I encountered Leo every single day without fail. Since that day, Kamian had refrained from interfering with my visits to Leo. However, that didn’t mean he was indifferent to it. After Leo’s show ended, as I returned home, I noticed Kamian sitting on the front steps of the porch. Every single day. He scanned me from head to toe and uttered just one word, “Back?” before entering the house ahead of me.
For the first time in fifteen years, a wall appeared between Kamian and me.
We, who used to share every minute and second, were now spending time apart from each other. While I was with Leo, I didn’t know what Kamian was doing, and it was the same for him. I was curious. I yearned to ask, my tongue and lips itching, but I had to restrain myself.
“Liv, has your relationship with Leo truly evolved into something meaningful?”
As lunch was nearing its end, Jex, with a sidelong glance, cautiously asked Kamian, aware of his presence. Debra, placing the napkin she used to wipe her mouth down, retorted, “If you’re going to be so perceptive, why ask in Kamian’s presence?” Jex finally realized his mistake and apologized to Kamian.
“Why are you apologizing to me?”
Kamian asked nonchalantly.
“Well, you… don’t like Liv, right?”
Kamian cut him off with a curt reply. He didn’t like me. I chuckled and began cutting the pineapple.
“So, don’t mind me and feel free to ask as much as you want.”
“Hmm, Liv, are you really going to meet Leo?”
“I’m still not sure.”
“But it’s surprising. You, who never showed any interest in dating, suddenly meeting someone… Was Leo really that charming?”
“…Well, he speaks well. Being from the capital city, he possesses intriguing items and he’s kind-hearted.”
In truth, rather than Leo’s merits, my mind was flooded with his fatal flaw—his utter lack of awareness. Even when I wore an obvious expression of exhaustion, Leo failed to notice and continued rambling about whatever he pleased.
My head already ached at the thought of meeting Leo again later. Should I tell him that I can’t meet him today because I’m not feeling well?
I flicked my eyes to the adjacent seat. Seeing Kamian sitting there, blissfully unaware of how much I suffered because of him, sitting up straight and simply enjoying his meal, my lips involuntarily twitches. Moreover, the current state of affairs in his mind probably painted me as a person who indulges in his own desires and engages in relationships with others while neglecting him.
If you knew how hard I tried to prevent your heart from turning black, you would have to come visit me often after I die. During Seollal, Chuseok, my birthday, memorial days, and the founding day of our nation—on every commemorative occasion, you must come. Listen here, you may even meet another fated partner and experience a love so profound as depicted in romance novels, and you should know that it’s all thanks to my sacrifice.
He felt my gaze and turned his face. Desperately, I averted my eyes to the dish in front of me.
“Coming home late again today?”
Throughout the meal, Kamian, who hadn’t uttered a word to me, suddenly posed a question. Startled, I nearly dropped the spoon I was holding.
“Perhaps.”
“What are you doing when you meet?”
“Just… this and that.”
I expected Kamian to pry further, but he merely uttered, “Dress warmly and come back,” before rising from his seat. The void left by his departure, with only one empty seat beside me, felt astonishingly immense.
“Liv, have you finished eating?”
Suddenly, I felt eyes on me and looked up. Debra and Jex were gazing at me with subtle expressions, seemingly as if they had something to say, yet also as if they pitied me. Why? I had no reason to be pitied. So, I deliberately tugged the corners of my mouth upwards and smiled.
“Yes, I’ve finished. I’ll get up first.”
Jex opened his mouth to say something but was cut off with a “ugh” sound as Debra grabbed his side. Still smiling, Debra said, “Go upstairs and rest.” I immediately caught on that Debra had silenced Jex, but I decided to pretend not to notice.
Somehow… I felt like I was being treated as if I were an adolescent daughter.
Even in Debra and Jex’s eyes, my behaviour seemed odd. Did it show that I was forcibly continuing the encounters with Leo? Climbing up to the second floor, I pondered my actions carefully. Every time Leo knocked on our door, I sighed and frowned instead of showing excitement. After returning from the date, I felt like I had returned from hard labour, burdened with exhaustion, collapsing onto the sofa.
“…What good does it do if it’s all talk.”
…It made sense that Debra and Jex reacted the way they did. [Sigh] I was too nonchalant. At the very least, when Leo came to our house, I should have pretended to like him. I should have at least followed the typical behaviour of people in love, grabbing anyone I could and enthusiastically chattering about how great today’s date was.
Well, it’s fortunate that I’ve realized it now. I should start pretending to be an enamoured lover right away. It shouldn’t be too difficult.
…However, contrary to my casual decision, I went so far as to hide from Leo, abandoning any pretense of liking him.
“Liv, it’s me, Leo. Please open the door.”
