No Substitutes for the Bigshots' Dream Girl Anymore!-Chapter 1933: Hayes Edwards Extra (90)
"I asked your dad to take it to the storage room a long time ago. Why, are you looking for it?" Mother Edwards took Hayes Edwards’ freshly changed jacket and pants, preparing to wash them. "Oh, right, the other day when I was tidying up your room, I found a lot of toys you used to hide, like building blocks and dolls..."
"Mom." Hayes interrupted his mother. "Those toys aren’t mine, they’re..."
He instinctively paused.
Mother Edwards remembered too. "Oh yes, Grace Winter from next door used to love coming over to play with you. Every time she came, she’d take a few toys away, like ants moving house, so cute. I used to think it would be nice if you two grew up and stayed together. I wonder what’s happening now; it’s been five years, not a word."
Recalling old times, Mother Edwards felt a bit nostalgic.
Nostalgic about how time flies, as if it passes in the blink of an eye.
During the holidays, Hayes Edwards began preparing for his studio, leaving early and returning late every day, pulling along a few of his old friends.
After finishing up with the studio and returning home, Hayes heard from his parents that someone seemed to have moved in next door.
Ever since the Winter Family moved abroad five years ago, the house next door had been empty, neither sold nor rented out.
Mother Edwards tried knocking on the door but there was no response. She even wondered if she had heard wrong.
After dinner, Mother Edwards went to knock on the door again. Hayes stayed in his room, feigning disinterest, but his ears were listening intently.
A minute later, Mother Edwards returned.
Father Edwards was still saying, "You must have heard wrong."
"But I saw that the door handle had been wiped clean."
"Maybe someone got the wrong floor."
Mother Edwards considered this possibility. After all, the house had been empty for five years, and it’s likely covered in dust inside. Moving back in would mean a lot of cleaning, a ’big project.’
The sound of the TV came from the living room, and Father Edwards and Mother Edwards switched topics.
Hayes snapped back to reality, feeling a bit ridiculous.
Five years have passed; maybe they’ve forgotten about him already, just a playmate after all.
No matter how much they liked being together back then, now they’re just strangers who know each other’s names. Even if they met, they might not recognize each other.
In the following days, Father Edwards and Mother Edwards went on a trip, leaving Hayes alone at home. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
He’s been busy with studio work lately, often coming home late at night, sometimes glancing at the door next door, it seemed... a bit cleaner.
He thought maybe he was just tired and seeing things.
Hayes took out his key, ready to open the door, when the voice-activated lights went out, plunging everything back into darkness, with a faint sound coming from behind.
Suddenly, a somewhat blinding light from behind shone onto his feet.
The usually sensitive voice-activated lights were silent at this moment.
"Is it broken?" Grace Winter looked up, still holding two large bags of garbage.
A familiar voice came from behind, and Hayes, like a wind-up toy, turned slowly, his brain sluggish.
Meeting again after five years, no one had expected such a scene.
They both had grown up, lost the innocence of childhood, hesitating for a moment as their eyes met, followed by polite greetings.
