Chapter 4

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." - Dalai lama

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Haru and Carmen were having breakfast quietly when Carmen broke the silence between them.

"I found that you volunteered at the hospice Haru."  Haru ignored what Carmen said; instead, she just continued to eat.

"Haru, you're never going back there again! Just stay here and focus in front of your laptop as you do in the province!" Haru didn't know why she felt upset at what Carmen said. She let go of her spoon and fork and stood up in her seat.

"It's my life carmen! So what I do, I want to do it without your permission! And another thing, I didn't neglect what I did to you, right?" She shouted. Carmen was also standing up in her seat and she shouted at Haru. 

"Remember, you're here with me, Haru! So what happens to you, is to blame me!"

"Why Carmen? Why don't you want me to go back to the hospice?! Are you afraid that your popularity might suddenly disappear?" 

"Not like that, Haru,""Not like that? But that's what you make me feel! Don't worry, Carmen; I'm following what I told you and what we agreed to!" Haru said, and she left Carmen in the dining area. 

Haru arrived at the hospice early. When she entered, Nicole suddenly hugged her tightly and there was a concern in her eyes. 

"Are you okay?" Nicole asked, Haru nodded, then they approached some of their colleagues who were sitting on the long sofa here in the lobby. Haru quietly listened to the conversations of her colleagues until a woman approached them. Haru thought it was around 40 years of age.

"Won't others go to school?"

 Haru stared at the woman's face. She didn't know why she was staring at it.

"Later nurse Freya, some of us didn't go to school and some of us have finished the day of school and have a job, but the rest of us didn't want to leave here this hospice," Jayson said.

 "You are so different Jayson. I asked one question, and you answered so many. Is she a new volunteer here?" Nurse Freya asks them.

"Yes nurse Freya, she's my cousin," Nicole said, Haru glanced at what Nicole called nurse Freya, and Freya came near to Haru. 

"What's your name?"

 

"H-Haru," Haru said here because she still doesn't have the clothes that the volunteers wear.

"A nice name. I have to go now. I need to take care of all the patients here," Freya said while she smiled at them. Those smiles Haru recognized behind her were filled with sadness. A few minutes later, the rest of their colleagues arrived and started what they had to do. 

At around 6:00 PM, they were all done with what they were doing. Now they are here on the sofa.

"I'll go ahead," Nikki said goodbye to them and immediately stood up.

"Nicole, go home first. I'm just going somewhere," Haru said goodbye to Nicole, and she immediately stood up. Nicole called her, but she ignored her and kept walking.

Until Haru got to Jared's room. She knocked three times on the door, but no one opened or spoke here, so she just thought of opening it because it was not locked. She slowly opened it and carefully went inside. She was even surprised to see Jared sitting on the side of the bed while bent over his head.

"Get out whoever you are."

Haru ignored what Jared said, instead of sitting on the other side of the bed. 

"It's late night if you plan to clean here, just come tomorrow," Jared said again, but Haru ignored what Jared said. Haru took a deep breath before speaking.

"I was 9 years old when my mother died."

FLASHBACK

 13 years ago, Haru couldn't accept that her mother was gone. Her mother left them early. Haru ran away from the place where the mother was. Haru couldn't stop crying and ran until she got tired and sat in the middle of the road. Suddenly, very heavy rain fell. As if she was sympathizing with the sadness she was feeling now, 

Haru couldn't stop crying even though there were two pairs of shoes right in front of her. until Haru felt that she couldn't get wet in the rain because someone had put an umbrella over her head, but still she didn't say a word. She also didn't pay attention to the person in front of her, she kept crying. 

"Do you know? Do many people want to live? But you,  you're just going to end your life like that. What if a speeding car passes by here? You're still young, and you still have a lot to do in your life."

She still ignored the person in front of her.

