As they left the mall, they headed to a quiet cliffside located near the mountains, a ride that took about an hour.
Nothing eventful happened along the way. The place was peaceful and known as one of the best spots in Batad which is after Sara.
A viewing deck stood there, offering a perfect view of the sun setting over the lake.
The two stood side by side at the deck, watching the sun slowly dip behind the mountains, its golden reflection shimmering across the surface of the water.
Along the railings, wind chimes swayed gently in the breeze, filling the air with soft, melodic sounds.
There was also a guest book placed nearby, where visitors could write down their wishes and thoughts.
Back in the classroom, days before this moment, Melaine continued again and that is giving her suggestion.
"After having your lunch after 4 PM go to a good Sunset Spot," she whispered like she was sharing a secret. Dıscover more novels at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
"The Wishing Deck. You have to bring him there before heading home."
Jessica blinked her eyes was confused, "The Wishing Deck?"
Melaine nodded eagerly, "It’s this quiet cliffside spot just outside town, near the mountain ridge. Takes about an hour to get there, but trust me, it’s worth it. There’s a viewing deck where the sun sets right over the lake, it looks like the sky’s melting into the water and let me tell you this, the romantic vibe is amazing,"
She tapped her finger on Jessica’s arms nodding her head repeatedly.
"There are wind chimes on the railing, and this old guest book where people write their wishes. It’s not just peaceful, it’s magical. No distractions and no noise, it will be just you, the sunset, and that guy."
Now, standing at that very place as the late afternoon sun cast golden hues across the sky, Jessica remembered those words.
The breeze was gentle, carrying the soft ringing of the wind chimes hanging from the railings.
Below them, the lake shimmered like glass, perfectly reflecting the sun dipping behind the mountain.
Jeff stood beside her in silence. Neither of them spoke for a while. The place was actually more beautiful than he had imagined.
It was his first time coming here. As an introvert, he usually avoided going out or visiting places .
But this time, he found himself enjoying everything, not just the view, but the company too.
They eventually moved to a bench placed a little distance from the railing, meant for guests or travelers to sit and enjoy the scene in comfort.
As they sat, Jeff’s eyes relaxed while he gazed at the golden sun.
"You know, other than cooping myself up in my room every day, I never realized that going out and exploring places could actually be kind of fun," he said, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Jessica glanced at his focused expression, "Really? How come you always shut yourself in a room?" she asked softly.
"I don’t really know," he said with a light laugh.
"When I was a kid, I never really liked going out. And even when I did, like going to a computer shop to play games and when I comeback my father would always reprimand me. He always said that I was wasting both my time and money on computers."
Jessica’s eyes widened a bit and she could not help but snicker.
"Well, I guess he meant well. Playing too much on the computer can be bad," she said with a smile as bright as the sun.
He looked at her teasing smile as he chuckled, "Don’t tell me you have the same mindset as my father. I feel bad for your future son," he said, laughing at the end.
"You and your weird ideas," she grumbled, then shifted her body to face him directly.
"But seriously, if playing on the computer wasn’t allowed, did he at least let you hang out with your friends and do other things like sport?" she asked, curiosity written all over her face.
"Well, he would’ve been happy about that, but me? Not really. I didn’t play any kind of sport when I was a kid. Basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, badminton, all of it and none of those ever appealed to me. I just didn’t have the energy to spend all my time on something I didn’t enjoy," he said, his tone calm and honest.
Jessica gave him a knowing look, and he raised an eyebrow at her feeling curious about something.
"What about you then? Do you love playing sports?" he asked.
She put a finger on her lips, her eyes drifting upward in thought, "For me, I love playing volleyball. Since it helps me exercise, and also, it’s very fun."
"Wow, that’s a surprise," he muttered.
As he glanced down at her face, then his eyes briefly wandered toward her chest.
Catching his gaze, her face turned red with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"Don’t tell me you’re imagining it again," she said, her gaze sharpening into a cold glare.
"No, I’m not," he said quickly, shifting into a defensive posture as he looked away at the sun, casually whistling.
