Alone but not lonely, where he lived, perhaps for the rest of his life inside a thin box room, beside the white single bed was a young man checking the packs of cigarettes in the duffle bag made of fine leather, a premium model designed by Flavia Nero. He found that there were only twenty packs of cigarettes left so the conclusion was Non-had-been-stolen. Regardless, “Damn it. I can’t use any of them anyway.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQmuPSbGbP
The bag was specifically used to collect his beloved ‘Best Ami’ cigarettes (specially ordered); the best cigarette brand was the perfect partner of his handcrafted lighter made of pure white gold, which was decorated with small oval diamonds. On the lighter’s elegant body, the letter ‘B.R.’ engraved. He craved for using it, lighting a fire and seeing the smoke and the cigarette burning, but when recalled the recent outcome, he unwillingly decided to keep it in the shirt pocket. The other way would be discovered anytime…or never. The young man breathed out in regret.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zD2VS1OsY
Ben wished to see the packs running out rather than seeing them lying untouched. They were not deserved to be kept in his private museum, because it was not a virgin damsel, but a medicine to be used. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdbgHa2Q48
He checked himself in the mirror again before stepped out of the door. It automatically opened. The indoor space was large enough for anyone could make a mistake—thinking it was an open space but once you came to your sense, it was a heaven’s prison. Surrounding by the extremely shiny white wall on the unnecessary white floor and the bloody white ceiling which stood far from his head about thirty meters away, this was another morning that he was left alone. The lightings buried in the wall illuminating the place but he yearned to feel the hot ray of the sun.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgIyYgaOlE
White doesn’t make you virgin, Ben thought.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPEfd1igjK
The young man knocked on the door next to his room. No one replied. Again, emitting a long breath, his friend might be somewhere in here. So he headed to the cafeteria. A few minutes later, here he arrived. It was a large hall without restaurant booths but automatic machines that would respond to the voice order. Because it was too early, the place was not that crowded. His eyes were up at the large menu screens. It informed the dishes available for that day.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4woWWBtzt
Croissant, French toast, banana pancake, egg benedicts, sandwiches, nope, nope, nope, not a good idea, croque champion…no meat? No, thanks. Create your own menu? So what’s the point of having the today menu, fool! “Waffle sprinkled with powdered sugar, the omelet…Hmm, I prefer diced ham, onions, green peppers, cheese and tomato sauce. Hash browns on tops will be perfect. Don’t forget the sausages, fresh fruit salad, and mineral water. That’s all.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡamufcyUvMG
Tapping his fingers on the counter for about five minutes, the order was served through the window plate. The dish was freshly hot and looked yummy. He always questioned who was the chef, a machine or a man behind the machine?copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpqL5g59gN
Whatever, just tasteful, that’s enough. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiqWVu0BWr
He looked around to find the lost friend but no one was similar to him. His amber eyes moved around and stopped when spotting a lovely doll sitting between two plain boys. He had never met her before. Perhaps she was one of the new faces that came every day.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ824vPQlugS
The girl caught his gaze. Those big blue eyes shot him a curious glance. Ben gradually revealed his uniquely charming smile to her. Instead of a sign of heart attack, the girl just returned the politely friendly smile. His eyes were sharp and quick enough to catch the bruises on her chin and neck. This flower got some injuries but still looked lovely to be grown in a nice elegant vase. The blond next to her narrowed his eyes at him. Ben jerked his brow in challenging but the boy just moved the seat to block his sight from the girl.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNGvljcUHw
Jealous eyes.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIk8sWjZ8d
“He’s just being nice,” The redhead said.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYLyXGRSzG
“I just want to sit here, that’s all,” that boy replied but Ben could catch the displeased tone.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuupcq6B1k
He returned to his meal, smiling to himself when spotting a blooming flower growing in this cage so he could find a way to kill some times. With this thought, the ‘dormitory’ (well, most people preferred this word which sounded nonsense to him,) looked freshened up than the previous day. He started to clean the meal.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡIudU8wwovS
