The large warehouse stood abandoned and decayed, its ceiling pocked with holes that allowed a decent amount of light to filter into the space. Despite the poor state of maintenance, the warehouse's interior was clearly visible.
On one side of the warehouse, all members of the Kamisato gang of over 200 stood together including Top members Daniel, Daisy, Jackson, Martin and Gale, their eyes reflecting anger, hatred, and determination. On the opposite side, the members of the Rensei gang stood together, their numbers totaling over 230, with their leader named Ishi Kenji standing at the front, facing Gale with a malicious smirk.
Some spectators were already present there including some other infamous gangs, attracted by the prospect of witnessing the upcoming confrontation. The air was heavy with an electric energy, the anticipation of the impending battle creating an almost tangible atmosphere within the abandoned warehouse.
Ishi Kenji, the leader of the Rensei gang, broke the silence with a mocking tone, "Looks like y'all be visiting the hospital just like that girl."
Jackson scoffed in response, "You sure dream big."
Kenji smirked confidently, "But I can make those dreams come true."
Jackson clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing in determination. "We'll see about that."
As the both gangs continued to exchange challenging glares, the spectators began to grow more excited, watching intently.
Suddenly, another voice rang out from the crowd. It belonged to the leader named Aki Yori of another infamous gang who came and stood in between the Kamisato and Rensei gangs.
"So how do you plan on starting the fight?" he asked, glancing at both gangs.
Hearing his question, Ishi Kenji, leader of the Rensei gang, responded with a challenge, turning his gaze towards Gale. "How about the leaders of both gangs engage in the battle at a later time?" he suggested, a smirk on his face.
Gale returned the smirk with a look of both mockery and determination. "Why not? I'll consider it your last wish before you lose," he replied.
Aki Yori, witnessing the exchange, responded with a loud scream while forwarding his hand in a gesture to start.
"Then let the fight begin!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, members from both gangs quickly lunged forward passing through either side of their leaders. The warehouse filled with the sounds of shouting and chaos as the two gangs started to clash.
The two leaders, meanwhile, remained standing in their place, locked in their intense staring contest, their hands casually inside their pants pockets. Kenji continued to wear his signature smirk, exuding arrogance, but Gale's eyes mirrored a mixture of anger, defiance, and determination.
Punches were thrown, blows landed, and the sounds of grunts and groans filled the air. The spectators watched intently, shouting and cheering on, their excitement growing with each new development.
As the fighting intensified, the members from both gangs went all out, determined to overpower each other. However, the Kamisato gang seemed to have the upper hand, with their top members Daisy, Martin, Jackson, and Daniel proving to be a force to be reckoned with.
Daisy's flying kicks landed with pinpoint accuracy, taking down and making members unconscious from the opponent gang with almost no effort.
Martin's strong punches and impressive fighting skills seemed stylishly unstoppable, leaving his opponents struggling to even land a hit.
Jackson and Daniel, on the other hand, were enjoying themselves while effortlessly taking down their opponents, their grins betraying their confidence.
Martin, Daniel, Daisy and Jackson were occasionally defending and helping their fellow gang members as well wherever possible.
The once-neglected warehouse has now transformed into a battlefield, with the atmosphere thick with tension and anticipation. As the fight continued, the members of the Kamisato and Rensei gangs pushed themselves to their limits, determined to protect their own and eliminate their enemies. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, their muscles strained, and the pain of their injuries were all ignored in the heat of combat.
In a short time more than 150 members of the Rensei gang were lying defeated on the ground, similarly about 50 members of the Kamisato gang were also lying on the ground being injured. But the fight was still going on between the remaining members of both the gangs.
Despite losing far more members than the Kamisato gang, the Rensei gang's remaining members showed no sign of giving up.
And the fight continued, with both parties refusing to concede defeat, regardless of how many times they were knocked down.
However, seeing his gang members gradually losing the battle, the leader of the Rensei gang Ishi Kenji finally decided to join the fight himself. He quickly targeted Martin, one of the most powerful and top members of the Kamisato gang, and attacked him from behind, initiating a fierce one-on-one fight between the two.
Despite Kenji's surprise attack, Martin was quick to react, showing his prowess as a fighter. The two engage in a fast-paced and intense battle, their fists, feet, flying as they trade blows, each trying to gain the upper hand.
On the other hand, Daisy, Daniel, and Jackson, along with the remaining members of their gang, had managed to defeat most of the Rensei gang members. Some were knocked out and lying unconscious on the ground, while others were writhing in pain, unable to continue fighting. While, despite suffering injuries, the members from Kamisato gang remained standing, their determination to protect and defend evident.
