Nine years after, USA.
A handsome young man, wearing a white short as his well-toned bare body bathed in early morning sunlight while standing in the east-facing gallery of his room. He was drawing something on the white sheet which hung to the wooden stand in front of him.
Lines of sweat appeared on his fair, broad, and well-sculpted back as it faced the mildly hot sun rays while the cold breeze coming from the vast water bed ahead cooled it down.
His black hair turned moist with the sweat as they covered his forehead. His focus was on the portrayed he was drawing, forgetting the world around him.
Suddenly two young men barged into his room and came to the gallery as one of them, who wore the casual blue jacket over the white T-shirt and jeans, spoke as he stood at the gallery’s entrance.
"Not again, man! You must be drawing the same woman again."
Not getting any response from the busy man, he looked at his other friend who came along with him, "Jake, what should we do with him?"
"Don’t ask me, Noah," Jake instructed as if it didn’t concern him and went to the gallery’s railing.
He stood there looking at the calm water bed surrounded by the hills and sun rays brightening it, giving a silver shine.
Noah didn’t wish to give up as he went to his busy friend and stood behind the wooden stand.
"Lijun, who is the woman in your drawing, you should tell us today. We are your friends for so long, so we deserve to know at least this much. Consider it as our graduation gift."
"Nobody," came the reply from Lu Lijun.
Noah frowned, "The same answer! Today either you answer me, or I won’t talk to you ever. Answer just this once, and I promise I won’t ask you again."
Giving out a deep sigh, Lu Lijun pulled out the drawing sheet from the wooden stand with the strong tug, crunched it in a ball, and threw it in the trash bin.
"The person I hate the most."
Replying coldly, Lu Lijun went inside the room, and straightway went to the bathroom before Noah could stop him.
Noah accompanied Jake, who stood enjoying the cold breeze with his eyes closed, his blond hair dancing lightly along with the light breeze as it made his black T-shirt stuck to his chest, taking its shape.
Looking at the water bed ahead, Noah spoke, "We are with him almost for nine years but not even once he said anything about her. Do you think she is really nobody to him?"
Jake didn’t open his eyes as he instructed, "Don’t try to dig in if he doesn’t want to tell us anything," his eyes and voice devoid of any concern about the things.
Ignoring Jake, Noah started to make conclusions.
"He draws the same woman all these years since he came here, and when we were so young, that means she is someone older than us. Can’t be his mother as she looked young, then an elder sister?"
"Tsk, can’t be a sister for sure. Who will draw his sister so dedicatedly for so many years, and why would he hide it from us?"
"Noah, can you just stop?....." Jake warned, but Noah ignored him.
"Maybe someone he loves?" Noah continued as if he didn’t hear Jake. "But how can a kid love an older woman. Does our guy have an older woman fetish? Does he....."
Sighing deeply, finally, Jake opened his eyes and exclaimed, "Shut up, Noah," as he warned again, "Stop being nosy before Lijun throws you out from this gallery one day and you would be floating somewhere in the water."
"What did I do? God has given me a brain to make use of it. I am curious, and my brain can’t be calm until I get an answer."
"You and your rotten brain," Jake mumbled.
"Being his friends for so long and being so close, we deserve to know everything about each other, and I am sure one day we would be the ones to help him with everything that he keeps hiding from us. I am just worried about him."
Jake could say nothing as he knew Noah just kept teasing always, but he was always sincere towards his friends and cared for them.
If it were not for Noah’s talkative mouth, there would have always been deadly silence among these three, and they wouldn’t be friends ever.
------------
The three friends turned into the trio of handsome men out of which two were serious and silent most of the time while the third one fulfilled the quota of talking on behalf of his two silent friends with his blabbermouth.
Lu Lijun, the handsome guy just like his late brother, Lu Qiang, could easily attract the attention of not only girls but the boys around him too. The Tall, handsome young man with sharp and attractive features with black hair, having a tinge of brown in them.
The man of few words, but used them only to shut others and to avoid unnecessary fights. He was never interested in what others did other than his two friends and gave others cold shoulders as if they didn’t exist for him. Smart with words that it was hard to win against him.
Jake, the prince of one of the royal families in the country, was a tall and handsome blond man who always carried that royal aura around him even if he does nothing to show it. It was difficult for others to reach him other than the people he allowed to do so.
The royal man, who preferred to talk less but believed in action more, which he had to control all the time because of the title he carried with him, the prince.
During his school days with Noah, he used to be involved in the fights so often and had to get the earful from his grandmother, the queen, but after the entry of Lu Lijun in their lives, such incidences became less.
Noah, the guy with Asian looks, dark hair, tiny nose, fair yellowish skin, tall, and perfect personality, matched his two royal-looking friends. He was no less than his two friends when it came to looks or smartness.
A sweet-talker who could get anyone on his side with the magic of his words, not to forget the number of girls he kept dating frequently.
------
After standing at the railing for a while looking at the hills as they waited for Lu Lijun to come out of the bathroom, Noah went towards the trash bin where Lu Lijun threw the crunched drawing sheet and took it out.
"Let it be, Noah, If he finds it out, he might not like it," Jake warned.
"Trust me; it might come handy in the future. We know how he is," said Noah.
"Hmm! You know him better than me," Jake agreed.
"No, in fact, I know you two better than you two know about yourselves," Noah said as he smiled proudly, and Jake had no other option but to accept it as it was the truth.
Noah straightened up the drawing shit, folded it properly, and put it in the inside pocket of his blue jacket as he went back to Jake.
"Soon, there is a reunion party by our highschool friends. I hope this guy won’t say no to join in," Noah informed.
"I am not sure about myself, so I can’t tell about him," Jake commented.
"You both need to chill now. I am taking you both out whether you want it or not," Noah declared.
Soon they heard the door’s sound, and Noah looked inside the room from the gallery as he saw Lu Lijun came out of the bathroom. Wrapping a white towel around his waist, Lu Lijun stood in front of his room’s dresser as he dried his hair.
"See the beauty is here," Noah commented, and Jake understood but didn’t turn to look as he found the view ahead of him more attractive, water bed, hill, and trees.
"Hey beauty, soon there is highschool reunion party and you are coming with us," Noah said loudly so that Lu Lijun could hear him.
"Us? When did I say I am coming?" Jake frowned.
"You don’t need to say it out loud. I can understand your feelings," Noah teased.
"You..."
"Shhh, don’t disturb me," Noah interrupted as he got back to Lu Lijun, "Hey, beauty, did you hear me?"
"I am not coming." Came the cold reply from the cold guy as he pulled out the set of clothes from the wardrobe.
"I am not asking you but informing you. Anyways, you at least admitted you are a beauty," Noah commented, smiling teasingly as if Lu Lijun’s reply didn’t make any difference.
Not commenting or not even turning to look at Noah as he wore the pants, Lu Lijun showed Noah the middle finger, and Noah commented again, "Seems like my two friends are so proud of their assets that they keep showing the middle finger when they have nothing to say. Why don’t you just prove it by getting girls for you both?"
"We have you, so we don’t need girls," Jake commented, and Noah jumped in a shock.
"W-what do you mean? I am not going to offer my ass...I mean myself to the devils like you both. I prefer delicate beauties."
"Then shut your mouth and don’t force us to go there," said Lu Lijun, who came to the gallery as he put on his shirt.
--------