The darkest place is a room with no light, while the liveliest place is a mixture of different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and black.
"He is a monster." "He is a monster."
This was the playful taunt chanted by a few children to shun Zephyr because of his looks. This schoolyard chant always continued until the teacher came in. The angry looks were still on the children's faces, as they didn't even try to hide them. It clearly showed how much they despised him.
"Yssa is not present because of a cold."
The teacher announced this to preempt the questions the children would ask. She knew them and their behavior, which was also the reason Zephyr was bullied by the others when Yssa wasn't present to protect him. The bullying started when Zephyr got too close to Yssa, but from the perspective of a friend, there is no such thing as "too close."
"It's a shame that I can't do more," the teacher thought with regret, wishing she could do a bigger thing for her student.
Hours passed, ticked by in minutes and seconds. The sound of footsteps echoed as Zephyr's only thought was to leave. The teacher sighed as she looked at Zephyr, who had been quiet the entire time. Watching her student disappearing figure only deepened her regret.
Knock, knock.
Zephyr knocked on the door, having even forgotten to call out to the person inside. "Yssa, it's me."
His voice sounded hoarse from crying, although he had already stopped. Zephyr stood before the door, which was huge compared to him. The doorknob was barely within his reach, and even though he could probably open it himself, he still waited for a response from the owner.
Creak.
The door slowly opened, revealing Yssa in her pajamas. Her dry lips and pale face showed she could barely get up in her state, but after seeing Zephyr, she smiled.
When Zephyr saw Yssa smile even in this condition, he hurriedly grabbed what was inside his pocket and gave it to her: the sweet candy he had gotten from the daycare center.
…
An open place doesn't mean it's for everybody. Some are reserved for high-ranking individuals, some for special people, and some are reserved for dogs.
Bang!
The punch landed directly on his stomach, and Zephyr could only groan in pain. The sudden, familiar sensation caused him to writhe in distress at not having seen her sooner.
"You know, my punch feels like a pro boxer's. What if I enter the national championship?" "Shush, that's lame. Here, hold him, and I'll show you how to become a world champion."
The trio took turns beating Zephyr. Two of them held him while the other punched his face and body. The beating only stopped when they noticed that Zephyr had fainted.
"Don't touch my girlfriend, and keep your face away from her," the leader of the trio said, scanning him from head to toe before leaving.
The truth was, Zephyr didn't even know his girlfriend. A few minutes passed. Zephyr looked at his worn-out clothes and injuries. Dragging his weak body, he continued walking towards his home, his pace not slowing.
…
The clinking of plates could be heard as Zephyr prepared the dishes, rice, and some side dishes for his dinner. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
Knock, knock.
The door slowly opened, and a high school girl came into view, wearing a black skirt and matching uniform. Seeing Zephyr's bruises and worn-out clothes, Yssa hurriedly rushed towards him.
"Are you okay?" Yssa asked.
Although no one would be okay in this state, the question showed her concern for him. Zephyr didn't reply but only gestured to invite her for dinner.
Time passed quickly when a person was happy. After the two finished their meal, Zephyr brought Yssa back to her house. When he returned to his own home to wash the dishes, he found something on the table. It was a candy.
…
A consumer may ask a producer for a product, but a producer can't ask what will happen to that product. Some will be consumed, and some will be played with.
"He's here again. Doesn't he have any shame?" "Does he even know that he is scaring the customers with his looks?"
Zephyr just walked away when this happened, which was often. He couldn't help it, since he, too, needed to keep living. He continued walking towards the back where the dishwashers worked.
Others would think that birds with same feather flock together but it's not true, that even his fellow dishwasher dissed him.
He was supposed to be working at the front desk to cater to customer needs, as this hotel restaurant was popular for its service. But for some reason, a regular customer complained about him, so the manager could only demote him, as he didn't have a proper reason to fire him.
In fact, Zephyr's looks were average. The only notable thing was his pale face, which made him stand out from others.
He didn't know why, but the murmuring about his looks was stuck in his mind. He tried to calm himself but failed, gasping as he clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.
…
The busiest places are not always the happiest. Some people play in the park, some watch sports, while some are hurrying to bring a person lying on a stretcher.
A year is divided into months, seasons, weeks, and days. It had been a year since Zephyr had fallen into a coma from overworking.
Peeling an orange was what Yssa had been doing all this time. She couldn't even remember how many she had peeled this past year, only wishing she could feed it to the one beside her.
…
Beep beep
Sound of vital signs dropping startling Yssa as she saw Zephyr lying in the bed as her tears flows
"Zephyr, please hold on. I'm always here."
They say when a person is dying, their life flashes before their eyes. But for Zephyr, these were the last words he heard as his vision plunged into darkness.