As the fight continued, most of the eyes in the warehouse were fixed on the intense battle between Martin and Kenji. Some cheer for Martin, while others support Kenji.
Despite Kenji's initial confidence, he found himself struggling against Martin's power, skill and technique. Watching his gang members lose and his own attempts at defeating Martin being unsuccessful, Kenji's initial arrogance was now overshadowed by anger and a growing desire for revenge.
The fight between the two continued, with Martin gaining the upper hand as he attacked Kenji with increasing frequency. The crowd watched on, captivated by the intense fight. As Martin's powerful punch sent Kenji crashing to the ground, it seemed as if Kenji might pass out. While Martin quickly turned to fight with other members who were attacking him from behind.
However, as soon as Kenji became convinced that he couldn't defeat Martin like this, then fueled by anger and determination, he stood again, quickly regained his balance and, with a crazed look in his eyes, pulled out a small but sharp knife.
While grabbing everyone's attention even those who were still fighting including Daisy, Jackson and Daniel, he yelled in a deranged manner.
"At least one of you will die at my hands today, and Jay Martin, you will die today." he declared his intent to kill him.
Then with lightning-fast movement, he charged towards Martin, holding the knife and moving to strike with murderous intent, who was standing a little distance away from him. But hearing his voice Martin also turned his head towards him.
The sight of the knife in Kenji's hand caused everyone's eyes to widen in shock, and time seemed to slow down.
The crowd, which had been captivated by the intense fight, was now on the edge of their seats, watching in horror. Everyone's hearts skipped a beat as they feared for the worst.
Just as Kenji was about to strike Martin, a sudden flash of lightning crossed in front of them, and in a split second, Gale appeared in between Martin and Kenji, sending a powerful flying kick towards Kenji's head. The impact of the kick was so strong that blood spewed from Kenji's eyes and mouth, and everything around him seemed to move in slow motion. As Kenji's body dropped to the ground motionless, his blood-filled eyes slowly closed showing him being unconscious, his whole face covered in his own blood.
A silence fell over the crowd, the tension in the air almost palpable as they struggled to comprehend what had just happened. The Kamisato gang members knew that despite being the head of the gang, Gale didn't step much in any fight even on fight day because of his power, as he could end the fight in a few seconds by defeating everyone. Due to which his other gang members might not get a chance to show their skills and hence he didn't step much in the fight.
As the shock of what had just happened settled over the crowd, a powerful and authoritative voice cut through the silence.
"As long as I live, Martin can never die."
The voice belonged to Gale, who now stood over the unconscious body of Kenji and his back was facing Martin.
But quickly turning around to Martin, Gale looked straight into his eyes, gaze unwavering and filled with a depth of meaning that only the two of them seemed to understand. Martin, in turn, returned Gale's intense gaze, saying nothing, their silent gaze speaking volumes.
With the fall of the Rensei gang's leader, it was clear that the battle had been decided. While some members of the Rensei gang remained standing, their numbers paled in comparison to the members of the Kamisato gang who were still on their feet.
Out of the more than 230 members of Rensei gang, only about 20 remained standing while more than 150 members of Kamisato gang remained unscathed.
Suddenly while breaking the tension filled silence amidst the spectators, one voice rang out very loud, filled with jubilation and determination. "Aaghgh KAMISATO GANG WON!!"
As the victorious declaration echoed through the warehouse, the spectators broke into applause and cheers, their excitement palpable.
As the applause and shouts grew louder, all the members of Kamisato gang including top members exchanged meaningful smirks with each other, their faces expressing their shared joy and satisfaction at their victory. This moment was their time to bask in the glory of their hard-earned victory, and they did just that, smiling and occasionally stealing glances at each other, their bond strengthening with the shared accomplishment.
And suddenly one person from the spectators came in front of them with a camera and started clicking their pictures as a memory of their Glory and Victory. And seeing this, all the members of the Kamisato gang including Daisy, Jackson, Daniel, Gale and Martin immediately started posing with many different poses with great interest and getting their pictures clicked, the whole atmosphere was filled with the victory.
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The streets of Osaka were alive with the hustle and bustle of daily life. The sun had set, bathing the city in a warm, golden light, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. Amidst the chaos, Jackson, Daniel and Daisy sat at an outdoor street stall with Kato Ken and Sano Hiroto, enjoying snacks and drinks as they relaxed after the victorious fight.
