Chapter 22

"Ma'm Furi, the sample gowns you chose earlier are here." The sales clerk said to him.

"Oh, is that so?" he stood up for a moment and followed the sales clerk towards the wedding gowns he had chosen a while ago. She almost gasped when she saw the gowns. It shines because it is beautiful and strong like a fairy tale princess if she wears it.

"I like them all." He said he approached them one by one. Suddenly her cellphone rang and she saw on the phone screen that it was Nasher calling, her fiancé.

"Mimi? have you chosen a wedding gown to wear yet?” it asked from the other line. (The call signs of both of them are Mimi.)

"Not yet." He answered.

"Huh? why? don't you like anything?" said Nash as he signed the medical records handed to him by the assistant nurse.

"Not like that, I actually like them all. What should I do, mimi? Come and see me here, because I'm having a hard time choosing." He replied, staring at the six wedding gowns he had the heart to wear.

"Just wear the other one in our wedding photoshoot, then go buy one that you really think you want to marry." When he joked, they both smiled at the same time.

"Oh yes, by the way, didn't you say you were going to introduce someone to my future wedding photographer?" she asked.

"Yes mimi. Actually, I sent him there today so you two can talk about our wedding. You know that your fiancé is a doctor and I can't be with you all the time. That's why I also asked him for a little favor, if it's okay for him to help you take care of the other things we need first. I'm glad he agreed right away and he seems like a friendly person." Nash said while wearing his white scrub lab jacket or the uniform that doctors often wear.

"Isn't it embarrassing for him mimi?" it's curious.

"Don't worry, because there is enough experience in wedding preparation." He said.

"Ahh so, he's already married?"

"Actually mimi, they didn't get married." After Nash said, the young woman suddenly became quiet and felt sadness in her heart.

She was supposed to be married to another man once, but he didn't show up on the day of their wedding and he never showed up to her after that day.

"Are you still there, Mimi?" he suddenly turned his attention back to the person he was talking to when he heard her calling him.

"Yes, I'm still here. It's sad because they didn't get married." He just said.

"Yeah, right."

"Maybe my good reason is God, why did that happen to them." He said even though his mind was fresh about the man he first loved.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter what happens to us, we are still married. Even, have a strong storm or even a zombie apocalypse! our wedding will still go on.” A sweet smile appeared on Furi's lips when he heard what his fiancé said. He felt that he was suddenly revived and his mood became secure. Nash had asked her to marry him several times but she always refused. He is afraid that what happened in his previous marriage might happen again, where the things he went through became difficult and narrow after all that happened.

But then, she realizes that Nash is different. He was different from all the men she had met. He is the type of person that when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it immediately and once he makes a promise, he really stands by it.

So even though she still has doubts about herself, Nash always reminds her that he will never leave her or hurt her. It also makes him feel every day how important he is in his girlfriend's life, even though their marriage is approaching, they are still like high school students or teenagers who are in love with each other.

"Ma'am, someone is looking for you." He was suddenly approached by the sales clerk who had been assisting him earlier. Nash heard him and thought that maybe that was the photographer he was referring to his girlfriend.

"Maybe that's him, mimi." It said to him.

"Okay then, I'll just go see him for a while." After he said that, he immediately went to the waiting area.

"Mimi, I have to go now. I need to take care of my patients. Just let me know later okay? I love you, my mimi. Bye." Saying goodbye at the same time as he hung up, Furi smiled and went back to the photographer he was referring to.

"Ma'am, he is the one looking for you." At the same time, he pointed to the man sitting on the couch, who stood up when he heard what the sales clerk said and approached him.

"Good day! I'm Matteus Xenos, he was about to introduce himself, but he suddenly stopped when he saw the reaction on Furi's face, which seemed to be shocked and just stared at him.

"Ma-Matt?" His eyes widened in shock and he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Nash is referring to Matteus Xenos who will be the photographer at the wedding he and Furi will hold. But it happened that this was also the man she was supposed to marry then.

The man she loved completely more than her life but in an instant he suddenly disappeared like a bubble.

When the wound in his heart from his complicated past was slowly healing, the man who caused it reappeared in front of him.

Will she be able to move on, if the man she wants to forget comes back?

Or will she just be numb and pretend to get over the man her heart still beats?

"Mom! I'm leaving." He said goodbye to his mother, he left their house at the same time.

He was wearing an entrance uniform. White blouse, knee-length red skirt and black shoes and she was still walking to their school.

"Furi!" his friend Kim approached and hugged him.

"Wow! Kim, it looks like you have a new hair clip on your hair, huh?" He was pointing to the yellow butterfly stuck in her bangs.

"Of course I bought you too, sharan!" at the same time he showed and handed out the pink butterfly hairclip for his friend.

