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Chapter 72 - CHAPTER 72: THE FRIEND I NEVER FORGOT,

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Scene: Mek's Apartment – Late Night

Mek sat on the floor, clutching an old photo in his hand. His fingers traced the edges — two young boys, grinning under a cherry blossom tree. One was him.

The other… Roshan.

> "I should've known," Mek whispered to himself. "I should've realized who she was talking about…"

The memories rushed back like waves crashing against stone — the library laughs, the sneaky ice cream breaks, the books Roshan lent him with tiny notes scribbled in the margins.

He wasn't just a friend. He was Mek's anchor during one of the loneliest times in his life.

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Flashback – 10 Years Ago, Kyoto, Japan

Mek, barely thirteen, wandered off from his family trip. Lost. Confused. Crying in the snow-covered park.

Then a hand reached out.

> "You shouldn't cry in the snow. It'll freeze your feelings," a boy said with a grin.

That was Roshan — the boy who gave him warmth without knowing it.

He took Mek under his wing for the week. They fed koi fish, shared manga, and Roshan even bought him a tiny charm that Mek still wore on his keychain.

Roshan had dreams of becoming a scientist.

> "If I win a Nobel Prize, I'll dedicate it to you. For being my first fan," he joked.

But one day, Roshan vanished.

Gone without a goodbye.

Mek searched for him online. Wrote emails that bounced back. He eventually stopped trying… but never forgot.

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Scene: Present – Mek's Apartment

Mek looked at the charm and whispered,

> "You were Rose's brother… Roshan Wicharn…"

He began sobbing — for the boy he lost, and for the truth that had stayed buried so long.

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Scene: Pete's Place – Night

Pete noticed Mek's silence during dinner. "Babe, what's wrong?"

Mek looked at him, eyes red, and said,

> "Pete… I knew Roshan. He was… my best friend."

Pete's expression darkened. The name hit differently now — knowing how much it meant to Rose, and now to Mek.

> "Then we'll find the full truth," Pete said, reaching for his hand. "For Roshan… for you."

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Scene: Rose's Apartment – Same Time

She opened an old suitcase. Inside it — a dusty notebook.

Roshan's Journal.

She flipped to the last page. Her hand trembled.

> "I hope Mek is happy. He was always the kindest person I met. If he ever reads this… tell him I kept the charm too."

Tears fell silently from her eyes.

> "Why… why now?"

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