“Morning, Ben,” a voice of a young lady greeting behind his back, she took a seat next to him without asking for permission and her friend choose the one next to her. This girl was one of a few flowers he had picked and forgotten.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡh98uYfuODb
“Oh morning,” he replied shortly.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKn5859pIJ
The girl leaned on the chair, switching her leg, intentionally to reveal the smooth skin on her tight. Ben might be fancy it but once he had touched, the desire was no more. Her friend laid her mammoth boobs on the table, poked her head towards him asking, “Where’s Alex?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BeMXs9nD5
He shrugged. If I knew I won’t eat alone.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTpyb2f3UX
The girl next to him did not pay attention to her friend’s problem; she still stared at him. “You’re quiet, Ben. Two days you keep silence from me. Anything to say for your excuse, huh?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGT5U1wnzT
It was clear the girl missed him so bad. He tried not to laugh. This situation frequently happened to him when he’d possessed the status of a charming little lord in Futuristic Metropolis’s elite social circles.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCerQqGxVB
“Oh, sorry but I’m trying so hard to recall your name, both of you. Anyway, my apology, the mental processing declares none.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOWmD38zEh
He swallowed the diced ham waiting for them to understand what he meant, too slow, and when they got his meaning, they furiously made the farewell with the word “Asshole!”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIUCch5VgL
Not the first person who cursed me, darling. Ben drank the water without any care of the curious eyes around.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡhICwDKELJP
Girls usually said that and guys told him he was mean. Perhaps, they were right. Perhaps, they were totally right. Well, all he could remember about that girl was how she lied like a stone who kept saying he gave her the best night she had never experienced, with the unprofessional tempting voice which completely failed to tempt him as he saw it was the worst. The girl behaved like a sex doll. Lying naked, let him do the job and finish it. He did not mind to please his partner or played the lead but this activity required the good collaboration between two people. There was the difference between ‘being shy’ and ‘being a stone’. The first type could be a master someday but the second type was hopeless. This girl belonged to the hopeless type.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wCYK0mFyE
What the hell where is Alex? He thought but not really be nervous. This guy was naughty kid, playing an explorer somewhere.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡpl55hiNRb8
Ben secretly glanced at the new flower. Some angle of her face reminded him of someone far away. She just finished her meal. With her group, she walked out of the cafeteria, still confused about the direction of this place. He heard they talked about searching for an outdoor space.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEMRyveUng
No chance. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQB19owbf8
Ben had never seen the real sky since the first day of his stay here. After putting the dish in the box written ‘Bin’, his feet moved forward; of course, he was aiming at making the first impression with that girl.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1bKYoKzZv
In front of the cafeteria, there was a gigantic black screen attached to the wall but there was no information announced on the screen at that time. To be correct, nothing displayed on it since he came here.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsidyE9FrD
Here was the place where they claimed it was the rehabilitation program but the residents called ‘dormitory’. No treatment, no staffs, no schedules, they lived freely, well, seemingly.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnjtc4cg1z
The dormitory was like a small community where people could find good public facilities such as swimming pool, spa, fitness gym, sports fields, pubs, disco, lounge, or the small-sized cinema that played grandma’s romantic movies, everything they could find in a luxury hotel except the library and open space. Everyone would own a bedroom with en-suite bathroom but he called it a box. Certainly, he could say that it was better than what he thought before being sent here. Ben even brought the economic textbooks he had studied with him in the case of doing business in prison. Now, those textbooks were abandoned somewhere in his room or Alex’s room.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvuLDUCqJk
Freedom, not exactly, he was certain people could perceive the existence of a timer but they were incapable of finding the answer of the authority’s purpose. So they enjoyed the life they had as much as possible. For Ben, he enjoyed the luxury for all of his life so it was quite boring. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRdzCckkSk
