Chapter 15

From a mile away, a rattling noise could be heard. Belle and the others bolted outdoors. The air is filled with dust and leaves. They followed the source of the sound and strolled along an old tiled garden path. But before they could get there, a first-class chopper emerged and swooped away in the air, slicing their skin with wild and turbulent winds.

They gently opened their eyes and walked. The surroundings is unlike a garden, which should be full of life and beauty from all living things. Copper mist blanketed the background, with hanging wild flowers, grass, and vines writhing towards the sun. And there she was, at the center of that background.

She's simply standing there, expressionless, with her arms by her side. She remained motionless for a long time, as if trapped inside the dim light. They didn't know why but they found it chilling. When her gaze finally landed on their shadows, her eyes went wide. Their expressions of surprise mirrored each other.

"Why are you here?! Wait, let's get in first." It's Dani who recovered first.

"Wow! So cool!" Jun suddenly exclaimed. There's an awe in his face.

Dani didn't know what to say until Eugene asked her suddenly. "That's Bell, right?"

"Me? Why!?" Belle said with a shriek.

"Not you, dummy."

"What did you just say?!"

"I'm talking about that helicopter. It's called Bell 222 and is famous for being a luxurious helicopter that uses twin turbine engines." Eugene explained while looking ahead.

"That's right. You knew so well, I didn't know you had that kind of hobby."

"Oh, I know that too!" Jun raised his hand. He looks like a student who's excited to recite in front of his teacher.

"It's a modified Bell 222 and became an ambulance helicopter in Germany!"

"Do you know that it was really inspired by an American action military drama series in 1984, where an enigmatic loner at the behest of a shadowy government organization steals a supersonic military helicopter named Airwolf from its twisted creator and uses it to fight the bad guys around the world? That television series is really awesome."

No one talked and just looked at him with dumbfounded expressions.

"Did you just say from 1984?! That's really really outdated" Belle can't believe him, thinking he is really scary.

"Why are you even watching something like that? Isn't it natural to watch the newly released movies?" As an actor, David asked, baffled.

"Haa... guys... you don't know the power of old times. You all have weird tastes." Jun looked at them disapprovingly.

The rest looked at each other and made an eye contact.

'That's what we should be saying to you.'

They've forgotten that Jun is the oddest member of the bunch. He is well-versed in trivia and has a fantastic memory. That is why he excels at memorization. Sometimes, they couldn't help but think that he was a walking encyclopedia.

In the room, no one talked. They sat on the couch until Dani broke the awkward silence. "When did you come here?"

Eugene and the rest are stunned by her question. She removed her coat, sat on the couch and lazily crossed her legs while looking at them intently.

Why are you asking that? You should say something about yourself first. But Jun decided to answer her.

"We've been here for two weeks; we used to come here after school, but after seeing you weren't here, we decided to limit our trips to weekends; what's up with you?"

He asked frankly, hoping to get an answer, but what came back was an unexpected reply.

"I'm sorry guys, but you need to stop coming here for now."

"What?"

"Why?"

Sighing, Dani looked at everyone's faces and couldn't help but feel apologetic. She was about to say something when Belle becomes hysterical.

"Was it because of last time? Dani, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to drag you into the water. It is because of me that--"

"Belle," She cut her off and appeared in front of her. Putting her hands on Belle's cheeks, her cold hands became warm.

"It's not your fault. And I'm the one who should be saying sorry to all of you. Please forgive me, I didn't mean any of those words."

"Really?"

"Really."

Dani looked at the others and told them the truth. "I, I had many things on my mind at that time and problems too... and you see... I have a trauma in the water."

"What?"

"When I was a child, I had a bad experience in the water so I lost control of myself. I know that it's not an excuse for my actions, but I can't really help it... I couldn't control myself at that time."

'I'm sure in your eyes, I looked like an animal.'

Dani covered her eyes with her arms. She can't help but think about how cruel she was back then. The others were speechless as they listened to her. It's the first time they've heard anything about it.

Everything seems to make sense now. It all began when she and Belle nearly drowned in the sea. They couldn't ask any more questions because Dani was clearly uncomfortable. If she say something more, they will listen but even if she didn't, it was fine too as this is the first time Dani has spoken something that puts her in a vulnerable position.

"Dani, I didn't know, I'm sorry." Belle hugged her tightly.

"No, I told you, it's my problem. Let's just forget about it." Dani said as she patted Belle on the back.

"Silly! Why are you comforting me?!" Belle cried out.

"Because it appears you're about to cry; don't worry, it's over now."

"You're really silly!"

"Okay, okay. I'm silly, but don't cry."

The guys watched them and didn't know what to do. It was when Dani spoke again.

"The reason I'm telling you not to come here is because I'll be leaving frequently. I've already wasted too much of your time, and I can't even contact you guys because I left my phone. I'm sure you guys were worried about not hearing anything about me," Dani explained, and they could see she was very guilty.

"Hmmm. It's good that you know," David said seriously.

"When will you leave again?" Eugene asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure because it will take a long time before that problem can be resolved." Dani answered him with a frown.

"Are you really okay?"

"Of course. It's just household stuff." Dani squinted her eyes as sun rays poured down into her appearance.

"But you look like you're in big trouble."

"Hmm, it's a bit troublesome," They could see her little irritation.

They didn't know what to say until Eugene asked her while sizing up her appearance. "Then, why are you wearing something like that?"

Like what?, Dani's expression is blatantly saying that she didn't understand what he's saying.

"I didn't know it was normal for a woman to wear a male's suit."

She froze for a moment then widely smiled. The others had astonished expressions on their faces.

"Men's jackets are boxy in shape whereas a woman's jacket has a design element that has curves at the midriff, shaping the figure. I noticed before you took off your coat," Eugene reasoned out.

"Oh? I didn't know you would notice that for a short time," Dani glanced at her coat then apathetically put it on.

"It's my personal taste. Doesn't it fit me well?" She chuckled.

The others are still taken aback. They realized Eugene was correct. At first, they didn't see that there was something wrong because it looked well-suited to Dani. It fits her figure perfectly. With her looks and uninterested face, it abnormally enhances her appeal and charisma. The suit seems like it was personally made for her.

Belle couldn't take her gaze away from her. She is often attending business events and encounters individuals in suits, but today is the first time she is mesmerized. This is the first time she has seen Dani dressed up.

"You're all drooling."

"_"

"_"

They realized Dani was taunting them when they heard her chuckle. They're dumbfounded.

"By the way... I miss you guys."

She beamed at them. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled. It became brighter, and for a moment, they thought it looked like a sparkling star. David thought that it was unfair. He had a lot to say, but seeing her now, it vanished just like that.

'You're really unfair.'