Chapter 1

Kris’s POV

The smell of disinfectant wafted out from the hospital as they have to keep it so sanitary to reduce the risk of people getting infections. It’s been a while since I’ve smelled that familiar and powerful smell.

Yet as soon as I walked through the sliding glass doors for patient room, the smell of sickness flooded my senses. Glancing my eyes to the hospital bed, the girl that I saved from the hooligans few hours before slept on the bed peacefully.

I slightly bowed to the doctor who stood in front of me. He gave me a smile while having his right hand scribbled something on the patient report. Later on, he passed the clipboard to the nurse who standing next to him, and had his head turn to me.

“May I ask the relationship between you and the patient?” The doctor still had his smile as he questioning me, but seriousness also able to find on his face. Subconsciously, I took a look at the girl on the bed and tried to explain our entanglement between us.

“Emm, we’re just strangers. I bumped into her by accident. But she seems like in trouble. The time I met her, she was chasing after some gangsters.” I told the doctor about our relationship. I knew that he might found I’m weirdo helping out someone that I didn’t even know her name. For a basic human compassion, I don’t think that I could scarcely ignore her while seeing her helpless expression.

“I see! We diagnosed that she was having a high fever and mild pneumonia.” My eyebrow frowned with sympathy and displeasure. And this feeling gradually aroused inside my heart after hearing the following statement from the doctor.

“Besides that, the nurse found there were some traces of bruises on her body and in this case we assume that she must be subjected to beatings.” Now on, uneasy washed over me as I moving my step toward the bed. What have you been through, Agassi?

“But the injury is not that severe, so we hope that won’t be an abuse.” The doctor determined to leave the room before finishing up his last sentence. “She will wake up soon after the loss drug. Call for me if anything happen.”

As his sentences end, I’ve been left alone with the girl who still in comatose state. I pulled the chair next to the bed a bit and set myself down on that metal chair. Sinking into thought, the alarm I set on my phone rang and knocked me back to reality.

I quickly turned off the alarm as soon as I taking out my phone. After then, I crossed my finger together and said my prayer secretly inside my heart as I unbuckling the necklace around my neck and wrapping it into both my palms.

‘Dear god, I know that she’s out there, the one that I’m supposed to share my whole life with. And in time… you’ll show her to me. Will you take care of her, comfort her, and protect her until that time we meet.’

‘Also, please let this girl get well soon and look after her from all the worsts!’ Saying a prayer used to be my daily routine when I was at my age of six. Furthermore, that was the year my lovely grandmother passed away and left me behind.

However, today was a little different than before. I included the girl that I just met for only few hours into my prayer. I opened my eyes and put my necklace back on. A second later, I saw some movements of her fingers.

At this point, I acknowledged that she had the sign of waking up. I led my off the chair and moved toward the bed. I threw my arm around her neck in order to support her to get up from the bed. With one of my free hands, I adjusted the pillow from horizontal to vertical to place it near against the wall and rested her on that.

“Are you feeling better? Any sign of lightheaded or something?” I asked her for concern while placing her back on the pillow. However, she seems like haven’t regained her consciousness so as she ignoring my question.

Instead of giving me any response, she questioned me about the whereabouts of her bag in a very worry tone. “My bag, where is it?” Seeing her anxiety face, I hurried myself to help her looking for the bag and I found it inside the drawer next to the bed.

“Here is it!” I replied to her question at the time I handed her bag and she took it over from me with a relief face as she hugging the bag tightly. I can tell that she must be in the weak state but her face showed me a glimmer of happiness from her still pale face with the bag inside her embrace.

Feeling relieved, she suddenly searched her bag after zipping-open her bag and took out a small rectangle black box. She the glass case of the box cover framed with black leather in a nice and lovingly smile. I peeked a little what the box holds inside.

It was a pink sapphire. I was wondering how she has it. Pink sapphire was a more affordable alternative, though still rare and hardly inexpensive. Blue is the classic sapphire color, but good quality pink sapphire is actually rarer.

“What a nice sapphire!” I appraised the sapphire in surprise uncontrollably. Due to my profession, jewelry appraisal is my occupational disease. Realizing my faux pas, I fixed my eyes and found her looking at me same as amazement as me.

