I stepped inside, and for the first time since we were children, I found myself in Helen's room.
It smelled faintly of lavender and something warm.
She walked to her wardrobe and pulled out two dresses. One black. One red.
She held them against herself thoughtfully before turning to me.
"Is the guy your boyfriend?" she asked casually.
I couldn't tell if she was teasing me.
"No," I answered quickly.
"Oh." She shrugged and returned the red dress to the wardrobe. Then she walked toward me with the black one. "I think this will be better. It's simple… but it looks nice."
Simple.
Nice.
I nodded.
After choosing the dress, she began my makeover. She stood behind me, gently combing through my hair. The strokes were soft at first… then suddenly she paused.
Her fingers froze.
"Did you dye your hair?"
My heart skipped.
I reached up and pulled a strand forward. Some parts weren't red anymore.
They were white.
Not grey. Not faded.
White.
"I guess it's the shampoo," I said, forcing a small laugh, hiding the unease twisting inside my chest.
She stared at it a second longer than necessary before nodding. "Maybe."
A few minutes later, she finished. Light makeup. Nothing dramatic.
When I looked in the mirror…
I barely recognized myself.
I looked… pretty.
Not just okay.
Pretty.
I thanked her and stepped out of her room. I was already running late.
My parents were stunned when they saw me.
My mom's eyes widened. My dad smiled proudly and kissed my cheek, almost ruining my makeup.
"Be careful," he said softly.
It was already evening when I left the house.
I boarded a taxi, and it dropped me off in front of Yant Park. The air was cooler than I expected.
And then I saw him.
Dave.
Standing a few meters away.
Handsome. Relaxed. Waiting.
My heels made it difficult to walk faster, but he noticed me and immediately began closing the distance between us.
His eyes softened when he reached me.
We decided to eat first before walking around the park.
Inside the Restaurant
We sat facing each other.
This was my first date.
And it turns out to be with a friend.
The waiter approached and handed us the menu. My hands felt slightly cold as I flipped through the pages. I had no idea what half the dishes were.
I didn't want to look clueless.
"I'll take this," I said randomly, pointing at something I couldn't even pronounce.
The waiter hesitated.
Dave looked at me with an amused expression. "Are you sure you can eat that?"
He was teasing me.
I didn't want to look weak.
"Yes," I said immediately, not bothering to think about what he meant.
When the food arrived, it looked beautiful. The aroma alone made my mouth water.
I picked up my cutlery and took a confident bite.
The next second—
My stomach twisted violently.
"Ew—!"
I quickly spat it into a tissue, trying not to gag.
Dave burst into laughter.
"I told you!" he said between breaths.
At first, I felt embarrassed.
But his laughter wasn't cruel.
It was warm.
And somehow… contagious.
Soon, I found myself laughing too.
He called the waiter and ordered spaghetti for me instead.
"Like how could you order that?" he teased.
"I didn't know it was that bad! I didn't even know what it was!" I said, still laughing.
"You could've just asked me."
"I didn't want to feel embarrassed."
"It's a Spanish old dish," he said smugly.
"Stop. It's not funny."
"I wish you saw your expression when you ate it."
"I said stop!"
"You're really funny," he said, smiling in a way that made my chest feel tight.
"If you don't stop, I'll force this chicken leg into your mouth," I threatened playfully.
We both burst into laughter again.
Dinner flowed easily after that. Conversations. Small jokes. Comfortable silence.
For the first time in a long while…
I felt normal.
After Dinner – The Park
We left the restaurant and began walking around the park.
But my heels were killing me.
Dave noticed.
Without saying much, he guided me to a nearby bench and helped me take them off.
"Sit here," he said gently. "I'll be right back."
And he walked away.
I sat there barefoot, enjoying the cool grass brushing against my toes.
That's when I felt it.
That presence.
I looked up.
And there he was.
The weird guy from the pool.
Standing a few steps away from me.
What is he doing here?
I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn't noticed him.
Too late.
He had already seen me.
He began walking toward me with that same annoying, unreadable expression.
Up close, he was even more striking.
If not for how irritating he was, I might have admitted he was handsome.
