===== Chapter 30   [ Part 1 ] =====

Dante and Peach eventually reached the mall.

Initially, the blonde haired man was planning to part ways from the woman as he had a personal agenda to accomplish; but just as soon as they entered the entrance, he changed his mind.

And how did Dante's sudden turnover of decision come to be?

Well, the answer is none other than Peach.

She suddenly offered to separate ways from each other and just meet up a few hours later.

Dante's actually easy to talk so, he could have easily agreed to her. He could have, but when he was demanded in such an aggressive manner, his curiosity then could not help but perk up for the reason behind such aggressiveness.

And so, he didn't agree.

He chose to stick with her and delay his agenda a little bit. Peach wanted to protest, but she seemed to realize that might only make her more suspicious to him, so she eventually pressed her lips and walked to some random direction.

The walk was silent and almost meaningless.

It took a half an hour before Dante realized that they were walking in circles. This stupid bitch seemed to thoughtlessly walk to whatever direction, stopping, and then walking again to another path, as if she really has no idea where to head.

In all honesty, his patience was almost close to gone.

Dante was terribly trying to remain his composure, not wanting to create some ruckus in a public area, but as everyone know, his self-control wasn't that good at all.

He had always been an expressive person.

So when it had dropped into zero, he suddenly felt like screaming at her and demanding where exactly she wants to go.

He opens his mouth and is just about to do that.

Fortunately, before he could continue with his intentions, a notification ping pops the awkward silence ahead of him. 

Under Dante's curious gaze, Peach takes a quick glimpse of her phone; her beautiful face seeming to brighten up as if their supposed destination finally dawned onto her.

Before Dante can even say anything, she snatches his arm and excitedly rushes to a security guard standing outside a clothing store.

"Do you know where's DayZone is?" Peach asks.

"DayZone? Oh, it's around the third floor. Head towards the escalator over there," the middle-aged man points to an escalater a few distance away from them, "Go up then walk straight; you'll find what you're looking for." He then smiles.

Peach smiles back. "Thank you!"

Then she hastily walks again with her hand still on his arm.

"Hey Bitch! Let go. I can move on my own! And what's exactly going on? DayZone? Isn't that an amusement arcade? Are you gonna play games or what?!"

"Oh shush!" Peach snaps at Dante, finding him noisy. "Can't you see I'm rushing over here!" And she continues on her haste again, deciding to run upwards the escalator on its left side.

Fortunately people were disciplined as they didn't have to push anyone out of the way. They ran til they reached the third floor. "Fucking give me a chance to breathe! It's not like DayZone will close on you!" Dante complained, slapping her hand off him.

Peach rolled her eyes. "Weak," she retorts.

"Says by you," he counters as he eyes her whole figure from top to bottom and bottom to top.

"Sexist," Peach remarks at him, reaching out her hand to his head and tugging a lock of his blond hair. Dante cries out in pain. He tries to take his revenge too, but he finds the white haired girl running toward DayZone after yanking his hair.

"Fuck you!" he screams as he chases after her.

It doesn't take too long before he finally reaches that bitch.

Just as Dante's about to pull her hair hard too, he can't help but find it strange how the girl is suddenly standing stiff in her position and not bothering to dodge his attack. The expression on her face is also weird. So he furrowed his brows and followed her gaze, wanting to find out the cause of her reaction.

And when he did, the hand that was raised in the air couldn't help but fall to his side. His hand gradually curling into fist as the scene unfolds.

•     •     •     •     •

[ Time Skip ]

You did good," Peach praises Dante once they're out of earshot from the turquoise-eyed man earlier.

A hand she gently placed on his back, but it does not even last there for a few seconds because the man immediately slaps it off.

"Tsk. It's not for you, Bitch."

Dante scowls as he rubs his elbow thereafter, which was slightly tingling in pain. Despite his intentions to elbow the man earlier, it instead somehow ends up with him taking the hit instead.

Was that a fucking stone or what? Ocean eyes narrow in irritation.

"Of course. I know you did it for (Y/N)." Peach smiles, nonchalantly replying— unaware of the faint blush that instantaneously sprinkled over the his cheeks from such blunt remark.

"You—"

Dante wasn't able to continue to deny it. The white haired woman suddenly grabbed his arm, pulling him along with her to some random location.

