Zhao Chun raised her head and their eyes met. Anthony's heart started to beat faster. He felt as if it would come out of his chest. The world seemed to disappear around them and an unseeable unbreakable connection seemed to materialize between them. He could still hear the sounds of the fight between Kun Kim and Ba Gao, but it seemed strangely faint and far in the distance.
Zhao Chun felt her heart start to beat at speeds that she never thought was possible.
Is this what they called love?
They both wondered the same question as their faces seemed to gravitate together.
"Huh? ANTHONY!! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO MAKE A MOVE AHEAD OF US?"
They got in between the two before anything else could happen. A flash of anger flickered on Anthony's expression before he turned back to smiling. A chill ran down the spines of both Kun Kim and Ba Gao. They stepped back, a look of shame on their faces. They weren't the ones to decide who Zhao Chun chose to go out with and they had just ruined a moment between Anthony and Zhao Chun.
"Sorry about that Zhao Chun. We both apologize for our transgression."
Both Kun Kim and Ba Gao apologized deeply, hopeful that the two would forgive them.
"We wish you well! Remember to invite me to your wedding!"
Ba Gao joked. Anthony and Zhao Chun flushed a deep red. Anthony tried to look off in the distance, to pretend that nothing happened. While Zhao Chun looked down at her feet a satisfied look on her face. She would sneak a few shy glances at Anthony every so often.
Me and Anthony getting together?
The thought of it caused Zhao Chun to shake her head. She needed to keep her head clear. They needed to take this slowly. Besides, she would decide what to do when the events happened.
Kun Kim and Ba Gao laughed at the expense of Anthony and Zhao Chun.
"Damned muscleheads!"
Anthony yelled as he started to chase after Kun Kim and Ba Gao. Kun Kim and Ba Gao continued to laugh as they ran through the streets. After a while, Anthony caught up to them and tackled them playfully. They started rolling on the ground and after a while stood up with their clothes slightly ruffled. Zhao Chun started laughing her guts out when she saw their condition.
They had gotten dirt and grime all over their clothing and Anthony's hairdo had turned for the worse. Anthony rubbed his head sheepishly as the other three enjoyed his misery. Anthony looked at Zhao Chun and smiled tenderly. When she caught his smile, she smiled back. After a few moments, Ba Gao broke it up, this time respectfully, and the four headed back to the Penthouse to get themselves washed up.
When they got back, the two security guards at the door looked at them suspiciously. But when Anthony flashed the golden keycard, the guards went back to looking like imposing statues.
This time, Manager Dylan was busy, so they just headed up to the Penthouse by themselves. They took turns using the two showers and eventually everyone was in new clothing and clean. Anthony also fixed his hair after leaving the shower.
He remembered that he hadn't met the rest of his family in a while.
I should try to give them a better impression of the new me. I wouldn't want my own family to hate my guts.
Anthony thought to himself as he sat down on the couch. He stood up and aggressively dried his hair with the towel previously wrapped around his neck. He found a notepad and pen nearby and wrote a note to his friends describing what he was going to do. He placed the note on the fridge, knowing that Ba Gao would find it quite fast.
Anthony changed into a suit and tie, grabbed the golden keycard and his phone, and went into the elevator. When he arrived on the bottom floor, he had one of the receptionists call for transportation. Half an hour later, a black SUV arrived. One of the guards opened the door for Anthony and closed it after Anthony had settled inside.
As the SUV drove to Abide Corp, his father's company, Anthony stared out the car window, a look of worry on his face. His previous life hadn't exactly treated his family well and had abused his identity as the eldest sibling in the family. He hoped that his father would accept him and forget about his previous self.
An hour later, they arrived in front of a 60 story building. It had a modern look to it and one could tell at a glance that it meant business. There was top of the line retina scanning technology which only allowed employees and authorized outsiders to enter.
Being the son of the CEO, Anthony already had his data in the database. So when he stepped up to the scanner, it accepted him immediately. Suddenly, Anthony felt someone run into him from the side.
"I'm so sorry! It's my first time working here. Are you alright?"
Anthony rubbed his head and stood up, brushing himself off. He found that the person that had run into him was about the same age as him, maybe even younger. His pretty looks made him look like a girl. If one put him in women's clothing, Anthony would've mistaken the boy for a girl.
"It's alright. Just make sure to watch where you're walking next time."
Anthony smiled encouragingly.
"Thank you. Once again, I'm sorry. My name's Jordan."
Jordan extended his hand, an embarrassed smile on his face. Anthony took it and gave a proper handshake.
"I'm Anthony. Anthony Nguyen."
Jordan's face turned to one of shock.
"Anthony Nguyen? The son of the CEO of Abide Corp?"
"That's me."
Anthony smiled sheepishly while rubbing his head out of habit. Jordan was flabberghasted.
"But... I thought you died."
Anthony's expression turned weird.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know? Your entire family thinks your dead."
Jordan said, innocently. Anthony found a nearby chair and sat down.
How would they know that he was dead? Even the bartender who was the only one there, besides his friends, had only thought that Anthony and his friends had passed out.