Three Lifetimes - Chapter 29

I was missing Jin terribly.

But how was I going to search for him without any leads? My seal seemed to be malfunctioning because I could not even feel any pulsations from it since the time I had been reincarnated. I was very frustrated. I hoped he had not fallen in love with someone else while I wasnt around! Just thinking about it made me pale with worry.

Why do you look so down? Gary asked as he spooned himself a bowl of curry.

We were currently in the primary schools beautifully furnished cafeteria, and todays luxurious lunches were Japanese themed. The dining hall was also one of my favorite places to visit, as the food was already paid for and part of the tuition so I was able to order whatever I wanted on the menu.

Im looking for my husband, I sighed.

Husband?! Gary and Kina nearly shouted out loud.

Yeah. I looked at their shocked expression with solemnity.

Are yougay? Kina turned as white as a sheet.

Ah! I had forgotten I was currently a guy.

No, I laughed. I mean wife. Yeah, wife.

Wife? Gary asked. How could you have a wife when were still 11 years old?

What I meant was I looked around the cafeteria and saw many girls look my way with bashful expressions on their faces. Huh? Was there something on my face?

Im looking for a wife, I said as nonchalantly as possible.

Cant you look for a girlfriend first? Gary laughed. Ever since we had become close friends, he wasnt the same person Kina and I used to know. He gained more weight after we fed him snacks and a truckload of food, and his muscles were firmer after joining the clubs I was also part of. He was a lighthearted person now, and someone I was willing to trust. I was glad we were now in the same section as we progressed to Level 5 primary school.

Whatever family problems he had were a bit resolved after I had talked to my father about it, and it seemed my father knew of the Sanders deteriorating company. He willingly bought a few shares and started making the company flourish once again, hence the Sander family declared they were eternally indebted to us.

Aside from the company, Garys parents reconciled after the cheating incident, and from what I assessed since the last time I saw them visit our house, they were proper people. The only downside was their lack of attentiveness towards Gary, thus I surmised he was actually a very lonely child who only wanted to be seen and heard. Perhaps thats when he started bullying people, as a way to be noticed by his parents and peers.

W-Wife? Kina started turning as red as the tomato juice in her hand.

Yeah, I found her before but, I sighed, I lost her too soon. I didnt even get to tell her I loved her.

It was actually funny how Kinas red face turned into white in a matter of seconds. Was she okay?

Why? You lost contact or something? Gary asked.

Sorta. It was hard to keep in touch when deities didnt have built-in cellphones for communication.

Did you search for her on Facebook? Gary suggested.

I dont know her name. I didnt know what Jins Earth name was, so searching him on Facebook was useless.

Sounds complicated. Gary munched on his Oreos. He looked a bit contemplative. Youll find her soon, dont worry.

Thanks! I smiled at him and chugged down my goats milk. I grinned wider when I remembered all the fuss I had inadvertently caused in my past life when I suggested goats milk as a beauty product. I suddenly felt melancholic. Ah, perhaps this was the reason people chose to drink the soup of oblivion. Tying yourself to the past caused extreme heartache.

For some reason, I had been getting love notes in my desk recently. It amused me, so when I got home I would read them in my room.

They were veryflowery. Some of the love notes were written so well I had a hard time believing it wasnt some sort of essay about their favorite food.

The streams of love notes kept flowing until I couldnt be bothered to read them all anymore. I merely stuffed them all in my bag and placed them in a drawer in my room for safekeeping. I didnt want to throw them away because as a girl, I knew how that would hurt. More importantly, I didnt even know why they kept sending me such letters. It was all so abrupt, I could not even guess the catalyst. I also felt that the boy they saw me as and the person who I really was were two different people. It was a pity that they were falling in love with a mere illusion.

Excuse me, umHero? A girl with brown locks came to me with red cheeks. Our class was having morning recess, and I was sitting on Garys desk while we chatted with Kina. The rest of my classmates paused what they were looking to eavesdrop on us.

Yes? I looked at her, waiting patiently for what she was about to say.

My friend is going to graduate soon from primary school, and she wont be going to this school for secondary schooland She was out of breath. She wants to meet you under the rhododendron tree at noon!

Noon? I asked. But that was lunch! Did she mean I would have to skip my favorite meals just to meet this person?

Perhaps it was because she saw the altered expression on my face, that she hastily added, She brought food with her! Um, its Mexican!

Ooh, nachos! Tortillas! Quesadillas!

I surreptitiously wiped away the drool that threaten to escape my mouth as I suddenly imagined such food, and nodded my head.

Damn. I felt like I was turning into Seiran. I quickly squashed away the mournful feelings I always had after remembering my old life.

Sure, I replied.

After the girl had gone, Gary looked at me with mirth while Kina glared at me. The contrasting expressions were too stark.

Huh? Why are you looking at me like that for? I looked at Kina with a bewildered face.

Our boy is so popular. Gary nudged Kina with a shoulder. Better watch out for this confession!

What confession? Huh? Wasnt it some friendly talk that happened to involve food?

Love confession, you idiot! Obviously! Gary smacked the table playfully.

Huh? Why? Huh? Why was it a love confession? Did that girl even know me? I didnt think she did though? It was like the love notes I was given. Although they were signed anonymously, I could not find it appropriate to fall in love with someone you barely even knew. Oh wait. I was a hypocrite wasnt I? I had fallen in love with Jin at first sight, after all! No, I should be an exception

When I came back to the classroom after the date under the rhododendron tree, Kina was the first to jump at me with apprehension in her eyes.

What happened? She asked me seriously as she clutched my sleeves.

I patted her head. I had lunch.

Was it any good? Gary asked from behind Kina. The rest of my classmates also turned their heads to tease.

Oi, Hero! Dont be such a heartbreaker! Tim started pointing at me.

How can you still be called a hero if you go hurting a girls heart huh?

Heroooo~~~~ fall in love with me! One boy started hugging himself.

Shut up you guys! The girls reprimanded them as they continued to peer curiously at me.

I just had good food for lunch, I said and then shrugged. It was true that the girl did indeed confess, but that was after the scrumptious lunch she had painstakingly arranged beneath the beautiful tree. Food would never be able to entice me, however, and I obviously turned her down. I walked back to my desk.

Was she pretty? Maria asked me after Lily prodded her from behind.

Does it matter? I asked. Whether she was pretty or not, I still held no interest towards prepubescent girlsor any girl for that matter.

The girls started blushing as they scurried away to whisper amongst themselves.

What was up with all that blushing? Why were the girls on Earth so odd?

It was the summer before we entered highschool, and both Gary and Kina were away on vacation. I basically had nothing to do with my time, and so I ended up becoming a model for another one of my mothers paintings. She had already drawn my face for her own Angel collections, and now she was using my face as a standard for her Greek gods collection.

I peeked at her rough draft. Mother, is that me? I look old.

This is how I envision you when youre older! Mother laughed. See? Perfect for Adonis!

I dont see a resemblance though? I squinted my eyes to see better. The jaws were too chiseledthe nose was too longhuh? Did she even use me as a model? What was the use of me sitting as still as a stone for hours?!

Its all in here! She tapped the side of her head with a paintbrush.

Um, okay, if you say so.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. One of the maids named Shelly, scurried to the front door to receive the guest.

The birthmark I had on my wrist started pulsating, and a warmth suddenly filled my heart. Were the answers to my prayers finally going to be delivered to my front doorstep quite literally?!