Chapter 01 - True Colours

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Chapter Song - True Colours by Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake

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Beigoma was the friendliest neighbourhood Shu had known his whole life — this is quite a valid statement since he had travelled half the world with his parents. People here were talkative and caring. After long weeks in ships or isolated islands rich with biodiversity, Shu always found himself enjoying watching these people get along with their lives. He had never been at one place for longer than two weeks until a few months ago. It was safe to say he didn't have a permanent building — an enclosed place to call home. Home was wherever he and his parents were — in the middle of the atlantic sea, in the uninhabited islands crawling with snakes, that was where his home was.

Due to this constant movement he didn't have many friends. He was homeschooled, and though at first he was keen to make friendships he later realised it was pointless. To develop a bond that lasted only a several weeks seemed not even worth the effort. He used to envy the lives of the people in the cities they travelled but he loved his life too. Loved the variety of it, how he could learn new things and be with his parents.

He would sacrifice anything to go back to the life he had.

Shu was sitting inside his cousin's apartment in Beigoma. Not the one his parents owned. After the incident he didn't dare to go back to that place, that place crawling with memories of the past. Snippets of moments where they came over to stay back at home to enjoy the holidays.

He leaned against the cushions of the velvety blue couch placed near the long french windows — they were overlooking the clean sandy strip of beach. It was the beginning of Spring and there were a group of children playing with a ball, a family of three collecting seashells. All the things he would never be able to do with his parents again.

In front of him on the coffee table was a crisp long white envelope. Shu was waiting for Zac to arrive after school to see if he had been accepted to this High School. His cousin had been supportive and understanding for these past few months. It was him who suggested that he enrol into a highschool. The thought never crossed his mind until his cousin laid down a stack of leaflets from various highschools in the area — even the Music High he was attending which was in the next town.

He decided to apply. But since he had no official record of academic excellence many of them turned him down—including the prestigious music high school Zac attended. Zac was so heart broken after that one. Shu didn't have a special love for music but many said he did have the talent — besides his father taught him to play the guitar and the piano a bit. At this point of his life, he was ready to go along with anything people said to him. He was desperate for a distraction.

The envelope lying on top of the coffee table was his only hope. The local music academy didn't rely much on the student's past academic reports, rather an interview and a quick test of playing an instrument while singing. Shu went ahead and did it, when he walked out of the interview room, he was quite sure he had blown off the opportunity.

So yes, in fact this envelope didn't give him much hope despite being his only hope.

The jingle of the keys distracted him from staring holes into the envelope. He listened to the footsteps of his cousin as he walked through the main hallway to the sitting room. "Hey, Shooting star" He said with a bright smile offering him the brown paper bag he was holding. His aunt and uncle were out of town for a business trip. Zac was the one taking care of the house and well, him.

"Hello," Shu said, taking it. He didn't have to see the content to determine what it was. The aroma of freshly baked bread invaded his senses. The local bakery made the best bread he had ever tasted, he was not even exaggerating. Shu picked one of them — coated with a light layer of sugar, and took a bite. "The last letter came by the way" He said, dismissively gesturing to the envelope.

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