Rewriters [Completed]

Chapter 24: Wave it Goodbye

Kaleo started to cry.

It was not like the times he tried to hide it. For the first time, he let out his emotions in front of her. A second later, he felt Lysa's warm embrace, comforting him like how he did for her.

"You hid your emotions for my sake... but you don't have to hold them back anymore," she told him. "We... are in this together, aren't we?"

"Y-yeah..." Kaleo sniffed. "We are."

Moments later, they let go of each other, staring into each other's eyes until Kaleo spoke.

"I realised why I wanted to be a hero," he said, gazing into the distance. "I want to save my Dad. I was so frustrated that I couldn't do anything, much less know anything. It feels as though everyone is keeping something from me."

"Lysa, after we finish our book, I'm... I'm going to meet him and ask, 'What happened that made you like this?'. It's going to be hard. I don't know whether I can face him but..." He gave her a sad smile. "I can tell him my feelings. I can listen to his. That's my superpower after all."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad."

"Thank you, Lysa. I needed this." Kaleo did the same for her. "I'm going to save you too. I'm going to free you from your fate."

She nodded, and he could almost see the tiny spark of hope in her eyes. His cheeks suddenly grew hot and he quickly looked away before anyone noticed.

Instead, he gazed at the field of flowers laid before the First Hero's statue. "Let's stay here for a little while longer. The mayor's speech can wait."

Lysa nodded, following his gaze. "Sure."

••••

Early next morning, Kaleo was awake, leaving his apartment with bread in his mouth. He quickly finished it and headed to a place he had not visited for a long time.

Cerulean Coast. The place where everything started.

Looking back, it was mindblowing how much time had past since then. As he headed closer to the bench, he closed his eyes and let the sound of crashing waves surround him.

Everything was the same, yet it was so different.

I don't remember so much construction here... at least it didn't affect the beach.

Kaleo stepped onto the beach, just in time to witness the sunrise. He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the rays on his face.

Sand crunched beside him and he turned his head to see a girl standing next to him with a box of chicken nuggets in her hands. He recognised her; she was a regular of this place.

He gave her a smile. "Hey."

"Hi," she said, though she seemed more focused on eating those chicken nuggets. "I haven't seen you around for a while."

"Yeah... lots of stuff happened."

She simply gave a nod and resumed eating.

"How's your grandfather by the way?"

"The usual." As she spoke, she glanced to the back.

Kaleo followed her gaze to see the old man glaring at the construction sites as if the intensity of his glare would cause them to disappear. Even from a distance, he could hear his angry murmurs.

He chuckled a little. Things really weren't that much different.

"You look happier," the girl commented after a long pause.

"I do?"

She did not elaborate, taking another bite of her food.

Kaleo looked at his faint reflection on the water. He looked the same as always, wearing the same maroon jacket and white headphones, but it didn't seem the same.

"I sup-"

"I'm happy for you," she said.

Stunned, he did not respond immediately, his eyes widening at her words. They were only acquaintances - they don't even know each other's names - yet she noticed him. Her words were genuine.

"I... Thank you," he spoke, still pleasantly surprised by her kind words.

I didn't realise that other people were concerned for me...

Finishing her food, the girl started to leave.

"Wait!" he called, running up to her. "I realised we never got properly acquainted... better late than never, right? Um... what's your name?"

She stopped, gazing at him with an unreadable expression. "... it's Talia."

Smiling, Kaleo stuck out his hand. "I'm Kaleo. Nice to meet you, Talia."

"Nice to... meet you too," Talia mumbled awkwardly, taking his hand after a moment of hesitation.

As they exchanged an awkward handshake, Kaleo was surprised that she was wearing gloves; he never noticed them before. He didn't probe it.

"Have a nice day," he said, waving a goodbye as she ran to catch up with her grandfather. Though she did not wave back, she acknowledged it with a tiny nod.

It sounds like she's doing better too, Kaleo thought to himself. I don't hear that melancholic sound anymore.

Left alone to admire the last moments of the sunrise, he felt lighter, as if his heavy troubles were finally lifted off him. He wasn't sure whether it was the sun, but he felt a strange burning feeling in his body, and for some reason, everything sounded clearer.

It gave him a rush of encouragement, that even though it was hard, things would eventually change for the better.

He just had to keep moving forward.

One day, he would give his past one last gaze and bid it goodbye.

Lysa's face came into mind. She changed so much from the girl he met that day at the Cerulean Coast. She was working hard too, to change, to become better.

I want to do better for her too.

Kaleo closed his fist, remembering the times she tried to smile for him despite the invisible pain she felt. After she told him the words he always wanted to hear, he realised he wanted to make her happy.

So that's what he was going to do.

He was going to help her smile again.

••••

Talia is so relatable sometimes. 😂

A very short but necessary chapter.

~

Next | Chapter 25: Scars