"Sillia, aren't you going to take my offer?" Sky's voice, a low rumble of resigned exasperation, carried through the dim room. He was still massaging her legs, an unwilling captive to her demands.
"No… just continue. It's amazing~…" Sillia purred, a blissful sigh escaping her lips. Her legs, draped over his chest, felt utterly divine under his skilled hands. She lay beside him on his bed, lost in the luxurious sensation.
"Hah…" Sky sighed, a profound acceptance of his fate. Ten minutes later, Sillia's soft, rhythmic breathing filled the room. She was asleep. Gently, Sky nudged her legs from his chest, careful not to disturb her. He then moved to the other mattress, originally Sillia's, which now lay vacant, and settled onto it, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The first rays of morning light streamed through the window, rousing Sky. Today, he would go to the mountains. He yearned for the forest, for the imagined tranquility of sitting on a moss-covered rock, surrounded by towering trees, a pristine lake shimmering in the center, and the taste of fresh, wild fruit on his tongue. It was a blissful vision, a memory yet to be made.
"Mom, I'm going outside." Sky announced, already halfway out the door.
"At least eat before going out!" his mother called after him, but Sky, unheeding, was already gone. His sister was at the dining table, picking at her breakfast. Just then, a child appeared at the doorway.
"Aunty, can I have some lemons?" A girl named Asiya, roughly Sillia's age, entered the house.
"Oh, Asiya, sure… come sit here. See your old friend after a year." Sillia's mother smiled, and Sillia's ears perked up. She looked up, her gaze falling on Asiya, the girl next door, her old playmate.
"What…?! Oh my, you've returned! When?!" Asiya exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. Sillia returned her enthusiasm, their conversation immediately reigniting. Soon, they decided to go meet their other friends.
Sillia, her breakfast half-eaten, left the table with Asiya. Her mother sighed, a soft, understanding sound. She knew the untamed excitement of youth.
Meanwhile, on the sun-dappled road, Sillia and Asiya walked, their voices weaving a tapestry of shared memories and new discoveries.
"Do you know, Riyadh already married?" Asiya asked, her voice laced with a hint of dramatic gossip.
"Hah… when? How? Wasn't she just two years older than me?" Sillia's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Yes. But what can we say? She was bold enough to tell her parents she loved someone, and they married her to a man in the village, forcing her to forget about her lover." Asiya's gaze drifted down the street, a somber note in her explanation.
"What the hell… that's inhuman!" Sillia retorted, anger flashing in her eyes. She instantly resolved to meet her married friend.
"So where are the others now? Did they also go to study like me?" Sillia asked, recalling how some of her friends had talked about moving to another state for education.
"Yes, some went, but mostly remained here," Asiya explained.
"I see…"
"By the way, what about you?"
"What about me?" Sillia feigned confusion.
"I mean, have you found someone? You remember what you said before leaving, that you would find yourself a good lover?" Asiya's smile was sly, teasing. Sillia immediately shifted the blame.
"No… my brother is strict…"
"What, your brother? Why does that matter? Wait a sec, you don't live alone?" Asiya's eyes widened in surprise as the realization dawned on her.
"No, with my big brother. And he is also strict, just like my parents, so it's nearly impossible to do so," Sillia sighed dramatically.
"I see… but why are you living with him? Weren't you a strong girl who could live alone?" Asiya giggled.
"Hmph… of course I am, but you know my parents. They think it's not good for me to live by myself in a foreign city. Hah… what can I do?" Sillia lamented, affecting a sigh of resignation.
"Hmm… understandable, but come to think about it, what I heard from others about your brother was that he was a calm person… He was quite open-minded as well, not as strict as your parents, in fact, friendly, and that's not all. I have even heard from my brother that he was quite good to others and treats you well." Asiya shared her impressions. Sillia made a face.
"Nah, that's not true. He's only good in front of others. I've lived with him for a year now; he is quite short-tempered and didn't treat me good enough. In fact, I have to do maximum household chores after school, it's so tiring. And after doing all that work, when I ask him to just massage my legs a little because I was tired, he simply ignored me or scolded me away. He is way bad," Sillia declared, her expression thoughtful, as if delivering a profound judgment.
"Oh… I see. That's bad. How can he let you do all the work?"
"Hmm… I told you." Their casual conversation drifted, and Sillia met only one more friend before returning home, immediately burying herself in her phone.
Meanwhile, on his way to the mountains, Sky analyzed the vast distance. To save time, he decided to utilize his powers. He found an empty patch of ground, far from prying eyes, before launching himself skyward, ascending several hundred meters before rocketing towards the mountains.
"Such a fresh air…" Sky murmured, inhaling deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp, clean air. He landed in the heart of the forest, unsure of his exact location or if the fabled lake still existed.
He began to search, his eyes scanning the trees. His gaze then fell upon a cow, lazily grazing. A cow? But didn't I land quite deep? He realized that he wasn't on a steep incline, but rather a vast, plain field, teeming with trees and wild fruits.
"Amazing, that's what I want!" Sky's spirits lifted. He spotted trees laden with pears and apricots, and patches of plump, wild berries. Just as he moved towards the berries, he heard voices. This wasn't deep wilderness; it was the normal grazing area for the villagers. An idea sparked in his mind: he would ask these people where he could find mushrooms.