Chapter 202 - HAPPY TALE

"I'll come again to pick up the rest, can I leave that here for a while?" Yashnile said to the saleslady. 

"Of course, sir!" 

"Okay, should we go have dinner first?" He directed his attention Maddi once more, Maddi nodded and thought of a fast-food chain where they could eat. 

"We could, where should we go?"

"I reserved a restaurant---" she stopped him from talking with wide eyes. Surely, dating a rich person with another life level will shock you.

"Restaurant, isn't that too fancy?" 

"No, it's alright." Yashnile lead the way, honestly, he was not the one who reserved and prepared everything. From the movie to the restaurant, it was all the sisters doing. He was glad that they prepared it for him, if not he will be disappointed in himself just letting this date end like that. 

"Really? Is it --- your treat?" He laughs at Maddi's hesitation. He remembered who she resembles as they spend time together. 

"Of course." He pats her head and immediately realizes what he had done. It was his reflex petting Yanarym whenever she acted cute in front of him. And he just thought that Maddi was cute. 

"Omg, free meal, hahaha! Ops, sorry, I'm shameless aren't I?"

"No. No, you're not, it's alright." He laughed again, they had tons of similarities, they felt like Maddi was Yanarym's clone. 

Back when she had returned to the family, she became a person who he can no longer recognize. He hadn't said anything and tried his best to cope with her, it wasn't that hard because she was cooperating with them. First year together, their father tried to stay in the country for months for her recovery. The next year, they became closer and he was doing everything she needed and wanted to do. From her learning through being homeschooled up to her personal needs. Although she was never the same person as she was, everyone in the family accepted her new persona. 

As years went by, she started to warm up to them and her cold personality slowly vanished. Oftentimes when he takes her out for a vacation or just shopping, she still treats him differently and is somehow awkward but welcoming. Like how Maddi was treating him right now, it's all like a flashback for him. He was very delighted by this scenario, it certainly feels weird because it seems like he was dating his sister, but he's not. This person is not Yanarym but Maddi. 

"What's the status?" Yanarym inquired of Cailly as she gobbled her ice cream. Cailly shrugged her shoulders and ate her food too.

"They look like they are getting along." Yazeno came rushing in their direction with a grim expression on his face.

"Ate Cai, Ate Rym. Why are you leaving me behind? I was lonely at the mansion."

"Don't be OA, there were maids and other employees there, you didn't even stay there long." Yanarym pointed out, Yazeno smiled and pecked at her cheeks before sitting down right beside her. 

"You want ice cream too?" Cailly asked as she offered her cup but Yazeno shook his head and shifted his attention to Yanarym. 

"I'm just gonna share with Ate Rym." He said and sat beside Yanarym, took her spoon, and ate her ice cream. She quickly grabbed it back and smacked his head with her knuckles. 

"No, you're not. Stop stealing my food." She scolded him and Yazeno pouts while rubbing his head that she hit. "Cailly give him some money." Cailly did as she was told but Yazeno refused. 

"I have money, Ate, thanks. But I don't know if I can finish mine so just give a taste, Ate Rym." 

"Then, give it to me if you can't finish it. I'll do it for you.'' In the end, Yazeno bought his own ice cream before they followed Yashnile to the restaurant. 

Back then, when Yazeno was seven years old, his mother was lying on her deathbed. Father was out to manage things that they had to do at the hospital while his eldest brother was at his national competition together with their adoptive sister, Cailly. He was left alone in the hospital room with his mother and he was reading a fairytale story to her. 

She had a weak smile on her face, her head was covered by a thin layer of fabric and she was wearing dull hospital clothes. Her body was pricked by hundreds of needles connecting to big machines that made loud noises that were making her conscious and alive. 

"The end." Yazeno finished the last line and looked at her mother. "It's a happy ending Ma." She weakly nodded as she responded. Yazeno was still young but he had understood the weight of the situation. Their father, although he always showed that he was strong, he cried every night whenever she was sleeping. 

"Ma, I have a question." He muttered and sat beside her. She gently stroked his hair, so he continued, "If you leave us, and go to your happy place, why are you always saying to Papa that he could be happy and find someone else?" It was pure curiosity.

The mother paused and peered at her son, she smiled widely, everyone in this family was so brilliant. Sometimes she couldn't believe that he gave birth to these geniuses. If only her precious daughter were here --- she tried her best to cheer herself up and stared at her son's eyes. It was curious and innocent, too young to understand what love is. 

"When… your father and I met each other, we were not on good terms. We were enemies, competitors in the first place." She laughed remembering the past but soon covered her mouth when she coughed. "Excuses --- years later, he started to change, at first, I didn't mind, but when someone courted me, he was enraged, saying that he courted me first. While I was the only person who was clueless about that courting he was doing.." The mother laughed.