Labyrinth | ✓

f i f t e e n t h ♂

A/N: Song above is Bloodstream by The Chainsmokers. You're free to play this song for this chapter or not.

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Magnificent.

People always argued that the word 'beautiful' is a banal, dull compliment. Girls were immune to its diminishing effects, and most of them would often shrug it off as a meaningless praise. Because of this, they looked for other emotionally powerful words, such as gorgeous and magnificent. The latter will be the best word describe Rena in a nutshell, although that was still an underestimation.

She was more than just magnificent.

Her sapphire eyes always mesmerized me, and I couldn't simply snap out of it. I wanted to turn away as she began approaching me, but I couldn't, and I have no idea why. Her plump, pink lips widened into a sweet smile; the one that caused my heart to thump against my ribs. I tightly clenched both of my fists together, swallowing my saliva down my throat.

I have to admit, Rena was pretty stunning. She was dressed in a blue gingham top covered by a denim jacket with sleeves rolled up, and a white flared skirt, with a pair of simple shoes. She also wore a simple necklace with a purple ring as the pendant. All of these style fit her perfectly.

"Hey Rena." I greeted, and thankfully, I did not mess up.

"E-Ed, I didn't expect you to be here!" Rena exclaimed happily. She assumed on an empty seat beside me, and instantly, I felt her body brushing against me. I quickly squirmed at the touch, and right now, I was trying to be normal as possible. I just hoped that she never noticed my actions.

"W-where are you from?" She asked.

"Just hanging out at the park." I thought of the reply before answering, as I eyed at her. At first, I wanted to lie, but I was overpowered by my own hesitation. Besides, this bus originated from Mayfield, and if Rena knew, I would be in big trouble. "How about you?"

"I was just stopping by to buy some bread and snacks from the market." Rena replied. At her response, my body was literally in a suspense than before, for no reason. "It's kinda crowded today, so the queue was pretty long. It took me like half an hour to finally get to the cashier!"

She showed me a bag of goodies that she had been carrying on her hand. Looking inside, I saw a lot of fresh bread and some bags of chips. There, in the stacks, was my favorite type of bread: baguette. Immediately temptations swirled inside my head, urging me to grab one and eat it. I tried my best resisting it by not ogling at it for too long.

It's her fucking bread, not yours.

As seconds fly by, realization suddenly came through me like waves: Rena wasn't using her bike. It was an unusual sight to see her riding the bus instead, because she often told me that she preferred her bike more than public transportation. Maybe it was just for a change?

"Rena."

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you using your bike?" I wondered, raising my eyebrow.

"...It kinda broke down this morning..." Rena sheepishly laughed. "The pedals are completely jammed when I tried them. Don't worry, though, my dad's going to fix it!"

I was about to offer my assistance on repairing her bike, but she easily read through me like a script. As soon as she said that her father is going to handle the problem, my heart instantly sank deep down. I silently huffed, folding my arms and mentally rolled my eye.

How about considering a new bike instead? I thought as something fiery shot through my body.

"So... what do you do at the park?" Rena asked.