Chapter 18 As the young man spoke about his neighbor's daughter , his eyes sparkled like a beam of light piercing through a dark night . It was as if his entire life had been illuminated by her presence . " I waited for so long until I finally grew up , " he said , his voice tinged with both pride and longing . " But when I confessed my feelings to her with so much hope , she turned me down . " The light in his eyes dimmed , and his tone softened . " She told me she's 12 years older than me , and if we got together , people would gossip . Well , I don't accept that , " he continued , a stubborn determination rising in his voice . " I believe age doesn't matter . True love can overcome anything ! I also want to prove to her that times have changed . People nowadays are much more open - minded . Relationships like ours aren't a big deal anymore . If we take that brave first step , we can have a happy ending . " So , I came out here to gather opinions from people on the street . Sir , could you spare a few minutes to write down your thoughts about age - gap relationships in this notebook ? I want to show her that while some might gossip , there are far more people in this world who will understand and support us . " 11 The young man's passionate words struck a painful chord in Murphy's heart . The fiery determination of this young man as he ran around for the sake of love reminded him so much of Gemma just a few months ago when she mustered up courage to confess her feelings to him . " How old are you ? " Murphy asked . " I'm 21 , " the young man replied . the "