Hannah, hiding on the side, exchanged exaggerated winks with me. I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing.Colin spoke tersely to Jasmine, not yielding an inch. He treated her with icy politeness, never saying a kind word to her throughout their conversation.Felix, now a seasoned expert at detecting schemes, subtly collaborated with Colin. It angered Jasmine so much that she abruptly ended the call, citing a meeting.Once the call ended, the atmosphere in the small cabin grew tense. Hannah held my hand while Felix watched me carefully. He wanted to say something but ultimately just pursed his lips and asked dryly if I was okay.Of course, I was fine. I had thought I would spend New Year's Eve alone, but seeing Colin alive and well was more precious than any present.It was as if a lifelong wish had suddenly come true. With such joy flowing through me, there was no way I could be anything but okay."It's good that you're okay. Colin went through a lot of trouble for this," Felix
I heard that a cultural platform adapted one of the romantic stories into an audio drama, which became an instant hit. The author personally sought me out and insisted on sharing a portion of the royalties, saying that without my painting, she wouldn't have found the inspiration to write such a touching love story.My classmates coined a term for this phenomenon, calling it the "Luna Effect".Of course, all of this happened later. When I submitted Colin's portrait as a class assignment, I never expected it to receive such an overwhelming response or that so many people would love it. It was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.After finals, winter break began. Zara and I packed our bags and headed back to Southsville together. I was on winter break while Zara was using her accumulated vacation days.Through her own efforts, Zara successfully obtained a permanent position and became a full-fledged police officer. Her innate sense of justice and agile abilities had finally found t
Breakfast was incredibly sumptuous, with all my favorite foods on the table. Dad had gone to the bakery downstairs to buy my favorite bread rolls and doughnuts while Mom made some oatmeal. She even added a spoonful of white sugar to my bowl, making it wonderfully sweet and soft.As I ate, I couldn't help but think that home was the best. Even the oatmeal was so delicious that I wanted to swallow the whole bowl in one go.Naturally, my thoughts drifted to Colin. We had shared countless breakfasts together, and his favorite was always oatmeal. He would always order a large bowl, saying a small one was never enough.Mom's oatmeal was exceptional, far tastier than any breakfast shop's version. It was a pity Colin hadn't had the chance to taste it. The thought of Colin made my eyes sting, and I felt like crying. But to avoid worrying my parents, I held back my tears and quickly lowered my head, focusing on eating my oatmeal."You arrived home at five, right? It was still dark then, wa
In the future, when all of this was over, I promised myself that Colin and I would take good care of my parents.This winter break had been relatively uneventful for me. Aside from my parents, I didn't want to see anyone or go anywhere. I spent most of my days lounging at home, focusing on my comics. Occasionally, I would call Nico to check on the progress of our experiments.Since Nico's house was near Jesselton College, he was left to handle everything in the lab during my time at home. Despite being on his own, he worked with complete dedication and never once complained.As I settled back into the familiarity of my childhood home, long-forgotten memories resurfaced with newfound clarity. It dawned on me that, throughout my early years, Colin had always been a constant presence. His love and companionship were significantly more profound than Felix's.Colin had always indulged me, showering me with kindness and leaving the best of everything for me to enjoy. He would save whol
When Aunt Mel saw that I repeatedly refused to visit, she finally broke down in tears and asked if I still resented her. She wanted to know what she could do to earn my forgiveness.I wasn't sure if I could ever be magnanimous enough to forgive them completely, but I knew I would eventually accept them, only because they were Colin's family. I could disregard Aunt Mel's feelings, but I couldn't ignore Colin's.Mardi Gras was approaching, and aside from the occasional social media update, Colin remained silent. I yearned for him to come back and spend the holiday with me but feared that such a rash decision might lead to irreversible consequences, leaving his debt of gratitude unpaid.My anxiety grew with each passing day.On sleepless nights, I would hug the little backpack Colin had given me, stroking it as I closed my eyes and reminisced about our times together. Eventually, those memories would lull me to sleep. More than a decade had passed, and the backpack was no longer in
Dad emptied a whole case of beer during the dinner. He got so drunk he started talking nonsense and insisted on drinking more. Mom had to force him onto the bed and lull him to sleep. It seemed that Mom had practiced her soothing skills on Dad before she used them on me. After dinner, I intended to watch Mardi Gras with Mom, but Dad was too irritating. He kept calling for Mom incessantly. When she didn't respond, he came out with bloodshot eyes to grab her. Mom gave me an apologetic look and blushed as Dad dragged her into the bedroom. The door slammed shut, shutting me out of their world.It all made sense now. I was an accident, and they were the ones meant to be.Watching Mardi Gras alone was pointless, and I wasn't in the mood for it now that Mom wasn't watching with me. Since my parents had gone to their room, I no longer had a reason to keep watching. I tidied up the living room and went to my room. After showering, I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.Bursts of la
"You sleep like a baby. I want to devour you." Colin's husky, magnetic voice murmured in my ear. I could hear the eagerness and restraint in his tone. I could even feel the warmth of his breath on the back of my ear. The crisp scent filled my nose. It felt so real, as if he was right beside me. I reached out and hugged him with all my strength. Then, I thought to myself that this dream felt too real, more real than any before. It was too good to be true.I yearned so desperately for Colin's embrace. We didn't have to do anything; I just wanted to hold him like this. Pressing against his chest, I wanted to listen to his strong heartbeat and inhale his crisp pine scent. That would be enough.Even in the dream, I knew that I was asleep. Everything before my eyes was a beautiful dream, but it felt so real as if Colin was right next to me. It was as if all I needed to do was to open my eyes to see him.So, I tried hard to open my eyes to confirm that this dreamlike scene was real
So, where did this thing on my neck come from?I quickly felt up my neck and found a small flower on a chain. The uneven texture left me utterly shocked.Emotions surged as I nervously caressed the chain. A suspicion formed in my mind that I could hardly believe.In my dream, Colin had placed an orchid necklace around my neck. The pendant in my hand was also a tiny orchid. So, last night wasn't just a dream!I leaped out of bed. A small square box poked into my palm when I propped myself up with my right hand. I opened it and found a set of high-quality brushes with soft, hard, and pointed bristles. Beside it lay a flat, paper box containing a very old book. The pages were worn, and even the corners were frayed, revealing an ancient paint recipe without a title page.No other words were needed. It had to be that Colin was back. His gentle calls to me in my dream were real.He had come to see me, but I had slept through it like a log, mistaking our long-awaited reunion for a mer