Despite Ellen's outright rejection, Bastian began to feel a little relieved, as this was better than leaving their relationship status unclear. Ultimately, Bastian chose to back down rather than become more aggressive, which would make Ellen even more uncomfortable. He placed the navy blue box in a white paper bag and then held it away from his friend.
Bastian continued to smile warmly at his friend to show he was okay. He sipped the orange juice he had bought while gazing at the nearby fountain.
"Thank you for being honest with me, Ellen. This way, I finally know that I was rejected outright."
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
"It's okay. I'd be more offended if you didn't tell me the truth." Her eyes fell on the white paper bag beside her. "You don't even want to accept my gift now."
"Actually, I've become this successful thanks to you, Bastian. If I hadn't saved you back then, I definitely wouldn't have been so enthusiastic about learning martial arts."