Every day he looked at the same old wall, watching newcomers being amazed at the lavishness that some of them had never experienced in their lives before. About three weeks here, Ben had no idea what he really wanted to do, excluding bedding with pretty girls. Sadly, there weren’t many beautiful flowers like in the capital.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYQ1vN5BuV
One thing that made him upset was the digital watch on the wrist. Everyone had to wear it. The device was a silver square shape declaring the time. Ben knew it could do better than being a watch but no one revealed the secret of it. Once, he tried to take it off, after thirty minutes, it would signal the most annoying siren to the watch of the nearest person who was near him and he must hurry to put it back on his wrist, then the siren would stop. It meant that he must not take a shower longer than the time limited too.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2Mf8sYLF4
That’s suck. He hated to wear it but because of that vexing sound, he had to collect the most beloved watched and 100 times more stylish than this toy at the bottom of his bag instead of showing its delicate design.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLfs4qPd3Q
Sighing again, he wondered if his best friend had eaten something yet. Even though the pure desire longed to greet that new flower, Ben decided to take a look at the cinema room in search of his lost friend.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiRJAVUqcc
“You’re all new, right?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7snd8c5gj
Delayed his pace and sniffed his nose. The girl in medium-long black hair greeted the newcomers. Yes, one in the group was the dolly face he aimed at befriending with. Whatever, that dark-haired girl, Tessa might steal her from him. They were the second group that came; he meant Tessa and her siblings. They came from the Waste, the district where lower class struggled to earn a living, the wasteland that illustrated the world during the post-apocalypse so well, as people called. Tessa was attractive enough to capture his eyes but as Ben made the move, he fell into her stupid trap. Acting like a victim she pretended to be and her brother appeared to confront him in front of the public, a pervert they accused him. His reputation among girls had been slightly corrupted because of this bitch.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOJ6qvH5f4
According to his version, Tessa intentionally moved her…nice ass closer and closer while they danced. With that seductive gaze and the physical sign, he thought it was the invitation. Well, in this place, the expensive shirt had no effect sometimes and the lower-class grabbed the opportunity to have a show. He would not take the advance step if there was no permission. This bitch needed a scene and planned to trick him, he assumed. Which reason? He was not really sure. They had never talked before but it might be about his reputation with female creatures. Perhaps it was the vengeance (of a mad feminist) or envy, or both, Ben just guessed.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡcemVoQPAz9
And the Thomas took that girl with them, finally. Ben rolled his eyes. He should not have to be slow. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WNyagtRm5
“Hey!”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWQL2BpqpS
Now, the one he was searching appeared.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gwal2ufco
“Where were you?” He turned to his friend who was eager for something.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnWUFVrNsa
“Found a nice place. It’s totally amazing. You have to come with me,” Alex told him. The smell of Best Ami diffused around his dark messy hair. It seemed like his friend forgot how to brush the hair and never used the hair dryer but the natural air. Sadly, the young man forgot to care about his looks.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡviWmDB0FQG
“You exploit our friends! I have only twenty packs left…Wait, you don’t get wet?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4UATOOkqm
A smirk appeared on that face with one brow lifting up. “Yep, and I still have some of my own left, don’t worry. Sarah?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡEifRqKc9Mo
“I don’t see her since last night,” Ben answered with a hidden smile at the corner of his lips.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIKM5I0dkd
Alex made a distorted face, “last night…whatever, that’s good.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLMJtCzJrK
This time Ben laughed. Sarah was Alex’s ex-girlfriend. They broke up on the third day of their stays here and the cause was him, Ben.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5nfiHybGA
“She still asks you to get back?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGqUGVvOV6
He did not answer but looked the other way, which meant ‘yes, she does’.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡktR07juE4b
“Weird.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAuVQr45Gp
“She’s lonely. That’s the reason. Let’s go.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgoHIeOeyG
Ben knew he himself should have some guilty but there was no such feeling stuck inside of him. It was the good intention for the action; Ben swore to himself million times that he had done the right thing. Alex deserved someone better than this woman. Or he might deserve none because the best woman he knew had died long ago and few were rare items.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcMI27GlwD