"Wow! that's beautiful, thank you my prenny!" he said and immediately pinned it to the side of his hair.

"Is it my thing?" he asked his friend as he looked around in his small glasses.

"Of course! It suits you. Come on, let's go inside."

"Okay go ahead!" they went inside their school and went straight to their classroom.

"The flag ceremony is about to begin!" shouted their class president, Paula.

Furi dropped his bag on the chair and they hurried out of their classroom. They all headed to the center of the oval, where they often conduct the flag ceremony.

As usual, all the students in that school gathered in the middle of the oval while each section lined up.

Furi is currently at the very end, because they are the last section in the 2nd year high school.

"Furi! That's your crush on Matt," Kim mocked him while pushing him on the shoulder.

"Ssh! don't be naughty, I can't see him." He said to the lame friend.

Matt was a school president at their school. Everyone recognizes him because of his intelligence and good looks. He was almost driven crazy by women who came from different class sections. And most of them are waiting for him every time they hold a flag ceremony.

He is often the one who leads the singing of the national anthem and is always at the front of the stage.

"He's really handsome!"

"Yes! I never get tired of looking at him."

"Omg! there's Matt!"

"I wish I was the only microphone he was holding!" There were various whispers from the female students there who were from the higher sections and their attention was only focused on Matt.

"I'll actually bet the title of our house Furi, in case Matt likes you too." Kim whispered to him.

"Even if you don't give me the title of your house, as long as I have her, I'll be satisfied." He said as he looked at the young man and was constantly kicking his feet.

"As if he would like someone from the last section like you?" Jeff said groggily and the two women turned to him at the same time.

"If there is a guardian angel like Matt, there is also an apple demon like him." Kim said irritated as she raised an eyebrow at Jeff.

"Just don't pay attention to him Kim, that's just paying attention." Furi whispered to his friend.

"Because it's hard for you girls, when you are told the truth, you immediately think badly of it, don't you?" he said with a smile as he faced the behavior of the two.

"Stop it while I'm still holding my breath." Furi gave him a good look even though the truth was that he was just trying to calm himself down.

"Really? You're scary!" he added and his friends laughed.

Jeff comes from the first section, where Matt is his classmate. But he is known as a troublemaker or always starts a fight or trouble.

They have a saying in their school that where there is trouble there is also Jeff, the instigator of everything.

"Furi, don't!" He was about to approach her but Kim immediately stopped him.

"What's that? Are you going to get sick soon?" he insulted the girl.

"Let go of me Kim, I'm just going to teach you a lesson!" He said with crossed eyebrows while the young man just grinned at him.

"Father, are you willing? He called you tikbalang!" one of his friends agreed and they parted ways.

"Ays! I've never hit on girls. But that's okay because you don't look like a girl to me." He said he walked closer to the girl while snapping his fingers.

"Furi, don't." Kim whispered to her friend but her attention was only focused on the bragging young man.

"Maybe one high kick will be enough to knock him down." Said the girl while stretching her legs.

Jeff grinned philosophically when he saw Furi's preparations.

"Run while it's still early." Jeff said to the girl.

"Why? Are you a coward?" he answered.

"Hahahahaha~ you really want to break, don't you?"

"You're so busy!"

"Okay, okay! Because you look like a lama, I'll just tone it down a bit."

"Really?" when Furi said that Jeff suddenly slapped him hard on his left cheek which shocked everyone.

With the force of his slap on him, the edge of his lip almost bled immediately.

"Furi!" Kim quickly approached him while holding his cheek where the young man slapped him.

"Oh! poor him."

"Jeff is terrible! Did he really slap the girl?"

"He's also punishing women!"

There were various whispers around them when they got the attention of other members of the sections who were close to the two of them.

"Oh, no one's going to cry, right?" he said with a smile as he peered into the girl's bowed face.

"Who said I would cry?" when he looked up, he quickly kicked Jeff's left cheek hard, which immediately knocked the young man down and laid him on the ground. Furi wasn't satisfied yet, so he approached him and placed his left foot on his chest.

"A-take those dirty shoes off my uniform!" This angry shout made everyone turn their heads as well as Matt who was on stage.

"Oh, no one's going to cry, right?" said the girl and she also slapped him hard on Jeff's left cheek.

"Now how does it feel to be spanked? is it good? do you enjoy hurting a girl?" he continued to say but she just grinned at him and looked up at him.

"Well, it's not bad that I'm lying here and I can see the color of your panties, is it?" he said philosophically to the girl, so she immediately backed away from Jeff.

"What's going on there?!" shouted the guidance councilor of their school.

"Furi, come here!" Kim called his friend and they went back to their respective places and sections.

