Winning the festival and getting viral in the social media had a big impact both to the school and the music club. All club members were scouted by different agencies. The club was also invited to perform at other school’s festivals and treated them as special guests. After the day they performed in their school’s festival, the club became so busy through the following days.
During these days they are performing in different schools and events, Tia guided them and supported them all the time. She served as their manager and at the same time their teacher. A lot of agencies were also asking for her help to convince the club members to be scouted.
After two weeks with this routine, they finally decided to have a rest. Natasha’s parents offered them a vacation spot and invited them all. So they spent a three day vacation in a tourist spot reserved by Natasha’s parents. During their vacation, they also had time to perform and record themselves. Natasha made a channel where she can post some of their videos together and of course, without showing their teacher’s face.
“I miss you.” Tia mumbled after all the talk she had with Sean. They are currently speaking through the phone. It’s been three days since she last saw his face.
The other line was silenced and Tia knows why.
“Alright. I should get inside before it gets cold. See you soon, Sean babe. Mwa.” She ended the call and proceeded to go inside.
She saw them playing catch and they were running around the place. She looked for Arthviu but she could not see him around. She looked for him and found him sitting on the shore and playing guitar. She slowly approached him from the back and thought about startling him. But when she got closer, she stopped after hearing the beautiful rhythm of every strum of the guitar. So then, her heart faltered upon hearing his beautiful voice and the message of the song he sings.
“She’s as beautiful as the night sky,
I want to look at it all night,
Ohh, ohh, I want to sing for her,
I want to sing with my heart on line.”
A smile formed in Tia’s lips as she let him be. She silently squatted behind him as she listened to his heartfelt song.
“All I want is your smile,
It’s enough to make my day bright,
All I want is to look at your eyes,
As it heals the pieces my broken heart,
I want you to know ohh that you’re all I wish,
I wish I could hold you close,
And I’ll be glad to swim to the depths of the ocean,
I want the world to know that you’re all I seek of.”
Tia started humming to add up sound to his song. Arthviu was surprised as he felt extreme awkwardness because Tia heard him sing. He tried his best to continue strumming to adjust with Tia’s pace and he disregarded the feeling of awkwardness as he decided to sing with her. She served as his second voice and their voice blended well again.
When Arthviu ended the strumming of his guitar, he finally turned around to face Tia.
“I thought you were having fun with them?” He scowled when he was actually feeling shy about what just happened.
Deep inside him, he wanted to talk about collaborating. He also wanted to shower her with compliments on how good she is. However, the fear of abandonment and rejection is like his invisible tail. He is always hunted with the fear of being a stranger towards a person he cares for. And one of them is Tia. He does not want her to leave him someday because of something. He does not want him to be a stranger to her one day. What will happen if he opens up with her? Will she listen to his foolish personal problems? Wouldn’t she find it a burden to listen to other people’s problems?
“I couldn’t see you there so I looked for you.”
“Did you hear everything?”
“No. I did not hear the first verse. Did you compose the song? It was so good.”
He blushed but he was taken aback because it was his first time to hear a compliment about his own song. “I… I didn’t write it! I took it from the internet.”
“Really? It was really good. It needs to be heard by the world.” Tia beamed.
Arthviu did not reply as he just looked away from her eyes. If he looks more into those eyes, he might change his mind and do whatever she wants. He stood up.
“Let’s go inside.” He walked past her but he stopped midways to wait for her.
“It’s chilly. You might get a cold.” He mumbled but Tia heard it.
She smiled teasingly as she ran next to him. “Just tell me that you’re worried.”
“I’m not worried! It’s just common sense!” He exclaimed, thinking the opposite inside. He walked faster than her but when she could not keep up, he slowed down.
Tia could only chuckle because of Arthviu’s constant change of mood. He is really bad at expressing his true feelings.

“We will miss you, Teach.”
Natasha was sobbing when it was time to part ways. It is not only her who’s sobbing but also the other club members except Arthviu who’s just watching them. The three girls were embracing Tia together while crying their eyes out.
“You will still see us in the future right?” Shalania sobbed.
“Yes. Yes. You have my number, you can call me anytime.” Tia comforted while she was tapping her back.
They finally let her go as they started wiping their tears.
“We will invite you on our birthdays, would that be alright?” Ruzelly asked.
“Yes.”
“What if you get even more popular?”
Tia’s eyes turned to Suviss who just spoke and was wiping his tears.
“You are not going to ignore us right?”
Her heart softened upon seeing her little Ruvis cry. She suddenly missed the kids in the parallel world.
“Of course, I won’t. After all, you are my first students and you all have a specific place in my heart.”
The club has finally waved goodbye to her as they ride into different cars going in different directions. She was then left with Arthviu.
“Let’s go?” She invited him.
He nodded and they waited and called for a cab. During the ride, Arthviu was silent as she was. It took an hour for them to arrive in their neighborhood. When they got off, they remained silent while looking in different directions. It’s time to part ways.
“Y-You should go.” Arthviu was the first one to speak without looking at her. He even hesitated. He started walking to the direction of his home.
Tia could not reply with his statement. She could only watch him walk away. Her heart started skipping as she thought about Sean walking away like that, without proper goodbye. It is just sad. It is sad that Arthviu does not open up to her. How can she make him open up to her? Should he tell him something about her too?
