“…It’s not like we’re friends.”
Theo spoke bluntly until the end.
“Someday, you’ll say that I’m your friend.”
I spoke with confidence.
“Strange.”
“Huh?”
“It’s gotten weird. You-.”
Theo said while looking at me like that.
‘Did he notice that my personality has changed?’
“In the past, you used to be a little more…”
I felt like my back was sweating.
I hurriedly gave Theo the sausage in my bowl and glossed over.
“Wow! It looks delicious. Hurry up and eat a lot!”
“…”
Theo closed his mouth with a dissatisfied face.
After breakfast, we spent time in a sunny place like the other children.
It was because I wanted to give Theo a new experience, who typically hid from the sight of the other children.
In fact, I thought he would refuse coldly again this time, but Theo surprisingly followed me as I had wanted.
Looking at Theo, I couldn’t hide my pride, recalling all the books I’ve read so far.
Yes, there are no bad cats in the world, and all animals are great!
Tuk-
“Do you want to die?”
“Uh… Oh, no!”
…We still have a long way to go.
I rushed to Theo, who was grabbing the collar of a child whose shoulders bumped accidentally.
“Theo! No! You can’t do that!”
It was after the kid dropped the pink ball in his hand out of fear.
“But you…”
The desperate cries of the trembling child could be heard.
“It’s a mistake! I swear it was a mistake!”
“Theo!”
I looked Theo in the eye and called his name. Fortunately,I could see Theo’s hand losing strength.
The child caught by Theo was busy running away.
I sighed as I saw the child who had disappeared without sparing any time to talk.
Did I intervene too quickly?
I grasped Theo’s hand and took a step to a deserted place.
Theo, alone with me, had a softer expression than before.
By the way, this was why it seemed like you were a really fierce animal.
“Theo, why did you grab him by the collar all of a sudden?”
“…He was trying to bother you again…”
Theo couldn’t finish his speech and kept his mouth shut. To cover his red face, he roughly brushed his hair down to hide his embarrassment.
I stared blankly at Theo.
What did he just say?
Theo was worried about me right now? That must be why he was sensitive to a child who bumped into him, right?
“Theo…”
I covered my mouth with my hands and teared up.
You strongly insisted that we weren’t friends. Were you thinking otherwise inside your heart?
“…what? W-why are you looking at me like that?”
I immediately hugged Theo, who was slowly inching back.
“It’s okay! You don’t have to say it. It’s my fault that I couldn’t understand your heart!”
“What’s wrong with you!?”
“I understood your intentions to protect me. Gosh, I was a fool!”
“Stop saying creepy things and get away from me!”
In the end, I finally came to my senses after being pushed away from him.
Oh, right. I was too immersed without realizing it.
I awkwardly took a step back. Now, Theo seemed to feel a bit more friendlier.
By the way, if Theo growls at other children in this way, strange rumors will spread even further.
I hinted at Theo.
“But really, Theo. Thank you for trying to protect me, but why don’t you stop treating the other children so harshly?”
“…”
“I’m not saying you’re bad at all because there were times you needed to act like that. But it’s different now. I’m next to you.”
I stroked the wound on Theo’s forehead with my finger.
“So let’s get rid of those rumors ourselves.”
“Do you want me to be nice?”
“That’s not true. Theo, you’re still a good kid. I just don’t want you to be misunderstood and I don’t want to see you get hurt anymore.”
Theo seemed lost in thought for a moment.
Feeling conflicted, I held Theo’s hand tightly.
“Alright.”
My heart was overwhelmed by Theo’s answer after a long pause.
As expected, Theo was not like an irrevocable villain.
“Really? Really!? I’m so happy right now!”
I jumped on the spot clutching Theo’s hand. I could then see Theo’s mouth moving very slightly, as if it were going up.
“If you want.”
I was about to swell up with hope and fly into the sky.
But the laughter unfortunately didn’t last long.
“Like this. Pull the corners of your mouth and smile.””
“…Like this?
“…”
It was because I faced a real murderous smile.
‘I’m doomed. It’s such a fierce smile…’
How can this happen?
I looked at Theo, giving him a stiff smile.
No, I even thought about whether it would be okay to describe that as a smile.
Theo essentially always had a cold look on his face.
His usual expression was blank with no emotions.
But if he just opened his eyes wide and moved his mouth there…
‘I can’t let you go because you’d seem like a real villain.’
I had to think about what to say to Theo for a long time.
“Theo, why don’t you relax your eyes?”
Now Theo’s eyes were so wide open that he looked like a person engulfed in madness.
“Relax my eyes?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll give it a try.”
Theo obediently followed me.
And showed me a second smile, full of determination.
“…”
“…”
Oh, no. I didn’t mean that you should close them.
When Theo relaxed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth, a rotten smile as if he were laughing at the uncivilized was revealed.
“What should I do?”
I grabbed Theo’s shoulder and screamed.
There was no hope as it was. With that smile, Theo would have been perceived as a scary child.
“…”
Theo glanced at me.
I felt guilty because his eyes seemed to be asking, ‘Is it that bad?’
Was my reaction too much?
Then, Theo’s long bangs suddenly clouded my view.
Dark black hair that covered his eyes.
Then a good idea came to my mind as if lightning struck me.
I suddenly asked Theo out loud.
“Theo! Do you trust me?”
“…”
The bewildered eyes glanced at me. It felt like he couldn’t tell what I was thinking.
Nevertheless, Theo nodded slightly without asking anything.
I smiled broadly and led Theo by his hand. It was an opportunity to change Theo’s image.
“Then let’s go!”
We entered the empty lounge. I had Theo sit in a chair and placed a handkerchief around his neck.
It was an emergency measure because there was no big fabric available to use now.
“What are you planning to do?”
Theo, who sat calmly watching me, asked as if his curiosity had reached its limit.
I secretly captured the cute Theo in my eyes and held the scissors.
“If I organize these long bangs, your impression will drastically transform. It’ll also be comfortable for you because your hair won’t block your eyes.”
“…”
“Yeah, I know. I’m sure I can’t cut it properly. But no matter what happens, wouldn’t it be better than your hair now?”
I smiled brightly and gently shut Theo’s eyes, which were full of distrust, with my palm.
To be honest, this is the first time I have personally cut someone’s hair, but I decided to take this fact to the grave.
I gingerly brushed his hair.
At the same time, Theo’s face, which I saw closely, was still naturally handsome as I had seen before.
It was upsetting that his hair had been concealing his beauty.
“How could you hide this pretty face? This is a national loss.”
“…”
I gripped the scissors with my nervous hand and drew closer to Theo’s hair.
I can faintly remember going to the hair salon and seeing others getting their haircut.
I started to poorly snip away his hair.
Theo’s black hair was seen being cut off with a crackling sound.
“Close your eyes.”
As Theo’s bangs were cut off, his neat features were becoming clearer and clearer.
“It’s done!”
I shouted, pretending to wipe the sweat off my forehead that didn’t even flow.
Then Theo’s closed eyes gradually opened.
“You really seem like a different person.”
I stared blankly at Theo’s face as if possessed.
The sparkling red eyes seen through the dense eyelashes seemed to captivate me.
Black hair, which has always been viewed unfavourably, harmonized with Theo’s cold features, making his appearance stand out even more.
He was so handsome even when he was a very young kid, but I couldn’t imagine what it would be like when he grew up.
“Is it weird?”
Theo raised his hand and fiddled with his hair. It seemed frustrating not being able to look in the mirror.
“What do you mean weird? Such nonsense.”
I grabbed Theo’s shoulder and spoke resolutely.