TEN – 7:28:00 PM

I'm not sure if it's just me or we unconsciously made this unspoken deal that we shouldn't mention anything about the remaining hours; but I can't help it. I can't stop thinking about the time and the time left. Half past seven, less than four hours left.

I should be happy because this is ending already and I will finally wake up. Everything is going to go back to normal where I am in my room, barely remember anything from this dream in the morning. I'm not even sure if I'll know I had this dream...

I swallow a hard lump on my throat. My heart feels a little heavier than a while ago and I don't why I am feeling down all of the sudden like I just want to cry and let this all out. I don't even know what I want to let out. Damn it.

I clenched my fist on my chest. How do you tell your heart to stop hurting?

"I got our tickets!" This guy announces as he walks towards me.

I grin and set aside all these unexplainable things happening inside me. I will not ruin these remaining hours just because my heart decided to go dumdum. "Ticket to where exactly? Why can't you just tell me?"

He chuckles. "You'll see. Come on!"

Before I could even protest, he already grabbed my hand—then we ran.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Okay, to be honest, out of the last places I might have expected for this guy to want to go to; this would have never made it on the list. I'm beyond surprised but this is a good surprise. I didn't know I wanted to come to this kind of event until now.

"I've always wanted to be in this kind of concert. Have you been into one, dummy?" This guy asks, smiling as if he has done the most satisfying thing in his life.

I look at our hands, he hasn't let go of mine since we got here. This guy and his weird ways, seriously. "Never been into one. This is my first worship concert. Are you sure you want to continue this? Are you safe here, pervert? Aren't you going to suddenly smoke or vanish or something?"

"Ha-Ha-Ha. Very funny."

I really laughed at his fake offended expression. He was about to say something but was cut off because the band entered the stage and the crowd went wild for them. This guy didn't shout his cheers or anything but he definitely looked like a happy kid and I can literally feel his excitement to be here.

The crowd got more excited for the band when the first song came up. Being in the VIP section of this concert in this open field is not easy at all, I kept getting pushed by some of the people behind or beside me.

"Come here, dummy." He lets go of my hand but pulls me closer to him and places his arm on my shoulder. "It would be easier like this."

"Nah, this is just one of your weird ways, pervert."

He chuckles. "You know me well."

I'm not a very religious person but I have heard these worship songs before and liked them like tonight. Maybe from my classmates or friends or just simply everywhere I went before. I never really went on fully grasping the lyrics of these kinds of songs but tonight, I realized how truly beautiful they are.

There is something about these songs that are meant to be heard with a crowd.

I couldn't help but to steal glances at this guy. He looks genuinely happy to be here and this experience is more meaningful seeing him like this. It makes me satisfied being here with him, that this is both our first time.

I know that this moment wouldn't be the same if I do it again... Same as everything that we've done together. The food, the experience—nothing will taste nor feel the same. Thinking about this now is something I shouldn't be doing but I am already. More or less than three hours left.

My heart aches and the same hard lump in my throat is even harder to swallow. Why do I just want to burst into tears?

He looked at me, he had to lean close so I could hear what he's about to say. "Do you plan on telling me what you are thinking just now?"

I didn't move away so he could hear me too. "Why did you want to go to a concert like this?"

He smiles. "I have to be thankful, dummy. This has been the best day of my life and I've promised myself that if I had this, I will thank Him."

The vocalist has asked everyone to hold hands with whoever they are with.

"This is a special song requested for the people who continue to love the person they have prayed for..."

What I didn't expect to happen next is that this guy is singing the song that the band is playing. He's not simply singing along with the band and the crowd—he is singing it. He can sing!

My heart... My heart feels like it's being crushed slowly. I want to shout. I want to let whatever this is that is causing my pain out. I had to clench my fist again on my chest and collect the last bits of my control not to tear up. It hurts. It hurts so bad.

Before I lost all my control and burst into tears, he pulled me to him in an embrace. I can feel his frantic heart beating. Like mine—why do I feel his heart hurts too?

Why do I suddenly feel a lot calmer knowing that, perhaps, I'm not the only one with the heavy heart tonight?

Then I felt it—warm tears on my shoulder.

"Winter... I-I... I don't want this to end yet, d-dummy..."

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