My Love from my Photograph

Part 15

(Y/n)'s POV

Okay. Not panicking. Stay calm. I need to stay calm...

But the only way of letting me being much more comfortable is to look down at the ground the whole time.

"(Y/n)-san? Is everything alright?" Michiko bends down a little to look at me.

"Ye-yes, I a-am fine.."

"Ah, I see. That's good. By the way, I heard from Aesop and Emily that---" she stops for a brief moment on purpose, which I suppose the next thing is going to be quite embarrassing,"--- you and Joseph-san kissed? Again? Yee~~" she squeals in the slightest voice she can while I try my best to calm her down a bit.

"Miss Michiko, please... "

"Ah here you are, (Y/n)." We turn our head at the same time and Joseph is right at our back.

"Ne~ Michiko will be off first~ see you later~" With that, she vanishes right before our very eyes.

"Uh, um..." Just as I'm unsure how to start a new conversation with Joseph after the incident, he speaks up directly. "Je suis désole, mon cher." He gently grabs my hands and put them in his, looking a little down.

"N-no. It-it's fine. I'm just shocked, that's all... After all, it's Aesop and Emily playing some sort of joke on us, is it not?"

"Indeed, but I really thought you will suffocate inside the coffin, so..."

"It-it's fine, really."

"Well then, shall we get inside?"

"Yes then." He gently leads me inside the hall with my left hand in his right, while I clutch my dress with another.

It felt as if the last ball we had was just yesterday.

"Ooh, looking good, Miss (Y/n)," says Martha as she gives me a wink.

"Th-thanks, Miss Martha," I reply politely.

"The show is about to start soon! I wonder what have the others prepared..." Tracey and Norton walks pass us as she mumbles. That hits me right in the head. The show! They said that everyone was supposed to be preparing them days ago. But what am I supposed to do? I didn't practice nor prepare at all!

As if Joseph understands what I'm thinking, he replies me with a smile,"Don't worry about that, I've got it all readied."

"Good evening, Miss (Y/n) and Mr. Joseph! You guys really make a nice couple!" Emma chirps excitedly from the back, then offers us to join her and Mr. Jack at the front row. The stage is quite huge, but not larger than the whole ballroom as it only occupies a small corner of the room.

"Now that everyone has arrived, let the show begins!" The first one to get up the stage is Freddy the lawyer.

"Today is a special day to celebrate our gathering of meeting all the people we like and dislike and hate. I would like to thank my loyal friends for helping me out to escape in every games, and no thanks to those who always send me up the chair. I hereby end my talk, thank you." What? That's it? Someone at the back yells out "boring!", but Freddy ignores the crowd and goes down the stage after his talk.

The next to go up the stage are four followers of Yidhra and Robbie. I can see Robbie slightly shaking as he stares down at the crowd for a second. "Twinkle twinkle little stars, how I wonder what you are..." At first they are singing, but Robbie suddenly break into tears as he can no longer stand being on stage.

"Hah! Crybaby!" Kreacher burst into laughter at the back when seeing Robbie cries on stage. How mean of him! Just as I decide to stand up and teach him a lesson, Joseph pulls my hand down and make himself stand up. "Tonight is supposed to be a joyful gathering without any hate among survivors and hunters, which means you should not be mean to anyone else here, especially to a kid!"