Yo.

04: Untold Emptiness

"I'm Bridger. What's your name?"

What's my name?

"Nice to meet you, Naila. Are you alone? Where are your parents? Don't you have any friends?"

Naila? Is that my name? Am I alone? Parents? Friends? I don't know where they are. Do I even have one?

"Then let's be friends. Call me Bridge and I'll call you Nail, is that okay? It's just a nickname, so it shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, there's a vending machine nearby. I'll treat you as a token of my appreciation for our first day of friendship. Tell me exactly what you want. My granny gave me money a while ago. She's the best person in the world, you know. Oh, right. Which flavor do you prefer?"

Despite his cold appearance and voice, he surely talks a lot.

"Your parents intend to leave you when you turn thirteen to work abroad, claiming it is for your own good. What kind of parent leaves their child to earn money? They make no sense... What? You told them it was fine? Are you nuts? How are you supposed to get through the day? You're only thirteen at that time... For preparation, your mother is teaching you to cook and do the laundry. She really thought it's a brilliant idea, huh? What kind of parent trains their seven-year-old child to practice adulthood? And what kind of kid agrees to all of that? It seems that they simply want you to be self-sufficient at such a young age. Hindi lang pera ang bumubuhay sa tao, Nail. Always remember that... I'm not mad. It's just that your family's insane."

What is this pain in my chest? Why are my eyes so hot? My vision is becoming blurry as well.

"Are you crying? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Let me wipe your tears with my handkerchief. Last year, my granny gave me this as a present for my sixth birthday. She did it on her own. You know what, I just had an idea that will surely make you smile. How about we live together? When you turn thirteen and we're both first year middle schoolers, you can move in at our house and spend the rest of your life with us. My granny cooks the best food in the world, and my grandpa is the funniest of the city's elders. You won't be bored since I'll be there as well. We can play whenever you want, so you won't feel lonely or sad. If you want, I can marry you when we're older, and then we'll be the best parents in the universe-parents who won't abandon their children for money... Did that put you at ease?"

At first, I was speechless, but then he smiled and patted my head that made me stop tearing up.

"I will never leave your side, Naila."

His voice echoed throughout the area until everything went dark.

"We're doing this for your own sake, Honey."

"We've already prepared you for this moment. Don't stress us out. Just study hard and take care of yourself."

Those unknown voices sound like they're coming from my unfamiliar parents. I can only hear their footsteps as they leave and walk away from me. I don't understand what's going on inside my heart. Is it normal not to feel anything, or is this a feeling of emptiness? I can't see any light, but I noticed a new sound approaching.

"Watch your steps."

That cold yet soothing voice jolted the darkness from my mind. The scene shifted in an instant. I found myself in the middle of the stairwell, with a guy holding my arm and preventing me from falling.

"Khalil! Coach Tan was looking for you-eh? What are you doing to her?" Another guy with a bright and cheerful face appeared.

"You're Naila Amado, right? You gained a fair amount of notoriety among the first years during the opening ceremony." Someone with a sly smirk stood next to him.