I'm not done with you yet, dumbass! Furi whispered in his mind as he looked at Jeff's behavior.

The godfather is also different! Jeff said in his mind as well and he also smiled looking at the girl.

"Oh! Your cheeks are swollen! Your mom will be angry when she sees you like that." Kim worriedly told him.

"I'm fine." At the same time, he turned to Jeff again but he was not looking at him because he was busy ironing his uniform.

"Ays! it's ugly to look at!" he said annoyed because Furi's shoes were pulling on his white polo shirt.

"The next one is a patriotic pledge to be led by Francis Jeff." They were all surprised and looked at Matt when he suddenly mentioned Jeff's name, to invite him to go up on stage and lead the recitation of the patriotic oath.

"Jeff, call me!" his friends pushed him to the front of the stage.

"Wait? What's the problem with this guy? I think he's losing his mind!" he said and was about to go back to his place but Matt called him again using the microphone, so everyone could hear him calling him.

He turned to Matt again and noticed that all the students were looking at him.

"Ay!" he just said as he went up to the stage and Matt smiled and handed the mike to him then he got off the stage.

"M-ma.. mic test, mic test." Suddenly they all laughed when Jeff said this and kept beating the head of the mic.

"What's going on? Why did Matt suddenly call Jeff to the stage to take the patriotic oath? Can't he?-" Kim didn't continue what he was saying and he turned to his friend for a moment.

"We? no? That's impossible, isn't it Furi?" he was curious. They both think that Matt might be taking revenge on Jeff for slapping Furi.

Meanwhile, their entire campus was filled with laughter and laughter because of Jeff's incorrect recitation of the patriotic oath. The few teachers present just held their heads as they listened to the young man's own vow.

"Who is that Filipino teacher? Why doesn't he know how to pronounce the patriotic oath correctly?!" Their principal was angry with Mr. Ramos, Matt's class adviser in the first section.

kim, can you imagine what I'm thinking? what Furi wrote on the back of his notebook as he passed it to Hani who was also next to him.

Because they are not allowed to talk when their rude teacher is teaching in English. Because his hearing is strong and he is also sensitive when he sees a student talking during his class time.

Is it about Matt? He gently handed the notebook to Furi and he also read it immediately.

Yes. He answered.

I think he likes you. After reading what he wrote, a long smile appeared on the girl's lips and she turned to Kim.

Why did you say that maybe he likes me too? dead malice he said.

Well, isn't that right, he retaliated against you for that fight earlier at the flag ceremony? after he read, he just stared into his friend's eyes and wrote again in the notebook.

Just think, why would he do that earlier in the flag ceremony, if he had no reason, right? then they both smiled and their eyes spoke as if they were the only ones who understood each other.

Kim simply poked Furi's side and narrowed his eyes to tempt his friend. He bent down and suppressed his laughter as he wrote something on the back of his notebook.

Don't be naughty, Ma'm Chili might catch us, we'll both be released. The one he passed on to Kim.

"Don't be naughty, Ma'm Chili might catch us, we'll both be released." They were both very surprised when they heard the voice of their English teacher, Mrs. Chili, as she read out loud what they were both writing on the back of the notebook.

Their classmates laughed loudly and turned to their seats.

"I'm also interested in both of you because you have your own discussion in your seat. Pwes! You two get out of my class right now!" he shouted at the two girls and both of them stood up while walking out of their classroom with their heads bowed.

"You two squat there until my class is over! Do you understand?!" he said sharply and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, ma'am." They both answered and then it was back inside their classroom.

"What? Did you understand what he said?" Kim whispered to her friend but she just shook her head and together they raised both arms while bending down both knees.

"I don't know either, I only understand squat." He just said.

"Furi, what are we going to eat tonight at recess?" Kim asked him.

"I don't know, I'm hungry." He weakly responded to his friend.

"It's me. I feel like I want to eat siopao."

"Which stuffing do you prefer in siopao? Asado or meatballs? One, two, three!"

"Roast!" they said at the same time but weakly then they both smiled.

"No wonder, we're friends." Furi whispered to Kim.

"Coke or sprite?"

"Coke!" they said again together.

"I also want to eat a sundae," Kim said and looked at Furi.

"One two Three!"

"Chocolate!" said Furi while, "Strawberry!" Hani's.

"Hey, the chocolate flavor is better." he said to his friend.

"No way! The strawberry flavor is better!" At the same time, Kim's tongue stuck out at him.

"Hahahaha~ you look so funny you look like a pitbull!" he teased but it didn't defeat him so he teased him too.

"As for you, you look like an owl! Big eyes!" he laughed at once.

"Oh that's it? All right, get ready for me now!" he said seriously while putting the sleeve of his uniform on his arm.

"It's Matt!" Kim suddenly pointed behind him.

