She calls me Day. Which is just fine with me.

To begin with, I know at the back of my mind, something is starting to be cleared. It's like, I've heard that word before. Of course, it is a very common word in the dictionary and language of people. But for the word 'Day' be called and used as a nickname... it just brought back things. They were still blurred but at least, I am confident that that memory wasn't buried too deep to be forgotten already.

June and I walks side by side, Eden walks a step behind us. I don't know why but when I try to steal glances at him, he has that smile at his face. I don't know what his expression means. But if I'm to read it, I would want it to be stated like: 'I'm so happy for you, brother. To find the perfect girl to be with you until the very end.'

It hadn't took too long as well that we reach our destination. We've come by a small café at Ruby sector. I immediately notice Tess on one of the tables. Another person, a man was with her. I heard that his name was Pascao according to Tess.

"Daniel!" Tess called as she stood up from her seat and runs towards me to give me a tight embrace. She had grown up to be a pretty and respectable woman after ten years that we last met. Her childish voice had worn off and I could say that she is still open to everyone.

"Tess, it's so good to see you again," I replied.

She then let go off me and glance at Eden. "Hi, Eden," she greeted with a wave and a huge smile plastered on her face.

Eden looks up at her and just nods with a smile as well, as a greeting.

"I find a friend of yours on my way here," I started, acknowledging June's presence.

Tess glances at June and at the briefest second, I guess I saw Tess' expression changes to sadness. But it was all in a blink of an eye, like I'm just imagining that it happened in the first place. Tess then sat down and June smiled at her as she settled beside Tess. "Actually, I asked June if she won't mind if I would invite you and Eden."

I smiled at her and then look at June who seems to pay no attention with what we are talking about. I then sat down beside June, Eden next to me and beside him is Pascao.

June glances at my direction for a while before turning to look at Tess. I can see June's cheeks starting to flush bright red. I don't know why, and I don't want to think that I was the cause of her blushing. Although I can say that, I can be selfish with that simple thought in mind. Because I can honestly tell and admit it now in myself and to anyone that June is different from other girls that I met for the past ten years. She's build up like iron and stone but she's still vulnerable and fragile... and I like her.

"We don't really get to celebrate June's birthday because she was mostly busy when this day every year comes. And I know that she won't really mind having you two here, right June?" Tess stated and then turns to June.

It took me some seconds before Tess' words processed in my mind. "Today's your birthday?!" I asked surprisingly as I turn to look at June.

I can tell that she was surprised to see me react that way. She slowly look at me and I can tell that my reaction just causes her to blush more. "Yes."

Eden then greeted behind me, "Happy Birthday, June."

"Thank you," June replied solemnly with a shy smile.

"I should have known," I muttered to myself.

"What?" June suddenly asked.

I then glared up at her, fast enough, I fear that she caught up with my words and say that I'm attracted to her and all I will wish of her is to kiss her so badly and end up bedding her. But I certainly don't want to end her birthday night that way though. If something like that is going to happen, wherein I'm very sure that won't happen, well at least... I'll give her something that is worth remembering.

What am I thinking?

In my mind, I shake the thoughts away. It won't lead to that. I need to set my boundaries as a guy, you know. "Nothing," I blurted out with a shake of my head. "Happy Birthday then, June."

"Thank you, Day," she replied with a faint but charming smile on my direction.

Why does every expression of hers and every second that pass wherein I would look at her directly just make me fall in love with her more and all over again?

Silence stretch out forever the moment that the orders had arrived, there's a chocolate cake, a singing of a 'Happy Birthday' song for June and when she closed her eyes to blow the candles, I could see contentment on her face. It's like her greatest wish on her past birthdays had finally come true.

Maybe it was just me who remains silent. I am too much caught up with things to understand and know. And every time that I will try to speak up, it will take me full courage to do so, because the words were hooked up when I just catch a glimpse of June on my peripheral vision.

I didn't even realized how fast time had passed that it was already about eight o'clock. We've been talking, or maybe... they've been talking—June, Tess, Pascao and Eden since the past hour.

"Thank you very much for celebrating my birthday with you guys," June told us, finally cutting me from a very deep hallucination, I guess.

Tess gives her a smile as well as Pascao. Eden then says, "It's really great having a time to be reunited with you too as well, June. It's your birthday and it's much fun to celebrate it with people that are close to you. I guess, Daniel also spends a very good time."

I immediately blurted out when Eden gave me a look. "Yes, I do. And I really wish you a very happy birthday, June. I hope our presence had brought you at the very least fun and somewhat perfected your day."

She smiled shyly at me and just keeps herself quiet.

Pascao then fakes a cough and nudges me on my arm with his elbow. "Hey, Daniel. I guess, we better get going."

"No, Daniel will walk June home!" Tess stated.

I and June turn our head on her all of a sudden.

"Well, Pascao got to take me to my apartment. It's already late at night. It's so improper for a girl to walk home on her own, you know?" she added.

"I got to go with them," Eden suggested as he gives me a wink. Before I know it, the three of them already left the café and it was now only I and June sitting beside each other, the desk in front of us filled with empty and unclean dishes and glasses that was cause by our simple celebration.

It takes me a minute before I can finally react and let all Tess and Eden's words sink in. I don't even know how to make June feel better and now were left here on a very awkward silence. I just hope that I can at least brighten up her mood.

I finally clears my throat and turns to face her. "So, should we get going as well?"

June faces me and I see a faint hint of sadness and at the same time want on her dark eyes. "You don't need to walk me back to my apartment if you don't feel like doing so, you know? I can go home myself."

"Yeah, I could just leave you right here now and then. And wait for a news to spread across the Republic that a certain girl named June Iparis had gone dead or missing," I started. "Yeah, Tess is right. I should walk you home."

"I'm all grown-up, Mr. Wing," she replied. "Besides, you may not know how I can beat any person out there that I won't even doubt if he deserves to have a broken neck the next day and barely breathing."

I pointed a finger at her. She looks at that finger of mine with curiosity and I finally say with a smile, "I guess, that's the very reason that I can't let you go on your own. Because your skills or self-protection seems to sound like a dilemma on my case, Ms. Iparis."

She finally smile, even though it was just a faint smile, I could tell that I love seeing her smile like that. It brightens me up. Her smile is like the beautiful radiance of moonlight, all clear and innocent but the passion and feelings behind that smile is full of warmth and heat of the sun.

I stood up from my seat, run a finger on my short blonde hair and offered a hand at her direction. "So should we go then, Ms. Iparis?"

June brightens up her smile that I thought she'll laugh at me. She took my hand and at the second connection that I have with her palm, I began to have feelings of a secret urge burning inside me and I wanted it to be gone... but it is so hard to contradict that feeling.

When she finally stood up and my hand around hers, I instantly flashed her a much wider smile. "You got to know something about me, Ms. Iparis, every girl in town seems to haunt me down. And you can trust me to be gentleman, even in my lively endeavour to keep you company, you can trust me to be—" I immediately cut my words abruptly.

She turns at me for a while and asked, "'I can trust you to be?'"

Instead, I sighed faintly and smiled again. "You can trust me to be someone you wish to be with, darling."