Hey guys... it's been a long time since I last updated this story. A lot of things to do for I have graduated from high school... looking for college, or works, I can't help but get into the cruel world. Other than that, My laptop was broken, and just got fixed one week ago...

So... I'm very sorry for such a long delay, and I'm very grateful for those who still waiting for this story...

Happy reading...


Lisa's POV

It's been two days since I studied literature at the residence of the novelist Mimi...

"I am done."

After sitting for hours in order to improve my writing skills, I finally managed to finish it just before sunset. Even though for hours I sat on this comfortable couch... maybe my heavy feelings for doing this could be a little suppressed.

Why do I reluctantly do this? Well, It's because...

"Look... she's done, Hyacinthum G."

Two days ago, I intended to come to the residence of the novelist Mimi to express my loyalty as her student. Learn something from her greatness and mystique, so that someday... my books will eventually reach him...

"I know, Sis Mi... stop pushing me..."

Reality sometimes, not... but always disappoints. Instead of being taught by her, I got a teacher who got the nickname of multiple personality writer three years ago. Hyacinthum G or Glu... I think that's his real name, since he was repeatedly called by that name by Mimi.

Anyway, Glu walked towards me with lazy and awkward steps as if this was the first time he judged the work of an author directly in front of her.

"Please, give a review for my story." I grumbled while staring at him, handing him a pile of papers.

"Don't hold back..." said Mimi to him, who was sitting relaxed watching us from behind him.

"Okay..."

His gaze suddenly changed. The awkward impression is now disappearing. He deftly opened my script, reading it from top to bottom even I was able to see the iris of his eyes that were moving so fast...

It doesn't take two pages, just by reading a page from dozens of pages that I wrote, he has finished correcting. Put my script on the table and start telling me the review frankly... very frankly...

"Too many words that are repeated...! Increase your vocabulary! Pay attention to the difference between the first and second person's perspective...! Give paragraphs in each new dialog! And position the correct punctuation...!"

His words were like sharp knives piercing right into my heart... I never thought this was meant by 'don't hold back' just now...

Hyacinthum sighed for a moment before continuing his review, "The arrangement of the plot and timing of the events are still a mess. It can make your readers confused, you know..."

Yes... of course I know that... I do know that... because all this time, no one has ever read my stories before...

"Is it true that you have written before... the problem is that I see it from your writing style, this is the first time for you."

"Yes..." I replied, unconsciously I could not look at his face, "This is the first time anyone has read my story..."

"Ah, I see... then, it's good, right?"

The response that didn't match my expectations increased my curiosity, so I raised my face and looked at his face...

"Writing for ourselves sometimes seems lonely, isn't it...?"

He smiled at me...?!

"Stop saying as if you know anything about me..."

However, I didn't reply to his smile. Responding with cold words and gaze, that's what I did instead...

Both Hyacinthum G and me... we both fell silent with each other. Even so, his face was still the same... his smile seemed to try to understand me.

"Alright kids... enough practice for today..." Mimi broke the silence between us, "The sun was almost setting. You don't want to be late for dinner with your family, right?"

I looked at Mimi and just nodded in agreement... thanking for today and saying goodbye to the two of them, I found myself walking on the lonely roadside under the twilight sky a moment later... whispering...

'I hate that bird.'

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The next day...

Blu's POV

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"Hmm..." walking home from school on the way I used to go every day, I looked at my phone clock to confirm my next schedule, "There's still time to write, huh..."

Well... this is my new life that I have to go through after teaching that scarlet girl -Lisa is her name- due to the duress and selfishness of one bird, I have to divide my daily schedule between teaching and writing.

("I was just thinking that I hadn't heard your voice lately.")

'But before that... maybe I'll visit her first...' I whispered my intentions, and slipped them between my busy life, '...I'd better bring her something...'

Day after day passed... since I first met her, I couldn't get rid of her from my mind. Always take me everywhere aimlessly, both in good times and sad... like a roller coaster. Even to this day... you are incessantly surprised me by your presence when my heart is not ready for it...

'Huh?'

After tens of steps away from school. Jewel... she casually stood alone right in front of me. The tree that sheltered her seemed to be rocking due to the gusts of wind carried by her... flying the autumn leaves somewhere. The smile I saw from the side stopped me, surprised yet amazed by the unexpected scene I would see for the second time...

