Nicole Jane’s POV
“Let’s go to the mall!”
“Yeah, exactly. Please!”
Exam week has just ended. We had just finished our last exam, and as soon as we stepped out of the classroom, I was surprised to see these two mischievous princesses.
I glanced at Kyle over my shoulder. His irritation was evident on his face. I wanted to laugh at his expression, but I held back.
“Can we? It’s still early, and besides, we won’t stay out too late.”
The two princesses gave him a puppy-eyed look. Kyle let out a deep sigh and glared at them. “Fine. But I’m coming with you.”
“What?” they both shouted.
I slapped my forehead. They’re always so stubborn. But then, I smiled as I suddenly remembered something.
“Kyle, never mind. We can handle it. Besides, I was thinking of calling Gino so that we can hang out with him too.”
That’s right. Since we’re already going out, it’s also an opportunity for me to spend time with my brother.
Since he came back and introduced himself to me, we haven’t had a chance to bond. We’ve both been busy lately, him helping with the family business and me with my own affairs.
Kyle’s expression softened, and he nodded. “Right. I will not ruin your day then. Just please come back at least before nine in the evening or else...”
I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. “Or else?”
He winked at me. “You’ll be severely punished. And I swear that you’re going to like it and scream for more.”
My eyes widened, and I looked around nervously. When I noticed that everyone’s attention was on us, I lightly hit him on the arm with a book.
“You’re such a loudmouth! Watch it, or I’ll sew that mouth shut!” I threatened him.
He just laughed at me. I winced when I saw Miley and Rei’s reactions. Are they blushing?
Meanwhile, Hiro was grinning, and Kira seemed oblivious to what was happening. So never mind.
Oh, hell. This is all Kyle’s fault and his big mouth!
***
“Thank you, Nics! Finally, I can go out and have fun again!”
I looked up at Rei through the rearview mirror. “No worries. The truth is, I also suddenly missed shopping and going out.”
Ever since, shopping was all I’ve ever done. Besides, I’ve been so stressed these past few days that I badly need to relax.
Though this time, I’m really free to do it. Unlike before when there was always someone following me.
“But is it okay for you to be with us? I mean, we were the ones who invited you. But you know, you can also bond with Gino and separate from us,” Miley said.
I sighed before turning the car to the right and heading towards the city. “No, don’t think about that. The two of you are like my siblings anyway. That’s why you can treat Gino as your own older brother as well.”
“Thank you, Nics!” they both said cheerfully.
After a few more minutes, we arrived at the nearest mall. I parked the car slowly.
“Let’s go.” I grabbed my keys and got out of the car.
They were on both sides of me, holding onto my arms. As we approached the entrance, I caught sight of a familiar figure.
“Hi there, ladies! It’s good to see the three of you.” He smiled and took off his sunglasses.
Before I could say anything, my eyebrows shot up as I heard whispers around us.
“Oh my! He’s so handsome!”
“Is he new here? Why am I only seeing this hot guy now?”
“Wait, I think he’s an actor or a model.”
“If only the guys I met at the bar looked like that, I’d be willing to get pregnant!”
My jaw dropped. What the hell are these girls saying? Are they serious?
“Nics, it seems like Gino has a strong charisma,” Miley whispered.
“Yeah. You should warn him before he easily falls for one of those flirtatious girls!” Rei whispered as well.
I was about to respond when Gino interrupted.
“Can we go inside now?” He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, yes.”
We walked inside, but I still heard some lingering whispers.
“Oh! Is she his girlfriend? She’s not even that pretty.”
My ears rang from what I heard. I was about to turn back when he grabbed my arm.
“Just don’t mind them. I’m used to it anyway, so just let it go.” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes. I bet he and Kyle would get along well with each other. They both had inflated egos.
Once we entered the mall, we decided to grab some food first since we would probably be wandering around for a while. And I was really hungry.
