Mistake. Accident. Death. It all started with a single mistake that led to an accident then eventually death. Nathan was just a normal young scholar just like the others, he tried to be invisible to not gain any unwanted attention. He just wanted to live normally.
Talk about having living normally, that wouldn't be impossible wothout a money. And that's one of the crisis he's facing right now. He doesn't have a money.
Sitting with a solemn face on a park bench. Natan watches the scene before him. Although kids are annoying, he likes watching them. He hates couples and sunsets yet he find them beautiful.
In this cruel world we live in and every interesting constellations in universe. He wished nothing but to die so he could leave all his problems behind.
He doesn't even know how long he's been sitting there. The reason why he ended up in this place was because of the conflict in their house. After his mother died everything became so complicated and different. His father changed, from being a good father to an alcoholic bastard.
Nathan could only stare up in the sky and sigh.
Regretting and blaming anyone would only make
everything worse. He repeated those words a million times in his head that his brain almost burst open because of it. The school sucks. His life sucks. The world sucks. Everything is just shit.
The bench made a 'screech' sound bringing him back to earth. He lowered his head then tured it to his side. An old man wearing rusty clothes sat with a heavy sigh.
Natan stared at the old man. Messy white hair, dirty cap, and a stroll of old jewelries that no one would even buy. He ignored the reeking smell as he looked back at the scenery before him.
"This is such a beautiful place, isn't it?"
Looking at the man in the corner of his eyes, Natan casually ignored the question. He isn't the type to talk to strangers, it just became a custom to him to be quiet all the time.
"Young lad, do you come here often?"
The old man asked again and the young boy looked around him before his eyes landed at the old man's face. He was smiling at Natan and it creeps the hell out of him.
He replied with his rasped voice, "Yes."
"I see. I also come here often to sell these." He looked at the old stroll with old jewelries fully exposed. He wanted to ask the old man why would he sell something like that when no one would buy them.
As if reading his mind, the old man said with an amused expression. "You must be wondering why would I sell them, right?"
Natan remained silent at the question as the old man added. "These are old jewelries, quiet not the taste of the people these days. However," he paused as he looked at Wonwoo in the eye before resuming, "these are all from 200 years ago."
That was beyond belief and Wonwoo wouldn't believe something just like that. The old man only chuckled before picking something up on the stroll. He slowly lifted his trembling hands with a necklace on it.
"This is from 200 years ago, my grandmother says that the owner of this was a really beautiful and kind lady. Although I didn't saw it in real life, I really believed my grandmother."
Wonwoo stared at the necklace swinging carefully. When his eyes landed on the small pendant. The old man seems to understand his curiosity as he rub the dust off the pendant. A reddish color reflected in his eyes.
"This pendant is made of ruby. There is another one here." The old man carefully put the necklace back on the stroll before grabbing something beneath it. The skinny fingers wrapped round a little black box. It seems like a ring box.
And it turned out that he was right.
"Inside this is a ring. A very beautiful one." The old man opened the lid and there was really a ring inside. It was different from the others. Wonwoo leaned closer to see it clearly.
"It's beautiful, right?"
Nathan nod in agreement. The old man added, "My grandparents said that their ancestors kept this for thousand of years. That is the only thing I didn't believe that they said to me. However, at the end of the day, I believed in it."
Curiously, the boy asked. "Then, why are you selling it?"
The old man chortled. "I am not selling it young lad but rather keeping it."
"Keeping it?"
"Yes. Keeping it." The old man repeated with a smile on his face before adding. "My grandmother told me to keep it and pass it to my child in the future. However, love isn't for me so I'm still keeping it."
Nathan nod in understanding and didn't asked further questions.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I don't have a child?"
The two stared at each other for a second. One was confuse and the other was eager. Consciously, Nathan rub the back of his neck and asked. "Should I?"
The old man burst out laughing. Few people around stared at their direction and the old man looks like dying from the laughter. When his laughter died down, he said with a wide smile on his face.
"You're a funny child. Phew, I almost died from laughing. My love story isn't as interesting as my parents nor grandparents but I must say, I once really loved a girl with all my heart."
He don't know what to say. Nathan had never liked a girl nor even dated one. The word 'love' just sounds so foreign for him.
It was a moment or so before he heard the old man's voice again.
"Anyway, this ring is significant to us. However, my grandmother always says that I need to pass this to someone before I turn 90 years old because if not," he paused before looking deeply in Nathan's eyes. "I might never rest in peace after I die."
The old man closed the lid with a sorrowful smile. "On the contrary, she also said that the owner of this ring will experience happiness and have a lot of luck. It was real. All of it was. I just keep denying it. So, young man, never let those sadness in your heart bring you down."
The old man looked at the scenery before them and Nathan did the same. The sun was gone, there were only faint lights around thanks to the porch beside the bench. The other people are gone as well. How much time have passed?
Nathan fished out his phone from his pocket.
8:45 P.M.
So much time had passed that he didn't even noticed it. With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to the old man but saw no one. His eyes widen in surprise, Nathan immediately stood up and scan the place but didn't saw anyone. Turning his head back where the old man sat, he saw a familliar black box.
Nathan grabbed the small box before running around to find the old man. He run around for many times but didn't saw a single soul around. Gasping out for air, he sat on the grass and stare at the black box on his hand.
The old man's words echeod in his mind. He opened the lid and the ring was really inside. Questions starts to pour inside his head. What should I do with it? Should I find him? Should I keep it? Or should I just leave it here? Can this even be exchanged for money?
Out of the five options. The fourth one is the most suitable choice. After deciding, he returned to the bench where he sat and put the black box back on the cold surface.
Nathan stared at it for a while before deciding to leave. He don't know why but his heart suddenly felt heavy. His movements halted before a heavy sigh leaves his mouth.
He has now an irritated expression on his face.
As if his own thoughts betrayed him. He turned around but then flinched at the sudden appearance of a stranger. The man is wearing a decent black suit, his hair is styled perfectly, and he looks elegant sitting there. He doesn't know why but something's telling him to run away.
The man turned his head and saw him.
Shit.
A smile appeared on its lips before casually throwing something in the air. It was the black box. Nathan didn't move to his position and just watched the other person's actions.
The black box landed perfectly on the man's palm before he asked Nathan. "Did you come here to fetch this?". He shoke his hand, referring to the black box. Recieving no response from the boy, the man sighed.
"Phew, that old man. He sure finds someone unworthy."
When Nathan heard that, the person who came inside his head was the old man he met earlier.
The man rose from his seat as he say in a serious tone. "Okay, let's get straight to the point kid." He turned his whole body to face Nathan, a smirk made its way to his lips as he pointed on the ground.
"You'll get drowned here right now, whether you like it or not."