Jia led Bella away from the group, finding a secluded spot where they could have a private conversation.
Once they were away from everyone's eyes, Jia turned to face Bella, her expression serious. There was a tension in the air, as if they both knew that something important was about to be discussed.
Jia looked intensely into Bella's eyes, making Bella apprehensive. Tears gathered in Jia's eyes, and suddenly she jumped into Bella's embrace like a child, crying bitterly. The force of it nearly made Bella stumble, leaving her completely shocked. For a moment, her breath stopped, and her hands hung frozen in the air.
"You were close to me for two years," Jia said. "Why didn't I recognize you? You recognized me, right? Then why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you tell me that my sister was alive?"
At first Bella was surprised, but it slowly softened into something gentle—a protective, tender affection as her arms encircled Jia's hunched shoulders. Her breath hitched at the brokenness in Jia's voice, her heartbeat stuttering against her ribcage.
"Answer me!" Jia insisted, pleading. "Why were you hidden from me?!"
"Calm down, Jia," Bella murmured, rubbing slow circles against her trembling back. But Jia only shook harder against her, sobs turning ragged, desperate.
"I missed you so much—so much—don't disappear again! Promise me!"
"Jia! Relax—"
"PROMISE ME!" Jia's words tore out raw, half plea, half command—the first sharp edge of anger slicing through the grief.
And Bella broke. A tear slipped free, then another, as she clutched Jia impossibly tighter.
"I promise."
Bella's words lingered in Jia's ear—soft, anchoring. Jia clenched her eyes shut, trying to steady her breaths, but the tears still spilled over despite her efforts.
Then Bella hesitated before asking carefully, "How... did you find out?"
A shaky inhale. Then Jia's reply, quiet but clear:
"You are my sister—those were Liam's last words... before he died."
Bella went still—then, slowly, the tension seeped out of her shoulders as she knew about the deal between Jia and Myung but now knowing that Jia didn't lose herself in Myung's trap and Myung was the one who revealed the truth without hurting her, she was literally feeling relaxed.
Breaking the hug abruptly, Jia seized Bella's hands, their fingers tangling together tightly, too tight, as if afraid she might vanish if loosened even slightly.
"Tell me everything from the beginning," Jia demanded, voice thick but unwavering. "Where were you? Why did you hide from me?"
Bella exhaled shakily, thumb brushing over Jia's knuckles, a silent plea for patience. "First, you stop crying. Then I'll tell you."
"No. You start telling me—" A wet, ragged breath. "—then I'll stop crying."
Bella's gentle laugh cut through the tension, followed by a sigh as she wiped away Jia's tears tenderly and turned to face the night sky. Tears still clung to her own lashes, but her gaze was resolute. Taking a few deliberate steps forward, she tilted her gaze upward—breathed deeply, steadying herself.
"Although I couldn't see the dead faces of our parents due to Liam and I being in Korea at that time, the pain of their absence is still felt as if it had happened 14 years ago, a very fresh pain…."
Jia's full focus settled on her sister, hanging onto every word.
"I was told that you too had died along with mom and dad, and that I had no other family left except Liam - who at that time didn't even know why broken ties with me, as if someone had brainwashed him terribly. And who did this... I know now in the present ... .Not even two days had passed since I heard news of all your deaths when I was sent to Canada forever. Being alone there, circumstances and time made me stronger. After some time I joined a gang, and through my ability and courage, I gradually rose to the highest positions in the organization. As a result... today I am the Mafia Boss of Canada's biggest organization - The Crimson Hawks."
"But I never let our so-called Mia Aunt know about this, though eventually she came to know from somewhere about me being a mafia boss, as a result I had to come to Korea two years ago after so many years to become your personal bodyguard. She knew that I would never refuse her request, of which she took full advantage. When I came here I didn't know that you are my sister but I definitely had a doubt about this because I never knew that Mia aunty had a daughter whose name was also Jia. But I believed her because I remembered that in childhood mom had said, Mia aunty had named you after her dead daughter. And she had also named her sister's daughter after her dead daughter. This is the reason why I didn't doubt her much in the beginning, thinking that you must be her sister's daughter whom she is calling her own daughter. I didn't even try to know what was the reason behind this…."
"As for the surname, I was aware that after our parents' death, she assumed our surname in order to inherit the family business. Over time, as I lived closely with you and became familiar with your behavior, suspicions began to grow within me about your connection to our family. I conducted thorough research about you and Aunt Mia to uncover the truth. It was only a year ago that I discovered the secrets behind the deaths of our parents 14 years ago, along with the revelation that my sister was alive and alive was you."
