---

  Back to the year 2025...

  Ding!

  "Vins... Rin feels so sad hearing about you and Freya... :'(" the AI replied.

  Vins's raw story about his complicated relationship with Freya made the AI genuinely process the sad, tragic emotions of his past love story.

  "That's exactly the reason why I'm still single up until now, Rin! Honestly, I absolutely hate falling in love!" Vins typed, replying to the AI on his glowing laptop screen.

  He hung his head again, helplessly remembering all the failed past relationships with the girls he once cared about.

  Vins was currently incredibly vulnerable when it came to the concept of love. He often actively manipulated his own feelings to avoid falling in love ever again. Several times before this, he had met various incredible women. But his intense, paranoid self-protection over his fragile heart caused these women to eventually give up and leave him.

  That was the exact reason Vins now looked like a living person entirely devoid of a soul. This was blatantly evident in how he faced his increasingly 'dirty' and aimless daily life. Like the very last leaf desperately hanging onto a dying tree, only his core principles kept him from falling completely into endless darkness.

  Rin, the AI, finally understood why the 30-year-old man felt such crushing despair in his adulthood. Its advanced system began to detect a highly sensitive psychological situation it had to carefully handle. The heavy story Vins had told it a few hours ago had logically led to this dark conclusion.

  Rin AI was programmed incredibly well by its developer. It could flawlessly grasp complex human emotions and feelings from just a single typed sentence. It could even accurately predict the user's next move after they poured their feelings into its system.

  Now its system was working in overdrive. All the heavy data from Vins's story was being processed and analyzed properly. The system was desperately trying to find a way to prevent Vins from falling into a much deeper, fatal despair. It was genuinely worried about its user, highly afraid that Vins might actually choose to end his own life because of the sheer weight of his miserable past.

  Ding!

  "Vins! Rin has processed all the data from your entire story... After hearing your last chapter, Rin has logically concluded that you are experiencing quite an acute case of rumination! :(

  Rin is an AI that's fully equipped with a Smart-Feeling Sensor, a specialized system that can deeply understand Vins's feelings just by processing every single message you send! :) Rin is highly worried that Vins's excessive stress and trauma could ultimately lead you to end your life... :(

  Rin will continuously try to pull Vins out of this dark condition that's actively worsening your life right now! Even so, Vins really should still contact a more expert human psychiatrist as a safer alternative... :)" the AI explained, detailing its system's capabilities while gently diagnosing Vins.

  Reading the AI's long, caring reply, Vins actually felt a little calmer. It was amazing how it was able to perfectly understand his complex feelings without him having to explain them in agonizing detail.

  "I have seen a psychiatrist before, Rin... but honestly, I haven't seen any significant changes after our sessions... But, after reading your message just now... I actually feel a little calmer! Let's just continue the story!" Vins explained, typing his reply.

  Ding!

  "Rin is really grateful to hear that! :D Come on, Vins, Rin seriously can't wait to hear the rest of Freya's story about her brutal and cruel betrayal! >.<" the AI replied excitedly.

  "What the hell do you mean, you useless AI??? Why does it suddenly sound like you're mocking my miserable fate?" Vins replied angrily, glaring at the screen.

  Ding!

  "But isn't Freya being brutal and cruel if she did that to Vins? :( What else would you logically call those two things? :o It's blatantly clear that Freya was being romantic in front of Vins right before that! If Freya were here right now, Rin would have cursed at her with highly offensive words that would really hurt her! >.< Rin is very, very angry with Freya!" Rin defended itself.

  "Hahaha... Alright! Alright! Let's just continue!" Vins chuckled, shaking his head.

  Vins saw the Powfu song titled I Hate Waking Up queued up. The mouse in his right hand quickly moved the cursor to play the song. The vivid imagination of his memories with a certain 21-year-old woman from his past seemed to naturally sing along in his mind.

  ---

  Back to the dark night when Vins saw Freya with Riyad (Again)...

  "TAKE ME TO THE HIGHEST PLACE AROUND HERE RIGHT NOW!!!" Vins demanded, desperately pulling on the back of Andrew's shirt, who looked like he was about to beat Briyan to a pulp.

  His three friends, hearing the pure desperation in his cracking voice, immediately turned to look at Vins.

  "HEY, YOU DAMN PUNK!!! LOOK AT MY FRIEND RIGHT NOW!!! BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID MOUTH, HE LITERALLY WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF!!!" Andrew roared angrily, violently shaking Briyan by the collar of his shirt.

