23:59

12:00 Start of Forgiveness

[AN: Because I still feel dumb, here you go. Another chapter. I'm still laughing at how some of you noticed that there might be something missing, but concluded, naaaah, must be part of the story. lmao.

Also, tomorrow is the start of TharnType. Anybody here who's going to watch immediately? We can talk about it. But bear in mind that I critic very much and did a written review on s1 which I have now deleted.]

They walked along the night beach, allowing the salty and cold wind blow on their faces. For a while, no one was talking. Both were weighing in the situation. Mew, who was given this chance didn't want to waste it and started the conversation.

"You've changed a lot. I didn't recognize you at all back at the night market."

"..."

"When you picked up that lamp, I remembered the old days. You have something like that in your room."

Gulf remembers. He likes gleaming objects and that lamp relaxes him.

"But I was stupid not to recognize you. You've grown taller, and... tanner. You don't have glasses anymore."

"I recognized you right away." Gulf said indifferently, ignoring the compliments. He admits that he was so shocked to see Mew that night. The mere fact that nobody looked for him means they had pushed through with migrating. He didn't dare sneak a peek around the village when they graduated from the orphanage and assumed that they have moved far away. As he continued with his adult life, he never saw Mew nor any of his 'relatives' around Pattaya.

"It must have felt terrible having to entertain our group knowing it was me." Mew said.

"Yeah it was." Gulf didn't deny it.

Mew closed his eyes. Talking with Gulf was harder than he thought.

"I want to apologize again. For saying those things to you. I know being young isn't a good excuse for what I've said, but, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean those words."

"..."

"I looked for you everywhere. Even on the day that we were supposed to leave, I didn't stop. I wanted to find you Ka... I mean, Gulf. Mom and Dad launched a search too."

A search. They did look for him after all. At least that's one grudge gone. Because his young self had ingrained the fact in his brain that nobody ever looked for him. He kept thinking that he was one less burden to the family. He was bitter that him running away made it easy for them to get rid of him.

He felt unloved.

"But we couldn't find you. They thought you were... dead."

Dead. Of course he's dead. Kana died that night he ran away.

Mew couldn't bring himself to tell him that they had stopped the search only after a few days because they were scared of the consequences. What's more, Kana's mom knew where he was and didn't bother getting him. If it infuriated him, how much more if he told Gulf?