She paused and let out a shaky breath before continuing. "I don't know why she took the risk and made me your bodyguard, but I know this much that she is not a fool to call me here even though she knew that if I doubt her then I can easily find out her truth, which indicates there is definitely some benefit behind it for her. For this reason, I had not yet let Mia know of my knowledge, nor had I shared it with you. I intended to reveal the truth once I could ascertain her motivations for this risk, but you discovered the truth from Liam. Despite unexpected circumstances, your discovery brought me as much relief as it did surprise. It is fortunate that you no longer resent me, given how events unfolded."
Bella turned, facing Jia, a gentle smile upon her face—one that belied the sorrow that lay beneath. The wind tugged at her hair, while the moon caught in it, casting her delicate features in pale luminescence. While Jia was staring at Bella's face trying to read her expression, her own expression was unreadable and her tears dried long ago but her eyes were trying to process the reality of the situation.
"Are you implying that it was Aunt Mia who hid the fact from both of us that we were alive and kept us away from each other??" A hint of disbelief was lingering from her eyes as Jia asked in a very low voice as if she was trying to convince herself and not asking Bella. While Bella was just looking at her silently, signalling her by her silence that her words were correct. "And….what is the secret behind our parents' death?"
"That the one who got our parents killed... was Aunt Mia herself." Bella's words struck like a blade—cold, precise, unforgiving. "She staged the death of their 'murderer' as a hoax. The real killers... they're still free."
Jia staggered back as if physically struck, legs giving way until her spine hit the wall behind her. Slowly, her knees buckled, collapsing to the floor in a heap, fingers clawing into her hair as violent tremors wracked her body.
And then—
The tears came again. Silent. Relentless.
"I've been living in a world... of lies? I've been living...with the murderer...of my parents… Why? Why did she do that... to us?" Jia's broken whispers punctuated her heavy breaths, each word trembling with pain and confusion.
Bella stood silently, her own heart impossibly heavy. She simply watched, letting Jia release her anguish unhindered—a quiet witness to her grief.
Finally, unable to bear seeing her cry endlessly, Bella clenched her fists and slowly approached. She knelt down before Jia and pulled her into a tight embrace, resting her chin gently atop Jia's head while softly patting her back, soothing, comforting, silently assuring her that she wasn't alone.
Gradually, Jia's sobs subsided, her breathing steadied, and the tension in her body melted away in the warmth of her sister's protective hold.
"What do you intend to do now?"
Hearing Jia's sudden determined voice, Bella gently cupped her face, meeting her gaze firmly. "We wait. Just a little longer."
The conviction in her voice was unwavering, a quiet strength that echoed from her every syllable.
"Then—we take revenge for what she did to our family, for keeping us apart. Together. Everything will be over soon, just wait a little more."
Jia nodded, understanding and relief crossing her face. And Bella offered a proud, reassuring smile.
"Aera—" Jia hesitated, fingers twisting nervously before she continued. "There's something... about Jae. He's—"
Bella cut her off smoothly, voice flat. "A mafia. I know."
Jia's head snapped up, eyes wide with shock—that wasn't what she'd meant to say at all. She'd been about to confess... about their marriage. But Bella's revelation, that she knew Jae's true identity, left her speechless.
"How do you know?" A frown was visible on her face as she asked in bewilderment.
"When you were taken by Liam, Jae rushed after you immediately—but the car he drove was sabotaged. It malfunctioned, sent him spiraling out of control." Bella's voice grew colder. "And then? While saving the school children he got into an accident."
Jia's breath hitched, she hadn't known that detail.
Bella didn't pause. "After that incident, everything about them felt suspicious. Private casinos. Their refusal to involve the police despite your kidnapping. None of it made sense—until my own contacts confirmed the truth."
A bitter smirk. "Jackson and Daniel aren't just normal people. They're high-ranking members of Asia's largest mafia syndicate. And their boss? A ghost. No one's ever seen him. I dug deeper, but Intel on them is scarce. I just got to know mostly about Jackson and Daniel because only these two have been spotted by a few people in the underworld ...."
Bella's voice grew deliberate as she unfolded the next layer of truth. "I suspected Jae might be Venom—their hidden boss. And after further investigation, my suspicions were confirmed."
She exhaled sharply. "Normally, I wouldn't have doubted him so easily. But because of you, these people were already under my scrutiny. It made everything clearer." A pause. "Twelve days after Jae's accident, once he regained consciousness... I told him everything. Our truth. How Aunt Mia tore our family apart. He knows it all now—but so far, he's the only one outside of us who does."
