those playful hours.

Mr. Bark was walking in a corridor. he was sweating. he crashed into Bernard. they both excuse themselves and walk to their own direction. 

Bernard is almost running to the cafeteria. he was told that today they are serving some good old Hawaiian Piza. he feels something odd. he stops for a second. he looks at a poster of a reading & writing club. he takes a picture of the poster. he then continues walking. he makes it in time to the cafeteria. he goes to the line. he gets his hands in two slices of Hawaiian Piza.

after a quick inspection of the tables and people eating in the cafeteria. he is able to notice a table by a corner. Martin is sitting in there with Timothy and Patricia. Bernard walks directly towards them when he stops. he looks at Grace getting inside of the cafeteria. Bernard smiles like an idiot. that little piece of heaven that didn't lasted long. he felt a foreign force pushing him violently and abruptly. he falls on his knees. behind him are Jack and Chloe.

Bernard feels humiliated. he feels so inferior and insignificant. he can't even defend himself. he questions the importance of his help in aiding Grace. he feels like a complete moron. Bernard wanted to speak up or fight back. but his instincts stopped him. he felt even worse the moment his eyes met with Grace. he could feel a cold air. 

Bernard stands up. he then sits next to Martin. he eats slowly. there is a pain on his stomach. it is a confrontational feeling that stops him from crying aloud. damn be the absurd pride of man who lacks enough pride to fight back.

Martin talks to him. he tries to distract him. Bernard listens to the conversation. he smiles in a bitter way as he looks away. he feels apathy towards the world that surrounds him.

Bernard was done eating. he felt empty inside. the frustration comes from the lack of understanding of the human factor. he knows that he is human. he knows his name and identity behind his reflection. but he couldn't be sure of the person who he is supposed to be beyond the flesh and ego. the real him was a mystery even to him.

as Bernard was having an existential crisis. Grace walks behind him. she orders him to follow. it only took a light touch of her tiny hands for him to wake up from the nightmare. Bernard follows her ignoring the rest of the world. 

Grace knows too well that she has better things to do than to interfere in the life of a hopeless idiot such as Bernard. but she felt sorry for him. it wasn't just that. she felt the need to help him every time she would look at those pitiful eyes. maybe it was the nature of his honest heart or the fact that there is no one else out there willingly to rescue him out of pity. 

as they kept walking. after every heavy step. it took a while for Grace to realize that she hasn't ever felt so normal. this is her first time having to blend with normal people around her age. she avoids thinking about things that would make her feel human. in part it's thanks to guilt that she is so desperate to finish her job as a form of redemption.

"Had you ever fallen in love? is there anyone on your original timeline?" asks Bernard hopeful about a possible, no. but also confuse about his own emotions.

"What is love? can you define such a vague word in a sentence that makes sense beyond the outrageous colorful words and rhymes people use to describe such a state of naive stupidity. after all the people who drop that name more constantly is with the intend to sell a product." Grace's words made sense, but it still sounded so sad and lonely.

"Love is more than that and you should know. isn't out of love for your parents that you're on this journey after all? I am pretty sure you are aware of the beauty that it brings to the world. how a simple word can describe wonders out of this world. it is profound and sincere." said Bernard in a loud tone that was between yielding and speaking. 

"Artificial and hypocrite, are the words of my choosing to define an emotion that has been artificially modify to blend well with soft lyrics and warm colors. disgrace is to use such a vile word to defend acts of stupidity. hypocrite is he who swears in the name of love." she yields.

there is a conflict keeping them apart even when they are few steps away from each other. Bernard can feel her breathe. he feels his face going red and hot as he stares at her lips. a stolen kiss is worth the rage of the universe, but it won't be worthy of her tears. he couldn't bring himself to defy the temple of her lips. even if stolen was his heart. a single kiss is the dilemma that keeps him hanging from a string about to fall into the pool of madness.

"Tell me, I beg you. let me know who hurt you to such a point that you deny the truth hidden in plain sight. what atrocity could be committed for you to live hating love itself." whispers Bernard in a sorrowful tone.

"I won't lie facing the obvious truth. indeed, there used to be someone precious. but that isn't the reason why I hate love. sometimes I even go as far as to forget his name or face. the fact that it is hard for me to believe in such an ideal emotion is because I haven't found love, there is only desolation and chaos wherever you look at. a person who loves can't commit that many atrocities in the world. if there is so much war and hatred. so much blood and pain. there is no way such a thing as love could coexist with all that abhorrent mess." said Grace full of emotions and with an immense pain in the heart.  

"I am here. it doesn't matter if it becomes my life's sole purpose. if needed to, I would gladly spend the rest of my days helping you to experience love. I will erase your pain if needed to be done as soon as possible." said Bernard in the brink of tears.

there was a pause for a second. Grace had never felt such an emotional hurricane. today has been quite the eventful day. she feels like she can trust the guy in front of her with anything. he has proven to be an honest person. there is no secret that she could hide now that she feels expose to him. her soul in the nude feeling his glare deep and gentle. 

Bernard was out of words as well. his hands tremble as he found himself unable to expose the nature of his complicated emotions. there was something that she needed, and his love could just become an obstacle on her journey. so many things to think at once.

"If you are so desperate to escape your mundane life that you need to invade mine. go ahead and do as you wish as long as you don't get on my way." whispers Grace.

Bernard takes a step forward. she takes two steps back out of instinct. Bernard takes a second to think and then takes two steps forward. she doesn't move this second time. and Bernard proceeds to hug her. he wanted to make sure that she was real and not a product of his overwhelming imagination. that warmth of her body against his felt too real. he blushes as he can feel her breathe on his neck. 

before that hug Bernard was thinking about one thousand different things and none at all. his head was like a machine processing too much data. but after the hug his head went blank. he was unable to think at all. he could only feel her so close. he could only concentrate in the emotions at hand. it was all new to him. heaven felt at his fingertips. 

Grace doesn't understand the hug. if felt odd and out of nowhere. but she could only think that maybe it was necessary for Bernard to stay calm. but there is one thing she felt for sure. she felt at peace knowing that someone trustworthy was fighting for her cause.

from afar was Martin watching them and taking notes. Patricia was also watching. she was blushing letting her imagination run at the speed of NSFW. she could already picture all the scenarios as her face got redder and her facial expressions were more sinister.

"Tell me. if you ever need someone to teach you how to love. I am not the best one on the field. I lack the experience that another could bring. but I will be there. in the whole process until you can find your desire to love once more." whispers Bernard in a gentle tone.

"Thanks. but I am fine so far." said Grace with a fake smile.

"Just don't forget that I am here. don't forget me, please."

that day was special to them.