“Are you, the one who brought me here?” She finally talked back to me even so I can felt that she still having her guard up against me, but I was glad from the bottom of my heart that she opened up her, a bit by bit.

“Yes! Please forgive me for being indelicate, may I ask you the background of this pink sapphire?” To be frank, I was seriously curious about that pink sapphire and cannot help to burst out my question. I felt deeply sorry if it troubles her. I once again fixed my eyes on her and waited for her reply.

“Pink sapphire in large sizes is particularly hard to find. In general, pink sapphire is more valuable than the other colors of fancy sapphire.” I crawled to bed without notice it in order to look at that gemstone from her more clearly and realized that was a natural pink sapphire, and not a manufactured one. Attracting by the sapphire, I was unable to move my sight away from it.

Not trying to be boasted, I was able to identify the authenticity of not very but most of the gems just by looking at it.

“Wo-uld you like to hear a story?” She took a deep breath and shifted her attention away from the pink sapphire and stared at me with anticipation in sorrow. Her voice brought me back to reality, and I found myself a disgrace, smiling to her with embarrassment, and then I got back to the chair and sat down.

It must be a memorable and precious gift from someone important in your life, right Agassi? I nodded my head in return and then she glanced back to the black box that she still twined her fingers around the box.

“Twenty years ago, a baby girl gave birth to this world. She was born in the middle class family. Although sometimes livelihood struggled the family in frustration, but they still living with enrichment and happiness.”

While listening to the story told by her, I stay silent and had no intention to stop or interrupt it. Without any disturbance, crystallized tears filling up her orbitals as she continuing played the role of storyteller.

“However, things turning upside down at the time the father of the family been diagnosed with a terminal illness. In order to cure his illness, the family’s income and expenditure becomes disproportionate.”

Even though she told the story in third person, I was able to figure out the protagonist of the story and what kind of situation she was in now. In order to raise funds for her father’s medical expenses, loan shark was their family’s only and one option.  But the good times never last, her father lived through sickness under treatment and passed away not long ago.

The boss from the usury imprisoned her after the death of her father. That won’t be easy for the girl like her to escape from the clutches.

“This gem was her family heirloom which her mother objected to sell it so as to pay off the debt. But she did not have any choice.” Backing off from the loan shark, she tried to collateralize their family’s loan by selling the boss her sapphire.

“It is their remaining possession left from her father. She do not mind to sell it, but they are so insatiable.” Her case proved me that human are greedy. The boss tried to seize the pink sapphire from her and locked her up.

“How about you sell it to me?” Compassion washed over me while listening to her sad life experience. I want to help her out of her predicament. By doing so, I offered her a trade with me. I realized that I cause her to feel surprised at my words.

“Don’t take me wrong! I did not try to take advantage of you, my bid will be absolutely reasonable.” I waved both of my hands in front of my chest to clear off her doubts. Her looks made my heart beating hard, I don’t want her to mistaken anything.

“Actually, I’m jewelry designer. Here,” I was in attempt to search for my business card around my every pocket in his suit. After some search, I found my business card holder the inside pocket of my suit jacket. “Here my card!” I handed over my business card to her but got rejected.

“No, no that’s not what I mean! Will it be too much?” She explained herself as she shaking her head and told me about what’s in her mind. I turned my attention on her without any understanding of her words.

“Why was that?” I blurted out my question with my eyes totally on her. Putting back my business card inside the card holder, I prepared myself for her answer as I adjusting my body to sit straight up.

“You know, you’ve been helped me more than it supposed to be. I mean I’m a stranger to you after all.” I saw guilt and sorry filled her eyes while continuing her sentences. What else other than that reason, Agassi? I know that you got the point.

“Is that all your worries, Agassi?” I queried her for any different reason about her defense toward me and successfully earned a nod from her. Without notice, I grinned at myself and maybe at her as I speaking up my thoughts. “Listen carefully, seeing someone in mortal danger without lifting a finger to save him is absolutely not my style.”