Tia sighed. “Please take care of yourself and… treat yourself sometimes.” She greeted him sounding happy before she started walking to the direction of her home.
Upon hearing her statement, Arthviu froze as he remembered the first time she told him that. His heart immediately softened as he felt comfort from those words. Why… Why does she always make his heart waver? Why does she make him so comfortable to her that it scares him? He is afraid. He is afraid to attach himself to other people as he knows that it will hurt him more when he is left. He does not want to suffer from that pain where he wanted to beg for attention. He wants to get hurt, no more.
He continued walking towards his house as he fought with his own thoughts. Would there be a time they could meet again? Can he hang out with her again?
“AACCKKHH,” he groaned after seeing his house, dropped his belongings before the door and ran towards the direction of Tia.
He ran as fast as possible so he could see her before she went inside her house. However, as soon as he arrived at the alley to the house of Tia, she was not there anymore. He groaned in frustration that he did not get the chance to see her. He found himself sitting in the middle of the road while messing up his hair.
How can he approach her now? Can he even send her a message? How shameless would he become if he did that?
“Cyn?”
He flinched after hearing Tia’s voice. He immediately turned his head to his left as he saw Tia coming out of the convenience store and was holding a bottle of milk.
He instantly stood up feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.
“Did you forget something?”
“N-No. I w-was just… fooling around.” He could not look into his eyes and all thoughts he had flew out his head. And he is so embarrassed for that reason he just stated.
“Oh, okay.” Tia smiled as he walked towards him. She took a bottle of milk from the grocery bag she is carrying. She then gave it to him and he took it out of habit of receiving anything that comes from her.
“I’ll get going now.” Tia waved her hand as she started walking home while dragging her stroller.
He watched her walk away and he clenched his fist for not telling what he wanted to tell again. How can he be so weak and cowardly?
He bit his lips and pushed himself to speak out.
“Can we…” He held his breath because he was nervous.
Tia stopped after hearing him.
“… still see each other again?”
A smile formed in her lips as she turned around to look at him. The wind blew and her red hair danced with it. Again, he was star-struck with her undying beauty.
“Of course.” Tia beamed. “After all, you are ‘Cyn’.”
His heart started beating and he felt like she was telling him something else. He watched her walk towards her house and he started walking back to his home too. He feels relieved that he can see her again but… why… why does it feel like she uttered a different name?
“Sean?” Tia got startled when after opening the gate, she saw Sean standing behind the wall.
For a second, he had a frown on his forehead but after seeing her, he stood up properly as he pulled her close to him and embraced her. He sank his face to her neck as he could feel the trembling of his hands.
He was terrified. He was supposed to pick her up outside the gate. He was so excited to see her that he almost decided to show up to his other self. Luckily, he immediately hid himself before their eyes could meet a while ago. He was terrified of what is going to happen if he happens to meet his other self.
“Are you okay, Sean?” Tia started caressing Sean’s back as she could feel the trembling of his body.
“Let’s go inside. You don’t look good.” Tia broke the hug. She held him to the waist and they walked inside the house.
Tia guided him to his room. Tia made him sit on his bed and ran to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She then let him drink before sitting beside him. She then held his hand.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded while he was staring at her worried face. What will happen if… if he coincidentally meets with his other self? Should he tell her to make his other self stay away from him as further as possible? However… Tia is fond of his other self. She likes his other self. How can he just ask her to keep him further to his other self?
“Sean?” Tia touched his cheeks with her two hands as she leaned close.
“Are you really okay? Are you thinking of something else? Tell me.”
Sean found himself looking at her lips. For a second, he thought about owning it. He gulped as he avoided that sight and looked into her eyes instead. That's outrageous of him to think of things he should not do for now.
“I’m alright.”
“Really? Hmm?” She leaned closer to his face, making their nose touch.
And he panicked and spoke words that he did not plan on saying. “I… I just missed you so much.”
Tia got silenced with his straight honest reply. Sean was also shocked with what he just said. Tia was surprised to hear those words from a man who never tells his feelings through words. Last night, he refused to say that he misses her but now she is thankful that she got to see his face while he said that.
“Say that again.” She demanded, feeling happy and excited to hear those words again.
“What? W-Why?” He panicked. He wanted to run away but Tia is cupping his face. “No. No.” He strongly refused because he feels embarrassed now.
“Say that again, Sean, please?” Tia started blinking and he immediately struggled in breathing because he did not know what to do.
“Please, Sean cutie, Sean babe.”
He closed his eyes to suppress himself from the temptation to say anything but…
“I… miss you.”
He gives up. She wins.
He was still closing his eyes while saying that. He does not want to look at her face. He knows that she is going to tease him again. And damn, how can he look into her eyes now? It is so embarrassing!
His eyes finally opened when he felt something soft that touched his lips. His eyes widened after seeing what Tia was doing. She kissed him on the lips! Yes, his long preserved virgin lips finally touched a woman’s lips! This is…
“Sean?” Tia could not catch Sean before he fell to the bed. She panicked.
“Sean? Sean!” She started shaking him because he was closing his eyes. She immediately checked his nose if he was still breathing and she sighed in relief after feeling the air.
She looked at him in disbelief.
“Really, Sean? Do you really have to faint?”