ELYU

Day 4

Author's Note:

Hello human. I recommend playing Midnight Sky by Unique Salonga while reading this chapter, specifically when you get to the title, you'll know when you see it. That would be all, Happy Reading! <3
-Haru

P.S TRIGGER WARNING FOR TALKS OF DEPRESSION AND SELF HARM

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Compromise.

They took turns in grilling the way they'd take turns in listening and talking.

They considered each other, from the type of room they were to sleep in to how the other could possibly react to words.

They were each other's partner-in-crime, from the way Luan sweet talked the lady at the room for rent for them to get a good room, to the way Haru systematically budgeted their money so they could spend all they wanted without worrying about not being able to pay rent or transportation.

They always met halfway, from picking their drinks, which were Matcha and Coffee respectively, to where they headed to next.

They were partners, through and through.

Ride or die, always by each other's side, just like how they walked by the roadside, sharing the comfortable silence of each other's presence, all the way back to their shared room.

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Luan's POV

"You love me, don't you?" Haru looked at me, offended. She looked cute when she pouted, that just makes me want to tease her more.

"Psh. No. Hard pass."

"Wanna bet?"

"You're on."

She took the bait. No way was I gonna lose. "Bet. First one who says "I love you" loses. Loser buys the winner an ice cream cake. By the way, Vanilla or Mango would do fine for me."

Again, those brown orbs were filled with the prowess of a tiger cub, playful yet aggressive.

"As if you'd win. Thanks in advance for the Rocky Road cake, Luan."

Haru, this girl.

There was a pep in her every step, as if she had springs on her feet, she skipped like she weighed nothing. She didn't walk, she bounced, like the energy in her was trying to get out of the small-statured vessel that was her. She never ran out of words, her mind was a dictionary, even I couldn't keep up sometimes, and that's saying something. I am an avid reader, after all, but her bursts of ideas were intense to say the least. She was frank, if you asked for her opinion, she'll let you know what she thinks, completely unfiltered. She didn't care how you'd feel, you ask and she delivers, whether she was right or wrong, she stands by her words.

She was unapologetically her.

But behind that façade of a happy, bubbly, chaotic, spontaneous woman, she was just a girl. Her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

She was just a sad child, waiting to be seen,
to be noticed,
to be cared for,
to be loved.

Before I could say anything, we were back at our room, drinks in hand. Haru looked at me expectantly, oh yeah that's right, I had the keys. She made a beeline for the coffee table and gestured for me to sit down across her. I followed suit, what else was there to do?

"So, tell me about Luan." She grinned playfully. "What's Luan's story?"

I scrunched my brows, what a typical question. "How about this instead, I, Luan, tell you what I think Haru's story is? Spice things up a little."