In Vienna’s Room
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Vienna sat at her desk, turning her phone over in her hand. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. About his gentle, yet sad smile. The way the wind played with his hair. She knew his past was painful and locked behind barriers of forgotten memories. Yet she knew that in his pain, small things could help him be happy, here and now. If only for a moment.
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Vienna opened her diary on her desk and began to write.
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“Today Nox told us he’s starting to remember. The memory was drastic. I know it… But despite my fear, I’d like to make him forget, even if only for a moment… Maybe I should suggest we go to that rock concert together…”
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Vienna felt her cheeks flush. Her breathing quicken. She could already picture herself and Nox at that concert. She felt the wind in her red hair and the loud chants of the crowd, along with his quiet, rare yet beautiful laughter. She smiled as her fingers began to dial his number. Without a moment’s hesitation, she put the phone to her ear and waited. Finally, Nox answered.
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“Vienna?”
“Hey Nox, I was wondering if you wanted to go…I have two tickets to a rock concert by a local band playing this weekend…would you like to go with me?”
The girl knew she was completely lost for words. She wasn’t sure if the boy even understood her. The silence on the other end was long, and to her, each second felt like an hour.
“Mhm…Okay…”
“So, you’re going with me.”
“Yes…Just…Should I count this as a friendly outing or a date?”
“Uh…Uh…a friendly outing?”
Vienna heard Nox’s quiet, uncertain laugh coming from the other end of the phone.
“So, see you this weekend?”
“Mhm…”
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After that answer, Nox hung up, and Vienna clutched her phone to her chest. She hadn’t expected him to agree. But still… She had a ‘‘date’’ with him this weekend.
She looked at her diary again and added one more sentence:
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“His laugh… I don’t know why, but that laugh… It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.”
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Vienna closed her diary and moved to the bed. Her sheets creaked softly as her body sank onto the mattress. She closed her eyes. She could still feel her own smile, and Nox’s quiet laughter still echoed in her head.
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“Wow, Vienna… Have you fallen in love?”
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At Nox’s
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Nox sat on the edge of his bed for a long time. His hand tightened on his phone. His thoughts kept returning to his conversation with Vienna.
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“She invited me to a concert…Does…do she care about me?”
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A small but genuine smile played on his lips. He felt his cheeks warm. Even though he knew his father was worried about him and cared about him, this situation was different. Vienna, the red-haired, freckled girl from his class. His friend, had invited him to a concert. Something that had never happened at his old school.
Nox lay on his side, tucking his legs under him. He closed his eyes and sighed.
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“Maybe this city isn’t so bad after all……Maybe Watson will go away eventually….. And Vienna…The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen…Wait…Have I fallen in love? Do I even have the right to love? After all…I am…broken….”
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“You shouldn’t have agreed, you idiot… She deserves better…”
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Nox sat down and, with trembling hands, dialed Vienna’s number. She answered almost immediately. He was about to tell her he couldn’t come, but when he heard her happy voice, he froze. He felt like there was a lump in his throat he couldn’t swallow. He remained silent, and his breathing became heavier.
“Hello, Nox?”
Only silence came from him. After a minute, he hung up. Without a word. Without a goodbye. He threw his phone on the bed and buried his face in his knees. The silence in the room felt heavy, broken only by the clatter of trams from outside and his heavy breathing, which mingled with the metallic sound of his prosthetic leg tapping against the floor.
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“I can’t… I can’t… I can’t break her heart.”
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The boy raised his gaze to the ceiling.
“You’re weak, Nox,” he whispered to himself. These words were full of bitterness and self-hatred.
ns216.73.216.134da2
and then Add to home screen.