So, I climbed on top of him and put my finger between his tightly closed lips.

As he often did, I gently inserted my finger and cautiously explored, letting my tongue glide over every crevice, savoring the warmth and moisture. If only my kisses had the power to heal his wounds, I would gladly seal my lips with his for eternity.

It was nothing. The reason I live now, and the reason I can be happy, was all thanks to Lucian.

I thought I possessed the webtoon, but everything came to mind. I recalled the memories I had completely forgotten.

Following Sihoo fell down the stairs, my adoptive parents presented me with dissolution papers. I desperately wished to avoid such a dissolution. Although my affection for my adoptive parents had waned unexpectedly, I couldn’t bear the thought of becoming a stranger to Sihoo.

I shouldn’t say that.

Why did those words escape my lips? Why did I inadvertently cause my brother to perilously tumble down the stairs?

Even amidst my overwhelming remorse and regrets, my adoptive parents remained steadfast in their decision. I attempted to cry and desperately cling to them, hoping to change their minds, but they insisted on proceeding with the dissolution agreement, fearing the scandal that would arise if we were to go to trial.

“If you feel sorry for Sihoo, then you shouldn’t do this. He got hurt because of you, so he got traumatized. He can’t live with you in the same house. But are you still going to stay here with your own greed?”

“Th, then…. I’ll go out and live somewhere and it will be fine. The dissolution please…”

My adoptive mother whispered to me, who wanted to avoid the dissolution somehow.

“So, let’s do this. Let’s just go with the dissolution for the time being, how about that?”

“…What? What do you mean by that?”

“Honestly, we don’t want to do this either, but Sihoo is very anxious and that’s why we are doing the dissolution. How did we get you? Did you think adoption is easy? And a lot of money went into feeding, caring, and raising you. Raising a child isn’t easy. You will know when you have a child.”

My adoptive father, who until then had crossed his arms and had a stern expression, intervened.

“Wherever you live, don’t worry. We still have a relationship with you, so will we kick you out with nothing on? We’ll support you with a studio apartment, the tuition you need until you graduate from college, and all of your living expenses.”

“Father…”

“We also endured a lot, so let’s be human first, huh? Next time, we will look at each other with a good face again.”

“Yes, Hyeyoung. Dad is right. You live a little more comfortably, and we will live a little more comfortably, too.”

I simply blinked in confusion as I listened to their words, unable to comprehend their meaning. Deep down, I didn’t want to acknowledge my lack of understanding. Yet, as their subsequent words unfolded, I found myself with no other option but to acquiesce to their desire for dissolution.

“At least until Shihoo graduates from college, huh? At that time, Sihoo is also an adult, so it will be okay. Then, we can adopt you again.”

Feeling burdened by a sense of indebtedness, I had no other option but to personally submit the dissolution paperwork, with only Sihoo’s name on it. The process of dissolution turned out to be simpler than anticipated, and without ever catching a glimpse of my brother’s face, I was abruptly thrust back into the world as an orphan.

Three years had elapsed since the dissolution took place.

I patiently awaited any form of contact, dedicating myself to my studies and even experiencing my first relationship, albeit one that ended poorly.

They told me to wait, and so I did.

However, it turned out that three more years would pass before Sihoo would graduate from college. The thought of spending such a considerable amount of time alone, with the sole purpose of reuniting with him, left me feeling anxious. Nevertheless, I resolved to endure and persevere.

Little did I know, it was all my misunderstanding.

I was oblivious to the fact that I was losing my memory or that I was unconsciously willing to self-destruct. In the end, the world did not unfold according to my desires. If God truly existed, it seemed evident that I was not favored.

That was when I encountered the woman next door, whom I had frequently glimpsed during my time in the old house.

By chance, our paths crossed, and upon laying eyes on me, she became enraged.

“They raised you with such affection, how dare you not show your face at the funeral?”

“…What?”

My soul felt as if it was destroyed experience by the unknown feeling.

“Even if you have been disowned! Still, there is a bond for having raised you! How can you be so cold?”

“What are you saying…”

The lady who looked at me with a strange face as I could not understand the conversation soon brought up the main topic.

“Sihoo’s family, don’t you know that happened?”

…What could have happened?

However, sensing that her tone was not good, so I hurriedly grabbed the aunt’s wrist.

“…What are you talking about?”

“Oh my, what to do. You didn’t know? Oh my, what should I do?”

“What are you talking about earlier? Tell me properly…”

As an irritating tone came out without my knowledge, the old lady stuttered with a very embarrassed face.

