[Fake] Love
A desire, which will happen, is merely a wish
A craving, that can rarely be granted, becomes a miracle
A yearning, absolutely unable to be fulfilled, turns into a dream
That being said, what will one do, if they can get their dream come true - a dream which is always beyond their reach?
Still, do be careful
God dwells inside words, but those who use words aren’t “Gods”…
He was the only one who honestly cared about her. When she was bullied, he was the one who protected her. When father didn’t care for her, he in his place took care of her. He was all she got and since forever, she has secretly fallen in love with him, despite being the child of whom his mother remarried with.
The first time they met was when his mother took him to her house, so that the children could make acquaintance. She was out for grocery that day, and the adults were busy with their own affair. He was bored, so he sneaked out of the house and ventured to the nearby park.
There, he saw her being teased by her classmates. She had always hated those boys, who yanked her treasure and played with it all they liked. No matter how she fought back, they only returned it after they get bored of it. That day was no exception.
And her hero appeared. Even though he was against four people, even though he lost in the end, he retrieved the treasure. From then on, he held an important position in her heart. The childish affection, not only failed to cease as time went by, but also developed stronger and stronger. She tried her best to hide it from all the family members, especial the man himself.
However, from the moment he got a girlfriend, the feeling became unrestrained.
She was jealous, toward the lucky woman who took him away from her. “He is mine, from the start!” she thought. One day, when she was unable to bear it any longer, a ray of hope arrived. The hope named “Wizard of Time”.
“What's with that odd name?”
She mutters, looking at the map her friend drew for her. Her best friend recommended that weird Wizard, claiming he was trust worthy and worked effectively. In fact, he's a private detective rumored to be able to sniff out any affair, in spite of how confidential it is.
He was the one who discovered the adultery of the husband of her friend’s sister. The poor woman spent tons of cash in searching for her love rival but didn’t succeed, until she got the assistance of that detective. Unexpectedly, he only needed three days to complete the task. The short duration was the main reason for her to seek for him.
Looking back and forth to find the building, she arrives at a tall skyscraper. It says “Hotel Ocean” right at the entrance of it. She double-checks the memo to make sure she reaches the right place. Seriously? A hotel? What kind of detective lives in a hotel? Does he not have a house? It can’t be he locates his office here, can it?
Taking some minutes to debate, she bites her lower lip and decides to come in. It doesn’t hurt trying to ask, and even if that man can’t help, it’s okay. He requested the client to keep silence about his existence, and likewise he didn’t invest his client’s background. Either way, her identity shouldn’t be exposed. No, even if it does, there is nothing wrong with the job she is going to assign him.
That was what she thought, but when she is in the elevator, things get more complicated. Her friend’s sister mentioned the “top floor”, but how could she know which floor it is? There is only a plate which looks very similar to a pocket calculator, consisting of ten buttons with digit, and a screen to display the numbers. It means unless she knows the exact number, she won’t get to the highest story. Walking? That’s not an option. This building is just way too high. From the sight, it may have forty or fifty stories.
“Shall I try those numbers then?” – She talks to herself.
“Which floor?” – A male voice rings out right beside, startling her. Could it be I was too nervous to notice him? - She wonders.
She finds herself blushes as she glances at the male. He is quite tall, about 6’1”, with a handsome face and simple but stylish red hair. Maybe he is a model living here?
“The…The top one, please.”
Surprisingly, his face changes instantly at these words. Frowning, he glares at her as if she had just said something wrong. What could be there that makes him so angry?
“You shouldn’t involve with that…”
His line is cut short by the movement of the elevator. Shaking lightly, it heads up without a sound. She didn’t realize he pushed the button at all. Today sure is full of weird matters – she thinks.
After a few seconds, the elevator stops. When the door opens, her eyes widen. Before her is a…staircase. What an odd arrangement for such high class hotel, having a staircase right in front of the elevator. Okay, this building is not normal, that’s what she concludes after experiencing all these things. Nothing surprises her more, definitely.
