He's not the boy I knew… I whispered.
And yet… maybe he's still the one who knows me best.
Sleep eventually found me, heavy and dreamless. But even as I drifted off, one thought lingered, sharp and insistent:
That smile… it wasn't for anyone else. It was for me, really?
---------------------------------------------------------------
After crying until my chest hurt the previous evening, I had left the Christmas event without informing anyone. I went straight home, locked myself in my room, and fell asleep with a thousand heavy thoughts pressing against my mind.
By morning, I had already decided to pretend that nothing had happened.
I was sitting at the dining table while my family had breakfast. The clinking of spoons against plates filled the silence, but I could still hear the echo of last night in my head.
Then my brother looked up.
"Viara, where were you when the event started?"
I kept my expression calm.
"I was tired, so I came back early."
My mother frowned slightly.
"Did something happen?"
The concern on her face made my throat tighten for a moment.
Tara leaned forward.
"What happened?"
I placed my cup down slowly.
"I saw Elvric at the event. I didn't talk to him, but I heard him speaking to one of my friends."
"What did he say?"
I inhaled quietly.
"He said he likes me and wants to date me. He said he regrets what happened and knows that I suffered because of him. I also heard that Jessica proposed to him, but he rejected her because he already liked someone."
The table fell silent.
Xavier was the first to speak.
"Honestly, I don't think he was completely wrong. Most of what happened in the last six months was because of Jessica."
Something inside me snapped.
"And why should I think like that?"
My voice came out sharper than I intended.
"Did I ever tell Jessica that I liked Elvric? Did Elvric ever tell her that he liked me? No. But she convinced herself that he did and made my life miserable for six months. And where was he while all of that was happening?"
I looked at each of them.
"If he knew what was going on, why didn't he come forward? Why didn't he explain anything? Why should I trust someone who couldn't stand beside me when I needed him?"
My fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"I don't think I can give him a chance. So stop this topic here. Right now."
Without waiting for another response, I stood up and went to my room.
After getting ready, I left for my jewelry designing class.
The studio smelled of metal polish and fresh paper. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, reflecting off unfinished silver pieces arranged on the worktables.
I tried to focus on my design sketch, but a strange sensation crawled over my skin.
Someone was watching me.
I glanced toward the glass window and saw a familiar silhouette standing outside.
Elvric.
I looked away immediately and continued working as if I hadn't noticed him.
If he wanted my attention, he wasn't going to get it.
When class ended, I went to a nearby café to clear my mind.
The café was warm and quiet, decorated with fairy lights left over from Christmas. Soft jazz played in the background.
I chose a corner seat.
"Excuse me, one cold coffee, please."
The waiter nodded and disappeared.
A few minutes later, he returned and placed the glass in front of me.
"Please enjoy your coffee, ma'am."
"Okay."
I thought he was simply being polite, but when I looked down at the foam, my expression hardened.
Written carefully across the top of the coffee was a single word.
SORRY
I let out a quiet sigh.
Without looking around, I picked up the spoon, scooped the word away, and stirred it into the coffee until it disappeared.
Then I drank it in silence.
When I finished, I took my bag and walked to the counter to pay.
I didn't look at the waiter.
I didn't look at anyone.
Because I already knew who had arranged it.
As soon as I stepped outside, a voice came from behind me.
"Sorry."
I kept walking.
"Viara, listen to me. It wasn't my fault."
I said nothing.
"Jessica came to me the next day and confessed that she liked me. I rejected her because I already liked someone."
I stopped.
For the first time, I turned my head slightly.
"I know that."
His eyes widened.
"And I also know that someone wasn't me. It was your girlfriend. So stop pretending that you like me or care about me and leave me alone."
My tone was cold enough to freeze the air between us.
"Yeah… at that time it wasn't you,"
he admitted.
"But then I found out my girlfriend was cheating on me—"
I cut him off instantly.
"So that's why you came to me."
A bitter laugh escaped me.
"Now I understand. I was wondering how a playboy suddenly became a good boy. You're disgusting, Elvric."
I turned and walked away again.
"Viara, listen to me once."
His hand caught my wrist.
I looked down at his fingers around my skin.
Then I slapped him.
The sound echoed across the quiet street.
For a second, anger flashed across his face. His grip tightened, and before I could react, he pulled me with him.