“Sihoo’s family got into a plane crash… you really don’t know? At the funeral, Sihoo’s father’s brother took charge of the funeral.”

“…What about after Sihoo?”

“…Oh my, Hyeyoung. Did you really not know?”

The response I received was completely unexpected, yet it felt strangely familiar as if I had already known the answer deep down. My legs grew weak, and I struggled to maintain my balance. As my body started to crumble, the woman next door grew frantic and let out a panicked scream.

The younger brother I had waited for tirelessly had already left for a place beyond my reach.

….A plane crash.

What were the odds of a plane crash?

They told me to wait.

They promised to take me back into the family.

After living together for over a decade, I was unaware of the funerals of the family members I once lived with because my name was never registered as part of the family. Nobody informed me. Not even my uncle, whom I had encountered a few times in the past, would have considered contacting me.

It was only so belatedly that I was able to go see Sihoo. Overwhelmed with grief, I broke down in front of my younger brother, now reduced to a small seedling, and on the way back, I threw myself away.

Born an orphan, I died an orphan.

I didn’t know exactly how I died, but I seemed to have felt that this was my last breath.

Now, instead of the chilling exhalation I experienced back then, I found myself exhaling warm breath onto Lucian.

With urgency, I nearly tore off his damp shirt to examine each wound on his body. My eyes welled up with heat as I surveyed the areas where the blood had pooled most intensely. At the same time, an unbearable fury surged within me at the realization that Cassandra had hurt my person. I should have caught her sooner…

Grit.

If Lucian had been conscious, his grip on my chin would have tightened as he clenched his teeth. Undeterred, I slipped my tongue between his parted lips.

As I shared my breath and saliva with him, I examined the wound with my own eyes. Seeing the healing process unfold before me, fragments of a dream resurfaced in my mind. It became evident that there was a connection between this phenomenon and the act of breathing.

I had witnessed Lucian’s wounds heal in less than a day before.

Initially, I attributed it to the effectiveness of a potent ointment, but it wasn’t the case.

Come to think of it, he used to kiss me whenever he was hurt.

Feeling that something had finally become clear, I breathed more fervently between his lips, yearning for his wounds to mend. After confirming that the wound had fully closed, I gently touched the tip of his smooth nose with my fingertip.

Only when I saw the steady rise and fall of his chest, breathing in harmony, could I finally exhale a sigh of relief.

“Haa, Lucian…”

I refuse to lose my loved one again. If it weren’t for my adoptive parents, Sihoo wouldn’t have met such an untimely end.

I hate the greed of adults.

It seems my adoptive parents deliberately instructed me to wait, only to then choose to relocate, making it difficult for me to find them.

D*mn fate.

They dangled the promise of happiness before me, only to snatch it away… but this time, I would never give up.

“It doesn’t mean that you will come back.”

If so, I will grab God who had been waiting for me. If you dared to hurt my Lucian like this.
In that case, I would seize God, who has been awaiting my arrival.

If you dared to harm my Lucian like this…

Those eyes that gazed at me are etched in my memory. Although I initially thought they belonged to Cassandra, the intense gaze carried an underlying concern. The eyes were filled with desperate worry, fearing that I might never return.

“Cassandra… If it doesn’t work in my dream, I have no choice but to go find you myself.”

…We would have to wait and see if you can run away like that in real life.

With great effort, I pulled Lucian’s body and emerged from the subspace. Despite my hands being drenched in sweat, causing him to slip from my grasp, I refused to give up.

How could I give up?

He was my person.

Mine!

I could never let go of what came into my hands.

I managed to place him on the bed and took a moment to catch my breath. Kneeling beside him, I gazed at his tranquil breaths and rested my forehead upon his hard chest.

“I like you, Luci.”

Holding his arms tightly with both hands, I confessed to him in a harsh voice that came in from deep.

“I love you, I love you so much. I love you so much I think I’m going crazy.”

If I had to tell him about my heart, the only way was to confess. No other words could cope with my mind, only one word could express my heart.

“I love you, Luci.”

Hurriedly got up from my seat after speaking earnestly and kissing him deeply on the forehead, I went out to the balcony and put my lips to the black barrier that was still blocking it like a glass screen, and exhaled.

…Please, I hope it worked the way I wanted.

“Ha…”

When I let out a deep breath, fogging the glass window, the black barrier shuddered for a moment.

I put my lips and fingers together and gave a powerful whistle against the view outside. Every time the barrier moved, even for a moment, with my feeble power, I continued to earnestly call Oscar and Damian.

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