However, she was wrong.
The man walked out when she was stunned still and now is…entering another hall by pushing the wall on her left. A hidden passage? Now she feels more and more unsecured about this detective. Why must his office be so hard to find?
Meanwhile, in a wide room filled with top rate furniture,
presents two identical weasels. They are playing around with a deck of card. Using
them, they build a balance tower. One is chairing the other so that it can
place the last card on top of the tower.
Suddenly, the wind-chime on the full-length window facing the balcony rings,
even though there is no wind. This catches the weasels’ attention, and they
abandon what they are doing at once.
Jumping down the table, they run to the human sitting on the frame of the
casement on the left, apparently sound sleeping.
The human doesn’t move an inch when the weasels climbing on his legs, then his abdomen. The two little animals exchange a look, then starts jumping simultaneously up and down right on his stomach.
“Asa! Asa!” – They shout in unison – “You have a client! A client!”
It works, amazingly. With eyes still close, the human called Asa lazily raises a hand, and almost immediately, the weasels are trapped inside transparent huge soap bubbles. The bubbles float higher and higher, bring along the animals that, weirdly, seem to like it.
With a snap of finger from him, the bubbles flick up to the sky and soon disappear to a God-knows-somewhere. Being left alone, Asa stretches his body and softly leaps down from the window frame. His strange dark blue hair wipes the air elegantly as he does so. Upon opening the eyes which possess the same color as the sea, he directs them to the front door.
“Your client.” - The model-like person states with a sour expression.
“Thanks for your help, Arder.” – Asa smiles friendly at the two persons before him.
From behind Arder, the girl looks around the room with admiration toward the room's setting. The red-haired man, on the contrary, is obviously against the girl seeing the detective, but powerless as he couldn’t do anything to stop her. The abnormal function of the elevator was more than a warn from this weirdo Asa - Arder knows it very well. The whole building is this guy’s territory. And in here, no matter what he does, Asa the jerk is supreme.
The mentioned person widens his smile when she looks at him in astonishment. She has never seen such beautiful eyes before. They give her the sense of the vast sky outside the window, serene and liberal. She also is impressed with his choice of hair dye. It gets along well with his irises and clothes. Teenage nowadays try to make themselves as unique as possible, and with such stylish blue hair, he will be stand-out wherever he goes to.
Asa suddenly lets out a soft laugh. He sits still on a wing-chair, with a long coat totally covers his left shoulder and arm, collectedly observing his new client. On the table in front of him, there is nothing but a cup of cool tea, her favorite type, and a clothed object. Extending his right hand to the sofa across him, the room owner says politely.
“Have a seat. May I know what brings you here?”
He really doesn’t bother with the identity of his client. Instead, he is quite blunt, considering the way he goes straight to the topic. "If he is not strange like things in this hotel, maybe I can trust his help." - She says inwardly before taking out a torn photo and places it on the table.
The detective glances over the photo, then turns to the red-haired one who is glaring at him annoyingly.
“Hey, the twin ran off somewhere. Mind searching them for me?”
He demands with a smile on his lips and a commanding tone. Arder knits his brows in disapproval, but finds no reason to refuse. Reluctantly, he turns around to the balcony and quickly disappears.
“Now, is this your future sister in law?”
He picks up the photo. It was torn apart, with only a young woman on. The edge grazes her side, removes the person she was with. The girl lets out a cry as she hears that.
“How do you know?!...I mean…”
“You are young, still a high school student, for sure. This person does not resemble you at all, and she only is a little older, so the chance of her being your relative, or stepmother is rather low.” – Asa calmly explains – “Hm, judging from the age of the photo, I think it was taken not so long ago. The one next to her is your brother, no? From their stance, the relationship is not that deep of husband and wife. In conclusion, you are worrying if this person is cheating on your beloved brother, and come here to have me check on her.”
