I Was First | Joshua Hong

Chapter 45

Hiah's POV

The way how I told him that we should just talk again  when he comes back, before the year ends, really did happen. A few days went by without a single word between us.

Until the day of his birthday came, for the first time since I knew that the thirtieth of december was his birthday, I failed to greet him.

But of course, I had a reason; I waited for him to come back so I could give my greetings to him in person like I have always do. I held on to that for the whole day, since he himself wasn't sure when they will come home, as per his message, he said that they will 'probably' be back before new year's eve. Yet up till the time has already struck twelve pertaining that it was already the next day, no Joshua was in sight.

The last day of the current year came, and like the usual, fireworks would be people's source of enjoyment whenever the twelve am that they stayed up for comes.

Fireworks were loudly banging on the sky, colorful and bright ones and I could only see them through the window of my room because apparently, dog's are scared of such loud noises and I had to bring my dog, Winton all the way upstairs to my room so he wouldn't have to hear the fireworks that much and he might possibly run off somewhere if he happens to stay outside.

When the firework's noise gradually subsided, I went downstairs and left Winton who was sleeping at my room.

I walked to the dining table and quietly celebrated when I saw boxes of chicken fillets on the table. "Yess.", I excitedly whispered to myself. I sat on the chair and quietly opened a box, completely forgetting that I was planning to get outside and see whatever was going on out there.

"How's Winton?", I glanced up from the food and chewed more quicker to answer my Mom who asked, yet when I did got conscious of everything and my surrounding not only the chicken fillets, only then I realized that Lily was sitting right across me.

I patted my chest for a few times with my fist when I choked after seeing such horror right in front of my chicken fillets.

"He's— he's fine, he wailed when all the noise happened but he was lying down the whole time, and right now, he's asleep.", I replied to my Mom, coughing at the first words.

"He really has gotten older.", My Mom said, who was standing at the kitchen doing something that was so ignorant for me not to know since the moment I stepped foot downstairs, all my attention went to the table and what it contained.

I stuffed food inside of my mouth again, distracting myself from overthinking what my Mom just said about our dog, Winton is sick and old and all I could think of is Joshua and how much he worries for him.

"Why are you eating like someone's chasing you?", I looked up to meet eyes with Lily who is now then again being nosy about my life. Her eyebrows were furrowing as if she was so disgusted. "Why do you eat so grossly, look at yourself, the gravy is all over your face.", I rolled my eyes, wiping a side of my lip like a gangster and  looked down again at the food that was way more worth the sight than my captious little sister.

She sighed, and I just don't know why she was so stressed of how I am living my life. "You're embarrassing yourself.. I hope Joshua sees you when they come here later."

My ears just automatically became attentive by hearing his name, even though her last sentence was a whisper, I have no idea why I heard it until the last word.

"What do you mean?", I asked while already finding myself looking at her, waiting for whatever her answer was. As far as I know, they aren't here yet, well, I haven't really heard anyone saying that they have come back and hearing it from my sister, I had so many reasons why to not believe her.