Don't ever let anything pollute your love because the littlest impurities can turn everything upside down.
***
"If I told you that I didn't do it, would you believe me, Brian?"
The air was thick with uncertainty. Everyone in the room was looking at Brian who was just eyeing Becky callously. His lips were pressed together and he was just gazing at Becky as if he was waiting for something else to happen or perhaps, trying to read her mind.
Becky didn't shift her eyes under his gaze instead she met his eyes and stared him down. Her eyes were bloodshot from not having slept the whole night or maybe from crying because of everything that had happened. Her nose was twitching and she pressed her lips together not saying anything. She was still as a rock and quiet as a mouse just waiting for Brian to answer.
Because neither Brian nor Becky was saying anything and no one else was speaking, the atmosphere was getting stranger. Becky continued to meet Brian's gaze as Molly and Eric also had their attention towards Brian. Eric looked confused while Molly held her breath as if she was afraid of what she was going to hear.
Time passed by as Becky and Brian continued to stare each other down. The muted air was getting a bit awkward. Becky felt so vulnerable and exposed as if she was naked and her heart was front and center. She could feel it coming—she was going to get hurt quickly and deeply by Brian any moment now.
Becky bit her lips anxiously as Brian scowled at her. But at this moment, she didn't really care what he thought of her. At that moment, she just wanted to know his answer. The man standing in front of her was the man that used to love her, and she needed to know if this man that she still loved believed her.
Brian frowned so scantily that no one else caught it. In his mind, he was thinking how the last time he saw Becky like this was 13 years ago. 13 years ago, Brian visited to Dragon Island to attend his grandfather's birthday party. A day after that he went to the Royal School to find Eric. He stood outside a classroom and peeked through the massive window—he never forgot what he saw. Until now, he could still describe in detail what he had seen.
Everyone who studied at the Royal School came from a prominent family in Dragon island. While Becky's family was still important, it wasn't as prominent as the rest. They said that in cases like this, one wouldn't enjoy the school as much. For Becky's status, she could've gone to another prestigious school where she would have gotten more attention but she instead chose to study at the Royal School. Thus she didn't stand out as much because there were so many rich and powerful students there.
"I didn't do that!" At that time, Becky was just a 12-year-old girl—her voice was sweet and small. She lifted her head a bit as she clenched her hands together. She looked at the teacher, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "I didn't do that! Don't you believe me, teacher?"
He was a bit shocked at how unflinching she was. As he squinted at the girl who stood so boldly, a little butterfly-shaped hair clip caught his attention—it was clipped on one side of her hair that complemented her piercing eyes. Brian was surprised. Even three years later when she had already grown a little, he could still see the same girl who had helped him before and left without so much as a name or a number.
After that, he frustratedly went back to the XK Intelligence Agency and passed all the tests and completed all his tasks. But never did he forget about that girl's face—as if valor and disquiet lay beneath her brooding eyes.
"Becky, it was you! I have a witness!" The girl who stood beside her didn't even try to hide her contempt for Becky. "Who else would do this but you?" she accused.
"Well, she's a Yan!"
He didn't pay much attention to the fight but rather he was amazed at how strong her stance was and how she cleverly asked the teacher directly. For her, it didn't matter what the others thought—just what her teacher did.
That fight culminated in the lazy and arrogant words from Eric. "I believe her!". Then the teacher choose to trust Becky too. That fight ended right there that day. But Eric once told Brian that even after that day, Becky spent two weeks trying to find proof that she really was innocent—Brian smiled at this. Becky, the girl who had helped him before told him, "Well, if you're going to stand by something, you might as well prove you're right." He could still remember that day because he came to meet her again but she didn't recognize him and that was okay. That way they were able to start their relationship purely. From then on; Brian, Eric, and Becky spent a lot of time together. She didn't ever question who Eric really was or why Brian frequently disappeared for periods of time. They all enjoyed their youth together until one day, he found out something that would change everything.
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