"Ahh..." she looked at me when she realized my presence, raised her wing and pointed at me... "Who are you...?"

"Wha-?! Are you suffering from amnesia due to a collision in your head...?!"

That's what I mean like a roller coaster. She always can't be predicted...

"I'm sorry, okay...? I can't remember a face of someone who hasn't come to visit me for a long time..."

So... she's still mad at me apparently...

"I just wanted to—" when I was about to say my intention to visit her, Jewel stepped past me and interrupted my words...

"Have you seen Roberto?"

"Roberto?"

Of course... she stood there just to wait for him. That's a natural thing, you know. How stupid I was to think she was standing there waiting for someone other than him.

"Ahh... he's still at school." I replied, "I'll call him for you."

But strangely... when I walked one step in front of her, she held my shoulder and pulled me...

"I am indeed a kind hearted angel..." she said. I turned and saw her smiling at me, "I will gladly erase all your sins. Therefore... I chose you as his substitute..."

'His substitute, ehh...' I whispered to myself, 'Of course... I am indeed a substitute character...'

"After all... you have such a large backpack..."

Jewel glanced at my large-enough backpack, since I used to carry quite a lot of books from the library as my reference materials. But her gaze made my gut told me that she was planning something with my large backpack... clearly visible from her smile...

'Wait a sec... she said my backpack is large, didn't she?' I whispered to myself, suspecting her, 'Don't tell me, if-'

Then...

"Oh, Look! There's a new winter sale coming out!"

I had expected it... surely she planned to shop in a shopping center like other girls. When she saw a discount winter sale, she immediately ran towards her prey, leaving me alone while lifting her others overcounted stuff for I only have two wings...

"Jewel... I have a schedule to continue writing my book..." this is useless, my words cannot reach her ears.

Indeed she bought all of this using her savings, but I was invited by her as a transporter who always followed her in this shopping center. My large backpack is already filled with a super big bunny doll... four other bags on each of my wings and my shoulders... the two other hanging on my neck...

I feel like I'm in hell...

"The cute one is mine! Don't you dare take it!"

Already ignoring my complaints, now she actually quarreled with other visitors for another doll who were having big discounts...

"Jewel..." my steps felt very heavy, but... when I finally caught up with her, "Can we..."

"Oh... look! There's other winter sale. "

Even I, who haven't finished talking to her, have been left again. Run towards the glass cabinet containing another giant stuffed doll...

"This season's dolls are all really very soft and cute, aren't they?"

She hugged that big bear doll and showed it to me while smiling cheerfully over my suffering...

"But you just bought a doll at that size!" I scolded her...

But it seems it's not confining his intention to keep buying something here...

"Oh..."

This time she ran to the stationery room. I, without any other choice, followed her slowly...

"Blu, look..." Jewel this time showed me a letter paper with snowflakes in its corner, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Isn't it easier to use e-mail?!" I told her, not understanding the way she thought.

She bought a letter paper, even though nowadays people rarely communicate by mail... does she have a hobby of collecting paper like that, huh...?

"Oh ..."

She seems to see something behind me...

"Huh?!"

I turned my body, and saw what she saw...

A little girl who was crying alone among the other visitors who seemed to be totally ignorant of the poor girl. Either pretend not to see her, or they don't want to be dragged into a problem at all...

"Look, she's lost!" cried Jewel, but still with the same expression.

"Why do you look happy...!?" I scolded her again, astonished by her strange attitude today.

A few moments passed, after we both told the head office that there was a lost child, we were with this little girl who was holding Jewel's wing very tightly... waiting for her parents in front of this office.

"Shera...!"

We heard a voice that seemed to be calling towards us. A voice of gratitude, and feeling relieved... we knew right away that it must be the voice of this little girl's parents...

"Mama...!"

The little girl immediately letting go Jewel's grip and ran towards an adult woman who was her mother...

"I'm sorry... I left you alone here..."

She seems to be a loving and caring mother... I didn't know how long this little girl had been separated from her mother. To be sure, she seemed to hug her daughter so tightly as if she was afraid of losing her again...

"I'm not alone... that big sister and brother found me and helped me." said the little girl, pointing to both of us.

