Arrivederci || Dan Heng [✓ ]

⋆ ✦ ˚｡ Part eleven ˚｡⋆

I'll just enjoy the moment.

Eventually we made it to our destination, and despite March's original apprehension—she was quite excited to see all the artwork. The bright-eyed girl ran around back and forth, not even spending a minute at each exhibit.

"Ah this one is so cute! And then look at this! Wait this one too! Oh this one is my favorite for sure!" Pela followed behind her as best she could, but it was clearly a struggle.

The rest of the group chuckled, taking their time to enjoy all the works. Serval pulled her younger brother over to a painting she claimed was part of her childhood. One exhibit caught my eye—and in an instant I was in front of it. My eyes scanned every tiny detail of it, gawking at the fine details the artist put into it.

It was of course a painting of the ocean, but something about it perfectly captured the dramatic power of the sea—whilst still showcasing its alluring beauty. There was a small ship that sat at the foreground of the picture, about to be engulfed by the raging waves.

Even though there was a sense of impending doom, there was a light along the horizon. In my interpretation, it symbolized a ray of hope. For whatever reason, I just couldn't take my eyes away from the piece.

"Do you like this painting?" The abrupt sentence brought me back to reality—I hadn't even realized I drowned out all the outside noise. There was a sudden resurgence of all the faint murmurs of conversations in the distance. My eyes flickered to the young man behind me; Dan Heng had a small smile on his lips.

"How long have you been behind me?"

"Huh? The whole time..."

"Ah, really?!" It amazed me how quiet he could be—I honestly didn't even notice his presence until now. "But to answer your question, yes." Dan Heng gave a content hum, taking a closer look for himself.

"What do you like most about it?"

"I suppose it would be the sun; somehow it gives me a sense of encouragement." He laughed.

"Encouragement? Even though it looks like these men will be overwhelmed by the water? You really are quite strange—I like that about you." I would've been mad at his comment originally, until I registered the last part of his sentence. I quickly turned my head and saw that he was looking away; his hand covering a small blush he wanted to hide.

"Huh, what's that supposed to mean?!" Dan Heng's words became stammered, but he quickly regained composure.

"Just forget it—" His voice started to fade into the background as my attention focused behind him. Just for a second—I caught a glimpse of a figure in white. It was only a fleeting moment, but I was sure I had seen it.

The ghost Serval had mentioned!

While he was still talking, I began to sprint off, with a concerned Dan Heng in tow. He called out my name a few times, but I ignored it—determined to find this supernatural being.

I weaved through the halls, but it seemed like the ghost was always just a few steps ahead. I hid behind a glass display, crouching down to conceal myself more. The young man had caught up to me, almost stumbling over from the careless running. He wasted no time in squatting beside me, catching his breath quickly.