"Weh? You can't fool me anymore."

"I kid you not, Matt is on his way here now." He still made a weak promise and suddenly Furi turned back. His eyes almost widened in shock when he saw that he was talking about Matt and was now heading in the direction of the two of them.

"W-what am I going to do? w-what if he sees me like this? It's embarrassing!" he said to his friend in confusion as he fixed his hair and bangs on his forehead.

"Let's just bend down, so he can't see our faces." After he said that, they both just bowed. Matt passed in front of the two of them and entered their classroom.

"Wait, he went inside?" after Furi said, they quickly peeked through the window and looked at the young man. They noticed that he was handing out the exam papers to his classmates one by one.

"What is he giving?" Kim said in surprise.

"Pss! hey, what are you holding?" Furi called to their classmate sitting near the window.

"Test paper." He showed the two at the same time.

"By the way Matt, there are two more girls outside this class room. Please give them the test paper as well." Order of Mrs. Chilli to the young man and they immediately went back to where they were squatting earlier when they heard what he said.

"K-kim! what did Mrs. Chili say?" Furi asked him.

"I don't know either, but it seems like he's ordering something from Matt."

"What is that?"

"I don't know, I don't know. There it is!" after he said they both bowed again.

"Here, test paper." Matt told them and handed the test paper to Kim first.

"Thank you." He said he was shy and then he approached Furi, bowing almost to his knees.

"Oh," he said to the girl as she fumbled with the test paper he was giving her.

Where is that? he said in his mind and he was still groping for the test paper that he was handing to him.

It's annoying! he suddenly looked up and was surprised when he saw Matt staring at him face to face with both hands behind his back.

"Oh," he handed him the test paper again with a smile on his lips. The girl was stunned and stunned as she took what he was giving her.

He followed her with his eyes until he entered their classroom.

"Wow Furi!" at the same time he looked at Kim who was sitting on the floor and thumbs up at him.

Suddenly, Furi rolled up the test paper and tucked it into her skirt.

"What are you doing?" his friend wondered.

"Don't be angry, let's just share that." He sat down next to Kim who was smiling from ear to ear.

"Just wait. Don't tell me you're going to take the test paper home?" he said in a surprised but whispering voice. Furi didn't answer him but just smiled at him.

Kim just shook her head at her friend's madness and she just focused her attention on the test paper in her hand.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

(At the school supplies shop)

"What would be a better color? what do you think?" Furi asked his friend Kim as they were shopping for a picture frame in front of them.

"Are you going to bring the picture frame?" it is curious to him.

"Nothing."

"Gosh, you're pretending! I'm sure you'll just put the test paper that Matt handed you earlier in a picture frame!" after he said that he just turned and left his friend.

"Hey, wait! help me shop here!" he called but he didn't listen to him and just scolded him. So he looked at the picture frames again and scratched his head.

"Maybe it can? wait, can it fit inside?" he was about to take out the test paper from his skirt pocket, but he immediately returned it when he saw Matt with some of his classmates.

"Ays! it's almost over!" he whispered to himself as he took a picture frame and quickly went to the other place. As for Jeff who is currently shopping for an i.d lace strap.

"Oh? it's him again?" said the young man as he watched the young woman walking in his direction.

"What is he doing?" He was surprised to notice that he kept looking behind him and not looking at what he was passing by.

Suddenly, his mischievousness started to exist and he thought of bumping into her specifically to annoy the girl again.

"Ouch!" he shouted when he stepped on his right foot, so he immediately turned to him and was surprised to see Jeff in front of him.

"You again?!" he said and he was still pointing at the young man.

"Is that really how you apologize to the person you stepped on?"

"W-why are you there? You should just go away!"

"Wow! You're the one who stepped on me, you're still angry." He said but Furi kept looking behind him.

"Wait, I've been noticing you for a while like you're hiding something. Who is that? Is it your sweetheart?" he was teasing him but suddenly Furi blocked his gaze and raised his two arms so that he couldn't see Matt who was also just behind him.

"Don't mess up, I can't see." He said while Jeff was interested in teasing the girl.

"That doesn't say anything!" Furi shouted as he fought for her to block his gaze. But unfortunately one of his legs suddenly went sideways, so he was out of balance but fortunately Jeff quickly grabbed him by his waist.

Matt happened to turn in the direction of the two as they stared at each other.

"Isn't that Jeff? Who is the girl with him?" said Trixie, one of Matt's classmates and his close friend.

"Is his girlfriend new again?" one of their companions said in surprise.

"Let's go to another shop." Matt suddenly said and slammed back the notebook he was holding earlier.

"Huh? just a minute, Matt!" Trixie followed him. While Jeff and Furi were still left dumbfounded and staring at each other.