Now, where is even (Y/N)? was Peach's thoughts as she tries to stands on tiptoes— squinting her blue eyes, as she skims through the crowd.

Of course, she's obviously here for you.

Just one glance she's okay, and that's it. She really misses you that much, but it's just too sad that she can't hang out with you anymore. A lot has changed, and she does not know if things can still turn back to the way that it was before.

No.

She bitterly smiles.

She knows that It's far too impossible.

Despite that, Peach determinedly continues to look for your form in the midst of all these busy crowd. At least, hoping that she will get to see you, even when it's very unlikely that she'll get to talk to you.

Meanwhile the blonde haired man beside her is quiet as hell— yet it is clear to anyone that dares to spare him a second glance that he seems unsettled.

This bitch. He narrows his blue eyes at her. She couldn't possibly know, right?

Somehow seeming to sense his glares directed towards her, Peach turns to him. "What?" she huffs as she glares back at him too.

Sending evil looks to each other for a long while, Dante eventually breaks the eye contact.

He looks away with a sound of huff escaping his lips. Hah, why am I stressing myself over this. There's no way in hell she knows. She's fucking stupid.

He looks at her again, and spotting those 'innocent' sky blue eyes peering at him like that makes him crack out some fit of laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" Peach asks him, calmly.

Well, calm in a sense that she's trying to suppress from lashing out at him with curses spilling out of her mouth almost endlessly.

Peach isn't really pleased right now.

I mean who would.

This weird dude was glaring at her before for no reason then the next second he suddenly fucking bursted out laughing out of nowhere? Has Dante finally gone crazy or what?

Instead of being pleased, she's offended!

"An idiot like you wouldn't understand," he simply said, still laughing, but not as loud as before.

Okay, Peach only gets more offended.

Her fist hits Dante in the chest quite strongly as she can. From the impact, he slighly stumbles— almost falling to the ground. "What the heck!" he snaps at her; no longer laughing.

He raises a hand as if preparing to hit her back.

Peach closes her eyes.

But she doesn't feel any pain for a little while? Confused and a bit thankful, she opens it, only to see Dante staring somewhere with a weird expression.

Huh?

She tilts her head and there, she finally sees you.

You. Her friend. (Y/N).

•     •     •     •     •

"The winner takes it all! The loser has to fall— ack! Oh my god— (Y/N)?!"

Daniel stops singing.

His face immediately switching to concern as he perceives his daughter by the door huffing very terribly with a sweaty red face.

You look like as if you had a marathon before, and it just makes him more worried when you suddenly fall on your knees, gasping for breath.

"What happened to you, Honey?!" Daniel gently drops the mic on the chair as he grabs you by the arm as if to support your body from completely collapsing. "... you look like you're dying?"

"Dad—" you pant, giving him an 'are you serious' look.

Dad squeezes out a nervous smile as he proceeds to let youe exhausted self take a seat.

You point to the water bottle behind him, and Daniel is quick to retrieve it for you. You take the lid off, gulping the contents like you haven't been drinking water for years.

"Thanks," you huff out as you give it back to him.

"So you okay? What made you run?" Dad begins his interrogation again as soon as your face started to return to its normal color. A huff leaves your lips while you casually wave his asked questions off.

It's not really that important for him to know anyways, and saying that a smell of cigarrette caused you to become like that might just make your father burst out laughing.

"(Y/N)—"

"Dad, are you done singing?"

You look at him, pointing towards the karaoke machine with the tilting movement of your head. You are quick to interrupt the middle-aged man— deeply knowing that he is planning to persist his interrogation.

"A— " He blinks his eyes at you, turning to the karaoke machine for a second. "Ah yeah, I'm done."

You feign a smile, grabbing your things from the seat.

"Let's go home then. I'm tired."

Daniel opens his mouth, but you only have to give him your obviously tired gaze for him just to submit. Those puffy eyes that you still have right now makes it more easy for you to persuade him.

"Okay, honey. Let's go home and get you some rest." A pout seems to settle on his guilty expression as the both of you leave the booth.

You feel victorious for a second— but right when you thought that you finally have your peace for the day— something just has to happen.

Your gaze land on a specific someone that you never thought encountering here today.

Peach?