For three days, people had come to Edmund's house again and again, but no one opened the door, all to protect the family's mental health.
"This is already the thirty-first time people have knocked on our door in the past three days, Dad. Don't you want to open it? What if Felix has already become the winner?" Rain asked Edmund while peeling an apple for the three of them to eat at lunch.
"No. I don't want to hear anything from them," he said while preparing cooking spices.
Anna came from the kitchen holding up the contents of the plastic jar where they stored rice. "We only have one glass left," she said.
They exchanged looks with one another.
"Let me go buy the rice," Rain said.
"No! I don't want you to break down if you hear bad news about Felix. And I don't want to lose you too, I don't want anything to happen to you," said Edmund, then stopping his daughter from leaving his house.
"Dad, I'm strong. I'll be fine. Please trust me," Rain replied firmly.
Edmund finally allowed Rain to go buy the rice.
***
Rain walked through the narrow, muddy alley. She had to cover her face with a cloth so that no one would notice her. The streets were quiet because everyone was watching the Star Game.
"I wonder, did Felix win or not?" she thought before arriving at her usual rice shop.
But when she got there, she found the shop closed.
"Damn it! Why is it closed already? Weird," Rain muttered, kicking away a rotten orange at her feet. "This must be because of the Star Game."
She decided to return home empty-handed, but suddenly an idea struck her. "I'll ask Verra. Her father's a farmer, they must have plenty of rice."
After that Rain rushed to Verra's house, remembering that Verra had once offered her rice.
Seven minutes later, she reached the pink-painted two-story house belonging to Verra's parents. Verra's room was on the second floor. But the front door was padlocked, with a note attached "Watching Star Game".
Disappointed, Rain turned to leave—but then she noticed a shadow in Verra's room.
"Eh, wait that looks like Verra … no, that's a guy. Could it be a thief?"
Rain pulled a folding knife from her pocket and crept toward the wall. There, she found a rope that Felix used to sneak into Verra's room during their courtship.
"Good thing she hasn't thrown this away," Rain thought as she climbed up with ease, thanks to her brother's many requests for her help in delivering letters to Verra.
She reached the balcony and pressed her back against the wall, peeking inside carefully.
But what she saw froze her heart.
Verra came out of the bathroom with a man. Both of their hair still wet. Verra wore the towel Felix once gave her, while the man wore only Felix's jeans with bare-chested. Verra's face was glowing with joy. She led the man to her bed.
"I'm so happy, Chris. Finally Felix has lost, and he'll never come back here again," Verra said, playing with the man's hair.
Rain's chest tightened. "What? Felix lost?"
Then Verra straddled Chris and kissed him passionately. Rain forced herself to keep watching to gather as much information as she could.
"So, when will you marry me?" Verra asked.
"One month after the Star Game ends," Chris replied.
Verra pouted, clearly upset. "Ah, you're like that. I don't want my child born without a father. Remember, this baby in my belly is yours, not Felix's. I only ever did it with you."
"Yes, darling, I believe you," Chris said, kissing her again.
Breaking the kiss, Verra continued, "But promise you'll marry me, and don't forget to find a job. If you don't, my father will never approve of us. You know Felix is dead, he's not the one earning money anymore."
Rain's anger boiled over. "Bastards! Felix was framed. This was all their scheme."
Her memory jumped back to a month earlier, when the people of Class F had ganged up on Felix. Verra had accused Felix of forcing himself on her.
"But how could that be? We were drunk!" Felix had cried, Verra covering herself with a cloth.
"You forced me, Felix! You defiled me!" Verra sobbed.
Her father, Max, grabbed Felix by the collar after hearing her words. "Didn't people say you liked my daughter? That's why you violated her!"
"I do like her, but I would never force her, Mr. Max!" Felix had protested.
"Lies! Just admit it!" Max roared.
Back then, Rain had believed Felix, knowing him as a kind, loving brother who respected women, especially Verra whom he adored.
"Aahhh!"
Rain snapped back to the present as Verra moaned. Rain spun around, heart pounding. "Damn! Enough." She fled the balcony, chest tight with rage.
She rushed off toward the town square to check the truth of Verra's words. Pushing through the crowd, she stared at the giant screen.
Star Game confirmed it—Felix had lost, finishing in eighth place.
The crowd was disappointed, yet many also praised Felix for reaching the top eight, making history as the first from Class F to achieve such a feat.
***
"Rain? Why are you so late? Where's the rice?" her mother asked when she came home empty-handed.
Rain held up her bare hands. "Nowhere, Mom. The shop was closed because they were all watching the Star Game. I looked everywhere, but nothing."
"I see."
Mr. Edmund came from the kitchen carrying a pot of porridge. He ladled it into bowls.
"Dear, bring us some apples from the kitchen," he told Anna. "And put water on the kettle."
She nodded and left for the kitchen.
"Where's the rice?" Edmund asked Rain.
"The shops were closed, I tried, but none were open."
He smiled gently, caressing her cheek. "It's okay, we'll eat this instead."
"Yes, Dad."
Rain stared at him as he carefully portioned out the porridge, including one bowl set aside for Felix.
Her chest tightened. "Should I tell them? About Felix's loss … about Verra? But if I do, will they be able to handle it?"
Her father noticed her hesitation. "Rain, what's happen?"
"I need to tell you something."
"What is it?"
She took a deep breath, summoning her courage.
"Dad … Felix lost."
Clang!
The metal plate Rain had used for apples fell to the floor, as Anna collapsed to the ground.
"Anna!"
"Mom!"
***