Her mother approached us, "I really thank you for helping my daughter... really grateful." and thanked us in a truly sincere tone, and seemed a little disappointed with herself for feeling useless for her daughter.

"Please... don't think too much about it..." Jewel answered, "We just happened to see her..."

The little girl was now able to hold her mother's wings again, and waved her wings to both of us from a distance, "Bye-bye..."

"Bye..." Jewel also did the same thing.

Her mother said goodbye to us, then sank among the other visitors.

"We really should not ignore someone who is in trouble, isn't that right?" she did say that with a feeling of pride for helping the little girl, but nevertheless...

"Liar...!" I grumbled in my mind, seeing her said such a sentence while there was a bird who was literally in trouble carrying a heavy stuff.

Even though I wanted to say that, I could only take a deep breath...

"Her mother cried, didn't she?"

"Yes... she seemed very worried about her daughter..."

"But..." she turned her body, and looked at me directly, "We shouldn't let our mom and dad cry."

'I do know that...' I can only comment on her words in a low voice.

"That little girl... you see, she held my wing very tightly. She thought that if I let go of her wing, she would be left alone... that's why, she was very scared..." she continued, now she smiled while looking at her wing, "That's really cute..."

"Oh yeah..." I just remembered it, "Your drink..."

Her drink that was just bought from a vending machine, she left it with me before... just like her other stuff...

"Ah... thank you..."

Jewel stepped closer, and was about to grab her drink bottle... but... either because she hadn't held it, or his grip was too weak... the bottle fell to the floor.

"How careless you are..." I grumbled to her, kneeling to take the drink bottle from the floor.

She's wearing her school uniform... so, today she went to school...

'I think I'm worrying too much...'

I stood up, and handed the drink bottle once more, and this time she could hold it properly... but, there was still one thing that blocked my mind...

"Where's your school bag?" I asked her, remembering that she always carried a school bag that was as big as mine.

Jewel gasped for a moment after hearing such a question...

I don't understand what that means... does she really forget not to bring it? Or maybe... she didn't go to school at all?

"It's at school..." she replied, smiling at me, "Let's take it..."

Meanwhile ... at Mimi's residence

3rd person POV

"He's late ...!"

Lisa looked annoyed, and burst out her irritation by banging on the wooden table in front of her...

"Don't smash the table!" exclaimed Mimi who was standing in front of her. She was opening her phone and seemed to be receiving a message from someone, "Glu won't come today... he just texted me."

"Huh... why?! Why haven't you told me?!" Lisa looked surprised by the sudden news. Apparently, the message just received by Mimi is a message from Blu.

"He has a sudden business tonight..." Mimi explained the reason for Blu's absence calmly.

"Is it okay?" Lisa asked her, "Is it okay to let him do as he pleases like this?"

"Lisa..." Mimi seemed not to believe Lisa would ask like that, "You always blame everything he does... what's wrong?"

"No, that's not what I meant..." after Lisa asked such questions, she put a smile on her face, "I just don't want him to take you from me..."

But unfortunately... that sweet smile clearly looks fake...

"I've no idea what your real purpose is, but..." Mimi replied to the fake smile, with a serious look and suspicion to her, "If you dare to mess with him... I'll kill you myself..."

Not expecting the answer to be like that, Lisa replaced her fake smile with a cold gaze, "I see... he is a very beloved bird, huh..."

"Of course he is... because he's my son..." Mimi answered without hesitation and smiled.

"Then... why did you accept me as his student?" Lisa asked again.

"That is..." Mimi paused for a moment, "I want to give him something..." she stopped again, but the continuation of her answer was saved for herself... whispering to herself, 'Something other than sadness...'

"Can you trust an enemy?" Lisa asked again.

"Enemy? Do you think of yourself as an enemy?" Mimi was surprised why she had asked such a straightforward question. It's the same as someone who has admitted his guilt... fortunately, Mimi can calmly be able to refute her ridiculous thoughts, "Aren't you also walking on the writer path like him?"

Lisa was speechless... unable to answer back...

"Mom... look, my painting's done..." Mirai, who just finished painting, showed the results to her mother...

Mimi looked at her daughter's painting, "Oh... this looks really good!" she said, "Let Sis Lisa see it."

