To the Forest of the Firefly Lights (ZARRY)

Chapter 5

"Oh Harry. I cut some watermelon. Let's eat." My dad said motioning for me to come out to the porch.

"Okay!"

I sat in silence while eating the watermelon as I listened to my Dad hum some tune.

"What time are you taking the bullet train tomorrow?" my Dad suddenly interrupted my train of thoughts.

"I don't know" I answered nonchalantly. "But I think I'll be here until the afternoon."

"Is that so?" My Dad smiled at me ruffling my hair. I pouted at him but he just chuckled back at me, "This summer's weather was good, so the watermelons are sweet. If it continues like this, then winter will be freezing."

I looked at my Dad, "Is it like that?"

"It's like that. Since this area is located between mountains and the ocean's far away, the temperature difference between summer and winter is huge. The cold of a winter that follows an especially hot summer could probably freeze the mountain god himself" my Dad explained.

I thought of winter then Zayn crossed my mind. "Uhm, Dad. I'll go shopping."

My Dad just raised his eyebrow at me.

...

"A scarf?" Zayn asked looking down at the item I gave him.

"Yep!" I smiled at him. "Please use it in the winter, okay?"

Zayn looked back at me but I couldn't read his expression because again of the mask he was wearing. But nonetheless, I'm just glad I could buy him something to warm him up in the coming long cold months.

"Bye Zayn!"

"Okay."

I waved at him. "See you next year!"

...

Walking to school wearing fluffy winter clothes, my mind wandered somewhere else. I shouldn't be walking outside in this cold but for some reason, thinking how cold Zayn might be right now, the coldness I felt seemed nothing.

"Harry!"

"Ha-rr-y S-ty-les!" someone called.

I was startled when suddenly a red car pulled over beside me. I looked and see Louis Tomlinson waving his hand at me.

"Oh. G-good morning L-Louis!" I greeted and blushed from my absentmindedness. I bit my bottom lip as I stared at my feet.

"Good morning." He greeted back. I looked up and saw him smile at me. "Hop on. It's not good to walk in this cold. You'll slip your clumsy self."

I pouted at his insult and he just chuckled at me. I sighed and eventually got in his car.

"Thanks." I mumbled when I finished buckling myself in.

"it's really cold today. Haven't you been a little out of it lately? Actually, you've always been that way, but...never mind."

"I dunno. I just feel cold, that's all."

We drove in silence. I was glad he didn't say anything else because halfway through the drive, my mind wandered somewhere again. I saw the piled-up snow in the driveway. Before the thought of snow made me all giddy, when me and my sister would make snow angels then drink hot cocoa afterwards prepared by mum, it was something I always looked forward in winter. But now, I thought of winter and all I could think was how cold Zayn may be.

I wanted to see Zayn.

I wanted to touch Zayn and warm him with my hands.

...

"Is that your new uniform?" Zayn asked looking me.

"Yeah." I smiled then we started walking side by side through the forest. We were almost the same height.

"Time really flies, doesn't it? You're already in high school, huh."

"Yup."

We sat near the lake and talked for hours.

"You don't come running at me anymore these days." He mentioned and I pouted at him.

"I learned my lesson after all those beatings" he chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it. In three years, when I graduate, I plan on looking for a job here. Then I can be with you more"

Zayn looked at me.

I smiled at him, "In Autumn, winter, spring, and summer. Always. Right?"

"Harry, let me tell you about myself." I stared at him questioningly as he returned his gaze back to the lake.

"I'm not a spirit. But, I'm no longer human. It seems like I was once a human, but when I was a baby, I was abandoned in this forest. I'd only just been abandoned, so I cried helplessly, as if to call back the parents who left me. The creatures in this forest found me, the didn't harm me though. They say I didn't stop crying for a long time, I only stopped when they put the mask on me, I started laughing when they would put it on and off me. I should have died then but the mountain god cast a spell that allowed me to continue living. So that I never move on. I'm like a ghost." Zayn looked again back to me.

"Harry, it's okay if you forget about me. A body that's maintained by magic is very weak. If it touches a real human body, the spell will break and the body will disappear. It's such a fragile thing. How long can you – "

"Something that disappears when touched...it's just like snow, isn't it?" I interrupted.

"Zayn, I thought of you during winter, even during autumn, and spring. Zayn, don't forget about me. Don't forget. Time might separate us some day. But, even still, until then, let's stay together." I smiled at him.

......

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