I smiled upon seeing Miley and Rei acting as if they were truly one of us. If I wasn't mistaken, they really enjoy interacting with humans. I could also see the excitement on their faces. Kyle can be quite strict with them when it comes to these things.
After we finished eating, the two of them practically rushed out.
“Let’s go to the department store over there!” they called, and I just nodded.
They walked ahead while Gino and I quietly followed. To be honest, I didn’t know how to start a conversation. Since earlier, we had been silent. It was only Miley who had been talking to him.
“Your graduation is next week, right? I heard you’re second on the honor list. Congratulations.”
Imagine my surprise when he suddenly spoke. I looked at him, but he kept his gaze in front, smiling.
“Oh. Thank you. It’s nothing, really. For the very first time, someone beat me,” I joked. Since I was a child, I’ve always been the one who comes out on top.
“That’s okay. It’s actually nice to see both of you leading. Though it’s not about being the highest, but about being happy and content.”
That statement made me stop and think.
I used to love competing and defeating my rivals with all my determination. I always wanted to be on top. I believed that people would see me as powerful if I reached the top.
And I did achieve it. I became the top student, the most talented, always the favorite, and the most popular.
However, in the end, I still felt empty, lost, and unhappy. I had never been contented.
“Hey, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?” His concerned voice snapped me back to reality.
I shook my head repeatedly. “No! It’s just that I realized something,” I reassured him with a smile.
I looked around and saw Miley and Rei in the ladies’ section, browsing through bags.
“Go ahead. I was just following you. Choose one for yourself too,” he said with a grin, and I simply nodded.
We roamed around for almost two hours before we finally decided to leave the department store.
Each of us are holding three bags in each hand. We hadn’t even entered the smaller boutiques yet. Meanwhile, Gino only had one paper bag with him. He even offered to put our bags in the car for a while, but we declined because we could still manage. Besides, once we started exploring, we wanted to continue without any interruptions.
“Nics! We want to go on some rides!” Miley pointed the rides out, and I followed her gaze.
Oh. I didn’t expect to see an actual amusement park just outside the mall.
Gino and I had no choice but to follow as they started running like children, filled with excitement.
It’s a good thing there’s a baggage counter here. That’s why we left all our purchases there to avoid any hassle.
I looked around and noticed that there are also various types of rides and games here where you can win stuffed toys if you’re lucky. Although, compared to other amusement parks, this one is quite small.
“Which ride do you want to go on first?” I asked the two of them. Their eyes gleamed as they pointed towards the roller coaster.
“Okay, then.” We started walking towards it. But I stopped when I noticed that Gino wasn’t following us.
“Is there a problem?”
He shook his head repeatedly and took heavy steps towards us. I furrowed my brow when I noticed that he was sweating. It’s windy outside, especially since we’re near the seaside.
To be honest, this was my first time riding a roller coaster. I just hope I don’t lose my voice because I’m sure I’ll be screaming later.
***
“Want some water?”
He looked up at me, and I almost laughed at him because he looked like a lost child.
“I’m okay. I might just drown from all the water I’ve already had.”
“Gino! I’m sorry! We didn’t know that...” Miley pouted.
I just shook my head. I thought I would be the one screaming the whole time, but an unexpected turn of events just occurred a while ago.
“Ahhh! Stop this! Please, let me get off!”
I turned to look at Gino, who wouldn’t stop screaming beside me. I was almost deaf from the intensity of his screams.
Seriously? Who would’ve thought that a tough guy like him would be scared of these kinds of rides?
“I’m sorry. It’s so embarrassing,” he muttered, looking down.
I patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. You should have told us earlier. There are still plenty of other rides, you know.”
“But you guys wanted to go on that one. I didn’t want to ruin the moment either.” He looked away.
My forehead furrowed, and I gave him a strange look when he suddenly grinned. This guy changes moods so quickly.
“I know what to do. I’ll make it up to you!” He stood up, and we just followed him with our gaze to see where he was going.