He stopped right in front of me.
"Seems like Mr. Grump is on a date," he said mockingly.
His eyes scanned me from head to toe.
Slowly.
"And here I thought you didn't like people."
"Mr. Grump?" I scoffed. "Unbelievable."
"Yeah," he said with a lazy smirk. "That's what they call you."
His eyes glittered with amusement.
"No wonder you refused to introduce yourself that day," he continued. "I mean… who would willingly say, 'Hi, I'm Mr. Grump'?"
He laughed — soft, controlled — but I could feel the mockery hidden inside it.
"I'm sorry if I made you uneasy back then," he added, rubbing the back of his neck as if pretending to think deeply. "But don't worry. The name actually suits your face."
That was it.
"Hey!" I snapped.
"Hey!" he shot back instantly. "Who said you could shout at me? You haven't even apologized for pushing me into the pool after I saved your life."
His tone shifted slightly — almost offended.
"I wonder why a heart could be as cold as the face," he muttered, playing the victim.
"Hey!" I yelled again, my hands trembling. I was beyond irritated now.
"Who gave you the right to body shame me?" I demanded.
He blinked innocently. "Did I body shame you?"
"Or are you feeling guilty?"
That innocent face.
I wanted to slap it.
Right then, Dave returned, holding a small box in his hand. The embarrassment hit me like a wave.
"Who's this?" Dave asked.
Before I could respond, the weirdo stepped forward.
"I'm Dylan," he said proudly. "And you won't believe if I tell you that this lady almost killed me right after I saved her life."
Dave frowned slightly.
"And wait," Dylan added dramatically, "and am sure you haven't heard yet that her name is Mr. Grump? I was shocked when I found out."
"Enough!" I snapped for the third time.
This time, he finally went quiet.
"Let's go, Dave," I said, grabbing my heels from the floor and walking away without looking back.
"What about—?" Dylan started, confused, but I ignored him.
I didn't stop walking.
After a few seconds, I heard Dave's footsteps behind me.
When I glanced back, Dylan was still standing there.
Watching.
Not smiling anymore.
Just watching like a weirdo he is.
Dave caught up to me and gently grabbed my hand.
"You shouldn't take his words to heart," he said softly.
"And who said I was?" I shot back immediately.
Defensive.
That's all I'm good at.
"Goodnight," I muttered. "Thank you for tonight."
I lifted my dress slightly and walked away barefoot, leaving him standing there with the box still in his hand.
The moment I stepped inside the house, my mom rushed toward me.
"So? How did it go?"
"It went well," I replied simply and headed upstairs.
I guess makeup can't really hide ugliness.
From downstairs, I could hear my parents exchange a quiet look.
A few minutes later, I heard a car pull up outside.
Helen.
And her boyfriend.
My mom's cheerful voice filled the house as she welcomed him warmly. Laughter followed.
Bright.
Effortless.
I sat on my bed staring at my reflection in the mirror.
Why am I so different?
Tears slid down my cheeks silently.
The laughter downstairs blurred into a distant echo.
My vision slowly drifted.
And I fell asleep.
****
Deep Within the Mountains
Far from the warmth of houses and laughter…
Deep inside the woods, where the trees twisted like broken fingers…
A scream tore through the night.
Wind swallowed it.
A roar followed.
Then—
A head dropped to the forest floor.
Blood spilled into the soil.
Silence claimed the woods.
Two figures descended from the darkness, landing softly among the trees.
Demons.
One of them walked toward the severed head and lifted it casually.
With no hesitation, he tore the skull open and pulled out the brain.
He took a bite.
"Mm," he grumbled with satisfaction. "This one is tasty. I told you."
The other demon stepped over the mutilated body, retrieving his hooked blade.
"Enough," he said coldly. "Let's go."
"Let's stay a little," the first one replied, plucking out an eye and offering it. "Dinner shouldn't be rushed."
"No time," the second demon replied sharply. "Unless you're ready to lose your head and serve as breakfast for the beasts by sunrise."
The first demon snorted, tossing the empty skull aside.
It rolled across the forest floor.
Then—
Both figures vanished into the night.