If there was one person could root the worst guilt in him, it was her, Natalia. He would never forget her name, her face, how kind she was, and how she died.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NCfb6uXdC
“Perhaps, it’s not just about loneliness. She knew you slept with the other girl. You know what? Women’s envy. And there aren’t enough good men for her to pick.” He meant Alex’s new girl was that one with huge boobs whom he still had no idea about her name and also her friend’s.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2J9kk0TgX
“Julie?” Alex knotted his brows.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGid3E1r1C
“Good for you, you can remember her name. How good is she? You haven’t told me about her yet. She’s not good at it, right? Like her stony friend, what’s her name? She’s nightmare. I mean I gave her the best night and she returned the worst.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN2sCYgCTe
Alex scratched his shaggy hair without a keen interest in Ben’s topic and he always demonstrated this gesture when Ben talked about women like this. His face, since they stayed here, usually looked sleepy, due to the lack of proper sleep. He sighed when the man next to him had zero skill to remember the chick’s names.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbLq7QaKiz
“Your girl is called Trista. Well, she’s not that bad but…Julie changed after that night. Curious about everything, especially my family’s business, my cars, my chamber…boring stuff—she asked like we can go back. So…I stop talking to her. I don’t think she likes me like…you know. She asked for me too?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83vcicc4Cl
Ben nodded, “Yep. So we left them. Cool, that’s why we’re friends. But honestly, those boobs are amazing…if I have the chance to care for them.” He made gesture of hands squeezing those boobs.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡl58mOKDkcT
“No, not that way.” Alex pulled him in the right direction.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfG6Mv26GO
Then he looked up seeing a mysterious door he had never seen it before. “It didn’t exist yesterday, didn’t it?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVgR5dwO7y
“It didn’t.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA4fbDAdmA
They stopped in front of the black metal plate. It’s black that was why it was outstanding from other rooms. Ben started to like this room due to its different color because black is cool and black is style.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rPyVKdIMF
Alex opened the door; his eyes gleamed brightly when they stepped inside. It was a small round planetarium. The projector positioned at the center of the room and ten small chairs circled around. The night artificial sky displayed thousands of sparkling stars. Contrasting with Alex, Ben had no interest in it. The silent sound and the twinkling little star things, he preferred the other rooms, even the cinema with that old romantic drama stories. It did not mean he despised the sky but he needed the real sky. His friend walked around with head lifting up.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FyKHMP7Em
“Is this…the amazing place you claimed?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXDrHVxdBx
“Look”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡttOiJJ77C3
Ben watched Alex picked up a cigarette and lit it with the handcrafted lighter resisting to air and wind and made of gold. The smoke floated through the air and there was no smoke detector prevented them from smoking.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKyd1f7oQC
“I see now,” he hurriedly lit his own cigarette. They laughed together, celebrating Alex’s discovery with the fume of smoking weeds. “Cheers!” They bumped their hands.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡPb3NEiaoCw
Alex started to play the magic. He knelt a little then jumped into the air as if he was flying into the artificial universe and landed perfectly on the floor. He seemed to be revived when he got the chance to consume the smoke.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDMntlXIzu
Ben activated his power by telekinetically lifting the seats inside the room, making them floated and forming a shape of a ladder and he put his feet on them—the stairways to heaven. He might be unable to fly like Alex but he could stand in the air longer.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGPGobDFhI
“Ben, I think you should talk to Sarah. I really mean it. I’m not angry with her but we can’t be the same. This is because you make her fall for you.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVTAmHC599
The way he mentioned her name and asked him to do this thing was no surprise to Ben.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHJvaIWi4q
“I can’t go back to her and you should not treat her like a toy. As a friend, she’s not that bad,” Alex said from below.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwR31N5bir