He stopped in front of a certain game area. It seemed to have basins and balls. Based on the instructions explained by the crew, all you need to do is throw the ball into the basin that is facing you without bouncing it out.
My brother nodded before paying. We watched him quietly. Now I’m curious.
“Gino, couldn’t we just buy one instead?” I sighed. If we wanted to, we could buy a dozen stuffed toys.
He shook his head and smiled. “Nah. It’s better to get something when you’ve worked for it.” Determination was evident on his face.
Oh. That hit a nerve.
I couldn’t do anything as he began. Meanwhile, Rei and Miley were cheering beside me.
He immediately took the shot on his first attempt. The goal was for the ball not to come out of the basin twice in a row.
On his second attempt, the ball bounced out. That meant he only had one more try because he could only attempt three times.
We held our breath as he began the final trial. I let out a gasp as the ball went in and didn’t come out again.
“Miley, choose what you want,” Gino said with a smile as he approached us.
“For me?” Miley asked excitedly, with a wide smile on her face.
“Yes.”
She jumped and immediately pointed to the stuffed toy, Pokémon. The crew took it and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Gino!”
He patted her head and smiled.
Next, he went to the target shooting. He had to knock down six or more figurines using darts to win a donut pillow as a prize.
He started throwing the darts, and my jaw dropped as I saw all the figurines fall one by one effortlessly. He deserved a round of applause.
He called for Reiri to make her choice. When she made her selection, she accepted the pillow like a child and hugged Gino.
“Thank you, Gino! I’ve been bugging Vince about this before, but I didn’t get anything.” She frowned.
I laughed. Well, Vince is Vince.
Speaking of which, I wonder how he’s doing now?
The last time we visited were the bottles you were going to throw the rings at. He needed to shoot at least 8 out of 15 rings on the lined-up numerous bottles.
My eyes sparkled when I saw the prize. It was a light brown teddy bear almost the same size as me. It even had a dark brown shawl around its neck.
Not long after, Gino started. He immediately made his first throw. But on his second and third tries, he failed as the rings kept missing. I was focused on him while he was playing.
Two, three, failed, failed, four...
He continued throwing. Five, six, seven, then he started missing all his shots.
Until only one ring was left for him. I held my breath and Gino looked extremely serious. He even angled himself.
“Go, Gino!” the two girls shouted at the same time.
He looked at them and winked. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when I heard the exaggerated gasps from the surrounding girls.
He adjusted his position again and slowly throw his last ring. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I closed my eyes, hoping that he would succeed.
“Congratulations, Sir! Here’s your prize.”
My eyes flew open when I heard those words from the crew. As soon as I opened them, the teddy bear, almost as tall as me, was right in front of me.
“For my one and only princess in life.” He handed me the stuffed toy, and I immediately hugged it.
“Thank you.” I ignored the seemingly buzzing crowd around me.
So, this is what it felt like to have a sibling. It was just pure joy. It makes me feel like a child again.
I guess it’s never too late.
Afterward, we also tried other rides. We rode bumper cars, the Ferris wheel, and the boat ride that goes around the mall.
This is such a long and tiring day, but it’s been a great one. I’m looking forward to more bonding moments with my brother.
The sun was starting to set. It’s just so nice to watch the sunset with the ones you love.
“Wow! Sunset! We shouldn’t miss this!” Miley hurriedly took out her small camera and captured a photo of the sun setting.
The two of them kept taking pictures while my brother and I quietly watched them.
“Thank you for this day, Gino.” I rested my head on his shoulder with a smile on my face.
He didn't say anything. But right there and then, the moment he wrapped his arms around my shoulder, I knew that he was also smiling and enjoying the beautiful scene in front of us.
“Nics! Let’s take a picture!”
They moved to the area behind us and turned around. We did the same, with our backs against the sunset.
“Smile!”
With that, another unforgettable moment was captured. Not just by the camera, but also by our hearts and minds.
Indeed, it’s one fine day.