she sighed, ‘How could he go out without bringing anything?’

Then suddenly, Ashley accidentally tripped and Shin’s photo frame fell off the ground shattered,’ Careful’, I caught her before she fell of the broken frame.

‘Prince!’ she exclaimed, ‘I had a bad feeling about this! ’

‘About what?’ I asked.

‘Please, let’s look for him now,’ she pulled me and we headed towards our garage. We drove my Porsche and started to look for Shin in every street we pass through. I looked at Ashley and she was a little bit shaking, I held her hands, ‘Hey… don’t worry, Shin’s fine. Perhaps he’s just around goofing’, though I wasn’t sure about my statement. I just want to make her feel better.

‘I don’t know Prince, but I really have a bad feeling about this’ she looked left to right, right to left, front to back, and back to front. After hours of searching, we still can’t find Shin. We called our house but he’s still not home so we decided to go back first in our house.

‘Have you found him?’ my dad asked.

I shrugged my head, ‘Not a chance…’

My mom sounded worried yet upset, ‘Oh my…where did that boy go?’

Ashley started to panic, ‘Perhaps the rival of his gang strike him back again?’

‘Then we should call on the Police then…’ my mom suggested.

‘No’, my dad stopped her, ‘Let’s call The Numbers instead’, dad contacted My Life and after 15 minutes they were already in our house. All were present; IX, XV, XIII, VII and of course My Life which is XXVII as they call him.

‘Hey doc!’ My Life greeted dad, ‘Hey mom, hey Ash and hi My Life!’ and he kissed me on my lips sweetly.

I smiled. My dad readily talked about the situation. As soon as dad finished explaining, I heard VII talked and his voice was stern yet you can feel his profound wariness.

‘Shin is gone?’ VII asked my dad.

‘Yes’ my dad answered him quickly. As soon as he heard that Shin is gone, VII jumped out of his feet and went straight outside our house, the other Numbers followed him except My Life.

Dad called out for My Life and whispered something to him, ‘All right doc, consider it done’. He waved at me and to others, ‘We’ll find him for you’ he sounded confident.

After The Numbers left, Ashley was still in panic, ‘I just can’t stand here uncle, I wanna look for brother too.’

But my dad disagree, ‘No Ash, let’s wait here for Ryuu’s call. For sure they’ll find him in no time especially that VII is with them’

‘How sure are you uncle?’ Ashley continued asking dad.

I sighed, ‘Ash…’

‘Don’t worry Ash, Ryuu sounded confident. He won’t be that confident if they won’t find Shin’, dad tried to explained to her.

‘But…’

‘Let’s just trust them, okay? We can’t do anything for now anyway’ dad reconciled.

‘He’s right,’ my mom added, ‘Let’s just wait here Ash…’

I patted her shoulder and smiled at her. She smiled back but of course the trepidation in her face didn’t fade away.