A new feeling washed over me after meeting Vivian. It was as if there was something I had been putting off, and now it was time to quickly get it done. A need to experience anything as soon as possible. Well, that was the idea, in a sense.

Of course, I hoped for only good things, starting with the next day’s mealtime.

I expressed my love to my family. The sudden declaration of love caused the forks to drop from my family’s hands and tumble to the floor.

What, they were all overreacting as usual.

And only after seeing tears in my mother’s eyes, could I realize that the falling forks were not an overreaction.

Ah, my brother’s red eyes, too.

It was chaotic in many ways, but on the way to my room, I couldn’t hold back the laughter that bubbled out.

I felt good. It was a refreshing feeling. Despite having only talked about things I hadn’t been able to…..or rather, what I hadn’t done so far.

In my refreshed mind, there was one more face that came to mind. The promise that I hadn’t fulfilled yet. One more promise that needed to be made while I still had the chance.

Along the way, I called Aiden.

Aiden arrived at my room earlier than usual, and with a puzzled expression, he took his seat. I swiftly pushed the cake toward him.

“Thank you.”

Aiden greeted politely but tilted his head in confusion.

We talked a bit about the upcoming trip, which was barely a week away.

It was mostly Aiden’s nagging….about the winter lakeshore being cold, the need to dress warmly and wear a hat.

I mechanically nodded along while listening to Aiden’s lecture. When someone goes on and on nagging with a worried face, can you cut it off in the middle?

“Aiden.”

However, there’s a limit to what a person can take.

A Maginot Line. Without missing the moment when Aiden took a sip of black tea, I called his name to steer the conversation.

“Yes?”

“I won’t be having snacks anymore.”

“Snacks?”

While listening to Aiden’s story, I took a few bites of the cake. Thick, sweet cream filled my mouth. It was sweet and delicious. The only problem was that my stomach could no longer tolerate it.

Before I knew it, the first petal had bloomed, and four days had passed. It was about time for the second petal to bloom. Along with it, I felt my physical condition gradually worsening. Frequent headaches and poor digestion became noticeable.

Setting down the fork that had been wandering in the air and holding the teaspoon from the teacup, I casually spoke.

“They say eating too many sweets is bad for your health. I’m trying to take care of my body. Aiden, you should take care of your body, too.”

“…Yes.”

Aiden nodded slightly.

I felt his eyes scanning my face. I continued to stir the black tea, pretending not to notice.

Ting, ting, ting. A clear sound rang in the silence.

“And.”

“Yes?”

I stopped stirring the tea and looked at Aiden. Looking at the platinum blonde hair sparkling in the sunlight, I slowly opened my mouth.

“We had a promise, didn’t we?”

“Didn’t it just disappear a moment ago?”

…Was that a joke? But it didn’t seem like one. With such a serious tone and genuine gaze, it couldn’t be a joke.

Ha, I lightly laughed and set my teaspoon down, resting my chin on my hand.

“No, not that. The one before that.”

The promise Aiden and I made before going to the temple. The promise I was talking about now was that one.

He had decided to tell me a story, and I had decided to listen. I had momentarily forgotten about it in the midst of everything, and before I knew it, it had been more than two weeks since the promised day.

“Oh, that… promise?”

Aiden’s face instantly stiffened as he muttered softly.

“Yes, that promise. I’m ready to hear that story now.”

Just the day before yesterday, after meeting Vivian and seeing my family today, I realized I had put off things that needed to be addressed.

I needed to handle them as soon as possible.

If my condition continued to worsen even for a day, the things I could do would gradually disappear.

Another thing disappeared today too. Sweet treats.

The remaining half of the cake looked sad.

I subtly pushed my plate toward Aiden, blinking at him. It was an unspoken pressure for him to speak quickly.

* * *

Even though Aiden sensed Selena’s pressure, he couldn’t easily speak. Well, that was understandable, what he wanted to say was a confession.

Actually, Aiden hadn’t forgotten the promise. He simply avoided it, not wanting to burden the Miss who was easily shedding the fatigue of the busy days.

No, all of this might be excuses, and he might have been avoiding it alone.

Perhaps he was afraid, afraid of boldly expressing these feelings to the Miss.

Anyway, leaving such considerations aside, he was now eating cake. In front of him was a rich chocolate cake, and in front of the lady was a cake covered in mounds of whipped cream. Moreover, the lady was pushing her plate toward him.

To confess casually in a situation like this?

Aiden lowered his fork to the plate and sighed. Just thinking about confessing in this situation made his head spin.

“That is…”

“Yes, go on.”

Selena nodded firmly, urging Aiden to speak.

Aiden thought about it. Whatever it was, now was not the right time.

“I’ll tell you during our walk later.”

“During the walk? Why? You could just say it now.”

“No. I’ll tell you during the walk.”

Selena stared at Aiden intently, trying to discern the intention behind him delaying the conversation. However, she soon gave up.

He wondered what it would be like now or what it was during the walk, and Aiden felt relief seeing Selena’s shoulders relax.

From that point on, Aiden’s thoughts became incredibly complex.

He had delayed the time a bit, but it was only a few hours later. It seemed inevitable that he would confess, so he wanted to at least do it with some dignity.

So, his mind couldn’t help but be in turmoil. His worries continued.

With the short dessert time over, he promised to pick her up for their walk, and he returned to his room.

Safely in his room, picking out a stiff outfit and grooming his hair, he chose his words while looking in the mirror.

At the same time, Selena was alone in her room, writhing in agony, clutching at her chest and crawling to the full length-mirror…..until she discovered the second petal blooming on her chest.

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