“You probably have no faith in my word, but I’m taking it very serious. Your sapphire admiring me not just because of its value but also its story behind it.” I realized that I’m dumbfound her by looking at her facial expression from now. She might considered my word as nonsense.

“Due to my occupation, appraise jewelry is one of my job responsibilities and duties. Every design of my jewelry pieces must have their stories and reason, just like what you’ve told me about the sapphire.”

“I would like to put in highest bid for your pink sapphire” Seems like my sentence never could end when I want it to, she definitely like to cut off people in their mid of their talks. Hehehe, smile attacked my heart unexpectedly when I was thinking about it.

“You don’t need to do that, you can just pay me the amount that enough for me to wipe off my debt.” Her response was simply beyond my expectation. I’ve never expected that she would give such an answer. Struggling with financial issues, she should’ve want some more which has the possibility to make up her bread, but she asked for less.

“How about I pay some extra for temporary subsidize??” Once again, she goes up against my suggestion by shaking her head as rejection. Agassi, you were surely a stubborn and tough girl. Maybe that was because of thing that you need to go through from this current event.

Everyone I made this comment is not because I have some affection or feeling toward her, but she gave out testimony to prove her contentment character. “I’m capable of working and supporting my mother in return for her cultivate.”

“Your appearance has been the biggest help to me. I would like to sell to someone who knows how to cherish my father’s precious remnant.” She attempted to prop her frail body with the drip on her right hand and rested her knees on the bed. Then, she slowly bowed her half bent body to me for the sake of showing her thankful.

“Oh, I see! Then how do you want me to give you the money? Write you a check then you cash it later?” I recently found out that my pocket was just like treasure pocket same as the one as Doreamon. Everything fitted well enough inside the internal pocket in my suit. I took out a check book and pen.

“The guy gave me his account number in my father’s funeral and told me to deposit the money to him there directly.” She took out a piece of paper with some numbers jotted down from her wallet. Later, she passed me that little piece of paper.

I skimmed through the group of number after receiving the paper from her. I put away the check book and my pen as I looking and grinning at her before taking out my cellphone. My left the chair and I walked away before making a call in which not to affect the functioning of medical equipment inside the patient room.

I had my back facing the bed as I dialing the manager of my company’s finance department. Few rings later, the familiar voice sent through my right ear. I asked him to do me a favor to transfer the money to the given account number from her. Understanding my request, Mr. Manager immediately made the online transfer by pressing few keys on the keyboard.  

“Alright, Mr. Wu, all set!” I nodded my head and ended the call before saying my thank you to Mr. Manager for his collaborate. I pressed the red ‘end’ button on the phone screen and turned myself back to the bed side. I put an ‘all done’ smile on my face and saw that she had the opposite face of mine.

“I’m appreciate your help from previously and now.” Her eyes suddenly became watery as she saying her thank you for my offer and help. Agassi, you were seriously strong than I thought. You impressed me a lot, don’t you know that?

After thanking me, she took a last glance at the pink sapphire beforehand to give the black leather box. I spread out my right arm to reach her distance in which to get the box as I making my way back to her side. Then, I slide the box inside my pant pocket.

“Now, Agassi…the only one thing that you need to think about is your health.” Afterward, I grabbed both her shoulders, held it with one arm, fixed the pillow for her and laid her body down to rest. “I guess that you may not want your mother to worry, right?”

“You’re a nice person, mister!” She smiled at me with a relieved expression before closing her eyes and having a rest. I watched her peaceful sleeping face for some moment and whispered to myself.

“Have a nice dream, Agassi! I’m a lucky guy ever since I was born, so hope that I can share you some of my luck.” I left the patient room as I figuring out the sky already in it dusk. I made a phone call to my office in which to inform the staffs that I’m not going back today. At the time I headed to my villa, thin smoky clouds covered the moon and showed that nighttime is coming.

     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------End of Kris POV---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Author Notes: Hey guys, here is new update from this long long wait I caused you guys. Idea of this story flow over my mind recently, that's why I decided to update the first chapter of this story first. I'll try to update my other ff next time. I would like to see you guys reactions and responses about this to see should I continue this story or what. So hope you can actively put down your comments. And last, hope you guys enjoy the reading and have a nice weekend. *wave*