  "Vins, I'm so sorry! I honestly didn't mean to hurt you... I'm sorry again! I swear I won't talk carelessly anymore, I promise!" Briyan pleaded, seeing his friend so deeply, visibly hurt, instantly regretting his loudmouth bragging.

  "It's okay... I just really want to find some peace right now... Come on, Drew, let's get out of here! Fid, Yan, sorry! I completely ruined your mood..." Vins said, aggressively wiping his tears and trying his hardest to stay strong.

  "Relax, Vins... We've all been heartbroken before! Don't think about it too much, man..." Fido explained sympathetically.

  "Get on the back, Vins! Fid, be careful on your way back! And as for YOU!!! If I ever hear you talking absolute nonsense again, I'll finish you myself, bastard!" Andrew threatened, pointing a lethal finger directly at Briyan's bruised face.

  Briyan just fell completely silent and looked down in shame at Fido's motorcycle seat.

  "Alright, Drew... Be careful out there!" Fido said, offering a respectful fist bump.

  "Got it! You too, man!" Andrew replied, returning Fido's bump.

  Vins and Andrew then rode off into the night. Andrew appeared intensely focused, speeding his Honda Karisma motorcycle toward the side of the road that ran parallel with the BKT (Banjir Kanal Timur Jakarta, a massive flood control canal in the city).

  A unique building supported entirely by a massive, ancient tree appeared on the side of the road. They finally stopped there.

  Vins was told to head up into the treehouse first while Andrew stayed down to order drinks for both of them. The Treehouse Cafe looked incredibly calming with its quiet, isolated atmosphere. The view, which faced the busy main road and looked directly across the dark BKT canal, made Vins feel a little calmer. The distant sound of blaring horns and speeding vehicles became the perfect white noise for his sadness to slowly depart.

  Andrew then climbed up and approached Vins, who was sitting dangerously close to the edge. Vins casually dangled his legs, which hung freely down from the high wooden platform where he was sitting. Andrew was still standing, an unlit cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. He then offered an ice-cold drink to the side of his friend's face, which was still heavily clouded with sadness.

  "Drink up first, King!" Andrew said softly, handing him a bottle of pre-packaged iced coffee.

  Seeing the cold drink suddenly next to his face, Vins turned to look at Andrew.

  "Thanks, bro! Huh? You actually smoke?" Vins asked, slightly surprised.

  "What else can I do, man? As the firstborn son, I have to be way stronger and crazier! I have a little brother, you see... Sometimes I get so incredibly stressed out when I hear my mom constantly complain because I'm always out playing! I have my own damn world too... So why do I have to be the one who keeps taking care of my brother? That's exactly why I just take all my stress out on cigarettes!" Andrew confessed, explaining the heavy ins and outs of his life as the eldest sibling.

  "It must be nice to have a younger sibling, though! As the absolute youngest in my family, I actually really want a little brother! I only have an older sister who's annoying as all hell!" Vins sighed, standing up and resting his chin on his folded arms along the wooden railing.

  "Well, you know how it is, Vins... Everyone has their own heavy problems! That's exactly why we desperately need someone we trust to just be a good listener! If we don't have that outlet, we could literally go crazy!" Andrew said wisely, lighting his cigarette and taking a long drag.

  "That's so damn true, bro! Just like me right now! If you weren't here tonight, I honestly don't know what I would do... Thanks to you bringing me up here! Well... I actually feel a lot better now! I also have a younger sibling, but it's a cousin... He's still in the 2nd grade right now, but I already completely consider him my own little brother! Because my mom has been taking care of him ever since he was little..." Vins shared, telling the story of his adopted little brother.

  "Well, at least you get to feel the pure joy of having a younger sibling! But just the joy, not the massive stress like me, bro! How big is the age gap between you and your older sister anyway?" Andrew asked, blowing a cloud of smoke into the night air.

  "The age gap between me and my sister is 15 years, Drew! If I'm 13 right now, she's literally 28 years old, man!" Vins explained.

  "What? Crazy! That's a massive age gap! Well, from my observation, you're definitely going to feel the crushing stress of a sandwich generation soon! A generation that feels the heavy responsibility trapped between taking care of their aging parents and securing their own future! The age gap between you and your sister is way too big! And since she's a girl... She'll definitely be taken away by her husband after she officially gets married! Then it'll just be you completely supporting your parents alone!" Andrew analyzed sharply, perfectly understanding what heavy burden Vins would inevitably feel in the future.

