PAMPERED

369 Good thing he was a madman

Zoren stared at the figure before him, his heart beating with such familiarity, bringing him back to the past twelve years.

1

In the first week since he left, he would always find himself staring out the window, wondering what she was doing. He never thought he would spend years mulling over the same thing.

Questions like:

“How are you?”

“Were you having tons of adventures with Chunchun, Mouse, and Tiana?”

“Did the time come when Mouse stopped munching on something?”

“And Tiana… have you found out why she’s always on top of your head?”

“You’re probably a junior–senior student now; how has it been?”

“The doctor said I’m doing better. Are you still there? I have a surprise once I’m back.”

Those were only a few of the long list of questions he wanted to ask her in person.

Twelve years–how quickly they went by, was what he always thought. However, now that she was right here, right in front of him, those twelve years felt so long.

Time didn’t go by quickly; rather, in those twelve years, time was slower–very slow. Even Zoren couldn’t explain how he was able to survive all those years, holding onto a promise he wasn’t even sure if it was already broken.

Perhaps what people said was true.

He was a madman.

He was mad for holding onto a promise, for testing his patience, for trying to defy death all for the sake of friendship. Perhaps it was true he was mad for devoting his life, his time, his heart, and his soul for a simple, “welcome back.”

Hence, he wanted to know. Apart from all the questions in his head and the curiosity he carried all these years, he wanted to know one thing.

“Penny. I missed you… did you?”

The soft hush of the night whispered in their ears, washing away all the unnecessary thoughts in their minds. His voice resonated in the air, creating ripples on the quiet lake in her heart.

For a moment, all she could hear after his question was her heartbeat.

Did she miss him?

“It would be a lie to say I thought of you every single day because I didn’t. Her voice was hushed, her eyes soft, and her smile subtle. “At fourteen, I was running errands here and there to the point I’d fall asleep on my uncle’s couch. A year after that, I was involved in an incident, and I completely shut off. It took me a while to get back to who I knew I should be, not the person I

was trying not to he”

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369 Good thing he was a madman

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Penny pressed her lips together as she tamped down the tension in her throat. “Two years later, my parents visited me and celebrated my birthday. I didn’t think of you then, not even the slightest. Another year, I didn’t have the slightest idea of what the hell I was doing, let alone think of you.”

“Then another year… then another one… and then another one,” she added under her breath. “Did I think of you? No. Why? Because whenever I did, the only emotion I felt was sadness, because all I could think of was how you were, whether the treatment was working, if you were getting better, or if you were still alive.”

Like the fool he was, he smiled happily.

“I am alive,” he said. “And the treatment worked.”

“You’re blind.” 2

Zoren blinked and tilted his head a little. “Not completely… just headed that way.”

“Fool,” she whispered, balling her hands into tight fists. “I will scold you.”

“Okay.”

Her lips parted, but then no words came out. Where would she start? To be honest, Penny didn’t know. Because at the end of the day, she was glad he was there waiting for her the night of Chunchun’s birthday. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ever known her dearest friend, that precious boy, was actually alive.

If he wasn’t there that night, she would probably have sighed in relief at the end of that night.

If he wasn’t there, and if he wasn’t the fool he was, then all the questions in her mind would linger, probably until the day she died.

It was upsetting, and the more she thought about it, the bigger the lump in her throat became. Before she knew it, tears formed in the corners of her eyes until her vision was blurry.

What was supposed to be a happy reunion was filled with mixed emotions she couldn’t identify. Many of them were alien emotions she had never felt. Or rather, they were the emotions she killed a long time ago–the emotions that prison murdered for her in her previous life.

“Give me…” her voice faltered, making her clear her throat to complete her sentence. “Give me back my cat.”

Zoren blinked, watching her approach. “No.”

You only have visitation rights,” she remarked, taking Chunchun from his arms even though her cat swatted her hand again. She held Chunchun in her arms and snapped her eyes up at him. “I’m taking her with me.”

“And where are you going?”

“I’m going to cry somewhere else.”

Having said that, Penny turned around to leave. Meanwhile, Zoren smiled subtly, sensing her frustrations and other emotions just from the air around her. Taking a large step, he spread his long arms and wrapped them around her shoulders.

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360 Good thing he was a madma

Penny stopped; she froze.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered, his voice low and calm, resting his forehead on her shoulder. The corners of his lips curled up as he closed his eyes. His entire body relaxed as the thoughts in his mind disappeared quickly.

“The seesaw…” he continued under his breath. “I think… you can now stay up there.”

The tears she was holding back fell on his arms, and she hung her head low. Her lips quivered as she pressed them tightly together.

“The…” her voice cracked. “The monkey bars?”

“I can hold you up there, though I think you have a strong grip now and don’t need help.”

Penny bit her bottom lip as she smiled subtly through her tears. “Renren,” she called.

“Penny.”

“Welcome back.“@

And just like that, peace finally prevailed in his heart. 2

Good thing he was a madman.