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Aru followed behind as the old lady led the way, he can't help but notice the insides of the house he used to know, everything feels foreign to him, from structure to display even the atmosphere, this was no longer the same home before he was taken.
The only home, he knows he will still long to be back, even if in his memories, this place wasn't really worth appreciating.
Where two people he respected the most, won't warmly welcome his existence, yet he still wished to go back home, even if he wore a cloak of invisibility in their eyes, but now everything has changed, he's no longer invisible, he was even invited without any ire, not them but a stranger.
What makes him wonder was, as to how Polly ended up marrying? His intuition telling him that it's not what he thought it was, right?
“They didn't do the same thing to Polly, right?” He asked, in thin air.
Like how he was forcefully taken and ended up selling his body, to different Alpha's, every night, feeling the disgust as they used him, but if he was an Alpha and not a hopeless Omega maybe things would turn the other way?
Aru closed his eyes, trying not to remember a thing anymore, heaving a deep sigh, he won't be back there, he's free now, he need not sell his body, without gain again, he thought so.
He was in deep thoughts, he didn't even notice the old lady stopped not afar, watching him being dazed, then she gazed above her head, staring at the pinhole camera as if the one person watching from the other side, can jump out of that small thing, and give them a scare, the red dot, was glistening in silence.
The old lady handed Aru a white towel to get his attention, before he could bump unto her.
“Young man? Here, take a bath first, so I can see the condition of your feet, then join me for dinner.”
Aru softly take the towel to the old lady's arm, even if he was having trouble walking, it didn't hinder him to take a good bath, he didn't stay for too long under the warm shower, though he wanted to, just enough to get cleaned.
“Growl” Aru smiled clutching his stomach, he felt hungry just by the wafting scent of cook food, lucky of him to have a place to stay tonight.
A robe was seen hanging outside the bathroom door, he smiled, as if it was just yesterday.
The robe was his, he wanted to get sentimental but, he snapped the nostalgic feeling, and wondered as to why?
He stared at the robe carefully before wearing it, as expected, it reaches his knee, he intentionally chooses big things when he was still a kid, since he knew he was still growing, he didn't expect to grow this taller, when it was like a dress way back.
With these thoughts, he walked pass to a room where he was too familiar, his old room, where his breath was held, everything was the same that nothing was changed, suddenly he forgot that he's hungry, seeing his old room like everything happen was just yesterday.
He wiped his silly tears and caress his old table, with workbooks and the pen he left clipped in each back, a habit he was used to do, so he won't have a hard time searching in his bag.
Only then he noticed the old lady somewhere inside, he wanted to ask her, who seems to be rummaging something, she saw him entering with a sad look but didn't make a sound and let Aru reminisce in silence.
He stopped in the middle of the room, he was about to open his mouth to asked one specific question, but the old lady was fast, not letting him say what he wanted to say.
“Wait I'm looking for something for you to wear, this was my granddaughters room, she said not to touch a thing, but tomorrow you will meet her, and your questions will be answered too, she comes here often, every morning to bring me fresh milk.”
The words Aru wants to ask, were held between his tongue.
Who was her granddaughter? Why she seems to be waiting for him, the room was freshly the same, his walls were intact, his things untouched, as if that person was preparing his return.
Aru didn't pursue his curiosity and he let the old lady who's still engaged in searching something, he was sure from his old memories, that the lady will find him clothes to wear.
Because the cabinet was where he put all his clothes in the past, and honestly, everything will fit him, since those clothes are similar to the robe he was wearing now.
He wanted to confirm if the other two rooms are the same as his, so he took a sneak peek, the room of his stepmom and biological father used to sleep, has changed.
From the interior to bed frame, there's also a mini chandelier in the middle, he saw a photo of the old lady at the bedside table, and knew it from that single photo, that it was this grannies room, his feet soon brought him to Polly's room.
But what's funny was, the room was not homely nor warm to be in, it becomes a storage room, if not for the utilities on the inside side, like broom dustpan, tissues stock, bucket, it will become an abandoned room, good thing it still has its used.
Just who was this granddaughter? Was she he knew?, this question rang to his mind all the while.
Soon the lady called him, when she spotted him inside the stocked room, his attention was taken to her, a pair of clothing in her arms have been given to him.
“Here, this is the latest my granddaughter bought, I'm certain this will fit you, perfectly.”
She said, without Aru noticing, that she again glanced above the pinhole camera, this was not what he expected, he thought one of his old clothes will be given to him, still he reached for the clothes, and he was left to change.
“After you change, come eat, I'll prepare the table.”
“Thank you granny.”
“No need to thank me, I'm just helping you a little.”
The clothes are not to his taste it's too fashionable, but without further questions, he dragged his feet and change, to his surprise it fits him perfectly, her granddaughter surely knows his future size.
Afterward he left and waltz his way to eat dinner, the food wafted reaching his nose, the rich smell of meat in marinated in sweet and sour cream sauce, even the smell of the rice was perfectly dancing to his nostrils.
“Grandma, let me help you?”
“Sure dear, take this to the table, and have some chopsticks on that side.”
He followed as to what the old lady was instructed, upon reaching the table, he noticed the fridge was the same old fridge he used to know when he was still living here.
The old lady returned from the kitchen, and noticed his eyes on the fridge she smiled and explain, her part it's like Aru misunderstood her taste.
“It's pretty old right?, but I love the old things being kept, and look It's still in good shape, why bother a new one eh? Such waste of money, not superb, and the functions are much better than brand new.”
She smiled proudly, pulling a chair beside him and carry a chopstick to her mouth to eat.
He didn't refute her misunderstanding about why he was staring intently at the old fridge, he can't say, that was *OURS when he was no longer a part of this house.
The dinner went well, and he suggested washing the dishes, which the old lady didn't turn down.
“I'll prepare the room for you to sleep, and you can have a plenty of rest since my granddaughter will come after lunch, I told her I have a visitor, and she will bring you gifts tomorrow, just accept it, she was always like that.”
Aru cant say what he can't like, and can like, he just nodded his head and though it makes him uncomfortable when he heard, her say prepare a room for him, he still tried to turn down her kindness.
“Granny, I can take the sofa over there.” he pointed at the living room, but the old lady shook her head without words because she already received a text.
Soon he found himself laying comfortable inside his old room, it feels surreal, he didn't expect to be back to this nostalgic room to a different owner, and drifted to sleep.