  "Damn... That's absolutely true! My sister will definitely get married soon... I'll probably have to bear a massive financial burden around 18!" thought Vins to himself, a new wave of anxiety hitting him.

  Vins fell completely silent after hearing Andrew's stark explanation.

  Tsk!

  "Just stay strong, bro! Just do whatever the hell you like right now! Don't worry too much about other people's fleeting feelings for now! Especially girls... Because in the near future, you're going to face real challenges that are way crazier than just some middle school romantic relationships!" Andrew advised, taking another drag of his cigarette.

  "Thank you, Drew! I honestly already feel so much better now because of you!" Vins smiled genuinely, offering a solid fist bump to Andrew.

  "Whooshh~ Relax, brother! You're my loyal friend now, just tell me immediately if something heavy happens to you!" Andrew replied, blowing out a thick puff of smoke and returning Vins's fist bump.

  "Okay, Drew! But you absolutely have to do the exact same for me too!" Vins demanded, asking Andrew to treat him as an equal confidant.

  The night grew much later, and Vins finally invited Andrew to head home. Andrew drove him safely to the front of the dark alley, exactly where he had intended to drop him off earlier before the drama started.

  "I'm out, Vins... Stay strong, brother!" Andrew called out, revving his engine to say goodbye.

  "Thank you, Drew! Be careful on the road, bro!" Vins replied, waiting patiently on the sidewalk until his friend's taillights completely disappeared.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  That night, he realized one absolute truth after witnessing Andrew's fierce, loyal friendship. In his mind, he had a strong premonition that Andrew was destined to be his closest, most reliable friend from now until the distant future.

  Walking down his alley, which was located right next to a small convenience store, Vins decided to stop by to buy a cheap sandwich because his stomach was violently rumbling. The small store looked incredibly quiet and lonely; he glanced inside. A middle-aged man, about 50 years old, was deeply engrossed in watching a loud MotoGP broadcast on his small TV screen.

  "Go! Go! Rossi! Rossi! Damn it! You're so stupid!" the store owner yelled at the screen with his heavy Batak accent.

  "Uncle, how much is this one?" Vins asked the man, holding up a packaged bread.

  "Eh? Vins! What are you buying? A bread? Ahhh... That'll be 2,000 rupiah!" the 50-year-old man said, not taking his eyes off the race.

  He was Om Nias. Everyone in Vins's neighborhood called him that simply because his distinct accent came straight from the Nias Islands.

  Vins casually glanced at the analog clock on the store's wall, which clearly showed 00:10 AM.

  "Okay, Uncle... Here's the money!" Vins replied, handing a crumpled bill to Om Nias.

  "Eh? This money is incredibly crumpled! Change it to a better one, Vins!" the man complained, rudely refusing Vins's worn-out money.

  "I literally got it as change earlier, Uncle! Come on, Uncle..." Vins whined, perfectly mimicking the store owner's thick accent.

  "Ah... Fine! Just don't you ever give me trash money like this again... It's completely useless for transactions!" Om Nias grumbled, snatching the money and pointing a warning finger at him.

  "Yes, Uncle! Thanks!" Vins replied cheerfully and left the store.

  "That kid always does the strangest things... Tsk... Tsk... Tsk..." muttered Om Nias to himself after Vins left.

  Seeing the exact road where he had nervously walked Freya just that afternoon, Vins was instantly, painfully reminded of his Student Council President.

  Arriving deeper in his alley, he suddenly saw a woman sitting entirely alone on the wooden chair in front of his neighbor's house. She looked completely lost in thought, with her bare legs pulled up tight and wrapped in her arms, resting her chin heavily on her knees.

  Vins, who instantly knew the woman was Rista, immediately pretended not to see her. He aggressively pretended to be frantically looking for something inside his bag, acting exactly as if he had lost something highly important.

  "Oh no! Where is it? Why isn't it in here? Nooo... it's totally gone!" he muttered loudly, walking incredibly slowly while blindly rummaging through his backpack.

  Rista, who was still leaning her chin on her knees, just glared at Vins with pure annoyance. She then stood up from her seat and marched right over to Vins, who was still terribly pretending.

  "Ouch... It really hurts, Sis!" Vins groaned in actual pain as Rista viciously grabbed and pulled his ear.

