Chapter 40: Chapter 37: The Road is Fine as Long as we Continue to Walk Hand in Hand
Joy woke up the next morning with tears on her cheeks and inexplainable pain inside her chest. It was 4 am and she was supposed to be sleeping but because of the weird dream she had, there she was- panting and sweaty.
She saw a light shining brightly in the sky- it was sooo bright and so blue it burned her eyes on his sleep. It lasted long- and with its presence, it was like the sun paled into insignificance with its mighty rays and appearance. Then the light fell and a person stood behind Joy- telling her things she don't remember anymore--however, she was sure that the words were familiar. The person behind her in her dream was shouting but she cannot remember anything even if she tried. Joy was shouting at the person too and at the light as well.
Everything seemed so real that Joy feared that it wasn't just a nightmare after all- she doubted it for a moment but she realized that there was no point in dwelling over the past.
The mission to save Yvan was over to Joy's knowledge even if they said she passed out. She trusted Light more than she trusted herself and with just his words, she was assured that Yvan was okay. However, she noticed that there was an eerie sense going on with those two- with how they talked to her and how Yvan seemed too serious and frightening. 'Maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like my memories are distorted. Hahaha I guess I just need more sleep.' Joy thought to herself.
Everything went on as she continued to live her life like any normal high school student would do. Light and Joy seemed inseparable with Cammy on their side but Light's stand on Cammy helping with missions still hasn't changed. They had missions after Yvan's but their cases were easily solved because they were willing.
Joy was contented and happy with the state of things now and she wished deep down inside her for things not to change--everything was perfect.
"Joy, let's go home." Mari invited as she smiled so widely- Light on his side but he looked so serious and concerned so Joy tried to feel her necklace but there was no sign of mission for today. Nathan and Nick soon appeared with looks of triumph on their faces.
" What's the news?" Mari asked them as the two guys smiled wide.
"The top 5 people on the mock test will have interviews with AK University tomorrow." Nathan answered as he arranged his eyeglasses as if inside an anime.
"OH, that's why you removed you contact lenses a while ago- to look cool and intelligent with those glasses as you tell them the news." Nick teased and punched Nathan lightly on the shoulder.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Nathan said and took his bag from his chair. They went out from their room laughing endlessly because of the dissing of Nathan and Nick.
"Uhm. Joy?"
Mari broke the silence between herself and Joy as they walked into the meadows which will lead to their homes. Joy looked at her and smiled.
"You seem hurt. Is something wrong? You can tell me anything." Mari paused as the rain dropped down, soaking them wet in their uniform. Light was silent as usual, Cammy was following him while laughing at the jokes of Nick and Nathan and Joy was looking directly at Mari.
"I am fine. Thank you for the concern Mari. I promise that if something goes wrong, i will go directly to tell you what that is. But rest assured. I'm completely fine and well." Joy said.
"You better be." Mari said as she hugged her then they all ran home because of the rain.
_____
It was 10:55 pm. Joy was supposed to be tucked into her bed and sleeping at this hour but she can't for some unknown reasons. Joy was also not able to eat well a while ago and she don't know why. Her grandmother- Josephine cooked her favorite food and it was such a waste because she lacked appetite. She don't know what's wrong with herself but she's certain that she don't feel like herself anymore.
Joy looked in the mirror near her bed and hated what she saw- her eyes were sad and she lost weight. Some of the cuts on her wrists were healed now- but scars were left maybe to help her remember that she was a part of a person's healing. She noticed the necklace she was wearing-- there was a discoloration because the color changed and became darker. 'maybe I just need sleep' She thought to herself.
"All these pain, all these sadness, they will all be gone tomorrow right?" Joy said as she held her necklace close to her heart.
_____.
*knock knock*
She was finally able to drift nicely on her sleep but the knocking from outside woke her up. She approached it and spread the matte pink curtain on her window to see who is knocking downstairs but she was shocked to see a pair of golden-eyes appear in front of her eyes- in her window on the second floor of their house!
"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Joy told him and then he laughed.
"You should change. We are going to be late now." Light said, still laughing at her hilarious reaction.
"Where are we going now?" Joy asked.
"Festival."
"OH, now I know. I must be dreaming." Joy told herself and laughed. "You look so real though." She touched Light's face and realized that he was real because his face went all red and hot. "Y-you're real!"
"O-of course I am!" Light said and held her hands that were still on both of his cheeks. "You should change now. I'll wait for you at the gate." Light shut her curtains and went down from her window while Joy can't seem to grasp the fact that Light climbed her window just to tell her that they will go out.
______
Joy left their house to meet with Light who was already waiting on their gate. Seeing him painted a smile on her rosy cheeks- she made sure to put some makeup and dress nicely. She wore a nice off-shoulder white dress that extended until it reached before her knees and paired it with black flats. Light was wearing a nice unbuttoned black striped polo shirt with a white shirt under it. Her cheeks blushed as he came to view because he looked good no matter what he wore. She approached him as he leaned on their gate and he smiled at her. There was a moment of awkwardness for Joy when they started walking into the grassy meadows to reach for the festival site. Their hands were touching as they walked close to each other due to the huge number of people that surrounded them.
The moon shined so bright and the sky was clear. It was so perfect for a festival.
Joy's cheeks were still burning hot as she stole short gazes on Light who seemed interested in the things that kept happening around him. There was a band playing-- lights illuminated their surroundings and people looked so happy. The venue was on the shore of their lake and people walked hand in hand with each other.
Joy looked at Light and studied him. 'Maybe it was his first time going to a festival.' she thought and blushed more as she thought and looked down. 'I-is this a date? I should've prepared more.'
She glanced at Light again but this time, he lowered his back so he can be equally leveled to Joy's height. He had been noticing Joy stealing glances ever since they left her house and he found it weird. Joy averted her gaze from Light who was studying her every action. Just then, Light stood up and combed his hair using his hands as Joy refused to look and blush more than she was already doing.
"Geez, for crying out loud." Light said and reached for her hand and held it tightly.
"T-this is be-because you might get lost because of the sea of people that attended this festival" Light stuttered, hoping to ease the awkwardness Joy was feeling because Light holding her hand is something she couldn't imagine even in her wildest dreams.
" Y-yes. I understand" Joy blushed.
The scenery was perfect. There were many people beside the lake and almost every person in the town was there, looking so happy like nothing in this world can baffle them. The lights of the fireflies glowed in the place, together with the banderitas that the officials put to place. Everything was just like a scene from a movie. All the lights, the candid moments, and most especially- Light holding Joy's hand. He smiled so wide towards her that it melted her heart almost instantly-
'his face is like a scenery i will never get tired of seeing for the rest of my life' she thought to herself and looked at their entwined hands. They ran towards the booths, still hand in hand- like everything was surreal- like a vivid dream coming to life in front of their eyes. They watched the fireworks display as well as the people as they laughed and cheered but Joy's most favorite laugh of all, is his'.
"Here" Light said as he handed her a chocolate-flavored ice cream. Joy took it and nodded. For the past few months, she was trying to keep herself from falling for Light. He was just so mysterious and charming--and what he did just now was adding to the feeling of falling every time she sees him. Light held her hands again as they both ate their ice creams in silence.
"Sometimes I just can't help but wonder what kind of future await us" Light said and broke the sadness that enveloped them while the people near the lake were watching the production. "This path we took is very uncertain and it seems like there is almost no end to these never-ending paths of darkness."
Joy looked at him and saw sadness in his eyes. She loved her eyes even though they seemed cold but his sad eyes - that she can never learn to love. "This path..."
Light looked at her as she talked. "I never worried about this path no matter how dark it is because every time I look at you, I feel like no matter the obstacle, no matter the mission or hardship that will darken our way, I know I'm not alone and you are by my side, ready to light my way and guide me."
" How pitiful. You must have been suffering because you did not decide to walk this path." Light said and ate the ice cream that melted in the cone.
"If I'll be able to freely choose a path..." Joy said, "I would still choose this because I am so happy for being able to help people and carry their sufferings with them." she added and finished her ice cream. "And... It was because of this path that I met you- that you came into my life and that is the best thing that's happened to me. You gave light to my world. In a very short time, you have given me light and salvation."
"Y-you don't regret walking this path?" Light asked her.
"Of course not. I'm so happy this path had been laid out for me so I could walk alongside you. When you came into my life, I felt like all the sufferings I had before all vanished and I finally saw the light." Joy answered "shooting stars." she said while looking above- the dark sky was full of stars but their twinkles paled into comparison with the eyes of Light that looked so beautiful and ethereal.
"Shooting stars are proofs that one can still be beautiful even when she falls." Light replied. "Why not make a wish?"
They both closed their eyes and Joy prayed her hardest, hoping that the heavens will hear her wish.
"What did you wish for?" Joy asked Light.
There was a moment of silence before he talked. "I wish one day you'll be as happy as you pretend to be." he said while looking into her eyes. "And, i wish that we can be like this forever, and for you to not forget me even if you meet other people." he continued.
"i won't forget you." she said and she held his hand to assure him. "How can I forget such an amazing person? It's impossible."
'If she only knew what she says...' Light thought to himself. As they leaned on the bridge and watched the stars as they twinkled, Light can't help but look at Joy [whom he called Hope] and he thought things which baffled him every time they came to his mind.
'This beautiful person will soon forget me and there is absolutely nothing i can do about it. She is nearly at her limit.' Light thought and fireworks started to light the night sky. The band stopped playing as all the people went silent and watched.
'She will forget me soon, and I will vanish into thin air, i will be lost with only her memories to hold on to. I will be so lonely, but in the end she will be happy, finally.' tears fell from Light's eyes as he looked at Joy who happily watched the fireworks display.
'I know that this is normal- because in the end, there will always be someone who'll leave and be forgotten- I am a chosen and upon accepting this mission, I conceded and accepted my faith. Our faith. But I somehow want to fight. I want to be with her longer. I want to be able to walk by her side until she discards me because she doesn't like me anymore. I want to be with her and just thinking about leaving you to be happy makes me happy too, but I want to be happy with you. I want to be the one that makes you smile every second of the day. I want to be your the one. ' Light said and tears streamed his cheeks. He looked at Joy and pulled her close into a hug. Joy was startled because she was happily watching the fireworks. She could hear his heart beating fast.
"It's recorded." Light said and pulled away from the hug after the fireworks.
"W-what?"
"It's recorded. I recorded in my heart and now I could replay it whenever I want." Light added.
________
"Hope!" Joy heard someone shout her name so she searched the area, finding no one in the end.
"Hope! Please wake up." the voice became more and more audible as it clamored into her mind, making everything chaotic.
"Do you hear that?" she asked Light who seemed to be in deep thoughts.
"What?" he asked.
Joy was about to answer when everything around her seemed to be spinning so rapid- so fast that it made her see things that weren't there before.
She felt a strong gust of a strong wind that made her feel like spinning- it was so strong that she cannot even open her eyes. After a while of spinning and almost puking, the wind came to a stop, then a bright light seemed to illuminate her eyes, making it very hurtful to even see anything- she then saw a woman holding a flashlight directly at her eyes- wearing a glove, speaking something she failed to fathom.
'Speak louder...' she thought. 'Please speak louder...'
"Joy!" she shouted, and made her snap out of her thoughts.
"Do you know who I am? Do you remember me?" someone who seemed like a doctor asked her
"You ... You look like a doctor." Joy answered. "Where am i?"
"You are at-" she continued to speak but Joy became so dizzy and she failed to contemplate what the doctor said. Everything confused her. She tried shouting to express how much her head hurt but she cannot hear her own voice no matter how much she cried- she tried to communicate with the doctor but everything she had that time was panic and confusion.. "Is this a dream? Please hurry and wake me up! Please!" Joy tried to grab her but she saw her own hands, and then her face in the glasses of the woman and everything turned black.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone