Chapter 9
I didn’t hide anything.
Even after the call ended, the atmosphere in the car remained tense.
Eiden kept his eyes on the road, his jaw tight.
From time to time, he stole a glance at me, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating.
Just as we were nearing home, he finally broke the silence.
“I went out to the countryside yesterday.”
“What?” I asked, surprised.
“I caught a few fireflies.”
His voice carried a mix of nervousness and hope.
“I put them in a jar. Do you want to come take a look?”
I froze.
He had really done that?
The car stopped at the entrance of the apartment complex.
The air felt thick with tension.
Outside the car window, the rain had stopped.
I slowly shook my head and answered softly,
“Let’s leave it at that.”
The light in his eyes instantly dimmed.
“Is it because of Nickler?” he asked.
“It has nothing to do with him,” I said.
I had simply come to a realization.
All I wanted was to live a little easier.
Chapter 9
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To stop constantly guessing whether he was in a good mood.
To stop agonizing over whether he loved me or not.
And most of all, to stop forcing myself to fit into what others thought was “right.”
I pushed the door open and looked at him seriously.
“You’re a good man, Eiden. So good that everyone thinks I’d be a fool not to choose you.”
“But right now… what I want more is freedom.
He turned to me suddenly, his face showing a kind of vulnerability I had never seen before.
“But you can still be free with me. I love you
“Eiden, let me go,” I cut him off.
Saying “I love you” now… was too late.
Tears slid down Eiden’s cheeks.
It was the first time he had ever cried in front of me.
The drizzle that had started again lightly tapped our faces. It felt cold.
I didn’t look back. I walked straight into the elevator.
The next day at work, Nickler called me into his office.
He sat casually on his desk, but his tone was unusually serious.
“I owe you an apology. I’ve been acting a bit childish lately.”
“You’ve always been childish,” I said, waving my hand dismissively.
Nickler chuckled at that.
But a second later, his expression grew solemn.
“I transferred schools so suddenly back then because my dad’s company went bankrupt.”
My eyes widened slightly.
Nickler went on, “There was a huge debt. It was the darkest time of my life.”
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“My family had to pack up and leave in the middle of the night. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to you.”
His gaze lingered on my face with a quiet intensity.
“I’m sorry, Bexley.”
I wanted to respond lightly with a “don’t worry about it,”
But my throat felt dry and tight, and no words came out.
The shadow that had lingered in my heart for years suddenly felt like it had been blown away by the wind. Finally clear and gone.
I looked at him and nodded.
“Thank you for telling me. But it’s in the past now.‘
“I know. It’s over.”
He smiled, with a look of both relief and lingering regret.
“It’s just… I couldn’t help feeling unsettled watching you with Eiden. You didn’t look as happy as you used to.”
“Isn’t that what growing up is?” I joked, pretending to sound wise.
Nickler burst into laughter and nodded.
“Then I hope you stay happy from now on.”
“You too,” I said.
All the frustration, the things we couldn’t let go of… It all felt like it was drifting away in the wind.
We smiled at each other.
When I got home that evening, I found Eiden in the hallway.
He had a toolset in his hand and seemed to be fiddling with something.
“What are you doing?” I frowned.
“The light in the hallway’s out. I came to change the bulb,” he replied, holding up the new bulb like it was the most natural thing in the world.
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As if nothing had happened between us.
“I can change a lightbulb myself. You don’t have to go through the trouble,” I said, my frown
deepening.
He acted like he hadn’t heard me, quietly replacing the bulb.
“I checked the weather. It’s going to rain tomorrow. Don’t forget your umbrella.”
Chapter 9