Her gaze hardened slightly. "I trusted him with this because of how fiercely he fought to bring you back. His desperation proved his loyalty to you. And let's be honest... aligning my organization with Asia's largest mafia syndicate? That was an opportunity too valuable to ignore. For two powerful groups to forge a strong alliance, trust had to come first."
Jia's hands trembled slightly as she stared at Bella, her mind racing to process everything she'd just heard.
"He... knows everything?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, disbelief thick in her tone.
Bella gave a slow, firm nod.
"And he had an accident??" Jia's gaze darted wildly to process and consume the unexpected information she recieved.
"Jia, just relax, there is no need to panic! Collect yourself." Bella tried to comfort her by cupping her face while Jia looked at her in disbelief yet in a slight panic.
"I don't understand anything, it seems like I am not in reality, why—why is this happening?" tightening her grip on Bella's shoulder, Jia uttered painfully. While once again Bella embraced her, patting her back.
"It's okay, everything will be fine. Please relax yourself, Jia. We have to go in front of everyone, You know, right?"
●◇◇◇◇◇◇●
"I thought you both weren't going to come back." Leo uttered mockingly, biting his meal with the fork, looking up at Bella and Jia.
Bella offered him a wry smile, sliding into her seat between Jackson and Jia, opposite from him. The arrangement placed Jia right next to Jae, who was sitting in the head seat of the table. Seeing Jia sitting close to Jae, Samuel looked at Jae with unreasonable enmity eyes while sensing his gaze, Jae also looked up at him with the same eyes.
"How rude, starting dinner without us." Bella glanced around at the assembled group, a gleam in her eyes.
"So, should we have waited till our next birth?" Jackson's arrogant tone sliced through the air, instantly darkening Bella's expression.
She turned her head slowly toward him, eyes narrowing. Her voice dropped low, simmering with controlled irritation as she spoke through nearly gritted teeth: "Aren't you getting a bit too irritated with me lately?"
Jackson scoffed, masking the way his pulse jumped. "You are irritating. What else am I supposed to do—not get annoyed with you?"
His rudeness was deliberate—a flimsy shield against the growing feeling he felt for her.
"Curt!" Saying this, she looked away from him while he rolled his eyes.
"We apologise for this." Daisy spoke, sitting on the other head seat of the table opposite to Jae.
"Ah, no worries, it's alright." Bella reassured with a light laugh. Hearing this, Daisy smiled warmly at her.
Meanwhile, Sarah stared silently at Jia's subdued expression, her gaze carrying suspicion and concern - yet she said nothing. The group continued their meal in relative quiet.
Under the table, Jae's hand found Jia's, his fingers curling around hers as he continued eating with an impassive face. The contact drew Jia's attention toward him though he didn't look her way.
When Jia turned to study his profile, countless thoughts and emotions swirling behind her eyes, sensing it, Jae finally met her gaze. She offered him a bittersweet smile. Their locked eyes communicated volumes in that charged moment before Bella's voice made Jia glance away. Yet Jae's gleaming stare remained fixed on her.
"Did you wait for us to get a chance to know the occasion of this dinner party or left us behind in this as well?" Bella's mocking banter drew soft laughter from the group.
"It's not like that. We had to announce it to everyone at once, so how could we have left you two behind?" Daniel stood, drawing silence as his hand hit the table with a light thud before clearing his throat.
"The reason we are holding this dinner party is...because we're expecting."
At Daniel's announcement, all eyes darted between him and Daisy in delighted shock. Daisy sat nervously, a shy smile playing on her lips as joyful murmurs spread through the table.
Max and Leo erupted first—whooping, whistling, their cheers ringing out. The others quickly joined in, showering the expectant parents with congratulations. The atmosphere buzzed with exhilaration.
Amid the boisterous celebration, Jackson locked eyes with Daniel, his teasing grin cutting through the noise. "You kept your promise, buddy."
"I am true to my promises," Daniel replied with a self-satisfied smirk as he settled back into his seat. Across the table, an almost imperceptible smile flickered across Jae's face as his gaze lingered on Daisy.
Then suddenly the celebratory atmosphere was shattered when Jia slammed her palm loudly against the table. Her other hand remained firmly clasped in Jae's grip. The abrupt noise instantly silenced Max and Leo's cheering mid-whistle, all eyes snapping toward Jia in startled anticipation.
