The reunion took place in a grand hotel ballroom, filled with soft lights and quiet music. The air smelled faintly of polished wood and expensive perfume, showing how luxurious the hotel was.
Laughter echoed from groups scattered around white-draped tables, but every face felt strangely unfamiliar.
Waiters and waitresses moved gracefully between clusters of people, carrying trays of drinks that gleamed under golden chandeliers. The hum of conversation filled the room, blending with the clinking of glasses and distant music.
Despite the elegant surroundings, a quiet sense of detachment lingered—like watching a memory unfold in someone else's life... Alex's life.
I was wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans, making me completely out of the place. Yet, with those clothes, I looked like someone who appeared out of a novel. My silver hair and red eyes made me look like an exotic creature, attracting everyone's attention.
Suddenly, a man walked towards me, standing in front of me. "Sharon? Oh my god! You haven't changed a bit!" he exclaimed.
I forced a smile on my face as I nodded. "Yeah, I haven't changed. I am sorry, but I don't quite remember your name. You are?" Who was this man?
"Sharon, are you kidding me? I am Henry, your brother's best friend! You are still quite an introvert, aren't you?" Henry laughed loudly.
A vein appeared on my forehead, my smile becoming more strained. "Where is my brother?" I asked him.
Before Henry could say anything, a woman suddenly came out of nowhere and hugged me.
"OMG! Sharon, you still look like a goth-girl! Come on, everyone! Sharon is here!" The woman looked at me excitedly. "Do you have a boyfriend, Sharon? During our school days, many boys and girls confessed to you, getting rejected on a daily basis. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Tina, remember?"
Tina?
Who are you?
Nevertheless, I nodded my head. "I remember. Tina, right? Chocolaty-brown hair? Blue eyes? Very popular? That's you, right?"
Tina nodded her head enthusiastically, eyes glistening with joy.
It was very easy to guess what type of person she is.
Expensive clothes.
A very fashionable look.
Attracting everyone's attention.
An extrovert.
Pushing other's boundaries.
Tch! It was quite easy to guess. Tina motioned everyone to come near us. Within a few seconds, everyone surrounded me, asking questions.
"So, what do you do now?" asked a random woman.
"I am a web-author," I replied.
"You are a writer?" asked a bald man.
"Yes."
"You can survive by doing that? I mean, it's not a job."
"I can survive."
"You have a boyfriend?"
"No, I don't plan to."
"A girlfriend?"
"No."
"You are looking very beautiful! Ty the way, I am ignoring your goth-style. What is your secret? Do you apply makeup on your face?"
"No, there is no secret. It's just my face. And no, makeup isn't for me."
"Why are you wearing a hoodie? You should have worn a dress!"
Questions were thrown at me like accusations, fuelling my anger with each second. Just as I was about to snap at them, a very familiar voice entered my ears.
"Stop everyone, you are making her uncomfortable." It was pleasant voice but for me... it was the most annoying voice. I never thought that someday I would hate my own voice.
Alex's words acted like an order. The people around me immediately stopped asking me questions, apologizing to me one after one. They made way for him as he walked towards me, stopping at just a few metres away from me.
With a soft and gentle smile, he asked, "Sharon, my little sister, how are you?"
My fingers twitched, clearly wanting to punch him right in his face. This wasn't me. This man in front of me had my face, eyes, voice—everything, but not my soul. He wasn't me. He was someone else, living an entirely different person. I wasn't soft... I wasn't gentle. That's not who I am... or, who I was. Besides, every soul is unique, so it was impossible from the first go.
"Alex, I am fine," I replied with a blank face.
"Is that so? Then, why don't you give a hug to your brother?" Alex opened his arms for me, giving me a small, doting smile.
I snorted, "I don't like hugs, Alex."
Alex sighed as he lowered his arms. "You are still very cold, Sharon. Mom and Dad miss you every day." His words were emotional, and his eyes... were nostalgic as if he was reminiscing about something.
"They can call me, can't they?" I smirked at him.
This guy was pissing me off. I was an orphan. For me, parents was a foreign concept.
"They can. But they want to see you—their cute daughter. I have to say something about your adorableness," Alex smiled at me. A wave of disgust washed over me. There was something wrong hidden in these words. This wasn't a tone of a doting brother.
"Alex, don't embarrass your sister! She's blushing very hard!" joked Henry. Everyone laughed alongside him.
What a joke!
Blushing?
If anything, my face is pale with disgust.
"Your sister loves you very much, doesn't she?" Tina smiled at Alex, who smiled back. I could see the jealousy in her eyes as she looked at my 'brother.' She liked him, didn't she?
Alex turned towards me and said, "Why don't you accompany me? Farah and Alaya are missing you. They haven't seen you for a long time."
Who are they?
I shook my head in denial, forcing a smile on my face. "Sorry, Alex. I am a bit hungry. Can I go eat something? I am famished."
Alex sighed, "Well, if you want to—then fine," his eyes ran over my figure, "I really wanted to see you in the dress that I sent you." With those words, he threw me his last sweet smile, and walked away.
This guy liked his sister. Not in a familiar way—but in a romantic way.
Tina liked him, which he returned too.
He was very famous among these people.
A person who knew how to flirt, but hid himself very well.
If I am correct, Farah and Alaya are something akin to his girlfriends.
A wry smile appeared on my face as I finally understood what I was dealing with. A harem protagonist—a classic one at that.
So, I want to ask myself the same questions again.
Who am I?
Where am I?
How am I here?
Who was this man?