Hiroto, enjoying the snacks with the others, made a comment in a mocking tone. "Did y'all see that Ishi Kenji, how confident and arrogant he was in before losing,"
Jackson, sitting opposite Hiroto, without glancing at him, eating his snack, spoke up in a casual tone. "Yeah, just like you,"
His words caused a collective effort from everyone to suppress their laughter, with food still in their mouths. Daisy, sitting next to Jackson, couldn't help but lightly hit him on the shoulder, a mix of disbelief and amusement on her face as she also tried to hold back her own laughter.
Hiroto, growing weary of Jackson's taunts, complained in a weary tone. "When will you stop taunting me? I've already turned over a new leaf."
Just as he spoke, Jackson suddenly slammed his hands on the table and leaned closer to Hiroto's face, replying assertively. "When I'm dead."
Hearing this, Hiroto rolled his eyes in annoyance, and Jackson sank back into his seat, a smug look on his face.
Ken, sitting beside Hiroto, looked at them with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "I was completely afraid that Kenji would kill our Vice Commander." he said.
"But he didn't." Daniel chimed in.
Daisy, sounding confused, spoke up, "I don't understand why he had a knife on him. Was he planning this all along?"
"Kenji has a reputation for using weapons and has been imprisoned twice for murder cases." Hiroto clarified.
"But that's not allowed in our fight." Jackson interjected.
Ken nodded in agreement, adding, "In a way, our head saved both our vice commander and Kenji. If Kenji had killed our vice commander, the vice commander would have died, but he himself would have gone to jail for the third time."
"But killing our Vice Commander is not so easy." Jackson added with a proud smile.
Everyone nodded in agreement, continuing to eat their snacks and drink as they shared a light-hearted laugh.
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The next morning after the fight, the corridor of the hospital was quiet, the only sounds coming from the occasional footsteps of hospital staff and the soft whirring of medical equipment. Martin and Gale walked side by side, Martin carrying a black-coloured, circular-shaped bag in his hand.
As they reached the ward where the injured Rensei gang members were admitted, including Kenji, they entered silently, carefully avoiding any unnecessary noise.
They both approached Kenji's bed in the ward, the injured gang leader still unconscious. As they reached closer, they noticed one of Kenji's gang members sitting on a stool near the bed. Upon seeing them, that member stood up, his face devoid of any joy or pleasantness.
Martin looked at Kenji's unconscious face for a moment before setting the bag he was holding down on the bed. "It's got money in it, take it" he said.
The gang member, growing angry, asked, "Do we look like beggars to you?"
As soon as he said, Gale spoke up. "The damage we have done, this is to compensate for that, because we don't sit quietly after causing harm to someone."
The gang member looked at Gale with a mix of anger and realisation, but said nothing.
Martin then spoke up, his gaze meeting the gang member's eyes, "I Hope, as we realise the harm done by us, you people also remorse for persecuting our female member."
The gang member's gaze dropped, a sign of his guilty conscience. After their brief exchange, Martin and Gale left the ward. The gang member stood there, his eyes still downcast, seemingly lost in thought about the consequences of their actions and arrogance.
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The night air was crisp and cool as Gale and Martin walked down the darkened streets of Osaka, casting long shadows in the dim light of the street lamps. They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Despite the late hour, the city still buzzed with a subtle energy, the occasional sound of music or laughter echoing from nearby bars and clubs.
They both continued their walk, the soft sound of their footsteps echoing in the quiet night. They reached a narrow alleyway and turned into it, the shadows growing longer and deeper in the tight space.
Martin, his mind suddenly filled with a question, addressed Gale. "What are your thoughts on your dad? To be honest, I didn't see anyone else more cruel than him while killing anyone mercilessly till today." he asked.
Hearing his question, Gale's face twisted into a bitter smile in response. "I agree with you," he replied.
They continued walking together, their hands in their trouser's pockets, as they exited the alleyway.
"My Dad is an extremely cruel and ruthless man," Gale continued, his tone tinged with bitterness. "He has caused great pain and suffering to many people, truly living up to the role of the monster figurehead." As he spoke, Martin gazed at Gale, his expression thoughtful. Gale, still wearing that bitter smile, scoffed softly before continuing,
"And a monster should be fearsome and bad, because if they're not, people might start to love them."
Martin, after absorbing Gale's answer, asked, "So you don't love your Dad?"
"I do, but only with my Dad." Gale responded in an immediate manner.
