University life wasn't easy… but it was a life full of excitement. Joseph, Abdul, and I became the best trio, navigating the challenges of academic life together. We spent long nights preparing for exams. We were fueled by caffeine and fast food, and we all sometimes shared quiet moments under the artificial night sky of the campus observatory while talking about our dreams of our future…
Joseph, with his clumsy charm surprisingly came brilliant when it came to problem-solving. His knack for thinking out of the box often saved us during tricky assignments. Abdul was always there to keep us on track… his notes and logical approach made sure we didn't fall behind. He was surprisingly witty too…. you had to listen closely to catch his dry humor.
As for me, I worked harder than ever. I was determined to prove myself worthy of being at JSRI.
The night was cool and clear. A light breeze stirred the grass on the hill where we lay, tucked behind the observatory. It was our favorite hangout spot. The air smelled of earth and pine, and the faint hum of campus life drifted up from below, distant and muted….
I stretched out my arms on the cool grass, my arms behind my head, gazing at the sky. Joseph was right beside me. He was fiddling with a blade of grass, twisting it between his fingers with a grin smile on his face….
On my other side, Abdul sat, his legs crossed…
"You know what?" Joseph said suddenly, tossing the blade of grass aside. "This spot... feels way too romantic for just for the three of us. Come on, Shin... tell me if you have got a secret girlfriend hiding somewhere??!!…"
Abdul snorted softly but didn't say anything, waiting for me to respond. I already kind of understood where this conversation was headed to.
"Come on, man!" Joseph pressed, nudging me with his elbow. "You've been here for months, and not once have you told us if you're seeing anyone… You're hiding a secret from us…. aren't you??!..."
I hesitated, scratching the back of my neck. "Well..."
Joseph's eyes lit up like a kid finding out a new toy, "Well?!... You do have a girlfriend… Don't you??"
I let out a sigh. I instantly realized I wasn't going to get out of this conversation that easily. "Yeah... I do."
Joseph sat up straight, looking triumphant. "I knew it! I knew you were hiding something, you sly bastard!" He turned to Abdul, jabbing a finger in my direction. "See? I told you! He's way too quiet not to be keeping a juicy secret…"
Abdul raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into an amused smile. "I'm listening…"
Joseph leaned closer while vibrating with excitement like a kid, "Alright, spill it out… Who is she??... How long have you two been together?!..."
I rubbed my face, already regretting ever opening my mouth. "Her name's Rina. We've been together... about two years now."
Joseph let out a low whistle. "Two years?! Damn, Shin! That's not just a fling…. that's, like… serious territory… man"
"Yeah," I muttered. The situation felt a bit awkward under their attention. "We started dating back in high school..."
Joseph grinned. "Didn't she come to JSRI with you???"
I shook my head, sadness creeping into my voice. "No... She didn't get in. It's been tough, but we're making it work."
Joseph gave me a sympathetic nod. "That's rough, man. Long distance relationships can be a killer..." Then, his grin returned, wider and more mischievous than ever. "So... the real question is: have you two, you know... done it?!!..."
I felt my face heat up instantly. "Joseph..." I warned, but he wasn't backing down.
"Oh, come on!" he said, slapping my back playfully. "Don't leave us hanging, man!!! I need to know what kind of romantic hero we're dealing with here. Have you two... you know… did the deed yet??!!!..."
Abdul still composed, rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his amusement. "Joseph, you're a child..."
Joseph threw up his hands. "Hey, we're all adults here!!!... It's a valid question..."
I sighed, knowing there was no escaping. "Fine," I mumbled, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Yeah... we've done it."
Joseph whooped like he had just scored a winning goal. "Atta boy, Shin!!! You dirty dog..." He leaned in, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Alright, now we have to know… how many times??!!..."
"Seriously?" I groaned, feeling my face turn even redder.
"Yes, seriously!" Joseph grinned like a kid. "This is prime gossip material, my friend. Don't hold out on us."
I glanced at Abdul, hoping for some help, but he just smirked. He was clearly enjoying my discomfort….