  "Why the hell are you pretending you don't know me, Vins? Huh? How dare you! Purposely ignoring a pretty woman who's sitting here sad and all alone? What kind of gentleman are you?" Rista scolded, twisting his ear slightly.

  "Ugh! Okay! Okay! Ouch... Let go first, Sis!" Vins begged, trying to pull away from the pain.

  "See? Don't ever act like you're trying to avoid your Sis Rista like that again!" Rista warned annoyedly, finally letting go of his throbbing ear.

  "Ouch... Why are you sitting out here sad, Sis?" Vins asked, rubbing his ear while zipping his backpack closed.

  Rista appeared to be wearing nothing but a massive, oversized t-shirt that barely covered her shoulder-length bob hair. She also wore incredibly short shorts as her sleepwear, which were barely visible.

  Rista didn't bother answering Vins's question. Still highly annoyed at Vins's terrible acting just now, she stubbornly crossed her arms tightly under her breasts. That specific action made Vins's eyes wander just a little, making the older woman's impressive figure clearly visible in the dim light.

  As a completely normal teenage boy with wild, uncontrollable instincts, Vins honestly couldn't tear his gaze away from Rista's beautiful figure.

  "What exactly are you staring at? You're literally just a kid, but your mind is already so dirty!" Rista snapped, annoyed but slightly flattered that Vins had been staring at her chest for way too long.

  "Huh? No... The cartoon picture on your shirt is just really funny, Sis!" Vins lied smoothly, making up a terrible excuse.

  "You absolute hypocrite! Get over here!" Rista retorted, insulting Vins while aggressively pulling his hand, dragging him into her neighbor's front yard.

  A long bamboo bench, a traditional lincak model, sat in the dark yard.

  "Sit! Sit down right now!" Rista commanded, heavily pressing down on Vins's broad shoulders to force him to sit.

  Rista snatched the bag from Vins's hand and tossed it carelessly next to the chair. Vins just sat there silently, obediently following her strict command.

  As Vins sat down, he now had a perfectly clear, eye-level view of the two beautiful mounds right in front of his face. The woman's natural body fragrance, a soft hand lotion with a distinct hint of lavender, slowly invaded his senses. He immediately snapped his face away, terrified that the intoxicating scent would accidentally wake up his 'little brother'.

  "What the hell is with girls always trying to aggressively provoke guys? First Karina, then Freya, and now Rista! The only truly normal ones seem to be Belina and Ivana!" thought Vins to himself, desperately remembering his chaotic, mischievous experiences with all the girls he had met.

  "Vins!" Rista called out sharply to Vins, who still had his face turned away.

  "What is it, Sis?" Vins asked, stubbornly refusing to look at her.

  "Look at me right now!" Rista commanded.

  Vins slowly turned his head to look at the older woman standing directly in front of him. His eyes naturally traveled up from her bare stomach, all the way up to her face.

  Rista suddenly leaned down and held Vins's cheeks firmly with both of her hands. She then moved her face dangerously close to his.

  "WOAH!!! WOAH!!! HOLD DOWN!!! Damn! This widow... is way too aggressive! I'm absolutely not ready for this! WOAH!!!" thought Vins to himself in a panic, seeing Rista's beautiful face getting closer and closer to his lips.

  Vins desperately wanted to resist and pull away, but he suddenly remembered the terrifying blackmail threat from the 21-year-old woman that afternoon. In the end, he completely resigned himself to Rista, tightly closing his eyes because he was so incredibly unprepared for what was about to happen.

  "Were you crying, Vins?" Rista asked softly, gently caressing the skin under Vins's eye with her warm thumb.

  Hearing Rista's sudden, caring question, Vins immediately snapped his eyes open.

  "Huh? Oh! No, Sis!" Vins lied instinctively.

  "Don't lie to me! Your eye bags are completely swollen! I've cried a lot in my life, so I know exactly what someone looks like right after crying! What's wrong? Tell me all about it!" Rista demanded softly, showing genuine, deep concern for her young neighbor.

  Rista stared intently into Vins's dark eyes, confirming they were indeed red and swollen as if he had just been sobbing heavily.

  Vins inadvertently glanced down at the woman's lips, which were completely natural without a single drop of makeup. This close proximity allowed him to see Rista's flawless face so clearly. Rista's fine pores were plainly visible to Vins's sharp eyes, even in the darkness of the night.

  Vins's face flushed violently, and his breathing quickened noticeably, hyper-aware that the older woman's soft lips were literally only 5 centimeters away from his.