As Martin continued to look at Gale, he noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, a very first-time revelation that surprised him. But without saying anything else, he turned his gaze forward once more and continued walking alongside Gale, his mind processing the weight of Gale's response.
There was a momentary silence between the two, the only sounds being the soft shuffling of their feet on the pavement.
Martin's mind continued to wander, another question crossing his mind, causing him to pose it to Gale without looking at him.
"What do you think we'll feel if someone close to us dies?"
Hearing him, Gale responded with a soft chuckle and without making eye contact, stated, "That's a pretty simple question, but my response is somewhat different. When we lose someone dear to us, especially someone we love exceptionally deeply, we might first be in shock and unable to process the reality of the situation. This is followed by intense bouts of crying, both visible and invisible tears. Then, the extreme anger sets in. After that we'll get exhausted." As Gale continued speaking, his tone remained solemn and contemplative. "Eventually, even when good things come into our life again, we might be kind of numb to it all and will become…..silent."
As Martin continued to listen, his eyes fixed on the ground ahead, taking in Gale's words. Once Gale finished speaking, a brief silence hung in the air between the two teens again, punctuated by the soft sound of their footsteps on the pavement and distant sound of a passing car.
Martin remained silent, his mind grappling with the bittersweet truth of Gale's response. At that moment, Martin felt as if he could ask Gale any question of the world because he knew that he had the answer to every question.
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Martin, Gale, Jackson, Daniel, and Daisy, sat in a circle in the middle of a large, darkened room, the only candlelight resting in the middle of their circle, casting flickering shadows on their faces. The atmosphere was thick with tension as they prepared to tell each other scary stories. The only sounds were the creaking of the old floorboards and the soft hum of the wind outside.
Daisy, the only girl in the group, sat nervously in the circle beside Jackson, already visibly spooked even before anyone had begun telling any horror stories. The boys had purposefully kept their expressions serious, trying to create a chilling atmosphere for the storytelling.
Martin looked around the circle, asking,
"Who wants to go first?"
Then Jackson, his voice suddenly much louder and more intense in a scary tone, replied. "I want to."
Daisy flinched at the sudden outburst, but she quickly regained her composure, hitting Jackson on the shoulder gently and shooting him a look of both mild annoyance and fear. Jackson chuckled softly, enjoying the way Daisy had reacted to his sudden change in tone, mocking her with his gaze.
"Then start."
Gale instructed and Jackson adjusted himself comfortably on his floor cushion, clearing his throat before he began.
"It was a dark and foggy night, and a group of friends were on a camping trip in the infamous cursed forest - a place known for its macabre folklore and strange happenings. Despite many warnings, they believed they were invincible and decided to explore the forest, not knowing what awaited them."
As Jackson continued to weave his harrowing narrative, the atmosphere in the room thickened as he spinned his tale, keeping the others in deep suspense.
"As the group wandered through the thick, mist-shrouded woods, they could hear whispers in the wind, faint and indistinct, as if the trees themselves were speaking to them. The guys continued trekking deeper, their flashlights cutting through the impenetrable darkness, casting eerie shadows on their faces."
Daisy clung tighter to Gale, trying to find comfort in being close to Gale, her eyes wide and her body rigid with fear. Jackson continued with his story, deliberately using a creepy tone and making exaggerated movements to frighten everyone especially Daisy, who was already on edge.
"Suddenly, the group heard a loud crashing sound in the distance, like something huge was tearing through the trees. They froze in their tracks, their hearts racing, as they tried to make out what was making the noise."
Jackson glanced over at Daisy, an unnoticeable sly grin on his face.
"They listened intently as the crashing sound grew louder and closer, the group huddling together in fear, their flashlights swinging wildly around, casting flickering pools of light on the surrounding trees."
Daisy shivered visibly, her eyes darting around the darkened room, her imagination running wild with terrifying images.
"As the noise grew louder, they heard something else - a low, guttural growl that sent chills down their spines."
Martin, Daniel and Gale, while not as terrified as Daisy, were intently listening to Jackson's every word, their faces etched with a mixture of intrigue and curiosity.
"The group stood frozen, flashlights gripped tightly in their hands, and their eyes wide with fear. The growling grew louder and closer, and they could hear the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps approaching in the darkness."
Jackson's voice took on a gravelly tone, "Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows - a massive, hulking, ugly, disgusting beast with glowing red eyes and sharp, razor-like teeth."
