"Mark, your melodies are pulling me in, but I'm wrestling with these lyrics."
"Well, can't blame the guitar for wanting to dance with your words. And yes, I admit, my hotness is a bit distracting."
"Mark, let the lyrics take center stage without dis...
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What keeps us going? What the hell, keeps us going? This question could have struck the spirit of each player in this game called life. Some might have found the answer, some might not, and some might have discovered that the answer they thought they had was wrong.
As I attend my cousin's marriage, she believes her answer is marriage and love. Not that I got this answer from her. Every time I meet her, the only thing she talks about is how she wants to marry her nine years boyfriend and how much she loves him. Her whole life is contributed to him, her whole damn life.
"Jia, you look gorgeous. So, what are you up to?" The woman was snickering. I don't even know who she is. This is the problem with attending family functions.
I smile back awkwardly. In my mind, I can't help but reflect on the struggles people face, the silent battles that echo through the corridors of the virtual world I inhabit with my blog.
"Oh! It's Jia, you're all grown up. Do you recognize me, my dear?" Another woman appears, seemingly from thin air. I look at her carefully.
"Don't you recognize me?" I shake my head to answer. "How can you remember me? You were only this much when I saw you." She gestures, indicating I was barely a year old when she met me. Then why the hell did she ask me that?
"Jia, come, Dad is calling you." Ji-na hooks her arm on mine, pulling me away from them. I should probably thank her for this, even though I've imagined different ways to kill her in my mind. Sometimes it's okay to have a sister.
"You should have done that earlier." "I just wanted to see you suffer." I roll my eyes. As I walk away, I can't help but wonder about the struggles hidden beneath the surface of these seemingly ordinary family gatherings. The question lingers in my mind: What keeps us going in this intricate game of life, where love, ambitions, and unspoken battles shape our destinies?
As the echoes of family dynamics faded into the background, my thoughts lingered on the intricate threads that weave our lives together. Little did I know, on the other side of the campus, Mark, the enigmatic musician, was navigating his own melodic journey.
___
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of Neo Arts University, Mark and his friends gathered, their laughter and camaraderie creating a counterpoint to the familial encounters Jia was navigating.
"Man, the gig last night was insane," Renjun exclaimed, adjusting his guitar strap.
Mark, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the curves of his guitar, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the crowd was alive. It's like the music connected with something deep within them."
"Speaking of connections," Jaemin interjected with a mischievous grin, "heard there's this mysterious blog where people of Neo university spill their secrets and struggles . Ever stumbled upon it?"
Mark's expression shifted, a subtle play of emotions crossing his face. "I've heard whispers, but no, never found it. You know how rumors spread like wildfire in this place."