I encountered Leo every single day without fail. Since that day, Kamian had refrained from interfering with my visits to Leo. However, that didn’t mean he was indifferent to it. After Leo’s show ended, as I returned home, I noticed Kamian sitting on the front steps of the porch. Every single day. He scanned me from head to toe and uttered just one word, “Back?” before entering the house ahead of me.
For the first time in fifteen years, a wall appeared between Kamian and me.
We, who used to share every minute and second, were now spending time apart from each other. While I was with Leo, I didn’t know what Kamian was doing, and it was the same for him. I was curious. I yearned to ask, my tongue and lips itching, but I had to restrain myself.
“Liv, has your relationship with Leo truly evolved into something meaningful?”
As lunch was nearing its end, Jex, with a sidelong glance, cautiously asked Kamian, aware of his presence. Debra, placing the napkin she used to wipe her mouth down, retorted, “If you’re going to be so perceptive, why ask in Kamian’s presence?” Jex finally realized his mistake and apologized to Kamian.
“Why are you apologizing to me?”
Kamian asked nonchalantly.
“Well, you… don’t like Liv, right?”
Kamian cut him off with a curt reply. He didn’t like me. I chuckled and began cutting the pineapple.
“So, don’t mind me and feel free to ask as much as you want.”
“Hmm, Liv, are you really going to meet Leo?”
“I’m still not sure.”
“But it’s surprising. You, who never showed any interest in dating, suddenly meeting someone… Was Leo really that charming?”
“…Well, he speaks well. Being from the capital city, he possesses intriguing items and he’s kind-hearted.”
In truth, rather than Leo’s merits, my mind was flooded with his fatal flaw—his utter lack of awareness. Even when I wore an obvious expression of exhaustion, Leo failed to notice and continued rambling about whatever he pleased.
My head already ached at the thought of meeting Leo again later. Should I tell him that I can’t meet him today because I’m not feeling well?
I flicked my eyes to the adjacent seat. Seeing Kamian sitting there, blissfully unaware of how much I suffered because of him, sitting up straight and simply enjoying his meal, my lips involuntarily twitches. Moreover, the current state of affairs in his mind probably painted me as a person who indulges in his own desires and engages in relationships with others while neglecting him.
If you knew how hard I tried to prevent your heart from turning black, you would have to come visit me often after I die. During Seollal, Chuseok, my birthday, memorial days, and the founding day of our nation—on every commemorative occasion, you must come. Listen here, you may even meet another fated partner and experience a love so profound as depicted in romance novels, and you should know that it’s all thanks to my sacrifice.
He felt my gaze and turned his face. Desperately, I averted my eyes to the dish in front of me.
“Coming home late again today?”
Throughout the meal, Kamian, who hadn’t uttered a word to me, suddenly posed a question. Startled, I nearly dropped the spoon I was holding.
“Perhaps.”
“What are you doing when you meet?”
“Just… this and that.”
I expected Kamian to pry further, but he merely uttered, “Dress warmly and come back,” before rising from his seat. The void left by his departure, with only one empty seat beside me, felt astonishingly immense.
“Liv, have you finished eating?”
Suddenly, I felt eyes on me and looked up. Debra and Jex were gazing at me with subtle expressions, seemingly as if they had something to say, yet also as if they pitied me. Why? I had no reason to be pitied. So, I deliberately tugged the corners of my mouth upwards and smiled.
“Yes, I’ve finished. I’ll get up first.”
Jex opened his mouth to say something but was cut off with a “ugh” sound as Debra grabbed his side. Still smiling, Debra said, “Go upstairs and rest.” I immediately caught on that Debra had silenced Jex, but I decided to pretend not to notice.
Somehow… I felt like I was being treated as if I were an adolescent daughter.
Even in Debra and Jex’s eyes, my behaviour seemed odd. Did it show that I was forcibly continuing the encounters with Leo? Climbing up to the second floor, I pondered my actions carefully. Every time Leo knocked on our door, I sighed and frowned instead of showing excitement. After returning from the date, I felt like I had returned from hard labour, burdened with exhaustion, collapsing onto the sofa.
“…What good does it do if it’s all talk.”
…It made sense that Debra and Jex reacted the way they did. [Sigh] I was too nonchalant. At the very least, when Leo came to our house, I should have pretended to like him. I should have at least followed the typical behaviour of people in love, grabbing anyone I could and enthusiastically chattering about how great today’s date was.
Well, it’s fortunate that I’ve realized it now. I should start pretending to be an enamoured lover right away. It shouldn’t be too difficult.
…However, contrary to my casual decision, I went so far as to hide from Leo, abandoning any pretense of liking him.
“Liv, it’s me, Leo. Please open the door.”