He returns the picture while peering at her with the question “Anything to correct?” in his eyes. She's rendered speechless. This person is simply amazing. He could tell that much with just a photo. Then, can he possibly find out about her sister in law’s affair?
“I…this person, she might be cheating on my brother. He is a kindhearted one, and I wish to keep this a secret from him as long as I can.”
“You have any picture of him? What if I saw her with your brother and mistook him for her other man?”
“Ah, that… I have his picture here, if you need. My brother is currently busy with his job hunting. He didn’t spend much time with her. I am afraid that she found a new boyfriend or…uhm, my brother will be heartbroken if he realizes that. Before it is too late…”
She hands him her phone. He takes it and, not only take a look at the brother’s face, he quickly checks the folders stored in the phone before giving it back. While exchanging, her arm incidentally knocks the object down on the ground. Hastily, she bends forward to pick it up, hoping that she didn’t damage it.
“I’m sorr…KYAAA!!!!”
Scared by the appearance of the thing, she screams and jerks back, covering her mouth with both of her trembling hands. It’s scary! Whatever it is, it’s a terrible sight!
“Ah, my bad. This is ugly, right? But it is said to be able to grant the wish of the being holding it in his hand.”
“W…What is it?” – She asks with a shaking voice.
“It’s a monkey’s dry hand. Maybe you've heard of it. See this, one of them is snapped.” – He points at the nearly broken off finger of the hand – “One finger for one wish. Worked rather well, if you want to know. But do be careful of what you wish for. You may achieve them all and then you regret that.”
“Did you…try?”
She receives a mysterious expression as an answer. Seemingly uninterested in the hand, he changes the main point.
“About the payment, are you able to pay?”
“Ah, yes, my parents give me pocket money every week. I don’t have many things to buy, so I have some save up. If it’s not enough…”
“It’s okay. The price will be paid off once you got what you want. How about you come back in three days? I will see what I can do.”
“Oh, then is the evening okay with you? I have morning class.”
“Don’t worry, either I or my assistant will be here.” – He reassures – “Upon exiting the door, you will reach the elevator. Next time, don’t mind pressing the button, you will be automatically brought here. Once again, my sincere apology for this creepy thing.”
“Where is she?”
“My guest? Home, of course.”
The blue-haired person turns around to his companion, who is holding a pair of weasels. They look completely healthy after being flung away so cruelly. Rather, they seem to enjoy the journey.
“What happened to you left hand? Why did you hide it with the coat?”
“Sorry, I don’t get the question. As you can see, my hand is perfectly fine.” – Asa pulls his arm out of the coat and waves it before Arder.
“What are you plotting? I thought you don’t intent to destroy this world yet?”
“What a joke. You think I will make that petty girl my Client? She will be swallowed by her desire soon enough.”
“BEAT IT!” – Arder slams his hands on the chair’s arm, shouting irritatingly – “I won’t let you kill her! Not AGAIN!”
The detective responds with a sneer. No one can win against him, let alone this Arder – a mere survivor from one of the worlds he destroyed. What can a loser do? He is immortal, invincible, and unbeatable. What can this guy do to kill a god, given that he has attempted countless of times and has never succeeded? Not to mention his twin guardians. Anyone who wants to touch a strand of his hair has to pass them first. It’s simply impossible.
“Thanks for bringing them back.” – Asa’s mocking smile changed into a serious one – “Now I have a job to do, if you'd excuse me.”
“My congratulation. She is clear. Your sister in law is a faithful girl. Lucky you.”
The detective puts down the paper in front of her. These documents contain everything her brother’s lover did the past few days. It proved her innocence.
“It’s…She might go out with that guy on the weekend? How about you investigate her a little longer? That’s right! My brother is having an interview this weekend, and she said she had a business trip, too! Can it be the man is at another city?”
“You mean she will take this chance, when your brother is stuck with his job hunting, to meet up with her other man? Hm, less likely, but I will try, if you wish it.”