Mirai, then, walked over to Lisa who was sitting pensively on the sofa. She was rather surprised by the presence of Mirai beside her and showed the results of her painting...

A typical crayon painting of children. There are four models in Mirai's paintings. Mimi, who was smiling happily watching Lisa sitting and writing cheerfully... Mirai who was standing behind Blu and laughed at his facial expression that looked like he was surprised by Lisa's writing ability.

No responses, comments, even words... Lisa just stared at the simple painting with silence...

'You know, Lisa...' Mimi who saw Lisa pensively looking at her daughter's painting, said to herself, 'You are very similar to him... you have received too much sadness. That's why... I want to give something besides that...'

At the same time ...

Blu's POV

About half an hour later, where the night was getting late... due to Jewel's negligence, we both went back to school tonight only to pick up her school bag that was left behind.

There's no one in this school except the two of us who are exploring the school corridors at night. The environment around here is famous for its security, so... most of the school guards don't patrolling much at night. If the night is getting late, they'll go home like Roberto said.

"Oh..." Jewel gasped in awe, while we were walking in a fairly dark school corridors, "So, this is the school corridors at night, huh... it's more luminous than I thought."

The sky tonight is very bright... the stars are shining so brightly that the light is able to reach this corridor through a row of windows without curtains... so that, tonight... it's not too dark as we thought...

"Remember, this is your fault that we have to go back to school to get your bag." I muttered to Jewel, who was walking cheerfully in front of me.

"I know, I know..." Jewel replied, chuckling.

From the front entrance, we had to pass through the library to reach the stairs leading to the second floor. As we on the second floor, we had to pass through the laboratory room, toilets and music room until we finally arrived in front of a staircase leading to the third floor... even when on the third floor, we still have to go through several classrooms until finally arrive at her classroom.

"So, where's your bag?" I asked her, when we were in her classroom.

Jewel gasped as soon as I asked about her bag...

"Ermm..." Jewel looked confused to answer, "Where is it? where's my bag?"

I began to understand the situation...

"Are you lying to me, huh...?!" I yelled at her with annoyance.

"Arghh... I'm sorry..." Jewel, who was surprised, immediately begging forgiveness to me, "My school bag is not in school..."

Oh right... this afternoon when I met her, she didn't even carry her school bag, did she?

She finally explained it, smiling at me, "I was allowed to went out from the hospital just for today. At first I intended to go to school, but forgot to bring my bag and finally didn't come here. My memory has begun to fade... I'm sorry..."

Oh, I see...

"Me too... I'm sorry... even though today is the only day for you to get out from the hospital. You should go with Roberto, not his substitute..."

She should have gone with someone she likes, not a substitute like me... that's why, I say sorry to her...

Jewel was silent for a moment after I said my apology, then looked at me with a serious look, "Are you going to forget it?" she suddenly asked me, "A girl who came out from the hospital and waited for you... a girl who helped a little kid with you... a girl who explored school at night with you... will you forget it?"

"No..." I, without hesitation, immediately gave my answer, "I won't forget it... even to death..."

After hearing my answer, she smiled again, "Te-he... I'm glad it was you..."

She suddenly lost her balance to stand up, and almost fainted, but she managed to hold herself back by holding on to a table beside her.

I hurriedly approached her, "Are you okay...?!" asked her condition with anxiety.

"I'm just tired..." she replied.

"Then I'll take you home..."

Luckily today, there's a bicycle with me... I ride with her and shake this old bicycle quickly to the hospital...

"If my father sees us like this, surely he will scold us..." she said from the pillion, making a light joke.

"Yeah... we will definitely get into trouble..."

"A lot of things happened today..." she continued... her voice was getting weaker, I think she was really exhausted, "Going shopping with a boy... exploring school at night with a boy, then being driven home by a boy... makes the stars that shine brightly shine even brighter."

Whether tonight's temperature is warmer than usual, or is this chat that feels so warm in my heart, you currently feel so close to me... I am willing to be Roberto's substitute or whatever it is... as long as we can continue like this forever...

'...! '

Jewel surprisingly held my back tightly... as if she was afraid she would be left alone. And I can clearly feel the moisture on my back...

She cries...

I have no idea what caused her tears to come out and wet my back, but I shouldn't need to ask...


Chapter 32 : Two of a Kind


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what is the meaning behind those tears...