Chapter 18

Meanwhile, Edward, having just logged out of Facebook, let out a relieved sigh.

After settling his bill, he departed from the internet cafe.

Upon returning to his apartment, he switched on the TV, indulging in some leisurely viewing.

An hour later, he set to work, drafting his next song cover.

For the remainder of the day, everything flowed smoothly and uneventfully, just like any other day.

....

Days passed.

A new week began, and Edward resumed recording his next song cover.

On the third day of that week, he returned from the recording session and started reviewing the footage.

"This part was off."

"And here, the strumming doesn't match the lyrics..."

"This part needs work too..."

After an hour of reviewing, he meticulously noted down all the flaws in the recording before finally taking a break.

Just then, the package he had been eagerly awaiting for five days finally arrived.

After signing the receipt, he expressed his gratitude to the deliveryman and promptly sent a text to Katherine, notifying her of the package's arrival.

Shortly after, he eagerly began to unwrap the package.

The brown paper covering was carefully removed, unveiling a sleek black leather guitar case.

With the last of the paper discarded, a stunning bright red acoustic guitar was revealed.

"It's just as beautiful as it looked in the pictures."

The entire guitar was crafted from mahogany wood, resulting in a sleek and elegant body.

A finely detailed design of a woman playing a violin adorned the soundhole, while the headstock featured an intricate music note image.

The guitar exuded a powerful aura of sophistication.

Running his fingers along the smooth surface of the instrument, Edward felt a sense of excitement building within him.

Holding the guitar with his left hand, he began plucking the strings.

Edward meticulously tuned the stiff strings until they produced a more harmonious and pleasing sound. He then closed his eyes and began to play a random melody, savoring the smooth chord transitions and the guitar's rich resonance.

As the music filled the room, Edward couldn't help but let out a contented sigh, thoroughly enjoying the moment with his new guitar.

Edward, while not an expert in instrument specifications, had a good sense of what made a guitar desirable for a guitarist.

Looking at the sticker on the bottom of the guitar body, he muttered to himself, "₱5,999."

He couldn't help but think, "It's quite pricey."

In comparison to his other guitar, this one was four times more expensive. However, he couldn't help but appreciate that it was a handmade guitar, boasting superb quality and exquisite craftsmanship, making the price fully justified.

...

The next day arrived, and with it, another recording session commenced.

Edward was now using his new guitar for the shoot. He didn't mind re-recording segments that were previously captured.

What truly mattered to him was the ₱5,000 he would earn for each piece of content featuring a Musika Inc. instrument.

The recording session took longer than usual because of the adjustments required to adapt to the new instrument's tone and quality.

Nevertheless, the improved sound was quite noticeable compared to his previous guitar.

As Edward headed back to his apartment, thoughts of food crossed his mind when his phone abruptly rang.

Glancing at the screen, he saw a name he had almost forgotten.

Nina Reyes.

Nina: "Are you free now?"

Edward raised an eyebrow upon receiving the message.

It had been a while since their chance encounter and the subsequent online exchange.

He had accepted her friend request, and they had chatted for a few days, even exchanging phone numbers.

However, her responses had suddenly ceased after a while.

Edward couldn't help but feel puzzled by her sudden disappearance from their conversations.

Is he being ghosted?

Despite his initial confusion, Edward had experienced such online interactions before, so he wasn't too bothered by it.

It's been more than a week since the last time they talked, and now all of a sudden, she texts him, which makes him annoyed.

Edward: "What?"

Despite his irritation, he responded, recalling the adventurous moments they had shared in the past.

Edward couldn't help but express his irritation, thinking, "Going through puberty again is really irritating."

Nina: "I'm all alone here."

Edward: "So?"

Nina: "Can you come over?"

Edward wasn't naive; he understood what she meant, but he couldn't help feeling annoyed.

Who does she think I am? I have tens of thousands of subscribers on YouTube, and hundreds of girls have chased after me!

Do you think that I will reconnect with you after what you did?

Nina: "Why does it take so long to reply? Are you not free?"

"..." Edward stared at it for a moment and finally replied.

Edward: "Do you still have some food over there? I'm quite hungry."

Nina: "Yeah, there's still a lot of pizza over here. I can't finish it since I'm on a diet."

Edward: "... I'm going."

Two hours later, after several rounds of intense wrestling, Edward let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Dang... that was... incredible. I don't know how to describe it," Nina said between gasps as her head rested on his chest.

"Yeah," Edward replied with a faint smile.

"Hmmm," she hummed.

"So, why did you text me all of a sudden?" Edward asked her after a while.

"We broke up," Nina replied simply, as if she didn't care at all.

"You broke up?"

"Yeah, I've only dated him to annoy my cousin. He was chasing her, so I kind of wanted to mess them up, but honestly, he's not my type."

"..." Edward didn't know how to reply, so he kept silent.

"I'm going back to Manila next week," she suddenly said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, class will start soon in August, and I can't miss it."

"I see."

"Are you going to miss me?" she asked all of a sudden, turning her head to look into his eyes.

"I... of course, I'm going to miss you-"

"Stop it. I know you wouldn't." She snorted, then started snuggling into his neck, playfully biting it.

"..." Edward didn't know how to react for a moment and chose to remain silent.

He understood that she must be disappointed.

She was likely disappointed in him, and Edward didn't need to be a psychologist to recognize that.

He had encountered people with similar feelings in his past experiences across time and space.

During the short time they spent together, he had come to understand her quite well.

She was a spoiled girl, accustomed to getting her way.

This became evident from the moment they first met. She had recognized him, approached him out of curiosity, and then pursued him because she suddenly desired him.

Based on what she had shared with him, it turned out that the guy she had recently dated was just like him. She had dated him with the sole intention of annoying her cousin.

From this, it became evident that she enjoyed things going her way.

However, since she didn't obtain what she desired, whether it was his affection or something else, her deep disappointment led her to release her pent-up frustration by biting his neck.

End.