Chapter 30: Incomplete

Today...

Bryan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, he remembered what Leo said yesterday that a friend who always helps in difficult times is a true friend.

He remembered Lucia's face, rather than hate, jealousy might have been more appropriate. He was jealous because Lucia was much stronger than him, he was jealous because Lucia always knew what to do. It was her courage and strong determination that was not in him as a boy who was born to have so much luck in life.

"Bryan, what's wrong?" Amy asked looking worried for him. Bryan looked into Amy's eyes, he knew that Amy was a good girl. It was just that she couldn't see the good side of Lucia, just like himself.

"Sorry guys, the party just ends here!" He said.

"What do you mean? The party has just started, how come it's over?" Asked Charlie. The other kids were confused by Bryan's words. They didn't understand why Bryan suddenly wanted the party to end.

"Sorry, but I can't go on! I-"

"Hey Bryan, we're coming...!" Leo's excited voice came from the direction of the door. Suddenly, Bryan and his other friends immediately turned to the source of the sound.

Leo, Pierre and Chris came and walked over to him with the gifts they each brought.

Strange, Bryan felt something strange inside him. For a moment, he wished Lucia had come with Leo, Pierre and Chris like the previous years. Where Lucia's arrival immediately made the atmosphere lively. But at his birthday party this year, Lucia didn't come as he expected.

"Happy Birthday!" Said Chris while handing over the gift he brought.

"Thank You, Chris!"

"I only brought one of the insect collections I caught. If you want, take this!" Leo handed him the box containing the horn beetle he caught yesterday.

"This is a gift from me as well as a gift from Lucia!" Pierre said as he handed him a gift and a gift box that Lucia had left for him to give to Bryan.

Bryan's hands trembled. His eyes getting wet, he received a gift from a friend he had hurt her heart.

Seeing Bryan who seemed to be holding back tears, Leo could understand the regret Bryan was feeling right now.

"My grandma used to say that physical wounds can be healed over time, but wounds to the heart cannot be healed." Leo said. No body knows what he means by saying this, but it seems he just wants to remember Bryan the meaning of friendship

"Hiks..." Bryan cried. His tears dripped down the gift from Lucia that was in his hand.

With the regret, Bryan opened the gift Lucia had given him. A pair of red boxing gloves and a piece of paper that reads:

'Happy birthday, loser! Wear this and train so that you become strong and beat up those useless people!'

Bryan laughed as he read the signature letter only Lucia could write. And now Bryan knew what he had to do. Bryan ran away from the crowd of friends who had gathered to celebrate his birthday together.

Bryan ran quickly to Lucia's house and asked Lucia to come to the party.

"She left? Where did she go?"

"Wasn't it your birthday? She said she was going to Bryan's birthday!" Said Lucia's mother who looked confused by Bryan's arrival.

"She lied to her mom? She must have told about my birthday party before. How is it? Where is she now?" Bryan thought. He was starting to feel restless.

"Bryan, what's wrong?"

"N-no, Auntie! Maybe she's on her way to my house! Fine, I'll look for her!"

In a panic, Bryan ran down the street Lucia used to walk every day and hoped to find Lucia here. However, all the roads he had crossed and 30 minutes had passed since he left the party, Lucia was still nowhere to be found.

Bryan who began to despair decided to give up. He was standing in front of Rottenbir Park, where the sound of swings could be heard from here. His eyes fell on the figure of a girl with short black hair and wearing a t-shirt and long pants sitting in a swing alone.

Bryan's tears were flowing again, but he didn't want Lucia to see him in this state. Bryan hastily wiped his tears and walked over to the girl who was looking at him in confusion.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't the party have already started?" Lucia asked calmly without holding any grudges.

"Yeah, the party has started!"

"Then, why are you here?"

"I don't know! I don't know why I walked away from my birthday party and ran for 30 minutes to find someone. I'm such an idiot, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are stupid! The girl you like, did she come to your party?"

"Yeah, she's coming!"

"Good! You must be happy, right?"

"I don't know, I'm not feeling too happy!"

