"Hey, don't cry. It's not official, just a theory. We might be wrong," said Alexander, trying to comfort Mahina. The young boy's eyes were brimming with tears.
"Yeah, calm down a little," Leo added, realizing the impact of his words. "After school today, just go home and talk to your parents. Don't even consider what I've said until then. It could all be a misunderstanding."
Mahina nodded, but the uncertainty in his expression was palpable. He was only nine years old, yet he was being confronted with such a profound and unsettling possibility. "I think I will take a bath now," Mahina said, his voice trembling slightly.
As Mahina made his way to the bathroom, his mind was racing. The idea that his parents might not be his real parents was a lot for a child to process. He needed some time alone to collect his thoughts and try to make sense of it all.
Once in the bathroom, Mahina turned on the faucet and let the tub fill with warm water. As he undressed, he couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in his body - the slight swell of his chest, the softening of his features. Stepping into the tub, Mahina let out a long, shaky sigh. He needed to find a way to make sense of all of this, to uncover the truth that seemed to be eluding him.
Mahina sat there, lost in his thoughts, the water slowly growing cold around him. He knew he needed to find a way to get to the bottom of this, to uncover the truth that seemed to be eluding him. But with the cryptic warnings from Leo and Alexander, and his parents' apparent lack of knowledge, he felt more lost than ever.
As he stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around himself, Mahina caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. The changes were becoming more pronounced, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he stared at the face staring back at him. Seeing that his transformation was progressing so rapidly, Mahina let the tears flow freely. Despite his generally mature demeanor, he was still just a child, and this was all too much to handle.
Mahina knew he needed to confront his parents, but the fear of what they might say, or not say, weighed heavily on him. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more to his story, more that he didn't know. With a deep, shuddering breath, Mahina dried his tears and steeled himself for the difficult conversation to come.
Taking a moment, Mahina took a deep breath and slapped his cheek lightly. "Okay, no more drama," he said to himself, though the tears still lingered in the corner of his right eye.
After his bath, Mahina changed into fresh clothes and decided to go to Lisea's room. He knocked on the door, but saw that nobody was coming. He pushed the door to find it open, and he entered to see a girl lying on the bed. Hesitating, he spoke, "Huh.. Are you lost, miss?"
"Is it really that advanced?" the girl said.
"I don't understand," said Mahina, confused.
Staying silent, the girl watched Mahina with interested eyes.
Watching the girl closely, Mahina said, "Andy!?"
"Oh boy, it takes you a lot of time," said Lisea.
"I didn't recognize you. Is your transformation complete?" said Mahina.
"Like Alexandra said, even if it's a bit sooner than we expected," said Lisea.
"So you are going to the girl's side?" said Mahina.
"I know this face, you are holding something," said Lisea, concerned. "Come here and tell me everything."
Mahina sat down on the edge of Lisea's bed, his expression troubled. "I don't know what to think, Lisea. Alexander and Leo said it's just a theory, but I think it's correct."
He ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed in concentration. "They told me to just talk to my parents, but I'm scared of what they might say. Or not say."
Lisea nodded thoughtfully. "I read in a book that to detect if someone is lying, you need to watch their body language and movements closely," she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone.
Mahina's eyes widened slightly, his interest piqued. "Really? What kind of things should I look for?"
Lisea tapped her chin as if recalling the details from the book. "Well, the book said that liars tend to avoid eye contact, fidget a lot, and their facial expressions might not match what they're saying."
She turned to Mahina, her gaze earnest. "If your parents start doing any of those things when you ask them about this, it could be a sign that they're not being completely truthful."
Mahina nodded, his expression determined. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. I need to be really observant when I talk to them."
Lisea interrupted, "But the first thing you must do is not act suspicious. The best way is to act like you always do with them, and to do that, you need to forget part of our discussion, not totally. Ask them questions like, 'Dad, why is there not any photos before I'm six?' They won't be suspicious that way. But don't go too deep with your questions, because they are still your parents, and they may not be hiding anything at all." She paused, considering her words carefully. "Ask questions, but don't be too intrusive, okay, Mahina?"
" even if we may not be related you will always be my cousin better my brother in our case now i will say, my sister "
Mahina cried again, but this time it was not in pain but in joy. Later in the day, Mahina asked the rector for permission to go home, evidently inventing some excuse to avoid telling the real reason.
As he walked home, Mahina took in the familiar sights around him – the calm road, the forest, the river where he and the potato girl had shared food, the cemetery where he and his two friends had played for the first time. These were the places that held memories, the places that made this his home.
Mahina knew that no matter what he discovered about his parents, this was still his home, and Lisea would always be his family. With a deep breath, he steeled himself for the conversation to come, determined to uncover the truth, but also to hold onto the love and support of those he held dear.
When Mahina arrived in front of his house, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. His conversation with Lisea had given him some guidance, but he still felt apprehensive about confronting his parents.
"Okay, let's go," Mahina said to himself, as he approached the door.