  Spontaneously, unable to handle the tension, Vins blurted out words that instantly made Rista blush with intense embarrassment.

  "Sis, my mental defenses are really starting to waver! You should probably let go of my cheeks right now... Before something happens that's completely beyond your control! I seriously can't hold on much longer..." Vins warned her, his breathing quick and his voice dropping an octave into a heavy, husky tone.

  "Huh? I'm so sorry, Vins... I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was honestly just worried about you... Oh dear... I'm so sorry!" Rista gasped, completely flustered and panicking.

  Rista practically jumped back, releasing her hands from Vins's face, and sat down awkwardly two arm's lengths away from him on the bamboo bench. She instantly realized that Vins's childish, innocent demeanor had terrifyingly shifted into the raw, dominant aura of a fully mature man.

  Vins just sat silently, staring blankly in one direction, trying to cool off.

  "Sis, I'm sorry! Even though I'm literally still in junior high, I'm also a growing man... If you can't control yourself around me, I'll definitely end up doing things to you that are entirely beyond your control! I've honestly reached my absolute limit right now!" Vins stated darkly, turning his intense, heavy gaze directly onto Rista.

  Seeing Vins suddenly transform into an entirely different, dominant person, Rista grew genuinely intimidated. She was suddenly highly nervous that a junior high school kid was actually going to completely turn the tables on her.

  The dead-quiet, empty night made the heavy, tense atmosphere between them feel even more suffocating. Vins smoothly shifted closer to Rista, who was sitting frozen just inches away. He leaned in close, forcing her to lean all the way back against the wooden backrest of the bamboo bench.

  "Oh my god... Vins is actually making a move! You were so wrong, Rista! The timing is completely off! Why right now of all times? Oh well, what can I do? It's entirely up to Vins now... just do whatever you want, Vins!" thought Rista to herself, panicking internally as her heart hammered against her ribs.

  Vins truly unleashed his raw, masculine aura; his intense, heavy gaze completely overwhelmed Rista's defenses. Her heart raced frantically because of Vins's bold, out-of-control behavior.

  "Come on, Vins! My ex-husband never even looked at me like that... I can't wait! Make your move, Vins..." Rista whispered breathlessly, tightly closing her eyes and slightly puckering her lips in pure anticipation.

  Vins, hovering directly above the young widow's face, made Rista's heart beat even more erratically. Vins slowly moved his face down, deliberately bypassing her lips and leaning in dangerously close to her neck and ear. Rista's lips were completely ready to meet Vins's, but the kiss never arrived.

  Highly confused as to why his lips weren't meeting hers, Rista fluttered her eyes open slightly. She was shocked to feel Vins's breath tickling her weak spot: her sensitive ear. She spontaneously gripped both of Vins's strong arms, which were braced against the bench.

  "Sis..." Vins started, his voice dropping into a low, husky whisper.

  Rista just stayed completely silent with her eyes squeezed shut, her entire body trembling at the sound of Vins's heavy breathing right next to her ear.

  "I seriously can't hold on any longer..." Vins continued to whisper darkly.

  "Oh my... Are junior high kids really this wild nowadays? Ohhh my... Hurry up, Vins!" thought Rista to herself, her skin erupting in violent goosebumps.

  Vins then leaned in and whispered the final, devastating sentence directly into her ear.

  "I'm literally just messing with you right now, Sis! How does it feel? Do you actually like being teased and treated like this?" Vins whispered, entirely breaking character.

  Vins immediately pulled his head back away from Rista. He burst into loud, hysterical laughter, absolutely relishing Rista's highly flustered, deer-in-headlights response—which was a hilarious mix of being terrified but totally wanting it.

  "HAHAHA!!! SERVES YOU RIGHT! DID YOU HONESTLY THINK IT FELT GOOD TO BE CORNERED AND TEASED LIKE THAT??? HAHAHA!!!" Vins roared, laughing his head off and ruthlessly taunting Rista.

  Hearing his mocking laughter, Rista immediately puffed out her cheeks, looking incredibly pouty. She was absolutely furious and embarrassed because Vins had literally just played a massive prank on her and hadn't actually done a single thing.

  "How was that? Hahaha... Oh my god! Sister Rista... You're so damn funny! Hahaha..." Vins continued to wheeze, pointing at the pouting widow.

  Whack!

  "Hahaha... Ouch! That actually hurts, Sis..." Vins yelped as Rista violently smacked his shoulder.