“As a girlfriend, she’s the cheater. Why do you think I treat her like a toy?” Ben lowered the chair and he gradually went down to face Alex.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGHUoVlUz9
“The night with Julie, I saw you and her again and last night too?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Mb7WBdo6Q
“We want it. No feeling included,” Ben replied.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq3JbsdoIz
“And the other nights?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqRez5buFd
Ben examined that sleepy face but found neither reproach nor jealousy. Then he nodded. “Just that thing.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mlGC8fs7Z
When Alex forgave, he truly meant it. Poor Sarah, she had no privilege like him. Ben knew wholeheartedly that Alex would forgive him for everything he did wrong and the feeling between them would be the same. He forgave her too but he could not pretend to be the boyfriend like he maintained the brothership with him. Their bond was eternal and stronger than anything could break. Even he slept with his girlfriends.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmVte4CUBV
As if he could read Ben’s mind, “Don’t even think that I treat you better than her. I can’t go back because there’s no love between us.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqMOQ10gAo
Maybe it’s not love from the start.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3AIJ6sjVt
“It’s not love between me and her too.” Ben sighed. “Don’t mind about Sarah and me. She’s a sex machine. You know she fucking hates me after I told her the truth. But her desire surrendered to everyone who can respond to it. We can respond to each other. It’s not love, Alex. I might lure her but if she’s a good woman, how could she fell for it? The night with Trisha (“Trista,” Alex corrected.), I just checked on Sarah if she could fix my bad experience with that stone and she accepted. This is why she doesn’t deserve you. I show you how she is, like the others, desire any rich man. I just told her about my shares and she took off her clothes at once. See?”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1y0jOjuj3
“She’s not a gold-digger, Ben. Come on, She’s already prosperous.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡETlhykPK2H
“But she regarded on the profile. She left you because you’re one of the heirs and I am the only heir.” Ben closed his eyes. It was his own word that triggered the pain within. “Well, I should say I was the only heir.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡau6CRkL7he
He saw Alex was out of the speech. Ben inhaled the weedy smoke. “You know this kind of woman. I include the big boobs on this list.” copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTPX6D7a4y
“You lured her first.” Alex took a long breath. “Stop checking woman’s quality for me. Find your own.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaJoQ7FP0F
“But you’re not angry. You thank me, I know.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSQR1uKyzd
“Shut up. I hate when you seduce all my girlfriends!”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡTY0CndtVbr
“No, not all, I didn’t sleep with…Wiona, Lola, and Claire. They’re good girls but you can’t keep them.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Jg50hIbsd
Alex groaned. Ben could remember their names correctly. Those three were the women who passed his test but Alex could not save the relationships with them. It was his shameful fault. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cWnkeOAfO
Ben decided to change the topic. “Anyway, I met a girl this morning. This one is very…lovely.” Even thinking of that angelic face made his heart beat harder, this flower needed to be taken and cared of. And if Ben was not here in this stupid future-like world, he might be able to win her with gold and diamonds like he won the others. copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgLTJ2UMNc
“Hope she’s not the second Trista.” copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gQoyNEly8
Ben inhaled the last smoke into the lung, the feeling of weed’s blessing. “With just that face, I know she can eliminate all my memory with the stone Tina.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjZxmKE2V4
“Trista, fuck you.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwiFasxyb2
He stole Alex’s last smoke of the cigarette on his hand.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JipTSejH8
“You know what? I don’t think you don’t remember her name. Why? Because you’re a fucking asshole. She shamed your skill you’re so proud of.”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡHToiEiaZ7z
Ben shook his head but the volume of his voice rose up, “Of course not! Once they open their legs to me…”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyuNwE72vL
“…They don’t even exist in your dysfunctional memory. I heard million times.” Alex ended the sentence before Ben could finish it.copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzPjk2tZHo
“Dysfunctional? I’ve never used that word!”copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXrr8tPAMo
“Why? I use it. Dysfunctional beyond repair.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeGomLJhET
copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuhyYSmYWW
