Bab 317: [62.8] Cyrus POV: The End of Reika Kang's Blue Period
[Disclaimer: This chapter includes mention of child neglect, death, suicidality, and violence.]
Reika breathed heavily as her eyes twinkled with excitement. She rubbed her cheek, consequently rubbing a bit of paint on her cheek. However, she didn't care as she grinned from the thrill.
She put her hands on her hips, "This. This is the end of my blue period."
I looked past her in awe as I stared at the side of the school. Just by using colors of blue, green, and grey, Reika successfully created a scene in a familiar classroom. One of the silhouettes sitting at a desk was a multicolored swirl so vibrant, it overpowered the rest of the dull colors surrounding it. However, that figure was chained to the desk.
Reika dusted off her hands and snickered, "I'm calling it: School. Where creativity comes to die."
I smiled to myself and whispered, "That's the Reika I know."
The memory lightened up until it turned completely white before fading to darkness and another memory took its place.
Reika leaned back in a chair with her arms folded and an irritated glare on her face. In front of her was an angry, older man, and beside her was her father and mother.
The older man spoke, "I'm sorry, Mister and Missus Kang. We have undeniable proof that your daughter was the one who defaced the school. We can't have a student here who tarnishes our good name."
Reika chuckled darkly, "You're just mad everyone is talking about it and agreeing with me that this school is a prison."
Her mother glared at her, "I can't believe it. You are about to be suspended and you're laughing about it!?"
The old man snapped, "This isn't a simple matter! I'm talking about expulsion! Do you understand!? Not just suspension! Expulsion!!!"
Her father quickly spoke, "Surely we can work something out."
The teacher suddenly paused and glanced at him. He let out a disapproving grunt, "I'm not sure how you could possibly work this out. In addition to the money it costs to remove the spray paint and all the work it goes into it, we won't even be able to pay our teachers to do their work!"
Her father pulled out his wallet, "Just name your price."
Seeing this, the principal smiled smugly and leaned back, "It won't be cheap."
After negotiating a good price, the three of them left. As soon as they were outside of the school, Reika's mother started smacking the back of Reika's head as she cursed her.
"I can't believe you did that! It was bad enough your brother is dead from your thoughtless actions, but you actually did something thoughtless again and were almost kicked out of this school we struggled to get you into! Now your father not only has to pay that poor family you destroyed, but now he has to pay to fix the school!"
Reika allowed her mother to hit her without resistance. She wore the same blank look as she always had.
Her mother continued, "You are going to pay back EVERY dollar your father had to pay them! I don't care if you work yourself to death! You're going to PAY IT BACK!"
Her father waited as a strange-looking carriage pulled up beside them and opened the door. Without getting in, Reika looks at her father with a determined look, "Papa. I'm applying to art school."
"WHAT!?" Her parents shouted simultaneously, "NO you will NOT!"
Reika's face turned cold, "Why do you two even care? You never so much as looked at me before today."
Her father looked genuinely shocked, "Reika… I…"
However, her mother interrupted him to shout, "So what?! You're doing this all for attention!? Well I don't care! I'm still your mother and you need to listen to me! I will die before I let you go to an art school!!! Why would you even want to go?! Do you want to be homeless that badly?!"
Reika shouted back, "Because it makes me happy and I ENJOY it! Plus it's MY life! MINE! The life YOU don't care about!"
Her father looked at the two of them helplessly, "Let's… Let's just discuss this in the car."
Reika let out a frustrated grunt and climbed inside, slamming the door behind her. Her mother soon joined her, still shouting and throwing out more insults. I appeared in the strange carriage, sitting next to Reika.
Her father tried to calm them down, "Stop screaming at each other. Maybe we can reach a compromise?"
Reika scoffed, "Compromise!? It's MY future! MY choice! What part do you not understand!?"
Her mother shouted back, "It's not a future!! That's what we can't understand!!! What can you possibly achieve with an ART degree!?!"
Reika shouted back, "I can achieve A LOT of things! Art curator! Gallery owner! I can do ANYTHING I want!"
Her mother laughed as if to mock her, "Oh, I'm sure. After all, there are so many art curators and gallery owners… Oh wait, there's not! No wonder no one I know has children with art degrees! IT'S WORTHLESS!"
"IT'S NOT WORTHLESS!! It's what I want!"
"You don't know what you want!!"
Her father looked between the two of them, "She can always come work at my company if it doesn't work-"
Reika snapped at him, "It's going to work! With or without you two supporting me!!!"
Her mother scoffed, "We definitely won't support you. We won't even let you apply!"
Her father gave her mother a look, "Honey. Just let her apply. It can't hurt."
Her mother glared at him, "If she applies for that, then she should apply for a real school too! One of my choice!"
Her father nodded quickly, "There. A compromise."
Reika growled, "I'm not going to study for it! I already told you I have no intention of being a stupid doctor or a useless lawyer!"
"Fine! Then we won't pay for any of it!"
Reika threw up her arms, "Fine! I've worked this hard so I could get a scholarship and finally be free from you! As soon as I'm gone, that's the last you'll see me!"
Her mother rolled her eyes, "Oh, I'm so sure. Knowing you, you'll flunk out within a semester without me there to nag you."
Reika's face turned red as her body trembled from the rage, "I don't need you. I don't need either of you. You haven't been in my life all these years, I don't need you to be in it now."
In the small mirror in the middle of the carriage, I could see Reika's father's face twist as if he was in pain. Curious, I watched his expression, but just as I realized something, the memory faded.
The next one showed Reika walking with her head held triumphantly high as she left that house behind with two suitcases being pulled behind her.
Just as I waited for what would follow, I felt a powerful force pull me back. I flew through the air, passing through a painting and crashing into the wall behind me.
I was returned back to that eerie hallway crawling with smoke.
I blinked in confusion as the painting in front of me solidified into a triumphant Reika, smirking as she left her family home.
Once the painting stopped moving, my eyes were drawn to the rest of the hallway which was filled with a thick smoke. The smoke receded a bit, revealing more frames on the walls. I stood up and walked down the hall, staring at each one closely.
In the paintings, it told the life of Reika realizing her dream.
One showed her practicing until the late hours of the night, barely getting any sleep.
Another showed her as a waitress, working until her feet hurt just to pay for her small apartment.
The next one showed her among a group of friends, shining brightly as she beamed with joy.
Finally, I came to a painting of Reika standing proudly in front of a variety of paintings in a gallery. Her own name was on each of the paintings with her own titles. I was so surprised to see such beautiful art I spoke aloud, "You did it…"
I felt myself smiling with her as I stared at that painting. My eyes were drawn to her energetic aura which was the very thing that drew me to her in the first place. I had to bring myself to pull away and remind myself of my original goal of being in this space.
I need to find Reika.
"Did I?" A voice spoke from the painting. The Reika in the painting slowly turned her head and smiled bitterly, "But in the end, my mother was right."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Nekoru
Nekoru That's it for Reika's childhood...
But did you think we were finished in her memories?
Because guess what... The worse has yet to come.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone