Wranil stared at the man in front of him with wide eyes.
"Wranil," the voice sounded again, and a hand clasped his wrist.
"Hydranga?" Wranil's voice was hushed, wavered with each syllable.
"Yeah, it's me." Wranil was pulled into a tight embrace, but his whole body was stiff. He'd never once had the thought that after all these years, Hydranga would still remember him.
Wranil broke the silence and gestured for Hydranga to sit. "Have time to chat with an old friend?"
Hydranga nodded and sat beside Wranil. "How've you been, all these years, your company has grown quite a bit."
Hydranga nodded, "Yeah, it's much better than before. A lot more business these days. How 'bout you?"
"I've been fine, me and Kalaya created a studio for art and writing. It was a bit difficult at first, but we managed."
"You're still in touch with her?" Hydranga's eye brow raised just enough for him to see.
"Yeah, we're engaged now," He smiled, "should I call her over? She should be free now."
Hydranga's pupils narrowed, "do whatever suits you."
"Pfft-" he couldn't hold it back, ever since they'd went their ways, he'd found that Hydranga and Kalaya were never on 'good' terms.
"What?" Hydranga playfully elbowed his side.
He waved his hand, "Nothing, nothing. This just reminds me of our past, that's all. Back when you two practically despised each other. Damn, I was half blind, wasn't I?"
"For what? Choosing that kind of person as a friend?" Hydranga laughed.
"Shuuuush! Kalaya is just fine, and you are too."
"You haven't lost your youth yet? You're already 28 years old! Old enough to be a mature old father, yet you drag words like that," Hydranga scolded.
"Yes, child. Come, father shall teach you morals today. First, RE.SPE.CT. Y.O.U.R. EL.DER.S," he pinched Hydranga's cheeks, before Hydranga could swat his hands away.
"Yes father! Then let me pass onto you what my dear dead mother taught me, 'never trust strangers!'" Hydranga took both of Wranil's hands with his own, and pinned them behind Wranil's back.
He laughed and said playfully, "fuck!"
"Try to get out, come on, see if you can overpower this grandmaster," Hydranga laughed along.
"..."
"...I-"
The door opened.
"Hydranga! Wranil?????" an utterly stupefied Amnyguri exclaimed.
"..." Hydranga began stuttering, trying to explain this.
Now that he'd noticed, their position was a bit ambiguous. He shoved Hydranga off his body, and walked up to Amnyguri. "We were just playing, don't worry."
Amnyguri was part of their trio back in college, what had once been inseparable was now shattered.
Amnyguri eyed him, but didn't ask more and he leaned against the door frame.
"You came back." Amnyguri pointed his chin towards Hydranga.
"Yeah. What? Not welcomed?" Hydranga asked.
Amnyguri snorted and sneered, "very much welcomed, my dear old friend."
He, of course, was horrible at reading rooms. So, he brazenly, with no shame, said, "I always thought you two were crossed, haaha! Now you're getting it together, riiiight?!"
He received a glare from both friends as he hooked both his arms around Hydranga's and Amnyguri's necks and drew the three closer, their faces were nearly touching. Hydranga was first to push his arm away, and backed away with a snort. Amnyguri just hooked his own arm around Wranil's neck, flashing a smirk at Hydranga.
He patted Amnyguri's back and stuffed his face into Amnyguri's chest.
"Amygri, looook, our good son has run away from us."
Amnyguri chuckled, then patted Wranil's back in turn, "do not worry my dearest, our son has some unsaid troubles."
With that, Amnyguri shot Hydranga a look. Hydranga rollled his eyes, but played along with the two adults, and walked over to rub Wranil's head. "Father, your son has come home for love~"
He smiled, and took Hydranga into his embrace, happy to finally feel the trio reunited, however one sided it was, it felt like they'd traveled back to their youth.
After they'd exchanged contacts, the three agreed to meet at the cafe by Wranil's apartment at 11 AM, because not only was Wranil a deep sleeper, on average, he'd sleep from 10 in the evening, all the way till 10 in the morning.
Due to his inheritance from his deceased parents, it was likely that Wranil didn't need to work for his entire life. Though he had the option not to, he wasn't lazy. Wranil just did was he loved and was willing to do, art. It was a fun profession, your imagination can run wild, and as long as you meet the right clients or commissioners, you would get your work cut out for you.
Wranil took a week or two for each commission, not spending too long or too little, kest the commissioner had a high price and set a deadline. He'd once gained seven hundred thousand from a commission. Wranil ha been sure to render and fix the piece to make it as perfect as possible. In the end, he'd deposited the money into the studio's savings account, to help with the maintenance.
As Amnyguri and Wranil walked back to the apartment, Amnyguri's steps stilled, and he turned to asked, "did you… miss us?"
Wranil was thoroughly startled by Amnyguri's approach, "I guess, the first year we split, a lot felt missing, but after time, it felt normal and as if you and Hydranga were nothing more than a dream and illusion of our youth.
Now that we're all back, it's as if something that was held dear has come back for a final goodbye. I know it's not good to say, but… you and Hydranga never really would've found his happiness in either me or you. I feel that it's for the best that we split. Afterall, though we were close, we'd had to change ourselves in front of each other just to hang onto a friendship that wasn't ever really whole to begin with. And just trying to squeeze in, and holding back on what you'd really say and switching it to appease the members of that group rather than yourself, it's not… worth it. At least not in the long run. Not for me, if that makes sense?"
Amnyguri chuckled, "Yeah. But, who said our friendship wasn't whole? I think it's perfectly, 99.99% whole."
"Pfft— and where did that 0.01 go?" Wranil's eyes glinted with a childishness that he'd always carried with him.
"It ran awa~y," Amnyguri nudged Wranil's shoulder, and continued his steps, "and besides, I threw it out the window, it shouldn't come back, so don't even think about it."
"Damn, where did it go, which window dared to let that pass, haha!" Wranil clung to Amnyguri's arm, dragging it down.
"Amygri… I'm so tired."
"..I know."
"Amygri, will we always stay together? As.. friends?"
Amnyguri's steps stopped again, halting Wranil to a stop.
"..as friends, hmm?"
Wranil nodded, dragging Amnyguri forward. "Better friends than enemies, right?"
"Yeah."
Wranil crossed the streets, Amnyguri a few steps ahead. Wranil smiled at Amnyguri's silhouette, and reached a hand out towards Amnyguri. But his hands fell short, and his body was thrusted forward by a truck. Glaring lights blinded Wranil, and he could just make out someone screaming his name. That… is my name, right?
Wranil felt tired. A different tired, though. As if… his body wasn't his anymore, and his strength and energy had never existed. He closed his eyes, unwilling to suffer the pain.
***
Kalaya's body was arched, her hands clutching the ashes of her beloved. Tears stained her cheeks, her usually formal attire had more been wrinkled and lay disheveled as she stood up from where she sat.
"Amnyguri…" Kalaya's voice was nothing short of a whisper.
"Madam Flaurich." Amnyguri had a secret. He'd been the childhood servant to the successor of the Flaurich family. One of the most powerful families in the world, with over 90 influential figures in their family history, they easily made their way to the top.
"I… I want to resign," Kalaya's voice cracked, barely even recognizable, her free hand rested on her stomach area, "He didn't even get to know…"
Amnyguri's face was painted with pain and fatigue as he closed his eyes, "Kalaya… He would've been so happy. He'd always loved small things, cats and children especially."
"Mm, yes. I remember a time, he'd been raising a feral cat. The cat stayed with him for 12 years, then it died. He'd been so heartbroken, I was at such a loss." Kalaya forced a smile, but tears started streaming down her dampened cheeks, "He left me now, how do I live with his pain?! How can I manage to look at our son's face and not despise every bit of it?"
"Madam… maybe-"
"DON'T!" Kalaya's voice was strong, flustering Amnyguri.
"I don't want to hear a single bit of 'time will heal,' kind of trash!" Kalaya's eyes were bloodshot and she hugged the jar closer. "Find me who did this, I will make them pay!"
Amnyguri was startled at Kalaya's sudden anger. "Yes, Madam Flaurich."
***
-December 17th, 2026, Wranil Flaurich died.
-December 20th, 2026, Eicharo Noruma was sued and paid a fine of 7 million dollars for drunk driving, and the murder of Wranil Flaurich, and sentenced to 10 years of prison life.
-December 24th, 2026, a feline rescue was anonymously donated 7 million dollars.
-April 25th, 2027, the Flaurich family welcomes a newly born young master, son of Kalaya Flaurich and Wranil Flaurich.
-January 31st, 2028, Kalaya Flaurich dies of suicide after the loss of her husband, leaving her son to the care of his grandparents, leaving a poem written with blood on the walls of the death scene,
'Life in a thousand words
Horror in a million days
Inanimate yet captured in a statue of clay
A portrait of a million birds
Left by a whole heart
A cry of a child's tear
Pierces a heart with a thousand darts
A face drawn into the hands of art
I leave reality my dear
For I've no fear of the pain
As soon I'll join you in the rain
Your voice I'll hear'