This Time, I'll Find My Own Happiness [HIATUS]

Chapter 9

I could see his eyes felt like it was shining but for a different reason.

I couldn't help but sigh and shake my head. As I lifted my body and began moving to where Klein was, I gripped his arm and led him to where we usually stayed in the past and until now.

It only changed when he met Lady Cornelia but I just couldn't help but be confused.

Why was she suddenly in that market at that time? Shouldn't she have been in a year later in that place instead? And the scenario is a bit different.

I felt like it was forced to be like that...

Shaking my head again, I led Klein beside the huge tree in our garden, and he was right, after morning came, he immediately came to my household.

I thought he would apologize for not knowing where I went yesterday, but it seemed that I was in the wrong instead. I guess I couldn't even weigh more than his true love because if I'm being honest, I'm just his childhood best friend, and there's nothing more or less in that scenario.

As if we're just some two souls finding ways to reconnect in our unforgotten past of reverie.

"Klein," I asked closing my eyes first and then opening them as I put both of my hands on his stiff shoulders. I knew that they calmed down but the look in his eyes felt like he was hiding something from me that he also wanted to reveal.

His lips tightened their way and I knew that they would always bleed whenever he did this so I couldn't help but sign and when my sight couldn't avoid such a scenario, my hand that was previously on the side of his head holding the old and hard rough body of the tree, I touched his chin.

"Can you just say the words you wanted to say instead of always hurting your lips, Klein?" I managed to utter while removing his grip on his lower lip.

I could see how his eyes widened and as usual, he would laugh it off and shove my hands away from his lips but this time his reaction was a bit different.

His cheeks reddened as if he had a fever and his bangs immediately covered his eyes.

I began to narrow my gaze again but this time, my hands started to roam over his forehead and not being able to find anything, I leaned into his shadow as if I was the one conquering him now, then after a few seconds, mine landed on the softest skin I could land.

But there was never, an overwhelming heat.

So, I took a gap between us to see his reaction and he was breathing fine, the redness on his cheeks faded but his sight was now focused on my hand.

I didn't know back then that he was already enveloping mine with the warmth I didn't know he had in him, and a swift move, he had already pulled me into his arms, and a warm nostalgia appeared like never before.

"Viona, where did things start to change?" This time I could read his voice as if he wanted us to stay the way we were, but he felt like I was the one drifting away from his grasp when there's nothing to hold to begin with.

Just like in the past, the same words I asked him but there was only silence in his response, I never knew back then that it was all about him falling in love with someone other than me.

But I couldn't possibly make him love me despite our decade of friendship because, in his eyes, we were meant to always be a sister and brother, not in any romantic way.

But because I was blinded, I didn't know this, but I've come to know only before I died, that it's all because his family died and he was all alone so he only sought me to be one of them.

To find his lost comfort.

"Klein, I think you're just imagining things, okay?" I put both of my hands on his fluffy and yet handsome face and squeezed his cheeks until I got the old Klein back.

"Viona, stop doing that----" he managed to utter nicely but I knew that he wouldn't continue doing so, that's when I knew I saw the old soul from him.

"Then let's just be honest for a while, did I change that much?"

I saw him widen his eyes and shake his head while massaging his lips. I chuckled.

"Then we're still best friends, right? Oh, and by the way, did you manage to help the lady in the market yesterday?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, didn't you feel something about her? Maybe it's already destiny that played a big part in that situation..." I said with the fakest smile I could ever give because right now, I'm about to be shattered by his words.

"Well, she seemed to be decent and everything, we managed to be friends, and you know the feeling of having these light emotions when I'm with her? I guess it's just that she reminded me of someone..." and there, I heard something snap within me, but the corners of my lips remained.

"Then, would it be possible for you to court her?" I poked the side of his chest and he chuckled.

My false hope got burned by the ashes because no matter what happened, fate had already intertwined the two, and all that I could ever have was the leftover emotions from the Lady he saved.

Even though we had ten years of friendship in the past, he remained like this whenever he would talk about Lady Cornelia and how she managed to capture his heart.

He didn't think that he would be able to break a sincere heart by doing so.

"That idea hasn't crossed my mind yet and besides, I guess refusing to eat her offered cookies from me in that situation seemed a little rude, that's why I wanted to make up to her"

"Did you want to know more about her?"

"It's not like that, but I just wanted to properly apologize for my mistake, besides, it's because of you that I hadn't had the time to eat her baked cookies"

"Why?"

"Why you asked? It's because you suddenly disappeared, and that's when I got worried and ran to your household instead, that's why you saw me waiting last night to check up on you..."

I remember it all too well when the beads of sweat descended on every corner of his face, and breathing that I hadn't seen before.

I chuckled trying to remove my shaking hands.

"All right, I guess it's my fault so tell me what can I do to make it up to you?"

"Then promise me you wouldn't take anyone as your partner to the crown prince's ball other than me..."

"Didn't you say you have already the lady as your partner?"

"Viona, when did I say that? And besides, we just met in that place and I don't feel anything other than us being potentially friends..."

"But how and why?"