Sentience

18

But, looking back, Changmin didn't think that Belle was asking or expecting too high.

Wasn't that the very least a daughter; generally a child, should've been expecting from their parents? For them to validate the child's existence.

Belle had done a lot of things, though it wasn't easy. From sacrificing her time for Jinwoo to learning how to go through a new lifestyle when she needed to take over the role of the eldest child abruptly. The very least she was expecting from her parents was, you did well.

It was obvious through her orbs, that she was dying to hear it from them. She just wanted to be acknowledged. So that she knew that her sacrifices weren't useless.

Changmin groaned as the reality hit, he seemed to be sunken more into the couch the more he thought of it. He wanted to help Belle on that but his eldest sister had warned him not to. For, it was their internal problem that no outsider could help.

How to make Belle talk to them? He raided his brain for just one idea. But nothing seemed to have come.

"Why are you home?" A sudden question interrupted his noisy head, the vacant seat next to him on the couch was now occupied by his second sister.

"Because it's Sunday..." He lazily replied, rolling his head in her direction.

The older blinked confusingly, her lips slightly protruded. "That's what I mean. You're not going to Belle today?"

Another sigh let out.

Ji Changmin's initial plan was to take Belle to Mother at the playground this evening. On the way there, he wanted to explain his photography project to her and how he pictured the outcome. But, because she looked so stressed yesterday, Changmin cancelled it. He didn't want to burden her more.

"Belle has a family thing to carry out," he concluded. "Chanhee will hang out here later."

"Hmm... alright. As long as you two remain controlled, then, I have no issue," his sister said in a tone that even the boy himself couldn't compromise. It sounded like mockery, but at the same time, it sounded like a warning.

The second child in a family is the hardest to understand, he thought alone.

It was then that Changmin's eldest sister passed by the living room, catching the sight of her two younger siblings. She was blinking when she was looking at the boy and she then shifted her gaze towards her brother's room.

"Don't you hear that?" She questioned, pointing towards the door as she looked back at him. "Did I hear it wrong? I think your phone is ringing."

"Phone?" Changmin then rose, rummaging through his pocket and also the couch, pushing his sister with a stern get out, just to conclude that he didn't bring the device with him. "Oh, I left it in the room."

His eldest sister scoffed, "I clearly told you it is in the room."

"Aight, captain!" Then, he rushed to his own room; a yell from his second sister, who was unfairly thrown on the ground, was heard asking him to apologize, but he couldn't care less. Chanhee must be calling, the thought was far more important to attend than apologizing.

When he opened the door, the ringing of the phone was at the last 2 seconds. Even though he lunged forward with all the energy left inside him, he still failed to take the call before it ended. But, when he viewed the lock screen, all his facial muscles were tensed, and he eventually frowned.

1 new missed call
Arabelle ✨

It wasn't Chanhee but Belle. And right now, Changmin was staring at the screen for a solid 10 seconds, processing why Belle was calling.

Undeniably, it was weird. Because Belle normally would leave him only a text. If she had done so and still no reply from him, she would've called just to remind him to check the message. However, no new incoming message was received.

Pushing all the curiosity aside, Changmin made up his mind to directly return the call. After all, he had wasted 1 minute to think and assume; he was supposed to do so as soon as he saw her name appear on the screen.

Beep...

Then Belle picked up, the fastest she had done so far. It almost seemed like she was waiting for his call, even the beeping did not last long. Now, it was more weirder.

"Belle, did you c-"

"Changmin..."

Right at that moment, she swiftly cut him, the boy's heart skipped a beat, and his breath hitched in his throat. Belle's tone was something familiar to him, yet it had been so long since the last time he heard her speak like that. She sounded weak and tired with the hint that she had just done crying.

"H-Hey," Changmin gulped, in a rush collecting his wallet and reaching for a zip-up hoodie from the wardrobe as he instructed Belle to do him a favour. "Text me where you are. I'm coming."

With all his might, Ji Changmin then rushed outside, forgot to close his room's door and told anyone in his household where he would go. He almost wore one shoe and one slipper on each foot hadn't he taken a momentary halt to calm his harsh beating heart.

Along the corridor of his apartment, he was running towards the elevator, checking the new message from Belle in the process. Panting hard as he waited for the elevator to arrive, he almost threw a tantrum at how slow it was, but when the door slid open, all the fatigue disappeared; the sight of another boy inside was the cause.

"Where are you going?" Chanhee asked, confusingly. "I'm about to ring your door."

"Get in back," Changmin pushed his friend further inside as he stepped into the cubicle as well, pushing the G button swiftly.

Chanhee was flustered. Normally, in a situation like this, he needed closure. Why, where and what? All he needed to know was for him to decide whether to agree or to refuse.

They must have been friends for so long already for Changmin to know his friend's next move. Because, before Chanhee could open his mouth, he had been explaining things.

"Belle needs us."

Those three words were enough for Chanhee to decide his stance to follow, although deep down, he wished he didn't, simply because he hated running. But, again, there was something that he, along with his other friends, had agreed on. That, Belle was Changmin's someone special, which meant anything related to her, with or without Changmin's presence, they had to help the girl and protect her as well if needed.

Belle's current position was 15 minutes away and it was just lucky that they could catch the bus on time to reach there faster. It was a park, big and wide, with many people coming with their pets or children. The area was windy, considering the lack of big trees to be the obstacle, and today, it wasn't very sunny; it was just perfect to hang out.

"There she is," Chanhee pointed to a direction which made Changmin wonder how the latter could identify the identity rather easily. Perhaps, it was the situation they were in.

Indeed, a girl who was wearing a pink sweatsuit set, looking distressed in the middle of the park could be seen. Her head was buried in her hands as her knees pulled close to her chest.

Changmin found his feet moved almost immediately without needing to be instructed harder. He let out a sigh as he crouched down in front of the figure, calling her name softly to make her look up.

"Changmin..." Her voice sounded hoarse, and there were tears stained her cheeks.

"Are you okay? You must be scared..." Changmin tried to comfort her, knowing best it was not helpful.

Specifically when she shook her head and continued crying. "I can't find Jinwoo..."