I let out a long breath, "...Three times."
Joseph's jaw dropped, and then he burst out laughing. "Three times?!" He clutched his stomach, practically bursting with laughter. "Look at this guy, Abdul!!!... Mr. Calm-and-Collected over here, getting busy behind the scenes!!!..."
Abdul chuckled quietly. "That explains why you're always so stressed. Studying and... extracurriculars..."
"Guys... seriously" I muttered, burying my face in my hands…
Joseph wiped away a tear from his eyes, that came while he was laughing. "Shin, my man, you just became my new hero. You sly…. sly dog!!!"
I shook my head, trying not to laugh, "I hate you both."
Joseph clapped me on the back again, clearly enjoying himself. "Don't worry, buddy. Your secret's safe with us... for now… At least…"
Abdul gave a small smile. "Until Joseph inevitably tells everyone, of course..."
"Hey!" Joseph protested, looking genuinely offended. "I would never!! Well... probably never..."
The laughter eventually faded, leaving us lying quietly on the hill again, the cool breeze rustling the grass around us. For a moment, everything felt peaceful the stars overhead, the soft hum of life around us, and the shared bond of friendship between us…
"Rina… she is a lucky girl…." Joseph said after a long silence, his voice softer this time. "You're a good guy, Shin. I mean it..."
I gave him a small smile, "Thanks, Joseph."
Abdul nodded in agreement. "You'll figure things out… Relationships are never easy, but... it sounds like you've got something worth holding on to…"
I exhaled slowly. Rina was important to me, and no matter how hard things got, I knew I wanted to keep our relationship…
Joseph stretched his arms above his head, breaking the serious mood with his usual playful grin. "Alright, enough of this deep emotional stuff. Who wants to bet… I can climb the observatory tower faster than Abdul!!!..."
Abdul shook his head, looking irritated. "I'm not participating in your ridiculous contests, Joseph…"
"Chicken..." Joseph teased, already getting to his feet. "Come on, Shin!!! Let's see who can get to the top first…"
I laughed, the tension from earlier slowly melting away. "You're going to get us kicked out of here someday for sure…."
"Totally worth it," Joseph said, grinning like a madman. "Shall we race to the top??!!"
And just like that, the moment was gone, replaced by the easy, chaotic joy of friendship…
I am in my 3rd year now….
It was a normal day…. at least, it started that way.
I sat in the middle of the lecture hall, half-listening as the professor lectured on about gravitational field distortions in deep space. Abdul was sitting to my right, writing and taking notes furiously in his notebook, as his usual self…
Joseph, to my left, was pretending to take notes, but I could see he was watching nonsense on his tablet…
"Hey," Joseph whispered, nudging me with his elbow. "You think we'll ever survive inside a black hole? Or will we just become spaghetti??!..."
I forced a smile, grateful for his attempts to lighten the mood. But in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the unease I had been feeling for weeks. Something was... off… I also hadn't heard anything from Rina for a while now. I thought maybe, she was just busy….
Just as I was thinking about texting her, my phone buzzed on the desk. It was Rina's number. Relief flooded me as I picked up the call, hoping to hear her familiar voice…
But it wasn't her.
"Hello?" I said with a low voice to avoid the professor's notice.
There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a soft, broken sob…
"It's me, Rina's mother..."
Her voice trembled, and I immediately knew something was terribly wrong…
"She's... gone," she whispered, and the world around me seemed to tilt. "Rina passed away last night…"
I couldn't breathe. My hands went cold, and the phone almost fell from my hand.
"What...?!" I whispered, barely able to form the word. "How...?!"
"She didn't want to tell you how sick she was…" her mother continued; her voice thick with sorrow. "She didn't want you to worry. But it was fast…too fast. She... she asked me to give you this message before she died. She said... to be happy, even if she's gone."
The phone fell from my hand, falling onto the floor. I stared ahead, numb, the professor's voice fading into the background…
Joseph leaned over, frowning. "Hey, Shin... What's wrong?"
