Aaron Zain peered into the young man’s honey coated eyes. They were glowing reflecting the water’s shine.
His heart started to pound loudly he completely lost control of his mind as he watched the man’s expression change.
"Altren’s uncle!" the young man exclaimed with a shocked look. "Uncle I’m sorry I disturbed your suicide!!"
Aaron frowned slightly. ’Uncle? I am young though.. I really hate that kid for introducing me as such,’ he thought as he continued looking at the young man.
"What are you doing here?"
"Me..... I am here with my friend," Zhu kang chuckled awkwardly.
"Hmm, it’s dangerous to swim in the deep end," Aaron mumbled carefully, holding him. His hands on his waist gently slid up, roaming over his contoured back muscles. Their thighs were entangled and he could feel his smooth skin rubbing against his sensually.
’This is getting dangerous,’
Subtly, Aaron Zain moved his legs away.
The young man scoffed. "You were the one who was drowning, dude!"
"I was meditating," Aaron Zain said with a straight face.
He was only stating the truth. It was a part of his afternoon routine. From his young age, his light energy was always been intense. Like a sun, it burned inside of him. Because of that, His body temperature also rose so high that his skin would blister.
To counter that he was trained to meditate under cold water. It helped alleviate his symptoms, and it also calmed his mind down.
As time went on, he developed the ability to hold his breath for a long time under water.
"meditating? Who does that?" the young man chuckled softly.
Zain did not explain much. "It really is dangerous here though."
"Don’t worry, I can swim very well." Zhu kang let go of him and just floated with his hands and legs outstretched.
Seeing his fair skin and his carefree smile, his body started to heat up even more. Weirdly so, his heat was only concentrated below his waist.
’This cannot happen. It should not.’ Aaron swiftly left the pool and sat in the cooling chairs. His wet skin dried up in just a few seconds, but his hair took a while.
"Sir," a waiter handed him a glass of lemonade.
"Thank you," he took it from him and gulped it down.
Even so, the heat was uncontrollable. "bring me a towel,"
"yes sir," the waiter came back with a towel to dry his hair and his body.
Aaron Zain simply placed the longer one over his waist, hiding his prominent bulge. He could still feel his palm and his thighs tingle from the sensation he felt earlier. ’This is getting out of hand,’
His eyes focused on the young man, who was happily giggling as he splashed over his friend’s face.
’Zhu kang....
’Zhu kang, why are you here now... why?’
His blue eyes focused on his charming smile and his handsome face.
’Why are you here after so long?....’
He closed his eyes. Even then, he could remember his face. Like an unending dream, this face had been haunting his nights ever since he was a young man.
Initially, he thought it was just a passing dream. Like a cloud passing over the pastured, he expected that face to disappear from his memories.
But it was not.
The dreams were consistent. He saw a photograph, a number and a folded paper crane. These repeated in his dreams until he could remember them so vividly, even with his eyes closed.
He unintentionally took the napkin provided with the lemonade and started to fold it like a crane.
"All those years I have been searching for you, but why did you appear now?" he mumbled, glancing at Zhu kang who was cheerfully playing with his friend.
In his young years, he was delusional thinking that these visions, these dreams, were a signal from the gods.
He thought he was his destiny.
In a delirious manner, he went on a mad search. Without his family knowing, he searched for him from country to county.
In his early twenties, he was still hopeful. He put out anonymous search requests on the dark web. Anywhere he could think of, he searched.
But he found no traces of him anywhere.
This face still haunted him every night urging him to find him.
In his late thirties, he learned the hard way that his destiny does not exist.
He was not real.
His face that haunted him day and night was not real.
He was not his destiny.
Aaron sighed.
"Why did you appear now? Now that I have given up on you, my destiny," he gulped down the drink and left without a word.