Chapter 23 Back to the Start
Finishe
After all that wandering, I still ended up in the small town that I used to stay in when I was five years old. This town was far from the hustle and bustle of the city–the skies here were clearer, and the air here was fresher. It felt like the place hadn’t changed at all. I used to stay here with my mother. Her ashes had been buried in this town after she passed, in accordance with her final wishes. Both my mother and I were born in this town, and this town was also the start of my mother’s disappointment.
Returning to my starting point also meant that I might not ever meet Stefan again. Furthermore, it meant that I would have to forget the past twenty years of my life or regard it as one long dream, but to wake up from such a long dream was easier
id than done
I was pleased to see that the house my mother and I rented was still there. It was a cozy place with a front porch, and it looked. slightly different from when I used to stay there, probably because the new owner had made some changes to it. Someone was living in the house when I got to town. The house was relatively large, and I believed that it wouldn’t be an issue for it to be rented out to a few individuals. This house held a special place in my heart, so I ended up asking for the new owner’s contact before contacting the person to ask about renting the place.
After getting the other party’s consent, I showed up at the house for a meeting. When I got to the place, the front door was open. I called out to see if anyone was home, but I eventually stepped in when no one responded to me after a while. The front porch looked almost the same as it did before, but the vines and plants seemed a lot lusher than before. To my surprise, the dahlias that I had planted as a child were still alive. Its branches had been trimmed, but the plant had grown a lot and I had come just in time to see it bloom.
I had loved flowers and gardening ever since I was a child. Funnily enough, I once pictured a scene where Stefan and I could be together, and I could plant him a wonderful garden of flowers. When I recalled that thought, I realized how childish I had been. I was lost in my train of thought when a man’s crisp voice came from behind me. “Are you the one asking to rent the place?”
I turned around to meet a pair of large, bright eyes. The man was dressed in a pair of light gray singlet and sweatpants. His hair was long enough that he could comb some of it back and tie it up into a short ponytail. He had a lanky figure, and he looked like he had just woken up. In his hands were a cup and a toothbrush with toothpaste on them. Despite so, he didn’t seem messy or slovenly at all–this was probably because of his good looks. I had to admit that the new owner was a pretty handsome man.
“Yeah. I’m the one who called regarding the rental of this place. Are you staying here now? Would it be possible for me to rent
w? Would a room: I’ll be staying alone,” I stated after introducing myself politely. The man walked over to the sink on the front porch and started to wash himself up as if no one was there. He had toothpaste bubbling out of his mouth when he finally responded to me in a muffled tone, I only rent out rooms to people who are attractive.” Then, he turned around to give me a wink. “You fit my criteria.”
The corner of my lips twitched in annoyance after I heard what he said. Why does he speak like one of those flirty playboys? I had been prepared to say that I could look around for a better place when the man turned around to speak in a more serious tone this time. “800 a month, a minimum commitment of three months, and a deposit of one month’s rental that will not be refunded if you decide to stop renting before the three–month mark.”
The town had been developing in recent years, and there was an increase in its population as the government started. building more facilities. The rental price was therefore fair considering the circumstances. “And you will be staying here the whole time?” I asked in a rather bashful tone. The man used a towel to wipe the corners of his mouth after he was done washing up. “No. I’ll only be staying around for a while, so you’ll get the whole house to yourself most of the time. It’s a good deal:
I heaved a sigh of relief. That’s great, then. I’ll move in as soon as possible.” I only realized that I didn’t know the man’s name. as we were signing the rental contract. “Um. What’s your name? We’ll be neighbors from now on.”
The man narrowed his eyes as he glanced at me for a while. “Lukas,” he replied. I found this name rather familiar, yet I couldn’t place a finger on where I had heard it before. After signing the contract, I returned to the hotel to pack my luggage.
