Utter silence, not a single word exchanged throughout the journey, and absolutely no destination in mind. Bella, still profoundly shocked, walked aimlessly with her eyes red and puffy.
Beside her was Brian, who had been pondering the mastermind behind the recent event. One name, in particular, was currently on his mind—the person he believed was the culprit of this latest tragedy.
Brian shook his head, trying to momentarily push away the thoughts about the tragedy that had just occurred. His gaze fell upon Bella, who was walking listlessly.
'The girl who is usually so cheerful is silent when faced with something this sad. But I can't bear to see her like this!' Brian thought, as his hand tightly grasped Bella's palm. Feeling this, Bella briefly glanced at Brian, who was walking with his eyes fixed straight ahead.
"Haven't we walked far enough from that place? Why are you still gloomy?" Brian asked softly.
"A bad memory I almost forgot resurfaced, tearing open a hole of sorrow that I painstakingly buried," Bella confided in him.
"Are you that afraid of explosions?" Brian asked, curious.
"Very much so. An explosion instantly changed my life!" Bella revealed.
Brian felt pity hearing this. He thought about what it must be like to be the family of a victim left behind. Brian himself had already tasted the bitterness of life even before this.
"Before you experienced the silence, I experienced it before you. You are lucky to have enjoyed the warmth of affection until this age," Brian remarked. Bella looked at him briefly.
"What do you mean?" Bella was confused.
Without responding to Bella's question, Brian spotted a Starbucks that was still open. He pulled Bella by the wrist and led her inside.
They sat near the window; the night view outside served as a beautiful backdrop. A young waiter approached Brian and Bella.
"Would you like to order, sir?" the Waiter asked.
"Two glasses of Matcha," Brian requested.
"Very well, sir. Anything else?" the waiter asked him.
"No, thank you. That is enough," Brian replied.
The waiter went to prepare Brian's order. Brian attentively watched the girl in front of him, who was gazing out the window, lost in thought.
Brian exhaled heavily, feeling a sense of loneliness. For some reason, his heart longed for the cheerful Bella.
"Bella!" Bella shifted her gaze when her name was called.
"What?" she asked him.
"What is wrong with you?" Brian asked, concerned.
"I am fine," Bella answered truthfully.
"Your behavior doesn't show that you're fine!" Brian retorted.
"Why do you care now? Aren't I a troublesome girl? Why do you care?" Bella said, reminding Brian of all his previous attitudes.
Hearing this, Brian felt a pang of guilt. But hadn't Brian decided to say something very important to Bella today?
"I apologize," Brian said remorsefully. Bella turned her gaze back to Brian.
The sight in front of her made her heart warm slightly. It was funny to her, seeing Brian pinching both his ears while looking at her.
"Do you forgive me?" Brian asked her. It worked; this time, Brian managed to make Bella smile.
"What are you doing?" Bella asked softly, trying to suppress her laughter.
"I like that smile. Try to keep it that way as long as you are with me," Brian said. Bella was a little unsure about what Brian meant.
"What did you say?" Bella asked him, trying to confirm.
"We'll go home after this. You need to rest," Brian quickly changed the topic when Bella tried to ask.
Brian's sudden warmth made Bella happy. The change in his behavior was drastic, in her opinion.
When their order arrived, Brian and Bella began to enjoy their drinks. While sipping her glass of matcha, Bella suddenly remembered something; her detective instincts were kicking in.
"How did you know there was a bomb in that building?" Bella's question made Brian look at her for a moment.
"You're a detective, aren't you? Then why didn't you notice any suspicious movements there at all?" Brian asked her.
Bella was surprised to hear that. How meticulously Brian had been able to notice strange movements at the party! She was impressed by him this time.
"How did you know I'm a detective?" Bella interrogated him again.
"That's not important, is it? Finish your matcha and let's go home," Brian commanded.
"Are you a detective too?" Bella asked, curious.
"Finish it! Then go home, don't ask too many questions!" Brian insisted firmly.
"What's wrong with me wanting to know a little?" Bella asked again, feeling annoyed.
"Finish it, then go home!" Brian stubbornly repeated.
Bella sighed roughly. Soon, they both resumed enjoying their matcha.
After a long enough stay inside Starbucks, Brian and Bella decided to head home after finishing their two glasses of matcha. The trauma, the fear of the past that haunted Bella, still persisted.
It was true that the burden in her heart had slightly lifted, but she didn't know why the young man beside her was so skilled at dispelling the fear she was experiencing.
Brian glanced at the girl beside him, who was looking down as if thinking about something. His firm palm reached for Bella's hand, gripping it tightly.
The warmth was incredibly soothing for Bella. She allowed his palm to hold hers.
Many questions were swirling in her mind about the events that had just occurred, making her slightly doubtful of the young man beside her.
Various questions had been thrown out, but none of them were answered.
Negative thoughts suddenly drifted towards Brian. Was Brian a member of that heinous organization?
But if that were the case, Brian would not have let her survive. With quite strong persistence, Bella wanted to be brave enough to ask this time.
"Can I ask you a few questions?" Bella asked softly, turning to face Brian, looking at him seriously.
"Of course," Brian replied. Bella nodded, hearing his agreement.
"How did you know I was a detective? How were you so smart to notice the suspicious situation in the building just now?" Bella repeated her questions. Brian smiled faintly at Bella. This girl was apparently very persistent.
"First, I once saw your badge and your ID card. Your rank was written there. That's how I knew," Brian explained to her.
"When was that?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"When you fainted on the beach," Brian answered. Bella tried to recall the incident Brian described and remembered it.