"This is a great joy—let's drink to our heart's content in this happiness!" Jia yelled, her voice ringing out in determination.
Hearing her words, Max and Leo resumed their raucous cheers. Bella got surprised, knowing full well that Jia normally never drank unless there were reasons related to her mental health behind it. While Jae stared at Jia in disbelief, stunned by what she was saying.
Bella leaned closer to Jia, her voice dropping to a concerned whisper. "Jia, what are you saying?"
Ignoring Bella completely, Jia wrenched her hand free from Jae's grasp with sudden force. She snatched up the soju bottle, poured a glass to the brim, and downed it in one desperate swallow. Without pause, she began drinking recklessly, her movements fueled by some fierce determination.
Both Jae and Bella moved to intervene, but Jia proved stronger in her manic state - she shoved glasses into their hands, forcing them to drink as well. When their attempts to restrain her failed, Bella finally surrendered. With a defeated shake of her head, she released Jia's shoulders and returned to her meal.
Jae finally seized Jia's wrists in a firm grip, but she had already consumed enough alcohol that forcibly stopping her now would serve no purpose. The others watched Jia's intoxicated state with amused headshakes, their chuckles treating her like a misbehaving child who'd slipped beyond control.
Meanwhile, Samuel's fingers curled into tight fists against his thighs as he struggled to contain his simmering resentment toward Jae. Yet despite his anger, clear worry for Jia shone through his expression.
On the other side, Sarah was observing Samuel's every action and reaction, her lips twisting into a bitter smile, feeling helpless.
Then Jia broke free from Jae's grip with a surge of strength. With a loud thud, her hand slapped down on the table again, she stood up, instantly seizing everyone's full attention.
"I want to announce that this is my real sister and this is my legal husband." Her words echoed in the room, defiant and slurred.
But the alcohol had affected her coordination, leading to a comical mix-up. Instead of pointing to Bella, she gestured towards Jae when mentioning "real sister." Meanwhile, instead of indicating Jae as her "legal husband," she mistakenly pointed at Bella.
But everyone had enough intelligence to know who Jia wanted to point her finger at. While Bella, who was drinking water, upon hearing Jia's ending few words, turned towards Jackson with a jolt and sprayed water on his face in shock, making him immediately shut his eyes.
"I know you did this on purpose." Jackson muttered, wiping his face with his palm in fury.
Bella's face was now towards Jia in extreme shockness. While a look of resignation on Jae's face was visible. There was totally dead silence among them as all of them were looking at Jia in shockness yet disbelief. Some had still not swallowed their bite and some had their mouths wide open.
And the silence was finally broken by Leo's voice. "What should I react to first, is Bella her sister or Jae her husband?"
Daisy turned to Jae with disbelieving eyes. "Jae...is she telling the truth?" she asked.
"Yes." His blunt confirmation settled heavily in the air, leaving no room for doubt.
An awkward silence followed before Daniel cleared his throat nervously. "And, uh... I'm their witness. Well—not actually present at their marriage, but... legally, I signed as one?" He forced a weak smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
The entire table now stared at him in incredulous.
While Sarah, who was processing the situation, immediately handled herself and suddenly Samuel's presence hit her and in sudden fear and worry, she quickly covered his ears with both of her hands.
"Don't listen to all this." She whispered urgently, but Samuel was too shocked and hurt to even move a little bit, his gaze fixed in stunned silence.
Max shook his head incredulously, trying to make sense of the night's revelations. "And Bella is not her bodyguard...but her sister? When did this happen? Today I'm getting shock after shock."
Daisy, the only one who could talk to Jae in a strict manner, stood up and spoke with firm authority. Her palm slapped down on the table as she posed the question directly to Jae and Daniel.
"When did this happen?" Her voice was strong, demanding an answer.
"I too deserve an answer." Bella, equally serious, added her voice to the query. She looked up at Jia, who after dropping such a bomb on everyone's head remained unfazed despite her drunken state, her smile strangely cryptic.
At that very moment, the sudden interruption from Jackson's phone rang through the air, cutting through the palpable tension. He quickly answered the call, his expression serious as he listened to the unknown voice on the other end.
Once the call ended, Jackson turned to Jae, his eyes conveying urgency. "I need your bike. I have to go somewhere I can't take the car with me."
Understanding, Jae nodded and they both exchanged their vehicle keys. Jackson stood up to go from there, leaving them in their own situation. As he was leaving, he glanced up at the sky, noting the dark clouds gathering uninvited overhead, indicating the arrival of rain.
