66 UNITED ORIENTATION
She stared at the trio in disbelief. Her mysterious savior, her recent acquaintance, and her former admirer were all here!
She glanced at them one by one. Enzo was grinning at him with his boyish face. A vintage fatigue cap covered his brown hair. His white V-neck plain tee was topped on by an open button navy blue polo shirt ¾ long sleeves.
It was partnered by black pants, which length is just above the ankle, revealing his gray sneakers. He was also bearing a black necklace with a large ring as a pendant. And a bracelet that matched with it.
With his look, anyone would mistake him as a K-pop Idol. And of course, all her fellow students then couldn't help but giggle as soon as he entered the room. He was just a few minutes later than Zoe.
'He didn't even age at all,' Zoe whispered to herself.
On the other hand, Koby was on the right corner of the improvised stage. He was also waving at her. It appeared as if he was not informed about the event because he was dressed in slightly casual attire.
A simple striped brown and gray woolen long sleeve pullover was on his torso, which is a little large for him. His gray pants and khaki leather casual shoes complimented the look.
The ladies near him were talking about him as well as he came across as your usual gorgeous boy next door.
'How could he pull it off?' The corner of her lip twitched upwardly in amazement.
Lastly, her eyes darted toward the stage. The king of the ocean has blessed them with his presence. His authoritative aura would make anyone's knee tremble. He was currently seated in the middle of the three throne-like chairs on the platform.
Her hand flew to her chest as it hammered wildly. Half of his longish hair was loosely braided, one in the middle and two on each side. He was donned with a lengthy vintage black military cashmere trench coat. Its collar was turned down and had a double-breasted closure.
She could only see half of him because he was already seated. But she was already gulping as a buildup of saliva was trapped in her throat.
She was glad that she saw him safe after their previous encounter.
She glanced at her other schoolmates to see how they reacted to him.
Unlike the two stunning handsome men whom they openly expressed their admiration. They were speechless as their mouths were partly open as they stared at him. It seemed like they were looking at an apparition of a Greek god coming down in the flesh.
"What good did we do in life to deserve this?" An awestruck remark didn't escape from her ears.
"Are these the rewards for the winners of our games? How can we join?" Another one commented.
Zoe grunted and drew in a deep breath. They may be dazed by these bewitching men, but she was not here to find a boyfriend.
She carefully searched for an empty seat and seated herself. It was far from the three and among her female batchmates whom she was not close to, but she was not a stranger either.
"Hello, Brightstar International School Batch, 2005. We, at Lord Howe Island Grand Hotel, greet you with a pleasant morning! We thank you for choosing our humble abode as your venue for your annual gathering. In return, all these perks are at your disposal."
The emcee announced her greetings. Then she presented a quick presentation of what their place offered in the projector.
All of her peers clapped their hands in unison. Zoe laid her eyes on them. They may have changed over the years. But there is one thing that united them. They desire to enjoy this one in a million chance to be free and have fun in this lovely isle.
Yes, she hated some of them for what they did to her then. But she ruminated about what could their lives had been after they graduated. Did they win the lottery and succeeded? Or did they experience a tragedy somewhere in their timeline and was managing to survive?
'Wow, I really must have changed," Zoe uttered to herself as she clapped her hands with them. She knew she was a selfish, spoiled brat then.
That was before the terrible incident of her parents' death and its rippling effects on her life. Maybe it was being in the medical field, and seeing those patients suffering changed her outlook in life. Or just perhaps, she was empathetic ever since. She didn't know.
After the presentation, it was now Erin's turn. She oriented everyone about the program that she has carefully prepared in the past few days. Everyone listened with wide-eyed excitement. They have no idea what will happen during their stay on the remote land.
"Thanks to the LHI Grand Hotel for their welcoming sumptuous lunch for us. But I advise you to keep your guts in check. Because after a quick rest, we will now start with our Survivor Challenge Escape Island. Are you ready for some adventure?" Erin hooted at the end of the microphone.
"We're ready!" The crowd jeered in agreement.
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Like branches of a tree, our lives may grow in different directions,
But our roots remain as one.
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