The boys couldn't help but gasp in surprise, their pulses racing as they took in the terrifying description. Daisy, on the other hand, let out a small squeak of fear, her grip on Gale tightening even more. While Gale was occasionally patting Daisy's back but his own eyes and focus were fixed on Jackson and his story.
"The creature slowly moved towards the petrified group, its eyes fixed on them like a predator cornering its prey… . As the creature got closer, the group realised there was no escape… . The creature was almost upon them now, and the group braced themselves for the worst..." Jackson paused, building the suspense to its peak.
Suddenly, Jackson spoke in a loud, menacing tone, his face twisted into an eerie smile. "And then," he said slowly, "the creature lunged at the group, its jaws wide open and teeth bared, saliva dripping."
With a shrill scream, Daisy let go of Gale and covered her ears, shaking her head furiously. The others look at Daisy at her sudden outburst, a mixture of surprise and annoyance on their faces.
"Hey, it's just a story!" Martin said, trying to calm her down. But Daisy couldn't stop shaking, her mind filled with the horrifying image of the monster attacking the group. Jackson, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying the effect his story had on Daisy. He chuckled, clearly finding it amusing how scared she was.
"Looks like somebody can't handle a little common horror story," he teased, his smile growing wider. Daisy shot him a glare and hit him lightly.
She, still a bit upset, stood up and muttered defiantly, "I don't want to hear any more stories. I'm leaving." Saying this, she turned towards the door to leave.
Suddenly Daniel quickly grabbed the only candle and ran towards her before kneeling, holding the candle aloft in a grand gesture while Daisy's back was facing him. The candle's flickering light casted a warm glow on his face.
Martin, Jackson, and Gale, watched the scene unfold, trying to hide their smiles as they immediately realised what Daniel was about to do.
Daisy, unaware of what was happening behind her, halted at her track being scared, thinking how suddenly the candle changed its position, casting her huge shadow in front of her. Scared, she slowly and in alert turned back around to see the sight of Daniel kneeling there, blushing, his eyes closed and his head lowered, visibly nervous.
Daniel fidgeted with the candle, his voice quivering with tension as he began, "This...this is my first time doing this, I don't know exactly how to...but I want to be the light in your life just like this candle, no no i want you to be light in my life, and i want to stay by your side in every situation…and…and… and I love You."
The room grew silent, the other three boys watching the scene with bated breath. Daisy stood there, completely stunned, her face betraying no expression. While Daniel's eyes were still shut and his head low.
Suddenly the noise of a phone dialling broke the silence. With a start, Daniel realised he heard a phone ringing and turned his attention to Daisy, who was holding her phone to her ear. Daisy's voice echoed, full of feigned urgency and seriousness.
"Hello, Uncle Enzo? Your son has grown up and is now indulging in love shenanigans. Arrange his marriage immediately before it's too late!"
Daniel was momentarily startled by Daisy's calling his father, the other guys, Martin, Gale, and Jackson, were completely baffled by Daisy's sudden action.
Daniel quickly placed the candle on the floor and stood up before snatching the phone from Daisy's hand and looked at the phone screen but saw that….Daisy hadn't actually called anyone.
Feeling both shocked and relieved, he looked at Daisy and saw her smiling slyly at him, clearly teasing him. Daniel couldn't help but chuckle, a mix of confusion and amusement on his face as he finally understood what was happening.
Martin, Gale, and Jackson looked on, the initial surprise slowly giving way to amusement. They shared glances, knowing grins creeping onto their faces as they realised Daniel had just been the victim of Daisy's playful antics.
Daisy, already starting to turn and walk away, added a condition for Daniel, "If you can impress me, I'll accept your proposal." Saying this, she strode out of the room, leaving a hopeful Daniel in her wake.
Wasting no time, the guys rushed over to Daniel and started playfully teasing him, patting his shoulders and back as a form of congratulations. They ruffle his hair, enjoying the opportunity to mess with him.
Daniel, still blushing from Daisy's challenge, tried to defend himself from their playful onslaught of teasing. He laughed and feigned annoyance, but there was a hint of excitement in his eyes as he looked at the doorway, already thinking of ways to impress Daisy and win her heart.
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Gale was sitting on a comfortable couch placed on the balcony of his room. A small, dim lamp nearby lights his surroundings with a cosy, warm glow. His frame was propped up against the back of the couch, and he was completely absorbed in the book in his hands, unaware of anything else around him.