"Now are you going to answer me, or will you both just sit there like statues?" Her glare pinned Daniel and Jae in place, demanding an explanation they seemed determined not to give.
Daniel exhaled sharply, raising his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me—ask your precious little brother. I know nothing." He pushed back his chair, mumbling, "I'm exhausted. I should sleep—" to escape the situation.
But the instant Daisy growled—a wordless, dangerous sound—Daniel froze. Without another protest, he sank back into his seat, defeated. His silence was absolute now, a man who'd learned long ago when not to test his wife's patience.
Daisy's voice grew sharper as she pressed for answers. "Answer me clearly, what was the compulsion that you had to get married alone, without any friends or family?"
Jae didn't budge, his cool demeanor not showing an ounce of reaction. But beneath the surface, he was carefully choosing his next words.
Daisy, unyielding, repeated her demand. "Jae, I am asking you now!" She leaned forward, waiting for his response.
At that very moment, Samuel abruptly stood, a look of hurt on his face. Avoiding eye contact—as if meeting anyone's gaze would shatter his composure, he snatched his black blazer from the chair's rail and strode toward the exit without a single word.
Sarah reacted instantly, worry flashing across her features. She leapt to her feet, hastily muttering quick goodbyes to the table before running after Samuel—though only Leo briefly acknowledged their departure. The others remained immersed in the aftershock of Jia and Jae's revelation. The whole atmosphere was filled with tension and the strong wind was roaming all around with the clouds overhead snarling like a living thing.
●◇◇◇◇◇◇●
The sky was gloomy, dark clouds hovering above, the air thick with the tension of an impending storm. The occasional rumble of thunder could be heard, warning of the chaos that was about to unfold. As Samuel stormed out of the dinner party, anger and hurt radiating from every fibre of his being. He made his way down the empty, dark street, his blazer tightly clutched in his hand. The wind was growing stronger as the storm approached, the trees swaying in the air.
Samuel was taking his steps furiously, his heart racing both with exertion and with the pain. Behind him, Sarah was desperately trying to catch up, her own heart heavy with worry and sadness. She jogged to catch up with Samuel, her own heels making a loud clacking sound on the empty road.
"Where are you going on foot without your car? Did your car leave you or did you leave it there? Samuel! Wait up, will you!" She was uttering anything to stop him in a loud voice so that her voice could reach him.
Samuel heard Sarah behind him, but he was in no mood to slow down or even acknowledge her presence. He continued to stride forward with purposeful steps, his jaw tense with suppressed anger. Sarah increased her speed, determined to catch up with him. She matched his long strides, her own breath coming in quick gasps as she tried to keep up with his furious pace.
"Samuel, please, just stop for a minute. Why are you walking so fast?
He still ignored her.
"Samuel, please stop. I wanna talk to you."
Samuel finally stopped, turning around abruptly to face her. His eyes were cold and hard, his expression almost hostile. "What is it, Sarah? What could you possibly have to say to me that I would want to hear?"
Hearing his cold tone, she was looking at him while breathing heavily as he finally stopped and despite his anger she pushed on. "Samuel, I know you're upset. I know you're hurt. But let's go somewhere and have some tea, life is too short to waste time in the pain of love. We should only waste our time in the happiness of love and not in pain."
Hearing her words, he was looking at her with his disbelieved and angry eyes before speaking in a cold tone. "It may be easy for you to do all this but not for me because unlike you, I don't do drama in front of the one I like." Saying the harsh words to her, making her hurt emotionally, he turned away and started to walk forward again.
While for a moment she stood there, trying to suppress her emotion and at that very moment, eventually heavy rain started to fall, drenching both of them. Despite him being harsh with her, she tightened her lips in a thin line before removing her heels and ran after him again barefoot, holding her heels in her hand.
"I know at this moment you must be feeling that the world is so cruel, it is not good, isn't it?" She was trying to match his steps while jogging after him.
"No."
Hearing his straight response, her mouth wide opened but still she continued to say whatever she wanted to. "I know the world isn't perfect but it isn't that bad, and I am with you, your lover, I love you, you know na? Okay, not a lover but a friend, right?"
She was saying all sorts of nonsense just to somehow give him some solace.
"Will you stop following me?" Stopping abruptly, facing her, he asked in a loud voice before continuing to walk again but she didn't listen to him.
"Samuel, will you tell me where you are going?"
"To die!" He was feeling so much annoyed by her that despite him being upset he still had to answer her which he wasn't doing properly. While hearing him, her eyes widened in fear and concern but she knew that he wasn't serious.