She let out a small grumble and turned to face the sun as well, arms crossed in mild annoyance.
Jeff appeared relaxed on the outside, but his eyes subtly shifted to the side. His face remained calm, but his mind was racing.
"Who are these people? It’s impossible for a normal person to for an hour, now" Jeff thought to himself, suspicion was rising.
When the two went out at the mall they took a ride in a tricycle during the middle of road a car passed by them.
He noticed the car pass by them, then after a short distance away, it suddenly turn and start trailing behind them without any kind of reason.
His perception was sharp, far beyond normal, and he could clearly feel it. That these people were definitely following the two of them.
They had been at the cliffside for another full hour. It was now 5:00 pm, and the sun was beginning to dip lower.
The light was fading, and the once lively spot had grown quiet. The crowd had thinned out, leaving only a few scattered visitors nearby.
The atmosphere itself began to shift. Concerned for their safety, he decided it was time to head home.
His gut feeling was rarely wrong, and everything about the group following them screamed trouble.
About fifty meters away from them stood a group of people dressed in black.
Some had tattoos on their neck, others on their hands that is bold and aggressive designs that marked them clearly.
They were tall and broad carrying an intimidating presence.
This wasn’t some random group of strangers. They looked like gang members, definitely not the kind of people anyone should mess with.
The others around the area, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere brought by the group’s presence, quietly began to leave.
Some of the people however remained unaware or simply didn’t notice the uneasy tension settling in.
"Why don’t we go home now?" Jeff said, his voice was still relaxed and calm.
"We still have to go down the mountain, and because it’s a fifteen-minute walk. It’ll be too dangerous if we head back when it’s dark."
Hearing him say that, she laughed, completely unbothered by his serious tone.
"What do you mean dangerous? Even if we stay here for another hour, we can still be home by seven. Besides, I don’t see anything dangerous," she said, brushing it off like it was just some joke he made to spice up the atmosphere.
Jeff didn’t push her to leave right away. Instead, he stayed quiet, continuing to observe the group from a distance.
After another ten minutes, he noticed one of the thugs pull out a phone and glance in their direction while seemingly checking something on the screen.
Even from this far, it felt to Jeff like the man was right in front of him.
His senses were razor-sharp it was far beyond what any normal person could perceive.
Every movement and every glance it was crystal clear in his eyes. He slowly drew his gaze away, no longer looking at them directly.
His gut feeling was now screaming at him that something was defenitely off.
The number of people in the area had dropped significantly, and the once calm viewing spot now felt too quiet for comfort.
The shops and restaurants were far from here, meaning there were no nearby crowds or help if anything happened.
And the path that leads down the mountain was even worse, since it was lined with trees on both sides, making it hard for anyone to see and seek for help.
They would have to walk that stretch before even reaching the bottom of the mountain where they could catch a ride.
"Let’s go back now," he said to her.
Seeing the uneasiness in his voice accompanied by his relaxed expression, Jessica felt a little weirded out.
"Alright, but before we go, why don’t we write our wishes in the book first?" she said with a gentle smile.
Jeff nodded, and the two of them walked over to the guest book.
They each wrote their wishes in silence. Once done, they stood up and began to make their way out of the area.
From a distance, the man who had been on the phone watched them. As soon as he saw them leaving, he ended what seems to be a call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
With his back still facing them, Jeff shifted his head slightly to the side.
From the edge of his gaze, he confirmed it. They were following the two of them again.
Everything about their movement, their pacing and their focus all of it pointed to one thing.
And that is they were really up to something. Without saying a word, Jeff stepped closer to Jessica, closing the space between them.
Their shoulders began to brushed with each other. His arm moved across her back, his hand gently resting near her elbow.
His face stayed calm with both eyes fixed forward, like nothing is going on at all. Since he didn’t want the men following the two of them feel that he noticed them.
Special thanks to ’Meiwa_Blank👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Golden Tickets! Love you, brotha!
Special thanks to ’Devon1234👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Gifts! Love you, brotha!