I couldn't answer. The room felt like it was closing in, the walls were pressing against me, suffocating me…
"Shin!!!..." Abdul's voice was sharp. It was full of concern. He grabbed my shoulder, shaking me slightly. "What happened?! Talk to us..."
"Rina...She is gone…" I managed to say, my voice barely audible. "She's dead..."
For a moment neither of them said anything. Joseph's usual grin vanished, replaced by stunned silence. Abdul's eyes widened behind his glasses. His hand still gripping my shoulder.
"Shit!!!" Joseph whispered. "I'm... I'm so sorry, man!!!"
Abdul's expression darkened with a seriousness I had never seen before. "We'll get through this…" he said quietly. "You're not alone, Shin... we are here for you…"
But their words felt distant, hollow, and meaningless. The world blurred around me, and I couldn't stop the rising tide of despair.
The next day, I stood at the edge of Rina's grave, numb to the cold wind that whipped through the cemetery. Maki was beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly, but her warmth couldn't reach the hollow ache in my chest…
Joseph and Abdul stood nearby; their usual banter was replaced with respectful silence. I appreciated their presence more than I could say…
Rina's mother approached me after the ceremony, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She handed me a folded letter, Rina's final message to me. It was written with trembling hands.
"I didn't want to make you worry. I didn't want you to be sad. Please, live your life. Be happy, Shin. Maybe in another life, we can be together forever…"
Her words broke me. It felt like the ground beneath my feet had given way, and I was falling into a bottomless pit of grief.
After the funeral, I couldn't bear the thought of going home. The grief of Rina's absence was unbearable. The pain from the loss was pressing against my chest. That night, I wandered through the city streets, lost in a haze of sorrow…
My feet automatically took to the mountain where Rina and I had shared our first kiss, the sky was dark and the moon was hidden behind thick clouds. I stood at the edge of the cliff, the same place… where she had once asked me if she should disappear…
Now, it was my turn to ask that question.
I stared down at the drop below, my mind clouded with memories…. her laughter, her tears, the promise I had made to her. A promise I had failed to keep…
The wind whistled around me, and I took a step towards the edge. My legs were shaking, my eyes blurred with tears…
"I'm sorry, Rina!!!" I whispered, my voice trembling. "I'm so sorry..."
Just as I was leaning forward, ready to fall, two pairs of hands reached out from behind my back…
"Not today, man," Joseph's voice filled with seriousness as he and Abdul pulled me back from the edge. Their grips were unyielding.
I fought against them. I was consumed by pain and grief, but they held on to me, refusing to let me go...
"You're not doing this," Abdul said with a low and fierce voice. "We're not losing you too."
Joseph wrapped an arm around my shoulders, dragging me away from the cliff. "Come on, Shin. We've got you."
Joseph and Abdul carried me down the mountain, each step heavy with unspoken words. I was numb, barely aware of their arms under mine… dragging me along. I stumbled more than once, but they held me up…
"Don't you dare give up now," Abdul grunted, his voice low but filled with fierce determination. "You're not leaving us behind…"
Joseph, always the jokester, was deadly serious for once. "If you think we're letting you go, think again, man. You're stuck with us… for life…."
The streets were dark and silent as they took me toward the house I shared with Maki. The cold air bit at my skin, but it couldn't touch the deeper chill inside me….
I did not know how long it took me to get home. Time blurred and slid away like water between the fingers. All I knew was that the weight pressing down on me was too painful to bear and every breath felt heavy and painful…
When we reached the house, Maki threw the door open before Joseph could even knock. Her face was pale, her dark eyes wide with fear…
"Shin!" she cried, rushing toward me.
Abdul and Joseph gently lowered me to the floor in the entryway, panting from the effort.
"He tried to..." Joseph started, but Maki held up a hand, her expression hardening with grim understanding.
"I know," she whispered, her voice firm but shaking….
She crouched down beside me, cupping my face with both of her hands. Her touch was warm, grounding me in the present. "You're home now…" she whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from my forehead. "You're safe…"
But I didn't feel safe. I felt shattered, broken beyond repair.
TO BE CONTINUED