OTHERS: Five elements

CHAPTER 2.3: FIRE

1 July 2031, 05:00 PM

They say love knows no boundaries or differences. When a heart loves, it doesn’t choose based on social status or material wealth. It chooses a soul, it sees beneath the surface, and it doesn’t care about outward appearances. What makes love so powerful is its ability to erase differences that might seem insurmountable from the outside. In love, we are all equal—there is no rich or poor, just two people ready to walk through life together.

Nearly a year has passed since Deniel and I went out for our first coffee in the park. We didn’t meet daily; I was engrossed in my university studies, while he was occupied with work. Yet, we always made an effort to find time for each other. Once, he borrowed a motorbike from a friend, and that day, we visited several nearby towns. It was excursions through cities, but it was enough for me. Every moment with him made me wish that time could stop, that I could remain by his side forever.

July had arrived. Deniel and I were sitting on a bench in front of a church. I leaned against his shoulder, watching people exit the building. I shifted my gaze from the church to him – his sharp features softened by a gentle smile, his rugged beard, and the spark in his dark eyes that always seemed to hold back a joke.

- “So… what’s going on in that busy brain of yours, Mr. Mysterious?” I teased, nudging him.

- “Oh, you know, just thinking about how ridiculously lucky I am that you haven’t dumped me yet,” Deniel replied, flashing me a grin. “I mean, look at us. A rich girl and a guy who couldn’t afford to buy her a proper coffee when we met. It’s like a bad telenovela."

- “You make it sound like I’m some spoiled princess”, I laughed, squeezing his hand.

- “Well… you did get pretty excited about that stolen rose. I’ll never forget the look on your face."

I rolled my eyes, feeling blushed in my cheeks.

- “Don’t remind me! You showed up like some bad-boy Casanova with a stolen rose."

- “Hey, I was trying to make an impression. Besides, I didn’t hear you complaining.”

- “Alright, I admit it—I loved it”, I said with a smile.

I turned my attention back to the church, just in time to see the bride and groom stepping outside. The bride’s laughter filled the air, her white dress gleaming as her husband lifted her off the ground, spinning her with ease. I couldn’t help but smile.

- “Careful, you’re gonna give yourself away with that look,” he teased, giving me a playful nudge. “Thinking about your prince on a white horse?”

- “Maybe a little,” I admitted, glancing at him. “What about you, Mr. Tough Guy? Ever thought about getting married someday?”

- “Oh, yeah! Only every time I look at you.”

Hearing those words made my heart leap. I couldn’t hide my smile and I blushed again. We sat in a comfortable silence, watching the joy of the newlywed couple.

- “Would you ever marry someone like me?” Deniel asked, his voice was low. There was a vulnerability in his eyes I hadn’t seen before.

- “Of course I would,” I replied softly, reaching over to hold his hand.

- “But there’s a difference between saying it and actually doing it. Your family… I don’t think they’d be thrilled about me.”

I knew he spoke the truth. Only my best friend was aware of Deniel’s existence in my life; to everyone else, he remained a secret. No one in my family knew—not my parents, nor my sister, nor my brother. It was a truth I had concealed, a confession I hesitated to make to my parents, fearing their judgment. My father, a respected neurosurgeon, and my mother, the glamorous model, would likely look at Deniel and see nothing but his past and his poverty.

- “I know it’s hard. And… it’s not like they know how amazing you are.”

- “Amazing, huh? Keep going—I could listen to this all day.”

- “Don’t push it. But really, I don’t care what they think. They don’t know you like I do. And if they can’t accept you, well… that’s on them, not us.”

- “Guess I’ll have to meet them eventually. Think your dad’s gonna give me the ‘I’ve got a scalpel and I’m not afraid to use it’ speech?”

- “Oh, definitely!”

- “Guess I’ll just charm him, then,” Deniel said with a wink, though there was a trace of seriousness behind his smile. “I’ll tell him about my fine collection of stolen roses from neighborhood gardens.”

- “Stolen roses… real classy.”

- “Hey, a guy does what he has to.”

He smiled, but I could sense the weight of reality in his words. For Deniel, everything was about getting by, finding joy in the small things, even when life offered him little in return.

We fell silent, each lost in thought, until I finally rested my head against his shoulder again, closing my eyes. I could feel his heartbeat, steady and strong beneath my cheek, and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace—a rare feeling I owed to him. After a while, I glanced at my watch and sighed:

- “I should probably get back to studying. Finals are coming up, and I can’t afford to mess this up.”

- “I get it. Go be a genius doctor or whatever,” he said with a mock salute. “I’ll just be here, nursing my broken heart.”

- “Oh, stop it,” I said, rolling my eyes as I stood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

- “Count on it,” he replied giving me a kiss on my lips.

We parted ways, each heading in a different direction. As I walked home, I could still feel his lips on mine. Along the way, I imagined what our wedding might look like. But my brief happiness was interrupted by her.

- “Hello sis!”