The Miracle of You

They arrived at their old high school within fifteen minutes. The walking distance from the company wasn’t that long, so they decided that it was best to enjoy the scenery instead of taking a cab.

Along the way, Camille worried about a few things. Even though she was in disguise and there was no way anyone could possibly recognize her, she still felt a little embarrassed when she noticed people sending her curious glances from time to time.

There was no doubt that it was because of the flowers she was holding.

‘Why did he have to give me such bright flowers in the first place?’ Camille complained internally.

Though she had an inkling why he did.

It wasn’t like she didn’t appreciate the gesture. She did, and it warmed her heart.

It had been a long time since she was treated like a real woman. It wasn’t like Christian gave her flowers like this that often. In fact, he only ever did on rare occasions whenever he needed something from her, or when he felt the need to use her for situations that would turn out to be for his own benefit.

Camille was tired of being used and not being seen as a real person for a long time now. For years, it was only Patricia who spent time with her genuinely. But because she was still in school, they barely had time to hang out anymore.

Another thing was that she was aware of the meaning of yellow roses. There were various similar meanings, but the core theme of giving them to someone meant ‘friendship’.

It was a nice feeling to know that Michael treasured their bond… or what was left of it now over the years.

But still… he kept her necklace with him like he had promised.

‘That was really sweet of him,’ she thought absently.

However, there was one glaring problem regarding these flowers. One that she needed to think about deeply before going home tonight.

How was she going to hide them?

If Christian ever found out about this… he would definitely use it to his advantage.

She couldn’t let him find out.

‘Maybe I could hide them with my coat when I return home,’ she thought. ‘I’ll conceal them from the maids and hide them somewhere in my room. Yeah, I could do that…’

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Michael’s voice instantly snapped her back to reality. Camille turned to him at that moment and saw that he was looking at her curiously.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“What?” she said blankly.

“Well, you looked really deep in thought there, so I was curious as to what was on your mind,” he responded.

“I was just thinking about how I can take care of these flowers,” she said. It wasn’t entirely a lie.

“You can put them in a vase and fill it with water. You can also place it by the window so they can get a little sunlight.”

“Right. I’ll do that.”

He then stopped in his tracks.

“We’re here,” he announced.

Camille stopped beside him and stared at the scene before her.

The mere sight of the school gates brought back a flood of memories. The gates were sturdy and adorned with the school emblem, just like fourteen years ago.

It was like a picturesque scenery. The skies above stretched wide and open, with fluffy white clouds drifting across the bright blue expanse. The students were filtering out of the gates, their laughter and animated conversations filling the air.

The main building from afar looked as imposing as always. It was a grand structure with a blend of classic and modern architecture, standing proudly at the heart of the campus.

They stood there at a slight distance from the gates, as though they were parents waiting to pick up their child from school. They made sure to be within the security guards’ sight so as to not arouse too much suspicion.

Though they didn’t seem that suspicious thanks to the yellow roses that Camille was holding.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Michael remarked, staring at the school. “It has changed so much from the last time I remembered.”

Camille smiled. “It has. I don’t remember seeing that many buildings around the main structure. They must’ve expanded over time.” Her voice dropped to a nostalgic whisper. “After all, it’s been fourteen years. So much has changed.”

Michael nodded. “Including us.”

As Camille watched a female student playfully shoving a male student, she smiled. “Remember when I used to scold you all the time?”

Michael chuckled. “Of course I do. I remember getting annoyed at you hounding me whenever I skipped classes.”

“You were so predictable, you know. The school rooftop as your hangout place, really?”

“Don’t lie. You liked it, too. After all, there was fresh air, and nobody usually came up there.”

“That’s because you scared them all away.”

“I didn’t do anything. They were just afraid of me for some reason.”

Camille laughed. “You expect me to believe that? Have you forgotten what your reputation was like back then?”

“What? The big, bad delinquent who would smoke, skip classes, and dye his hair various colors on occasion?”

“Exactly.”

Camille chuckled, and Michael shook his head.

“I was really a stupid teenager in the past, huh?” he said, sighing. “I was problematic, uncaring, and incorrigible, according to my sister Joanna.”

“You weren’t that bad.” He sent her a look, and she laughed again. “Okay, maybe you were that bad. But I could handle you well.”

“You were stubborn, that’s for sure.”

“You should give me more credit. I always helped you study,” Camille said proudly. “Didn’t you manage to improve your grades during that time?”

“About… two ranks, I guess. At least I wasn’t the last rank in the class roster anymore.”

Camille rolled her eyes. “But hey, I really liked your lunchboxes! And you were so cool when you defended me from the rumors back then,” she added in a teasing tone.

“They were idiots. They deserved being called out,” Michael said.

She smiled. “Look at us, just reminiscing about the good old days… We’ve really grown older now. To think that we’re in our thirties at this point…” Her voice grew wistful. “I’m not married yet, and I don’t have kids, either. I wonder if I’ll be able to live my life the way I want…”

Michael looked at her, not saying a word. Camille, sensing his gaze, stared back in puzzlement.

But just as she opened her mouth to say something, he beat her to it.

“Even so,” he said gently. “Even after many years have passed, even if you think that we might be too different now to remain close like we were back then… I will still be your friend. Whenever you need me, and whenever you want someone to talk to, I’ll be here. I hope you’ll remember that.”