Indeed, the depths of Daniel’s sufferings in the slums were known to no one.
Not even his mother or those who would become his loved ones in the future.
Yet, hearing Cecilia’s heartfelt words, he trembled ever so slightly.
She had managed to touch upon a tender spot within him.
Her genuine understanding and compassion had unveiled a side of him that he seldom shared with others.
Recognizing that she had touched a sensitive chord within Daniel, Cecilia continued to gently probe.
She subtly conveys that she could be the one to provide him with support and understanding.
“It must have been difficult for you to get food on your plates, right?”
She inquired, addressing the challenges he faced in securing basic necessities. .
“It must have been hard trying to get clean clothes, right?”
She added, alluding to the struggles he might have faced in maintaining a decent standard of living.
Her questions were laden with empathy and a desire to bridge any gaps in his life experiences.
Cecilia continued her empathetic line of questioning, delving deeper into the emotional aspects of Daniel’s past experiences.
“You must have wondered every day what it’s like to have warmth, right?”
She gently suggested, touching upon the longing for comfort and security that he might have felt.
“At times, you’d wish that you wouldn’t be lonely, and wish that you could have a family or someone you can talk to, right?”
She added, addressing the emotional isolation he might have experienced in those challenging times.
Her words carried a sense of understanding and a willingness to be that source of comfort he might have yearned for.
Each statement that Cecilia made struck a chord within Daniel, causing a profound impact on him.
Her words resonated with the deep yearnings and longings he had experienced during his time in the slums.
While he had been granted his wishes and found comfort and warmth in his life now, he couldn’t help but recall his moments in the slums.
The haunting question that had plagued his thoughts during those difficult days in the slums remained etched in his memory.
“When will mummy and daddy come?”
It was a poignant reminder of the loneliness and longing he had endured in his formative years.
As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, Daniel was preparing himself to share a deeper truth about his past.
He had once assumed that his parents had left him for a legitimate reason and would eventually come back for him.
However, as he grew older, he began to realize that the world wasn’t kind to him, and the reality of his situation became clearer.
Cecilia, with her genuine empathy, was there to listen and offer her support as he opened up about these difficult memories.
“Indeed, it wasn’t easy living in the slums”
“And sometimes I hated the world for it and even my mother who gave birth to me”
Daniel admitted with a hint of sadness in his voice.
His past conflicted feelings towards his mother, revealed the depth of his past struggles.
As he gazed at the sun-drenched sky and then turned his earnest gaze towards Cecilia, it was clear that he was sharing these intimate details of his life with someone he trusted.
Cecilia listened attentively as she absorbed his words.
“But do you know why I still managed to live on without giving myself up?”
Daniel’s voice held a deep sincerity as he posed the question.
He let the words hang in the air, allowing the weight of his experiences to sink in.
His eyes, a shade lighter under the direct sun, bore into Cecilia’s.
Cecilia, captivated by the genuine emotions in his eyes, found herself breathless, her chest tightening as she gazed at him.
The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in that moment.
Her usually eloquent tongue faltered and her heart echoed the unspoken emotions in Daniel’s gaze.
“Why…?”
Her voice was barely a whisper, laden with a curiosity she couldn’t quite comprehend.
At the same time, her breath hitched, lost in the charm of his honest gaze.
Daniel’s smile held warmth and gratitude as he continued.
“It’s because I met people like you that I knew it wasn’t so bad if I could find the time to spend my life with them.”
His words carried a depth of sincerity, and he didn’t hesitate to express his feelings.
Cecilia’s cheeks flushed like a ripe tomato, her heart pounding in response to his heartfelt confession.
She felt a sense of warmth and connection she had never experienced before, and her smile crept onto her face, mirroring his.
Cecilia’s mind raced with a flurry of thoughts and emotions.
‘W-What did he say!? H-He prefers spending his life with me!? Is this a confession!?’
Her thoughts spiralled into a whirlwind of possibilities.
However, she quickly reined in her racing mind, reminding herself not to assume too much too soon.
‘N-No, Cecilia, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Take it slowly and progress steadily’
‘Do not make a mistake’
She scolded herself inwardly, determined not to let her feelings lead her astray.
She recognized this as a valuable opportunity to strengthen their bond and didn’t want to jeopardize it with impulsive actions.
With renewed focus, she resolved to approach this new phase cautiously and thoughtfully.
“Daniel I-”
Before she could finish her sentence, their ice cream began melting.
The creamy rivulets slid down the sides of the cones and onto their hands.
“Hahaha, I guess we talked too long that we forgot about our food,”
Daniel chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“Pft, hahaha, that is so true,”
Cecilia couldn’t help but laugh too, finding it funny how their conversation had absorbed them to the point that they neglected their melting ice cream.
Perhaps the depth of their time had distracted them from the coolness of the dessert.
“I guess that spoiled the mood, doesn’t it?”
Daniel remarked, and Cecilia nodded in agreement, her laughter still lingering in the air.
“Still, Daniel, what I want to convey is that e-
However, before she could complete her sentence, the tranquillity of the moment was shattered.
Out of nowhere, a car came hurtling towards them, a menacing projectile that threatened their safety.
The sudden danger left them both stunned and on edge, as they instinctively looked towards the oncoming vehicle.
This was not a joke, and it was not a drill. A car was flying towards them, defying gravity and reason.
Imagine you’re on what you consider a self-proclaimed date with your crush, having a wonderful time, chatting, and sharing smiles.
The atmosphere is just right, and you’re both enjoying each other’s company.
Now, in this perfect scenario, would you ever, in a million chances, anticipate the sudden appearance of a car hurtling towards you both?
Picture it, a car, defying gravity, soaring through the air, on a collision course with your romantic rendezvous.
Such an event sounds so illogical, so unimaginable, that it would be utterly shocking and beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.
At that very moment, as Cecilia was on the verge of expressing her feelings to Daniel, a strange and unexpected event unfolded before them.
It was as if a sudden gust of wind had swept through, catching her attention.
When her eyes followed the source of this unexpected breeze, they widened in shock and disbelief.
There, flying through the air, was an incoming car, hurtling towards them with an alarming speed and unpredictability.
It was a surreal and dangerous situation, one that no one could have anticipated.
In that heart-pounding moment, Cecilia found herself frozen in shock and disbelief.
Her thoughts raced, ‘Ah…Just when I thought I could convey my feelings for the first time, this happens…’
Her intentions of confessing her feelings to Daniel had been abruptly interrupted by the impending danger of the incoming car.
It felt like a cruel twist of fate, and she realized she had no way of reacting or evading the colossal object in time.
Her level wasn’t high enough to dodge the incoming car.
With her heart pounding loudly in her chest, Cecilia waited for the impending crash.
She had expected pain and chaos to follow. Seconds dragged on like an eternity, yet the expected impact never came.
Baffled and bewildered, she finally mustered the courage to crack her eyelids open, fearing the worst.
To her astonishment, what she saw defied all logic and reason, leaving her in a state of disbelief and awe.
“Are you alright?”
Daniel questioned, his voice filled with genuine concern, anxiety, and fear.
His worry stemmed from the fear that she might have sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The anxiety was driven by the thought that if he hadn’t reacted quickly, he might have regretted it deeply.
Most importantly, his fear came from the realization that he had nearly lost someone he deeply loved, and that thought shook him to the core.
Cecilia, on the other hand, felt a whirlwind of emotions.
The shock from the sudden car flying at them was still coursing through her veins.