"Second, I am the son of a Marine who is as brilliant as a detective. What my parents learned, they taught me!" Brian added.
Her suspicion vanished from her heart, but the trauma Bella felt still remained.
Her memory never strayed from the tragedy that took her family. Bella lowered her head, walking with the fear haunting her. Brian noticed, seeing the fragile girl in front of him made his heart ache.
For some reason, Brian truly wanted to see her smile right at that moment. Brian walked ahead of Bella, stood directly in front of her, and looked deeply into the fragile girl's eyes.
"Can you please stop thinking about that incident? I know you must be very scared, but it has already happened, hasn't it?" Brian said. Bella paused her steps for a moment.
"I try to forget it, but I can't," Bella replied. Brian looked sadly at the girl in front of him. His hands cupped Bella's face, directing her to look at him.
"Forget it. Do you want to live with fear all your life? Don't you want to forget it? If it is so painful for you, then why remember it? Your life path is still long; don't be a coward wallowing in grief that has already passed?" Brian delivered quite wise counsel for her that night.
Surprised to hear such wise words from the young man in front of her, Bella smiled faintly.
"Thank you for the good advice," Bella murmured softly to him.
Brian smiled faintly hearing that. He moved his hands from Bella's face and this time held Bella's soft hands.
"Thank you too. Thanks to you, I'm no longer sinking in the worst memory I experienced. You have to leave my house in five days. Bella, listen to me! When I knew there was a bomb in that building, the first person I wanted to protect was you!" Brian explained. Bella was still faithfully looking into Brian's sharp eyes, which were now staring at her.
"I don't know what's wrong with my frozen heart. Every time I'm with you, that coldness seems to vanish! Can you make it vanish every moment? I want to start moving forward in life again with that heart. Can you forget those five days that are about to end? Don't leave; stay with me! Don't you see this young man in front of you wants you so much? Can I ask for a little more mercy for me who has hurt your heart countless times? I promise there will be no more harsh words for you after this! Can you allow me to visit your heart?" Brian asked, speaking with such sincerity. Bella remained silent, listening to the continuation of his words.
"Bella, I love you. I want to open a new chapter with you!" This declaration of love was so sincere that it made Bella shed a tear. She hadn't expected it.
Brian loved her. Bella tried to release Brian's grip on her hand.
"Is this really you? Where did those sweet, touching phrases come from? What book are you reading that made you memorize those sweet sentences? The Brian I know is not like this. Please don't play games," Bella said, still not quite believing it.
Her heart was slightly doubtful of what Brian said. Brian smiled sweetly upon hearing that.
"I haven't read any book to express what's in my heart. This is me! And all the words I said flowed sincerely for you!" Brian explained to her.
"Is this a joke? Or are you just trying to tease me?" Bella asked again, making sure. Brian released his grip on Bella's hands. His two palms raised and playfully pinched her cheeks. Brian smiled after doing that.
"Yes, this is a joke from me to you if you want to see it that way! But know that even my frozen heart is tired of holding on to its principles because of you. Don't underestimate what I revealed to you today, remember that! I don't need an answer from you now. I will wait until you turn around yourself and tell me that you love me too!" Brian told her gently.
It was the first time Bella saw a sincere smile on Brian's face. The handsome young man, who had no color in his life, was now smiling directly at her.
Her heart trembled seeing that smile. It was sweet, so sincere, a smile she had never seen before.
Bella was captivated, staring at the young man in front of her. Sweet words had just been expressed by Brian to her; the stormy demeanor seemed to have vanished from Brian.
"Don't stare at me for too long. Don't let yourself be enchanted by my captivating charisma," Brian joked while ruffling the top of Bella's head. Brian turned, leaving Bella who was still stunned by his words.
Bella tried to normalize her feelings. Comfort was always present whenever Brian was with her. When the young man was far from her sight, a longing always haunted her heart; she didn't want him to be far from her. Bella tried to understand that feeling, not knowing when this had started happening to her.
"Stupid, why didn't I think of it?" Bella murmured, her eyes fixed on the young man in front of her who was walking nonchalantly, no longer looking back—the young man who had just knocked on her heart.
She ran to catch up with him. Just as the distance between them closed, her arms wrapped tightly around the young man from behind.
Brian stopped, feeling the weight behind his body. A warm, incredibly soothing embrace from a girl he loved so much.
"Strangely, I feel the same because of you!" Bella revealed. His sweet smile returned to Brian's face. He turned to face Bella, who was also looking at him gently.
"Tell me, do you love me too?" Brian asked. Bella nodded upon hearing that.
"I want a real answer, not a gesture." Bella let out a rough sigh.
"Yes, I love you," Bella answered with conviction.
"One more time!" Brian requested with his warm gaze. Bella gave him a smile and then said,
"I love..." the sweet sentence was cut short when Brian pulled her into his warm embrace.
Bella was momentarily surprised but soon made herself comfortable in the hug.
"Thank you, Bella," Brian murmured softly. Bella nodded. Not long after, she pulled her body away from Brian.
"Can I ask a question?" Bella asked him. Brian nodded in response to Bella's question.
"From our first meeting until now, you've never told me your name. Can you tell me now?" Bella asked him. Brian smiled briefly upon hearing that. However, his identity still had to be kept secret, even from the girl he loved.
"Just call me Nico! More precisely, Nicolas!" Brian said. Bella nodded upon hearing that.
"Alright, Nic, let's start a new chapter," Bella said. The smile did not fade even a little from Brian's face; he was so happy.