"kiddo, if you're having a hard time in your life. and you can't fight for your life anymore, and you're having a hard time fighting with your life, give up, but that doesn't mean give up that you won't fight again. Get up and start a new life again. " The man said

Haru only repeatedly called her mother. The man dropped his umbrella, and without a word, he carried Haru. Haru didn't know where she took this man, as long as Haru knew she needed someone to help her. A few minutes later, they entered a house and were greeted by an old woman and she ​helped the two children.

 

"She's our maid here, she's nanny Louisa, and I'm Jared, just call me brother Jared. What's your name? Where do you live?" Jared asked, but Haru didn't respond to Jared.

A week passed before they brought Haru to her house. Haru stayed at Jared's house for 3 weeks because she didn't speak and she always looked afar. The first and last time they talked to Haru was the day she answered Jared's question about where she lives. 

END OF FLASHBACK

"I'm grateful to that person because I'm still alive. Even though there are many times when I plan to kill myself." Haru turned to Jared and she saw Jared's shocked face.

"Y-you're the k-kid that was crying in front of the road while it's raining?" Haru nodded but she was immediately surprised because Jared hugged Haru tightly.

"We're going back to the place where we brought you because we found out that your mother adopted you. But the people there said your aunt was in the province with you." Haru felt her shoulder get wet because Jared was crying now. 

"We're worried about you, so my dad thought, we'd just want to adopt you," Jared said again.

"I didn't want to go that day, but I couldn't do anything. I was just a kid at that time." Haru said this, and she broke cuddling away from Jared and she wiped Jared's tears. 

"Why are you here in Manila-" Jared stops what he is supposed to say because he didn't know Haru's name.

"Haru, Haru is my name." Haru said to Jared because that day she said nothing, only said here to the address that she lives in. 

"13 years passed, I just came back here. Maybe it's time for me to find my happiness."

"Haru, please don't be upset. Yesterday, after cleaning my room, Nicole apologized to me until we talked about you. Nicole said that you have been separated from your real family for a long time. Are they the ones you are looking for happiness with? If you want, I will say to my dad to find your real family. I'm sure will help you." Haru was silent for a second because of what Jared had said.

"Rest now, Jared, I'm going home."

She said goodbye to Jared and she immediately left Jared's room. Haru met Doc Kian outside Jared  room but she couldn't greet him because she was confused about Jared's question. She doesn't know if her real family that she needs to be find her happiness.

On the other hand, Arche was walking when suddenly some men stopped in front of him.

  

"Hey! Do you know that one of our colleagues is in the hospital because of you?! And because of you, we were imprisoned for a few days!" 

The man shouted at one of the men who blocked Arche. Arche could do nothing, but in his mind, he needed to run away. Before the men could get close to Arche, he quickly ran away from them.

"I'm always caught up in this trouble!" Arche said in his mind, Arche run to the men chasing him until he turned into an alley. Arche passed through here and he pulled himself into the darkest part where they could not see him.

"I know bro, he runs here."

 "Darn it! Why did it suddenly disappear, if he ran from here?" The two men said they were right in front of where Arche was hiding. Arche held his breath, hoping he would not be noticed. 

"We'd better go there. I'm sure it hasn't gone far yet." At the same time, they ran away from Arche's place. When Arche was sure from a distance that the people chasing him. He immediately came out of his hiding place and ran so fast.

He was running when his phone vibrated from his pocket. He took it and answered immediately.

 "W-why?..." He asked breathlessly on the other line while he was walking.

[Arche,  you're in trouble again?] Arche's friend asked on the phone 

"Kian, No... you know me, I'm not starting trouble. The trouble was coming at me,"  Arche said while laughing.

[Arche, your father came here and he is looking at you. If I'm you, I'll follow your father's orders because you might be a rat and live in the streets, before your father takes what you have just follow  his order.]

"Kian!" Arche hadn't said what he wanted to say yet because Kian ends the call.

"Damn you!" Arche said to himself as he walked quickly to his apartment.