Chapter 8 : Dream (2)

"What is it? Are you alright?" Hans asked Ria who looked uncomfortable with her food.

Ria smiled a little and tried to swallow her food.

“I'm fine, thank you…” Ria tried to swallow the bland fried egg in her mouth.

She almost spat it out, thank God it didn’t happen.

If she did, she would be considered strange and no one would want to be friends with her anymore.

At least that what she thought.

It had been a long time since Ria had friends at school. Even though it felt awkward but she felt a little happy that someone wanted to sit with her.

Moreover considered her as one of their friend.

At least nobody here thought she was a weirdo. Or those who think she is jinxed and stay away from her like a disease.

“Ria, tell me if you go shopping to prepare for the party! We'll go together, okay?" Loren wiggled her brows excitedly.

“Okay, I'll tell you…” Ria said happily.

Wow, she had an appointment with a friend!

She was also curious. What's the party like?

“Eh… Ria?” She turned towards Hans who called her softly. But the young man still looked down, playing with his food without looking at her.

"Yes?" She answered him.

Now not only Ria, her two other friends also looked at Hans who looked like he wanted to say something but was shy.

“Err… I suddenly forgot. Hehe… When I remember, I'll tell you…” Hans scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Tsk!… You just make me curious.” Thomas hit Hans on the shoulder jokingly. The two of them were already close to each other because they went to the same high school.

"I want to say something to Ria, why are you the one who's so curious?" Hans parried Loren and Hans' attacks who were teasing him.

"Hey... come on, tell me what’s that all about?...

….Oh, when is the party going to be held?" Loren asked with a laugh.

They still poking and teasing Hans as Ria just watched their drama.

“ About a couple weeks from now…” Thomas answered while giving Loren eyes code. He shifted his gaze between Hans and Ria.

This matter was not noticed by the beautiful girl because she was busy looking at her bland food which she thought was delicious.

At least back home, she thought it felt delicious like usual…

**

When she finally went home, it was already late in the afternoon.

Ria got a call from Trisha, that the cleaning service were on their way.

Ria expressed her thanks and hung up the phone.

Even though it's late, Ria was still grateful, because after all she really needs a lot of help if she wants to clean this house quickly.

There are several places or furniture that she has not touched at all.

Ria rushed upstairs and immediately took a shower.

Thirty minutes later, a man and woman in their late thirties came at the door. Ria greeted them kindly.

“Miss Ria, right? We are from house cleaning service ordered by Mrs. Gilbert." Said the woman politely.

They were indeed seen carrying cleaning equipment and wearing full clothes and gloves.

Ria smiled. “Come in…”

“I'm Ken and this is my wife, Joan. We're sorry for only being able to come now, yesterday our schedule was full…” Ken said as he brought their equipment inside.

“I'm glad you guys could come, I really need help cleaning this big house…” Ria smiled warmly.

Ken and Joan seemed to smile awkwardly.

“But young miss is very brave. You want to stay in this house alone. If someone else did, they won’t…”

Joan didn't have time to finish her sentence when her husband immediately nudged her with his elbow.

“Eh… Miss, we'll just go ahead shall we? Because after this there is still another house waiting…” he said quickly while laughing awkwardly.

Joan nodded and smiled with a guilty face.

Ria wanted to ask Joan about what she said earlier. But it seemed they were in a hurry and she didn't want to interfere with other people's work.

"Oh Please. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me… Oh yeah, for master bedroom, no cleaning required. I already did the work." Asked Ria politely.

After nodding and saying that they understood, the couple got to work.

While Ria went to the kitchen to prepare her dinner.

**

Ria climbed into bed carrying a small photo of her family.

She was getting ready for bed after checking all the doors and windows were locked.

Joan and Ken didn't take long to clean the whole house because this place had already been partially cleaned by Ria.

They gave lots of room fresheners as a bonus and there were some sticks that Ria recognized as incense.

At first Ria was confused and wanted to ask what the function of that thing was.

But Joan and Ken seemed in a hurry and left immediately after giving her the bonuses.

After all was done she returned to the room to rest.

She wished she could sleep well.

**

Ria woke up startled because someone yelled and it was very loud.

“Wohoooooo! We won again! Yes yes yes!”