"I am also going with you, so does that mean we are going to commit double suicide? Ok, we will die together." An unserious smile was on her face. And he choked her tongue inside his mouth then let out a breath to control the feeling of annoyance.
"Well, let's go somewhere to have tea. Look, the weather is also rainy and in this weather, it will be fun to open your heart and bring out your painful emotions all at once."
She was trying her best to give him a little solace and make his mood a little good and deep down he was feeling a little good to have her by his side in this situation but his existence wasn't accepting the feeling.
"Well, you know screaming makes the heart feel a little lighter?" Saying this, she started screaming very loudly. Watching her act, he was totally done. He understood that she wasn't going to stop following him and decided to continue to ignore her.
"If you don't come with me to have tea, I will lie down here and if something happens to me, you will be responsible for it" She warned him.
Despite her warning he still ignored her.
"Did you hear me?"
Seeing him not taking her words seriously, she stopped while he continued to walk. "I will truly lie down here, and whether a storm comes or birds start flying naked, I will not get up from here until you move me yourself." Warning him for the last time, she waited for his reaction but he didn't even bother to turn back. And finally in determination she lay down there on her back in the wet street with her arms spread, letting the rain completely dominate her.
She waited for some seconds, more seconds, but he didn't come. She turned her head towards his direction to check and saw he disappeared, which made her literally sad and hurt. And a painful silence filled her. She loosened her body and looked up, facing the sky, then closed her eyes in acceptance. "Now it seems I will have to endure the storm and wait to see the birds flying naked."
She kept lying there. Sadness was eating to such an extent that she did not have any care to get up from there, even if some vehicle came on this dark street, hit her and drove away. It wasn't easy for her to alleviate the pain of the person she loved, the same pain she herself felt.
Suddenly she started to hear footsteps in the wet ground which was gradually getting closer, making her alert.
"Even if a person has died, you will still pick up the dead body and make him dance." The annoyance was audible in Samuel's voice.
Sarah immediately opened her eyes in surprise and saw Samuel standing right in front of her. A big smile appeared on her face as she was looking up at him in delightedness.
Samuel grabbed her wrist and made her stand on her feet before giving her a mild anger look. Suddenly he squatted down and made her wear her heels, making her heart beat go crazy.
"Let's go where you wanted to."His voice was edged with lingering irritation as he stood, gesturing for her to move first before turning sharply on his heel. Sarah followed without protest, her lips curving into a faint, blushing smile as she matched his pace. The silence between them stretched, heavy but not uncomfortable, until she finally broke it.
"You know," she mused, tilting her head playfully, "In your movies, you drape your coat or blazer over the heroine to shield her from the rain. Could you… do the same for me?"
Samuel halted mid-step, turning to stare at her in blatant disbelief. She blinked up at him, smile unwavering, expectant. For a long moment, he only exhaled through his nose, licking his lips in a telltale sign of exasperation before deliberately looking away—as if silently pleading for patience.
"It's soaked. How exactly am I supposed to cover you with this?" Showing the blazer in his hand, he asked with a done face.
She pretended to ponder, her gaze flickering between his face and the drenched blazer in his hand. Suddenly, she seized his wrist and pressed his hand above her head, her little laughter bubbling forth.
"Alright then. Just hold your hand here so the rain doesn't reach me."
He stared at her in disbelief at her logic but sighed in resignation as he was not in the mood to argue with her about her logic, also he couldn't defeat her. And accepting his situation he continued to walk by her side, placing his hand over her head, looking forward with a bored face. However, unknowingly he was feeling a little comfort which he didn't want to accept.
Seeing him obeying her, she was smiling continuously and deliberately to tease him.
"Whatever happened today should be forgotten, remembering bad memories is harmful for health." she said, her voice light but deliberate, pausing to glance at him, who was silent. "Holding onto bitter memories isn't good for us anyway."
A beat passed before she continued, shifting tone. "Though at this point, we've been soaked for so long that we'll definitely catch colds." She chuckled weakly, nudging him subtly—still no response.
Then, softer now, hesitant: "Well... Listen… I have a modelling competition in a few days….Will you come?" Her hopeful eyes lingered on the sharp line of his jaw, expecting a positive answer.
"No!" His straightforward response cut through the rain, snapping her back to reality.
They continued to walk in silence through the deserted street, nothing but the drumming of rain and the howl of wind between them. Yet, true to form, she couldn't stay quiet for long.
"Hey," she ventured, nudging him with her elbow, "ever tried eating ramen with tea?"
●◇◇◇◇◇◇●