Fates and Art (MeenPing)

A New Dawn

"I saw him too..." A familiar voice broke the tense silence where everyone had gathered for lunch. They all turned toward the speaker, it's Fah. Her face streaked with tears, her posture unusually weary. Behind her stood Off, Moon's friend, looking deeply regretful.

"Off... seriously?" Dao muttered, irritated at seeing Fah here, especially after all she had put Moon through.

"I'm sorry," Off explained quickly. "She came to me, crying, begging me to take her to where Vee was. I told her I didn't know, but she just kept crying harder."

Suddenly, Fah ran toward Vee, wrapping her arms around him, "Vee, I was so worried about you. You didn't turn on your phone, and I thought something terrible had happened." Vee glanced over at Moon as he tried to pull away gently, but Moon only shook his head, signaling for him to let Fah hug him; Moon believed that everyone had the right to worry about Vee.

Vee softly stroked Fah's head and gently loosened her embrace, "Let's sit and talk" he suggested.

"What did you mean when you said you saw him too, Fah?" Nut broke the silence while they gathered on the long sofa.

Fah took a deep breath, reaching into her bag and pulling out a few photos, which she handed to Nut. Nut's eyes widened as he examined them. "How... how did you get these?"

Vee took the photos from Nut, studying them closely. Moon, seated beside him, leaned in to get a better look. The images showed Vee and Fah together, back during their school days.

"I... I've known Vee since high school," Fah began, her voice trembling with emotions long kept to herself. "I went to an all-girls school near yours. One day, I visited your school with a few classmates to participate in an interschool cheerleading competition. While getting ready, I went to the bathroom and got lost. Just then, a tall, handsome guy suddenly approached me. 'Oh, your uniform is different. Are you lost?' he asked me at that time." Fah managed a faint smile at the memory. "I nodded, and he kindly led me back to the school courtyard where my friends were waiting. But when I turned to thank him, he had already gone off with his friends. He seemed so popular; everyone around him looked thrilled to be near him. That guy was Vee."

Fah paused, her gaze lowering. "From that day on, I would often come to your school just to catch a glimpse of Vee from afar. Sometimes, I even brought him little gifts during his basketball practice. But whenever I went to the waiting area near his bag, there were so many other gifts from his admirers. I lost the courage to give mine; I felt so insignificant. I followed Vee from a distance and knew he went to an art studio on certain days to paint. So, I enrolled at the same studio, always sitting beside him. But Vee never once noticed me."

Her voice softened as she looked down, "Finally, I got the chance to give him a gift, though I only had the courage to slip it into his bag quietly. I wasn't very social back then, and I wasn't a girl who stood out. Of course, someone as outgoing as Vee would never see me." Fah took a deep breath, steadying herself as she held back her emotions. "I joined his basketball fan club, and that's why there are these two photos. One with other fans at the basketball court, and another on our art exam day, where our teacher took a group picture. In that photo, I'm standing right beside Vee."

Everyone who listened to Fah's story appeared stunned, finding it hard to believe everything she had just revealed. A tense silence filled the air, adding weight to the uncertainty around them.

Fah continued in a softer tone, her gaze hopeful as she looked at Nut. "Don't you remember me, Nut? The day when Vee got injured during basketball practice?"

Nut frowned, staring at Fah with a confused expression, struggling to bring up that distant memory. "I was the student who ran up to you," Fah continued, her voice slightly trembling. "I was the one who told you that Vee was hurt."