2 Minutes, 23 Seconds

2' 00"

"I-I need to find him first," Eury said with conviction, in fear that she might lose him again. She stood up immediately, feeling all the strength she had instantly regained by hope. Ivan gave her a supportive smile and moved aside to give way, knowing that this is an important moment for his cousin. This is setting her free. Letting her know that it is all right for them to let their hearts choose is what they're here for, as family. They had foreseen this situation regarding Van and Eury. They just had to accept it. Ivan took out his phone and called his girlfriend. After that, he will message his mother to be online on Skype later so they could talk about it with his cousin.

Eury sprinted to the door as if she was running out of time. How did she have the guts to push the man she loves away from her when he is already the one coming back to her? That is what ran through her mind as the corridor seemed to blur in her vision. She pressed the elevator button as many times as she could despite knowing that it will not make the elevator move any faster. She might indeed be running out of time.

Rain was falling hard outside and the loud drops to the ground were oddly deafening. I need to find him. I need to find him. She repeated it like some sort of mantra but luck is just not on her side, not today. Then she thought, he must have really left because it has been more than an hour since he left, or when she pushed him away rather. She started panicking, thinking he's gone again but it was then when a name popped in her head—Hyacinth.

Her hands were trembling as she fumbled to take out her phone from her cardigan's pocket. She stared at the phone's screen for seconds that felt too long before she realized that she doesn't have Hyacinth's number. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. Her brain immediately looked for any other way to reach her old classmate.

Then suddenly, she thought of the internet. She facepalmed herself, thinking that it was too dumb of her to forget the use of modern technology. She quickly went to Facebook, not minding that she's walking back and forth the lobby and not caring about the few people who were silently judging her by the way she looks with her hair all messed up, face still a little wet from crying and very puffy eyes. She looked like a lost puppy.

She typed Hyacinth's name repeatedly on the search bar—repeatedly because she kept on misspelling her classmate's name cause of anxiety, and she was a bit confused when she saw that they weren't friends yet. She added her then sent her two messages containing a short greeting then went straight to what she needed from her which is anything that would connect her to Van again. She then looked for him if he still had a profile but ended up on his old one with the last post he made three years ago which was their picture during her birthday. She felt the familiar sting in her eyes. Here she goes again. Before she breaks down there in the lobby, she immediately ran back to the elevator and decided to just wait for whatever will happen to her now that Van showed up.

When she went back to her room, she found Ivan on the couch, looking too serious for his character. She asked him what was wrong, but he asked her back instead. "Did you find him?" Actually, he was just worried about her.

Eury told him that she had not but she already found a way to contact him. Maybe this time, fate will allow them to be happy again, and together.

"Happy birthday, girl." Nina was obviously unsure of what tone to use and it seemed contradicting, greeting Eury a happy birthday but not happily. They hugged instead to lift off the little awkwardness in the air. Eury figured she has a lot of explaining to do to her dear friend. "Why didn't you tell me?" Nina asked, her hands were holding Eury's arms.