[Part. 8]

For the past year in Malaysia, Kenzo's life had been monotonous. He did nothing but repeat the same routine day in and day out: wake up, shower and have breakfast, go to work, come back home, and sleep. Occasionally, he'd spend two to three hours at a coffee shop just to unwind. That was it. And it had been going on for the past few months.

And now, as he arrived in New York City upon hearing that Jess was staying at Fathia's house, he felt like he was back in the same place. He had taken his accumulated leave days for a future visit, but because of this unexpected opportunity, Kenzo decided to return without much thought.

During his year away, he had endured quite a bit of torment, especially the feeling of longing. When was the last time he felt this unusual emotion? It seemed like never. When he realized that Jess had a special place in his heart, he had grown accustomed to being around her. For some reason in the past, he had chosen to leave.

When he opened