As he flipped to the last page of the book, he felt a mix of emotions. Part of him was eager to reach the conclusion and find out what happens to the characters he had grown attached to, but another part of him dreaded the end of this journey, the end of the story that had engrossed and inspired him. He took a deep breath and started to read the final words of the book under his breath, his grip on the pages tightening slightly as he neared the end. As he finished the last page of the book, he closed it with a long breath thump.
At that moment, Jackson and Martin entered the balcony, making their way to the opposite couch of Gale and settled down comfortably while Martin sat with his legs spread and both arms over the edge of the couch.
Jackson couldn't help but tease Gale about his academic performance. "Your grades at school are as terrible as Martin's, and you can't even spell a simple word correctly. Still, you are interested in reading all these books?" he jibed.
Gale, unruffled, set the book down on the circular wooden table and responded, "School books and these books are different, and I'm much more interested in reading these books." He explained with conviction, his voice firm and unwavering.
Martin, his curiosity piqued by the book Gale was reading, asked, "What book were you reading?"
Gale, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, responded with a small smile, "It's called 'The Fault In Our Stars' by John Green, and apparently it has a sad ending, but still it felt positive and painfully beautiful."
Jackson frowned at the mention of a sad ending, and questioned sardonically, "Why were you reading it? What's the fun in that?"
Gale chuckled at Jackson's question, and he stood up, picking up the book from the table in his hand. He responded firmly, "As I said it felt positive and painfully beautiful. And a book's story's sad ending doesn't determine the fun in it. There's a lot to learn from this book, with its deep messages spread throughout the story from beginning to end. The journey itself is enjoyable, and the sad ending is what makes the book memorable."
Jackson listened intently, and asked curiously, "How is that?"
Gale leaned in slightly, gently tapping the book against Jackson's head with a smile. He replied, "Because human memory tends to blur happy moments quickly, but sad moments linger in our minds for longer."
With that, he moved away and made his way towards the balcony door, leaving Jackson to contemplate his words, while Martin processed the conversation silently in his mind.
Suddenly Jackson immediately stood up, seeing Gale heading away. He hurried after him, calling out, "Hey, wait! Listen, we wanted to ask you something. Please join our baseball team."
Hearing him, Gale's voice came back, distant yet firm, "I don't want to join." Jackson, not letting go easily, continued to plead his case.
Meanwhile, Martin was still seated on the couch in the balcony, thinking about the words Gale uttered some seconds ago. He still marvelled at how Gale could speak about such profound topics so eloquently.
As he was absorbed in his thoughts, suddenly his eyes fell at the railing of the balcony and spotted an owl perched there. He was surprised by the sudden sight and slowly rose from his seat to get a closer look. His gaze remained fixed on the owl as he took careful steps towards it, curious to confirm if it was real or not.
However, as he got closer, Martin's eyes widened slightly as he saw a familiar glimpse in the owl's face - Gale's unmistakable presence. This sight momentarily left him stunned, frozen in his tracks. He stared in disbelief, his expression a mixture of shock and amusement.
The owl's gaze met his, and in a second Martin tried to suppress his laughter, but it burst out, uncontrollable and loud. He found it impossible to hold back. Despite his efforts to control himself, he fell onto the floor, writhing with laughter.
On the other side, hearing the uncontrollable laughter coming from the balcony, both Gale and Jackson hurried back. Seeing Martin rolling on the floor, unable to control his laughter, they exchanged confused and amused glances.
Jackson, curious about the cause of the hilarity, asked, "What's got you in such a fit of laughter?"
Struggling to speak between bouts of laughter, Martin, with his hand on his stomach, managed to gesture towards the owl perched on the railing and managed to gasp out, "It's Gale."
Hearing him, both Jackson and Gale turned their attention to the owl who was still there staring at them, they scrutinised its features in amazement. However, as Jackson tried to compare the owl's features to Gale, he found no resemblance. And just standing there, Gale and Jackson exchange bored looks, watching Martin's hysterics, their expressions still filled with disbelief.
And Jackson leaned towards Gale and whispered, "This guy has clearly lost it. He honestly believes that owl is you. That's just ridiculous."
Gale, equally puzzled, replied softly, "I know, right? It's pretty absurd. He clearly needs to get his eyes checked."
Both Gale and Jackson shared a knowing glance, silently agreeing on the absurdity of Martin's statement. Then watching him, they both couldn't help but exchange an amused chuckle at the sight.
It was clear that Martin's mind was playing tricks on him, seeing Gale in every random object.
Suddenly the owl spread its wings and took off into the night sky, but the balcony continued to be filled with lingering echoes of Martin's thunderous laughter. The air felt light and filled with surprise and humour.
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