Sentience

38

He just couldn't understand his own feelings.

If Changmin needed to tell the truth, he was still hopeful that one day Belle wanted to meet Mother. He wanted them to mend the broken relationship because knowing well that it was what both parties needed. Whatever the dark past was between them, a relationship between a mother and her daughter shouldn't have ended.

He thought maybe Belle wouldn't be so pressured to carry her duty as the eldest daughter if she had somewhere else to run to have a breather when she felt too suffocating. Yes, her stepmom was nice, but anywhere within the globe, nobody could replace a birth mother's love.

For Mother, it was too obvious that what she needed was her daughters. She must have had her backstory of why she could've been so aggressive towards the girls; she must have had her reasons, although what she had done was totally wrong. Considering that she was a divorcee and Brianna had passed away, Belle was the only hope she had now. She needed Belle to be the support system.

In conclusion, they needed each other.

Two days ago, when Changmin ran into Amy and the hand-bleeding Belle in the corridor, he took the injured girl to the infirmary where Juyeon was helping a girl, who was allegedly someone he would ask out soon. The two were quite startled when the newcomers came; their focus eventually was on Belle's bloody hand.

Ji Changmin, who had a sling on, obviously couldn't help to treat the wound. Thus, the girl who came with Juyeon earlier suggested the boy help instead. And that was when Changmin saw it.

During the process, Juyeon was so careful putting iodine on the wound on Belle's palm. The cut was so deep that Juyeon was so sure that Belle could never endure the pain. However, it never happened; Belle was emotionless, despite the small flinch her hand did every time the wound touched the medication.

While Juyeon wrapped a bandage around her hand, the boy asked her whether it was too tight, but she didn't respond. Therefore, after Juyeon concluded his art, Changmin beckoned him to leave first so that he could talk in private with the girl.

It seemed like Arabelle was well aware of the surroundings; she did realize who was staying and who was leaving. Because, as soon as Changmin sat on the stool that was previously used by Juyeon across from her, she sighed and lifted her head. It almost seemed like she had been waiting.

"I need your favour," before Changmin could ask anything, she said it first. "Please bring my mom to me."

The surprise on the boy's face after Belle announced it was so evident. He was supposed to be happy when his plan finally succeeded, yet for a brief moment, he hoped he had never heard it from her. It was all because of what she said next.

"We shall let her meet Brianna."

Despite the undefinable opinion, here he was on Saturday morning, waiting for Mother at the playground. On the same day, Belle told him about the plan, he met Mother to convey the message, and the lady was so ecstatic about it.

How will she react upon knowing that Brianna is dead? Changmin gulped at his own thought.

The lady dolled herself today: an emerald green blouse paired with black pants. The smile on her face was hanging so high making Changmin feel uneasy about today. Because knowing well that she would be heartbroken soon.

"Where are we going?" Mother asked, clinging around Changmin's arm that no longer had a sling on.

"It's a surprise..." He faked a sweet smile.

The journey by taxi took about 30 minutes. However, for the boy, he felt like it was 3 hours long because he needed to keep his happy expression all the time despite crumbling inside. Breaking someone's heart would never be his attitude, yet here he was, counting the seconds until he needed to do it.