“Thank you! Please do your best!”
She cries happily, but can’t tear her eyes off the black object on the shelf next to them. One more finger is snapped. One more wish was granted. What did he use it for? To gather the information of her sister in law? Then is the material reliable?
It is. Deep down within her heart, she is aware of it. Nonetheless, she wishes for it to be wrong. If that woman has another man, she will free her brother and he will come back to her. Yes, for it, that woman MUST be cheating on him.
“The result remains unchanged. She is totally a nice girl.”
The next week when she arrived at the detective’s office, awaiting her is bad news. It is so obvious. Things that are not there cannot be there. Vain hopes never stand still for long. How cruel God treats her. If only their parents hadn’t been married, if only he hadn’t had a girlfriend, if only he loved her… as an equal woman. Truth is so hard to accept.
No, there is still a way. A method to bring what does not exist into reality. It has been there right before her all the time, inviting her to reach out and make use of it. Right, it’s useless in this man’s possession! He doesn’t need it! She is the one who does!
“That hand…”
“Hm, ah yeah, what’s with it?” – He casts a vacant look on the item. See? He doesn’t care about it at all. Might as well give it to her.
“Can I…touch it? It seems so genuine by sight, but is it the real one?”
“Nah, you can feel the rough and dry skin if you hold it.”
She will take it as a “yes”. Blame yourself for your carelessness, Mr. Detective. Quickly approaching the item, she grabs it and thinks hard. A wish. To make this her, she has to tell it her wish. What to say…
“Become mine, monkey’s hand! From now on, you are no longer that man’s.”
A crack was all it took. The man doesn’t react at all when she tucks the hand in her handbag. It works! It really does! This is not a dream! She can have her brother back…no, he will belong to her, forever!
“Then, about the fee…”
“No, I didn’t find out her unfaithfulness. I won’t accept the money. I hope you’re satisfied with my service, though.”
This man is insane! He worked for free all the times, and only receives the cash if he discovers the adultery? Well, she won’t care. He is worthless now!
“It’s good to have business with you. Thanks for everything. Farewell.”
“You are smirking.” – Arder accuses. This man seems pleased. Did he get what he wanted?
“My, am I? Consider it as my sad expression, please.”
“What “sad”?! I know that face more than anyone else! You only make it when you are contented. What have you done to that girl?!”
The weirdo of a fake detective shrugs casually, pretends to sink in thought. I am not fooled by that, you know? Drop the act and confess already!
“She took it at her own will, used it of her free will. I didn’t do anything to convince her to rob it from me. It’s just give and take, simply.”
“YOU WHAT?!!”
Arder screams angrily. This man has done it! Again, he tricked someone by taking advantage of their weak heart, then use their wish to lead the world to annihilation. This can not be happening! He will have to stop it, before another dimension perish due to a careless hope.
"Ah, I don't think you will make it, though?"
"What do you mean, you bastard?! It has only been a few..."
"...Minutes, to you." - Asa nods with a faint smile - "But, to them, it's days. And once the wheel starts turning, it will not rewind."
“She dares to deceive me! She has another man and she tells me I am the only one for her. That woman!”
The small alley is deserted after midnight. There wanders a sole man, reeks of alcohol and can’t even support himself on his own legs. In his hand is a wine bottle, which he drinks like water. While staggering through the alley, he curses and cries, at the same time.
He is extremely despaired.
He had just received the words of him being accepted into one of the best companies today. He was overjoyed that he practically flew to his lover’s house to announce this. Only when he reached there, he recalled that she would have a business trip the next day. “Silly me, she must be busy prepare for it, or she has retired for the night already. I shouldn’t bother her. A call, or a message will do for now.”
As he walked away at the corner, the door swung open and a male stepped out. Following him was his lover, dressed lightly in clothes which should be worn inside the house only. To his surprise, his lover threw her arms around that man’s neck and gave him a passion embrace. When their faces came closer, close enough for a kiss, he took off.
