Chap 3

Breaking dawn. It’s just 4 a.m in the morning and Henry’s small tent gets shaken under the movement of some heavy trash trucks.

That’s how the boy would normally start his day in this world, with machine noise, pollutant, and a heavy sigh not knowing if they’d find him out today.

But today is a different story.

Because something warm and comfy is rolling in his embrace and his morning has never felt this estatic.

Amber.

Without an ounce of thinking, the boy steals a kiss on her slightly open lips.

 “HEY BRO. NEED SOME HELP?”

Beaming, Henry shouts to the environment staff who are definitely struggling to load buckets of waste onto the vans. A skeptical glance at his bony body, but the staff still nod at his offer.

Minutes later, Henry grins at 5$ he received as remuneration. Now let’s think about breakfast for the princess. Berber princess needs her breakfast served at her bed.

Amber’s sleepy eyes get completely wide awake at 2 plates of tasty omelets served in front of her. Holding the plates is no other than the chicken-Hen-who-turned-monster-last-night, with messy hair, dirt on his face and a heart-stopping smile.

Her empty stomach is unmistakably filled with flutters out of his beauty and thoughtfulness…

“For you, Berber princess.”

Oh scratch it. He’s a chicken hen. A very cheesy one.

2 omelets for 2 grownup adults after a crazy night. Nothing more. Not even need sauce. But their breakfasts have never tasted so good.

Amber wipes off the dust in the boy’s pale skin with an affection that even she isn’t aware of. “Did he wake up really early to work?” Her heart shrinks at the thought.

In a moment, she forgets that she herself also has early work to do.

“Hey Hen, what time is it?”

“5:30. Still early till your working time, right?”

“5:30? MOM WAKES UP AT 6! SHE’S SO GONNA ME IF SHE KNOWS I OVERNIGHT OUTSIDE”

Shrieking, Amber hurriedly collects all her belongings and runs out of the tent.

Not before Henry holds her wrist, turns the girl back into a full embrace.

“Ber, you didn’t say thank you.

So I punish you to come here again.”

Being meters away from Henry’s tent, Amber still has to try to calm down remembering how his hot breaths fan into her neck.

Not like she doesn’t intend to come back there again though.

So days and days go by. From 8 a.m to 5 p.m in the factory. The next hour is for Henry the street musician. 4 more hours spent in the 24h grocery. And the rest is occupied by the childish-yet-ridiculously-talented-and-undeniably-hot Henry the chicken.

“Hey Berber.” Henry snaps up from his bowl of instant noodle which is their dinner/supper after an hour practicing drum and guitar.

“Hm?” Amber is too engrossed in her noodle to turn up.

“There’s something in your eyes.”

This time the guy fully captures her attention. Slightly knitting her eyebrows, she lets Henry lean close to her face. Like REALLY close.

In a second Amber thinks her lungs have left her to travel around the world. She just can’t with his teasing eyes.

“Oh never mind. It’s just sparkle.

AWWWW”

The tomboy shows no mercy to Henry’s shin. Serve him right, hphm.

There’re those romantic nights, Henry plays some soft melodies on his guitar or violin for only Amber. Mush as she lets herself lost in his emotional music, the girl can’t suppress one question:
 

“How could you know so many kinds of instruments? Violin, guitar, drums… If I didn’t know more, I would think you were some dandy from rich family running away out of arguments with his parents.”

Amber can feel his guitar missed half a beat.

“Who knows? Maybe that’s me in another universe.” He shows a vague smile.

That smile again. And an innocuous answer. He doesn’t want to open up about his past.

Amber realizes she doesn’t really know him.

Does she?

The question has never slept in her mind. But she just manages to bury it deep deep down under thousands of daily worries.

“AMBER!!!!”

She snaps up from the counter of 24h grocery.

Henry?

“This is incredible Berber! We are so gonna get this freaking award and get the hell outa this mud…You and I w…”

Bursting through the door like a storm, Henry is standing in front of her, blabbering nonstop and hands waving a flyer.

What award is he mentioning?

Only after she read the flyer did Henry’s blabbering become more coherent.

Contest LET THE BEAT HEAT THE WORLD

TO ALL THE LOVERS OF PERCUSSION OUT THERE!

You nurture an undying interest for creating tunes & beat?

But you are not a professional drummer?

Nor have you never performed in public?

THAT DOESN’T MATTER!

Contest “LET THE BEAT HEAT THE WORLD!!!” held by Club Grid is for YOU.

$50,000 & the opportunity to work for Club Grid is waiting for the winner.

COME AND GET IT

Amber needs some seconds to push down the hope & excitement to think vigilantly. Because…

“We basically have to travel across America to get to Club Grid. How could we manage flight tickets to go there???”

Silence.

“But… no pain no gain, right?” Henry replies quietly.

Okay. Let Amber have a precise calculation right here.

She earns like $50 per day.

And Henry? Maybe half the number.

Amber has $1,000 of saving after 10 years working 12 hours/day.

That’s exactly price of the flight to Club Grid.

Back to reality they barely make ends meet.

And Amber’s mother is often sick.

But if Henry and Amber succeed, they will definitely have another life in the future!

And survive their dream!

So what should she choose? Reality or future? Should she bet her life on this game or choose to stay next to her mother and be a good kid whose dream is dying?

Should she be selfish?

Without a word, Amber folds the flyer neatly and puts it in her bag. Henry knows that sign. More than anyone, he understands what’s swirling in the girl’s mind. So silently, he turns back to his street life.

Neither Henry or Amber notice about a tiny line at the bottom of the flyer: “Sponsored by Music Box Group.”

No one in music industry doesn’t know about the giant group.

Nowhere is its name printed in small size, let alone it’s the competition sponsor, which is normally done as a way of advertisement and need an outstanding position on the flyer.

But in here the name just vaguely appears. As if its sponsoring here isn’t for advertisement?

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[Author's corner]

*wipe all the dirts on this fic*

Guysssssssssss

I just realized i haven't updated this fic for around one year.

What a shame *endless sigh and apologies*

And i failed again when i planned to finish the fic within this chapter but it's already pass midnight, i have to work tomorrow and i can't make it.

So i promise to finish in the next chapter.

You have my words.

Thanks for your reading! Comments are highly appreciated! <3