"Leave me! You're hurting me!"
The moment those words left my mouth, his grip loosened.
He stopped.
And only then did I realize where we were.
It was a hidden garden.
Rows of roses bloomed in every shade imaginable. A fountain stood in the center, its water catching the late afternoon light. A white swing moved gently in the breeze. In one corner was a cozy seating area covered with vines and warm string lights.
The place looked like something from a dream.
I stared at it despite myself.
"This is my favorite place,"
Elvric said quietly.
"I've never brought anyone here. Not even my ex-girlfriend."
I folded my arms.
"Why should I believe you?"
He stepped closer.
Then closer again.
I didn't move back.
I didn't flinch.
"Look into my eyes,"
he said.
"Do you think I'm lying?"
The fountain murmured behind us.
"I started liking you when I was spending time with you. I stopped talking to your group because my father told me to. I thought it would be wrong to cheat on my girlfriend, and I wasn't even sure about my feelings."
His voice grew lower.
"When I found out she was cheating, I was angry. I thought every girl would be like her. But no matter what I did, I couldn't get you out of my mind."
He looked directly at me.
"Do you still think I'm lying? If you do, you can leave. But if you stay, listen to the truth about who edited that photo of you and Ash, who took it, and who sent it to everyone."
For a brief moment, I looked into his eyes.
And that was the problem.
They didn't look like the eyes of someone lying.
I swallowed.
"Okay… I…"
I exhaled slowly.
"I'm leaving."
Then I turned and walked away.
Behind me, he remained standing in the middle of the roses, staring after me in disbelief.
By the time I reached home, the sky had turned orange.
"Mom, I'm home."
I stepped inside and froze.
Rose bouquets filled the living room.
Dozens of them.
"Mom, who sent these?"
Tara answered before my mother could.
"Someone who cares about you and this family."
I walked closer and noticed a letter attached to one of the bouquets.
I read it aloud.
"Hello everyone. I'm sorry for everything that happened over the last six months. I never intended to hurt anyone, especially Viara. I hope you can forgive me. — Elvric."
My jaw tightened.
When had he done this?
He had been with me just a short while ago.
How had he arranged all of this?
My thoughts were interrupted by my mother's voice.
"Viara, what are you thinking?"
I looked around at the flowers.
"I'm thinking about where he got enough money to waste on all these bouquets… and where I can find a dustbin big enough to throw them away."
I tossed the bouquet in my hand onto the floor and turned toward my room.
Just then, my mother's phone rang.
She checked the screen.
"Oh. It's him."
I gestured for her to put the call on speaker.
She did.
"Aunty, I'm sorry for what your family went through because of me. I'm really sorry."
Elvric's voice sounded unusually subdued.
"What do you want now?"
my mother asked.
"Your forgiveness."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Because I'm calling directly and accepting my mistakes without hesitation."
I almost laughed.
He was good at this.
Too good.
"I can't forgive you until Viara's father forgives you,"
my mother replied.
"Actually, Uncle already gave me a chance. I went to him first and apologized. He said I could prove myself."
I stared at my mother in shock.
Dad had already met him?
"Then I'll also give you a chance,"
my mother said after a pause.
"Only to prove whether you're innocent."
The call ended.
My mother looked at me.
"I think he may not have done anything directly. What happened to you was wrong, but if he's genuine, maybe we should forgive him."
"I don't think so."
I went to my room and closed the door.
The evening light faded slowly through the curtains.
I sat on my bed and stared at my hands.
Is it really just a college matter?
What about my self-respect?
What about my career?
Can I forgive him?
Has he really changed?
Can I trust him?
Silence answered me.
I closed my eyes.
"Never. I'll never trust him. He's a playboy."
But another voice slipped into my thoughts.
"This is my favorite place. I've never brought anyone here. Not even my ex-girlfriend."
And then I remembered his eyes.
The way he had looked at me in that garden.
The way he had spoken without looking away.
My heart had believed him for a single dangerous second.
That was exactly why I refused to.
I opened my eyes and stared into the darkness gathering in my room.
Outside, somewhere beyond the window, the scent of roses drifted through the night.
And for the first time in six months, I hated that I could still remember the way he looked at me.
"If I knew he was telling the truth… why was I still so afraid to believe him?"