“She was unfaithful. I am such an idiot! I will kill her! Yes, I will kill them both!”
Driven by madness, by anger and by booze, his head is too clouded to think straight. Instead of going home where his sister is waiting, he spins back.
“Brother? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Her brother went home very late last night, and since then has been shutting himself in his room. Despite her calling, he didn’t respond at all. “He must have seen it, that woman and her man. He saw her true face. My wish came true! Now he will abandon her and be with me!” – She cheers inwardly.
Decided to let her brother be alone for a while, she turns on the TV while doing some chores, humming a song she likes. At first, she doesn’t pay attention to the news, until she raises her head and sees a familiar face.
“Early this morning, there was a murder case in the area. The victim was a young female, owner of the house. Her brother, a returnee from oversea, said that he met her just last night…”
She drops the mop hearing this. This is not what I wished! I wanted him to leave her, not to kill her! Wait, maybe the culprit was not my brother. Yeah, a kind-hearted person like him would never do so.
“Brother? It’s time to wake up. Please come out.”
The reporter continues, as she walks to his brother’s room.
“…The culprit is said to be a salary man. The neighbor saw a man, dressed in suit, banging at her door after midnight. They argued a while, before the man pushed her back into the house and entered as well. It’s quite late so they didn’t bother to call for the police…”
“Brother? I am coming in.”
She twists the knob and peaks in. Through the gap of the door and the wall, she catches sight of a dark figure hovering inside. On the floor, blood-stained clothes scatter everywhere. Salary man’s suit. Looking up, she notices that the figure is not floating. Its legs don’t touch the floor because the neck is tied to the ceiling.
Her brother has hung himself this early morning, after taking away the life of his lover.
“NOOOO! THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT! NOT AT ALL!”
The hand! Where is that cursed hand?! What has it done to her?! Yanking the clothes out of the wardrobe, she grabs the dry hand. YOU! It’s all because of you! You killed them! Return him to me! He is mine! We should always be together! ALWAYS!
As she screams and screams crazily, the last finger silently breaks.
The door is locked and no one answers as Asa knocks on the wooden panel. He waits a bit longer, then shrugs casually. No problem. Tightly shut door never is a trouble for him. To him, traveling through the waterway is as natural as breathing for living beings. And that only is because he doesn’t want to walk through the door right now. It’s too eye catching, doing so in the middle of the day, and erasing people’s meomory is a pain sometimes.
The house is death silent when he enters. The TV is still on, broadcasting news which can be heard by nobody. A mop lies on the floor, near a bucket of water. Slowly making his way to the second floor, he reaches a door which stands ajar. It is dark inside, but he can see as clear as day.
Dangling from the ceiling is a male corpse. It’s cold and hardened, showing that he has died for hours. At his feet are clothes, dyed in crimson red and reeks of iron smell. Leaning forward, Asa spots a broken glass bottle mixed in the clothes. It too is soaked in blood.
The next room is in the same condition. The door's wide open. Lying on the floor is a female body. She wears a terrified expression, as if she's extremely frightened to death. A black hand is next to her. All five fingers are bent.
“I said it, did I not? You may not want the outcome, even though it is the result of what you wished for.”
He picks the object up and slides his hand over it. Two of the fingers instantly repair themselves anew. Three wishes for three fingers. He's never used the first two to begin with.
“Everything comes with a price. Equivalent trade, nothing given, nothing taken. Desiring what you can’t have is taboo. Yet human keeps mindlessly making the same mistake.”
The police station’s phone starts to ring. When the receptionist picks it, she hears a voice reporting two deaths in a house. The parents are out so they don’t know of their children’s death, until the police inform them. It’s said that they cry over and over, but thing can be fixed no longer.
As the fake detective said, everything comes with a price. Mankind can never undo what has been done. Nor they can take back what was granted for their wishes.
But then, how about a god?
