Sentience

28

Maybe Ji Changmin did feel regret for letting Belle leave alone, and for every word he spat on her. He knew he was using too many emotions and he admitted that he was too harsh on Belle.

She might have been wrong too; she was rude to the elderly. Noteably it was Mother, someone Changmin cared about the most. However, deep down, he also acknowledged that he shouldn't have hurt her with his words.

I should listen to her, he thought as the regret engulfed him wholly.

It was still confusing how Belle and Mother were connected, how Mother was Belle's mother. As long as they bonded in the friendship, Changmin just knew one person who logically could be Belle's mother: the lady who was also Jinwoo's.

But, he tried to connect the dots. Would it be possible that Belle actually was Anne? But, Mother had asked about Anne, and Belle refused to tell, the first conclusion he came across.

If Belle is also Mother's daughter, then why Mother never mentioned her name before? The second question lingered in his head.

Then, where is Anne?

All these queries truly drove him into insanity and drowned him down into the pit of curiosity. Only Belle and Mother knew the story and Changmin knew he had to listen to both parties to conclude.

However, the problem was one. Belle didn't respond to him.

After her leaving which Changmin didn't stop her despite the clear body language that wanted nothing but for him to come after her, the boy sat with Mother, rubbing circles on her back as she choked on her tears. He waited for a few minutes until the woman felt better and Changmin proceeded to ask further about the situation.

"They hated me," was the only thing Mother said as she held tight to the photo album and confessed that Belle was also her daughter.

Although Changmin didn't really understand how she was unable to recognize Belle even from all his stories, something else caught his attention: the photo album.

The boy had seen all the contents to confirm that he saw only a baby in those pictures which he assumed was Anne; none of the features resembled Belle. And the obvious that crossed his mind was that none of those photos had two babies in one frame, which seemed to be weird. And right there, Changmin knew he needed Belle's explanation as well.

But it had been the 8th time since he called her. She purposely didn't pick up and it frustrated the boy so much. His messages also were left unread; he swore he would knock on her door if no news would be received for the next 10 minutes, though there was no guarantee that she would want to see him.

They never got into a fight before, so, Changmin wasn't sure of what to do. The girl also never sulked, as far as he remembered; how could he know how to coax a girl? Some more, when she left the playground earlier, she looked totally furious. Although it was something he never encountered before, it wasn't hard to tell that Belle was really angry. At him.

"How come you are alone?" The sudden query snapped Changmin back to reality, realizing the current setting. He was at the cafe Juyeon recommended, drinking iced tea with his friends. And the question earlier was from Kevin. "Why Belle didn't come along?"

At the mention of the girl, Changmin subtly flinched; her last appearance as she walked away seemed to be haunting him.

"She... was needed at home," he lied, slumping down the chair and randomly clicking on his phone.

"Are the photos okay?" Chanhee, who sat across from him at the table questioned, noticing the tension on Changmin's face. Perhaps, the pretty boy was just testing the water.

"Yes..." Another lie.

"You guys have to bring back the legendary skills," It was then, that Juyeon spoke up, pausing for a second to sip his drink. "Was it 2 years ago that a senior blew up the whole campus with her photography skills? She was so talented."

She was... talented. Changmin furiously blinked at the remark; suddenly, he felt his whole world was spinning and his focus was no longer on his phone. Somewhere between Juyeon's reminiscing and remark, Changmin found himself levitating. He definitely had missed and forgotten something which he could easily admit.

Because right now, he would proudly announce that the missing piece of the puzzle had finally been found.

Changmin unknowingly sighed; too loudly as to let out the frustration welled up inside his chest. Perhaps he was too emotional right now that Chanhee needed to kick his leg under the table to bring him back to normal.

"I'm going to the gents," Changmin said, too harshly pushing the chair backwards. Other customers could've mistaken him as being in the middle of a fight with the rest of his friends.

But he surely couldn't care less about the stares and murmurs from his fellow customers. He went straight into the gents, diligently praying that nobody would barge in. He just wanted to be alone.

The frustration was now thickening inside his chest. Especially, when he checked his phone. Still no reply from Belle.

Changmin typed a new message: Don't act up, Belle. I'll give you a chance. Let's talk and I'll listen.

However, he must have expected too high; he probably thought that Arabelle would soften at his gestures and his efforts to persuade her. Perhaps it was now safe to tell that Arabelle was quite a tough girl, the side he witnessed for the first time.

The creaking sound of the door was then heard; Changmin immediately darted his eyes in that direction, wearing an expression that Chanhee at the door frame could easily tell was anger. The pretty boy chuckled as he zoomed further to the sink, washing his hands.

Once in a while, Chanhee glanced over at his friend's reflection in the mirror. Changmin was too occupied with his phone, but his head wasn't on the thing he saw; he was somewhere else.

"What are you thinking about?" Chanhee ambushed, leaning his back at the sink and crossing his arms. "Don't ever think to lie."

Changmin sighed, reaching for a wall to lean on. His orbs contained too much emotion, which made him debate what to prioritise.

"I think I need to change my theme for photography," the long-neck boy said, eyes on the ceiling.

"Why?" Chanhee didn't lie he was flustered. The festival was around the corner; how could his friend decide that so easily, like there was no procedure to go through?

"I don't think Belle likes it."

"Excuse me! This is not the time to think about Belle!"

She won't take part, Changmin secretly cursed. Oh, how he hoped he could spit those thoughts in Chanhee's face.

"Did something happen back at the playground?" Chanhee seemed to get the feelings. "You... came early. Like the session was ended too fast."

At that, Changmin scoffed to the floor, a small smirk plastered on his lips. It was intriguing; how he was caught. At this rate, he should've dated Chanhee instead. For, the penguin-like boy could really tell even the smallest thing about him.

"I feel so dumb right now..." Changmin tugged a handful of his hair. "I just couldn't understand how could I miss the important part. If only I realized sooner, I could've fixed something"

"Which part? Fix what?"

Changmin breathed out. "Do you remember the senior Juyeon was talking about?"

A little frown on Chanhee's face. He looked disbelief but at the same time, he looked confused. It almost looked as if he was judging whether Ji Changmin was truly in his right mind.

"Of course, I remember Brianna. How could I forget Belle's sister?"