"Why? Is the party still festive? Why don't you ask for a party at your Dad's hotel?"

"No, not for that!"

"Then, why? Was the birthday cake not good enough? Or the invitations that came were not crowded enough?"

"No! Everything is good!"

"If it's good, then why is your face so gloomy?"

"I feel incomplete. Like something is missing!"

"Incomplete? What's missing?"

"Maybe because you're not around, I fell incomplete!" Bryan looked down sadly. He was embarrassed to show his face like this to Lucia, someone he considered his rival.

Hearing Bryan's confession, Lucia became confused. She had done what Bryan wanted not to come to his party and make a mess. But now it was Bryan who was looking for her and had been waiting for her.

"You're so weird! Yesterday you asked me not to come! Isn't it to you that I'm just a troublemaker?"

"Yeah, you're a trouble maker and you're a very annoying as well. But, if you don't with me, I feels like so incomplete. I'm used to the mess you cause. Therefore, it's better if you just mess up like usual!"

"Hahahaha..." Lucia burst out laughing at the ridiculous words that came out of this young master's mouth. It was impossible for Bryan Ferdinand Walter to plead with such a pitiful face.

"W-why are you laughing? What's so funny?" Bryan who hated being laughed at the most, felt his self-worth belittled.

"Hahahaha... geez! That's not the way to beg someone!"

"Begging? Who's begging?"

"You're begging me to come to your birthday party, aren't you?"

"What? Why would I do that? Tch, never mind! I'll just get out of here! I don't care anymore!" He said as he walked away hesitantly.

"Are you serious? Then, I won't come to your party!"

"I don't care!" Even if he acts like he doesn't care anymore. But both legs are still stuck and difficult to move.

"I will come on one condition!"

"What's that?"

"You just have to say in front of everyone at the party that Lucia Sakura Peterson is the greatest and I, Bryan Ferdinand Walter are nothing!"

"What? Why do I have to say such nonsense? I don't want to!"

"Well, then I don't want to come!"

"Whatever! I don't care anymore!" Bryan completely refused Lucia's request and chose to leave before he changed his mind again.

However, Lucia still remained unmoved on the swing. It made Bryan even more annoyed that his heart and mind were at odds. Bryan stopped in his tracks, only this time he tried to budge.

"Okay! I'll say it in front of everyone. Are you satisfied?"

"Hmm... well, I'll come to your party!" Lucia smiled broadly at having played a prank on Bryan and now she could come to the birthday party and eat as much as she wanted.

They walked side by side, but just stood still and looked annoyed. He was a little sorry that agreed to Lucia's terms.

"Just forget it!"

"What do you mean?"

"I just want to eat all you can at your house and play with the our friends!"

"Is that true?"

"Yes! But next time, I'll charge it!"

"Tch, you're nice sometimes, aren't you?"

"Hahaha... of course because there's something I want!"

"Tsk, as expected!"

***

Bryan felt his heart beat really fast as their eyes stared at each other for a few seconds, until finally Bryan's face turned red because he couldn't hold back the shame.

Bruuukkk...

"Agh... damn it!" Bryan winced in pain. A punch landed right on his stomach.

"Bastard! What do you mean I have to pay with my body, huh? Insolent...!" Lucia thought that she should teach Bryan a lesson.

"It hurts...! What are you thinking? That's not what I meant!"

"Then, what?"

"You have to work with me!"

"What? Working with you? What does that mean?"

"I want you to be my personal secretary!"

"Se-secretary you mean, I have to work in your company and follow you wherever you go, right?"

"Precisely!"

"I don't want to!"

"What? How dare you turn it down? How many people do you think would want that job? And you unknowingly turned it down!"

"Why don't you just give it to someone who really wants the job?"

"Tch, fine, it's up to you! I've given you a chance so you can pay the cost of repairing my car. But it turns out you refused! Alright, you better think from now on, how to pay the compensation for this car!"

Lucia fell limp, now she really felt that this world was very unfair to poor people like her.

"Oh my God, what should I do?"

***