Chapter 6 "The Secret in Pandora Box"

Yuri’s POV

There were times when I did not even think that my love for Chase would come true.

I liked that Chase at least felt sexually attracted to me. And I had a wrong impression that the act of pouring into me was Chase's uncontrollable passion for love.

There was enough pleasure in forcing myself to fit in with Chase’s tendency to enjoy rough relationships, and I really believed that it was the type of love I would achieve.

‘He loved me so much that’s why he could not control his rough desire,’ I was drowned into such belief.

But when Mikhail kissed me, I realized that such desperate feelings aren’t always needed to feel pleasure. And that’s why I failed to control my emotions and burst out.

It wasn’t because I felt guilty for kissing Mikhail. It was because of the realization his kiss brought me.

“W-Why…Why are you crying?” Mikhail asked as I sobbed uncontrollably.

I could not answer. Words caught in my throat.

“I am sorry,” he apologized blindly. “I must have done something wrong. Did I go too far?”

No. Mikhail did nothing wrong.

In fact, I hated myself for thinking of Chase in times like this.

Mikhail kissed me so softly, like the gentle breeze of the spring. Yet it was tragic that my body was accustomed to Chase’s rough behavior.

‘I would rather think about dying or not thinking at all if Chase would only occupy my head.’

Suddenly, suicide ran through my head again. I started to regret not dying when I fell from the cliff. That’s how Chase broke my heart and brought misery to my life.

“Please, stop crying,” Mikhail asked me, who only shed tears.

I lifted my blurry sight and saw him looking restless as if he wanted to wipe my tears but could not.

And then, rain poured down.

Pitter, patter.

The dark sky rambled, and the raindrops began to fall.

“Let’s avoid the rain first, okay?” Mikhail said, clicking his tongue. He extended his hand to me, and I accepted it.

I cuddled him, letting him take me anywhere. However, my tears did not stop flowing. It kept falling, like the heavy rain mourning along with me.

Mikhail took me to a cave nearby.

He lit a bonfire to give us warmth. Then, Mikhail sat next to me.

He did not say anything, as if he knew how complicated human emotions are.

I looked blankly at the burning flame.  

And after a while, I opened my mouth.

“My name is Yuri,” I said.

In my peripheral vision, I saw him facing my side.

“I am working many part-time jobs while waiting for ranking results for being a teacher.”

Mikhail did not reply. Even though I knew that he probably didn’t understand some of my words since this was the first time he met a human. Still, I continued.

“When I was in college, I tutored students to support my studies. And that’s when I met a man named Chase. I tutored him Monday to Friday. We got to know each other and, eventually, started dating secretly for many years. However, one day, his mom found out about our relationship and asked me to stay away from her son. Chase did not stop, though.”

I picked up a dry fig and threw it on the bonfire. Seeing the flame, I remembered how painful Chase’s mom’s slap on my face when she told me: [“What the hell do you think you're doing, you filthy slut? Trying to lure my Chase into your bed? Over my dead body will you ever see money from my son's wallet!”]

Her slap and her words burned me like a flame. She taught me my position and that Chase and I will never stand in the same league.

As I hugged my knees, I continued telling Mikhail my story, “When Chase continued our relationship, I thought taking the risk was worth it. And soon, we can get married and be happy forever. However…”

I cast a gaze at Mikhail.

“Chase will marry another woman.”

Mikhail furrowed his brows as if he could understand what marriage was.

“When I asked him why he’s going to marry another woman, do you know what Chase told me?”

["This is my parents' will, but let me assure you, Yuri, that my love for you remains here in my heart. This is purely a business decision. Even if I were to marry that woman, you will always be the only woman for me."]

Recalling his answer, my fingers curled tightly into my fists.

I recounted, "He proposed that I become his second woman- a mistress who would be forced to live in secrecy and shame, unable to stand by his side with dignity, and despised by all.

His love was like that. A love that is not worth the risk.

"I rejected him," I said. "Despite my deep love for him, I could not fathom a life of such deceit. And yet, here I am, left with this unbearable pain." 

And I even tried to kill myself just because of him. Yes, that’s how weak I was when it came to Chase.

“I could not understand everything,” Mikhail finally spoke.

Amidst the subdued illumination, where solely the flickering flames of the bonfire illuminated the surroundings, we gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

“But I understood some parts. That he is a bad man who hurts you and does not deserve to have you, Yuri.”

When he called me my name, there was a tingling feeling ticking inside me.

“You can understand humans well, could you?” I asked, chuckling.

“Humans aren’t the only ones with emotions,” he said. “If you look around, animals act based on their instinct. But a Mother bird won’t protect her baby bird if it has no emotions. That goes the same for me.”

It was a surprise for me that he used animals as examples to show that he has human emotions. And that piqued my curiosity even more.  

“Then, what are you?” I asked.

“…”

He pursed his lips as if sealing the secret inside the Pandora box.

“What are you, Mikhail?”

His eyes fluttered gently. He lowered his gaze, and when those beautiful eyes looked at me, his lips parted, unsealing the secret of this Hidden Greenery.

“I am a werewolf.”