Our beloved youth

13: Caramel candy

"It was her all the time?"  Kevin murmured, stunned by his realization.

"No wonder she looked familiar," he added, holding the diary and the photograph. He settled comfortably on his sofa and examined the picture. It was a family photo with Elina's parents standing side by side. Her mother, who appeared skinnier, smiled without showing her teeth, while her father had a clean shave and a wide grin on his face.

Kevin saw two girls in the picture. Without much effort, he identified Elina. The other girl, probably her sister, stood with her back straight and an obedient look. She seemed older than Elina. Elina, on the other hand, had chubby cheeks like marshmallows and short hair. Unlike her family, she posed with her mouth open, as if she was shouting.

Kevin smiled, shaking his head. He took out his phone, placed the picture on the table, and snapped a photo of Elina's part. After pocketing his phone, he opened the diary and placed the picture where it belonged.

After putting the picture back, Kevin felt an irresistible urge to peek inside the diary.

"It's just her childhood diary. Nothing wrong in reading it, right?" he said to himself, trying to justify his actions.

The diary was filled with drawings and doodles, accompanied by few remarks. Kevin was surprised by the quality and cuteness of her drawings. Some doodles made him giggle.

As he turned a few more pages, a particular drawing caught his eye. He frowned and looked closer, noticing a few lines written beside it.

Today, Caramel Candy promised to marry me.

I forgot to ask his name TT - TT

The drawing sparked a memory.

__________________

Flashback

A seven-year-old Kevin, lost in his thoughts, wandered into an unfamiliar area. He stopped, realizing he was lost, and heard small cries. He followed the sound and found a girl crying. Seeing his shoes, she looked up and cried even harder.

"Hey, hey, stop crying. What happened?" Kevin asked, squatting in front of her. She sniffed and stopped crying. Kevin dug into his pockets and handed her some candies.

"Do you want these?" he offered. She wiped her tears and nodded at the pack of caramel candies.

Kevin gave her the candies and asked, "Why were you crying? Are you lost?"

She nodded. Kevin sighed. "Okay, let's get out of here," he said, standing up. The girl held his hand but shook her head.

"What happened? Don't you want to go back?" he asked.

"My sister told me to wait here. What if she doesn't find me?" she asked.

Kevin understood. "Then tell your parents to come back and find her here, okay?" he suggested. She pouted but nodded.

They left the place, Kevin trying to keep her spirits up. He learned her sister had left her waiting since morning and felt bad for her. He eventually took her home.

"Thank you!" she said, bowing. Kevin smiled and patted her head.

"Are you going?" she asked, pouting.

He nodded. "But I want you to stay with me," she said, sad.

"That's not possible," Kevin replied.

"But you can marry me. Then we will be together!" she said, eyes shining.

Kevin shook his head. "We're too young."

"Okay, then promise me you'll marry me when we grow up," she said, extending her pinky finger.

Kevin sighed but relented, hooking his pinky with hers. "Promise."

She smiled and ran around him, joyful.

____________________

Kevin smiled sadly at the memory, one of the few happy moments of his childhood. He closed the diary, deciding not to read further.

"I wonder if everything's alright between her and her sister now," he said, placing the diary in his bag.

Time Skip

Kevin lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling. "I know it now," he said. "I have to protect the girl I've been searching for."

He closed his eyes.

Time skip to the next day (Thursday) at school

Elina arrived early, yawning as she entered the empty classroom with a helmet in her hand. She placed it on Jason's desk with a sticky note attached. Sighing in relief, she turned around and got startled.

"Holy shit! What the—" She placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Miss Elina cursing this early in the morning?" said a voice. Kevin stood there, arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah, but you scared me standing there like a ghost!" she retorted, glaring at him.

"So it's my fault now?" he asked, amused. Elina shook her head and went to her seat.

"First you pushed me into the car, and now you're cursing me. Not very Elina-like behavior," he teased, shrugging.

"Look, I'm sor— How did you get that?!" Elina exclaimed, spotting her diary in his hand. She stood up, trying to grab it, but Kevin raised his hand higher.

"This isn't Kevin-like behavior! Give it back!" she demanded, jumping to reach her journal. Kevin raised his hand higher.

"Kevin, give it back," she insisted, jumping again but twisting her foot. Kevin noticed and pulled her towards him, making her bump into his chest.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, and he stared back.

How come I never realized you were the one I had been searching for?

To be continued

AN: Okay shall I write behind the shoot or something like that?

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