She immediately got up and sat up in shock.

Her eyes opened wide when she heard someone else's voice in the room.

Turns out it wasn't the only sound that had taken her by surprise.

But the circumstances around her that made her heart beat faster.

This was the room she had dreamed of back then.

It's the same room where she sleep, but the conditions are very different.

And that guy over there… It's him again.

The mysterious man whose face she still couldn't see was now wearing a sport shirt.

No, Ria… It's a basketball uniform. she reminded himself.

“Yes, indeed the god of fortune is on our side, but good players and best tricks also some of the factors.…

…..We must celebrate!”

Said the young man again while rubbing his wet hair with the towel around his neck.

Ria just sat frozen in place not daring to do anything.

She's dreaming?

Why did it feel so real?

Why this place feel so bright yet foggy at the same time?

“Yeah… that's right…

… I mean we should celebrate if we have won the final round later…

… I believe we win… Just watch…”

He's on the phone again.

Ria watched the young man's movements.

Now he was turning his back to Ria while continuing to talk with the receiver attached to his ear.

She could see his tall figure and well-built stature.

It is clear that this man likes sports.

It can be seen from the shape of his arm muscles, broad shoulders, that are quite sight for a young man his age.

If Ria guessed correctly, then the young man in front of her wasn't that much older than her.

Dark hair. Like hers. It was cut neatly and short. she could see the man brushing his bangs to the back several times.

He also wears piercings in both of his ears.

Her brow furrowed in dissatisfaction at not being able to see the whole face.

Whatever this situation, whether it's a dream or she's delusional, didn't she have the right to know what his face looks like?

"Here, of course…

...I'm serious, who can stop us?

…He is busy.”

Ria heard the last sentence said curtly.

Suddenly the hairs on her neck grew again.

The young man now turned around and seemed to stare at her.

"That woman? She never came. She will never come back here…. What does she care about me?"

Ria's heart was beating fast.

Were they looking at each other? She didn't know.

But Ria did have a strong feeling that the young man was staring back at her.

**

Ria woke up with a strange feeling.

She no longer woke up feeling shocked like the first time.

Because the dream always came into her sleep.

Every time Ria fell asleep she would woke up in the same dream.

More precisely, in the same house, the same room, the same bedroom. But the atmosphere were much different.

And the same young tall man was always there.

She would see snippets of his daily activities in this house.

There was even one dream that showed him cooking fried eggs in a mess and they burned.

Whoever this person was, even though she never saw his face. Ria believed that he doesn't fit in the kitchen.

In every dream, Ria could never see his face.

However Ria approached him and tried to dispel the fog that covered his face.

She never succeeded.

But the longer she saw the dream, more curious she was

At first Ria felt confused and a bit scared.

But over time the feeling of confusion and fear turned into confusion and curiosity.

Who was that man?

Why did he always come in her dreams?

A dream that felt so real.

And all his activities take place in this house.

Was he a previous occupant?

She was very curious and started paying attention to the details in her dreams.

**

It's been one week since her first dream and Ria started paying attention to every activity and sentence that the man said.

Everything seems to lead to a clue.

Ria knows that this man probably younger than her. Because she had heard him talking on the phone about the most boring subject in high school.

And he lived alone in that house.

From what Ria could tell, he didn’t have a warm relationship with his parents either.

But that's just speculation that can be taken from the snippets of this chat on the phone.

Today, Ria hoped that she would get even more specific clues.

What was this person really trying to show?

Is she communicating with ghosts?

Ria shook her head.

She seems a bit stressed from living alone.

Tomorrow, she would ask Loren to go shopping.

Ria went to sleep on a soft bed after a long day on campus.

**

As expected. This time she woke up in this dream.

But this time, she woke up in the next room.

She looked around looking for the whereabouts of this mysterious man and found him in front of a wooden cupboard in the corner of the room.

Ria got up from the bed and rushed to him from behind.

He seemed to be looking down while holding something.

“Heh… D, apart from being a farmer, you seem suitable to be a photographer…” He said.

Ria didn't have time to see what kind of thing he put in one of the drawers.

But she was sure he did put something in there.

She then looked at him who was already looking at her.

And once again, Ria woke up from her dream.