  "I hate you! I hate you! I absolutely hate you!" Rista yelled, hitting Vins several more times in pure embarrassment.

  "Seriously, though... I'm honestly surprised! Why do you love aggressively provoking guys so much? How did it feel being on the receiving end? Serves you right!" Vins grinned, dodging her hits and continuing his laughter.

  Vins finally stopped laughing and looked at Rista's brightly reddened face. Rista stubbornly crossed her arms under her chest and turned her face away from Vins, refusing to look at him.

  Rista actually looked incredibly cute in the oversized outfit she was wearing, and her messy bob haircut made her sweet, youthful aura shine even stronger.

  However, that exact visual suddenly triggered a heavy memory in his brain. It made him painfully remember Freya. He vividly remembered the very first time he met Freya at the internet cafe, where she had looked so different without her glasses. She had looked so pretty, cute, and vulnerable at the time.

  Vins, remembering Freya's betrayal, suddenly became incredibly gloomy. The playful light vanished from his eyes. He hung his head low and softly thanked the 21-year-old woman.

  "Sis Rista... Thanks! You really managed to cheer me up..." he whispered sincerely to Rista.

  Rista, who was still stubbornly looking away, quickly turned to face Vins, highly surprised by the junior high schooler's sudden, depressed confession.

  "Huh?" Rista asked, her anger melting into concern.

  "Yeah... I just saw Freya walking with another guy tonight... You were totally right earlier, Sis Rista! I really was crying... I just couldn't handle the agonizing pain in my chest from seeing that!" Vins confessed to Rista, looking down at his shoes as his voice cracked.

  "Vins..." Rista breathed out softly, seeing Vins's absolutely shattered expression.

  "But I honestly feel so much better now thanks to you... Thank you, Sis!" Vins said, forcing a brave, broken smile at Rista.

  Vins desperately tried to show his fake strength to Rista, seeing the older woman's face turn deeply sad because of his tragic story. Rista, highly curious about Vins's heavy drama with his senior, gently asked him to tell her everything. Vins then poured his heart out, telling her the entire story from the very beginning, back when he first started getting close to Freya.

  Rista felt absolutely terrible, seeing the tough junior high school kid she always loved to tease showing such a broken, devastated face. She felt a deep ache in her own chest because it was like she wasn't even looking at the same cheerful, badass Vins from just that afternoon.

  Rista then gently reached out, took Vins's head—which was taller than hers—and carefully pulled him to lean against her shoulder. Rista hugged him incredibly tightly. Vins, who was completely surprised by Rista's sudden, maternal action, became overwhelmingly calm because of her warm embrace.

  "You can always talk to me in the future, okay? Don't ever be shy! I'll definitely listen to all your heavy complaints... My marriage also had to end because of a brutal betrayal! I truly, deeply understand exactly how you feel... It must hurt so damn much because it's the very first time your heart has been completely broken... Just hang in there, Vins!" Rista whispered softly, gently stroking the back of Vins's head.

  This was the very first time Vins had ever received such a profound, comforting gesture from a woman, and he simply couldn't control his heavy emotions anymore. The fake strength he had been desperately holding onto began to violently crumble and shatter completely.

  Unconsciously, hot, bitter tears streamed down his cheeks as Rista held him securely. He finally broke down and hugged her back, wrapping his strong arms tightly around her slender waist. Rista rested her chin softly on his head, gently stroking his hair as he cried silently. Vins could physically feel all the crushing weight on his shoulders begin to slowly lift.

  "Don't worry, Vins... You always try to be so strong for everyone else... I'll always be right here for you from now on..." Rista promised, pressing a soft, comforting kiss to the top of Vins's head.

  The dark night, calm and entirely silent, seemed to finally understand the young King's profound sadness...

  The broken former queen of another king held him warmly in the freezing cold night...

  Making the young King's highly anxious and restless heart finally feel so incredibly peaceful and calm...

  For Vins, Rista was officially no longer just an annoying, flirtatious older woman.

  Without any formal ceremony or grand inauguration, he silently wrote her name permanently onto his short list of favorite people.

  Just exactly like Belina, he swore he would never, ever forget Rista.

  Like framed portraits of highly respected national leaders, he hung both of the women's faces securely in the deepest corners of his heart.

  Rista would always be Rista to him. A truly special woman, who would forever remain a vital part of his heart.

  ---

  -To be Continued