NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65
I hurriedly squeezed next to Sharine and dashed away.
I took her to the nearest restroom.
“I should at least go buy some water.”
It seemed she didn’t even know her own drinking capacity. If she kept this up, she would suffer from a hangover tomorrow.
I went downstairs to get some water from the lodging.
Just then, I grabbed a bottle of magically preserved water.
And there, I spotted a familiar face.
“Ah.”
She recognized me and let out a short sound.
Amid her honey-blonde hair, her cheeks were slightly flushed.
A sweet scent of alcohol wafted from her, tickling my nose.
As Sharine had said, Isabel appeared to have quite a bit to drink.
‘She looks more sober than Sharine.’
In that moment, Isabel covered her face with both hands.
“Ah, well, I just drank a little to blend in with the atmosphere.”
Isabel looked deeply flustered.
From her actions, I sensed something peculiar.
‘Seems like this isn’t just a feeling of affection.’
Could it be a different type of emotion?
“Isabel.”
I tossed her the water bottle, which she caught with her hands.
“Let’s talk for a bit.”
“Uh, huh?”
Her eyes widened in surprise; she hadn’t expected me to initiate a conversation.
“Before that.”
I pointed upward.
“Let’s move the drunkard into the room first.”
We should relocate Sharine, who had turned into a dolphin in the restroom.
＊＊＊
After safely taking Sharine to the room, I walked outside to the terrace with Isabel.
The sounds of summer insects filled the air.
In the distance, the blue sea sparkled with starlight.
Swoosh—
The sound of waves carried by the wind relaxed my mood.
After soaking in the sight of the sea, I turned my head.
There stood Isabel, enjoying the summer breeze, as if the alcohol haze was starting to lift.
Dressed simply with a cardigan over her outfit, Isabel looked like a painting.
As the main heroine, she possessed stunning beauty.
Yet she didn’t meet my gaze.
To be precise, she was avoiding my eyes.
After watching her for a moment, I finally spoke.
“Isabel.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Isabel replied a beat late.
I paused briefly before asking.
“Why are you being so cautious around me?”
Isabel flinched, her shoulders twitching, wrapping her arms around herself.
It was a subconscious defensive action.
“…Cautious? Who is?”
“Just today alone, like at the beach or while drinking.”
Isabel’s lips twitched.
She seemed embarrassed that I had seen right through her.
After observing her for a moment, I leaned against the terrace railing.
“Speak up. If you have a reason, I’m willing to listen.”
“….”
Normally, she would probably turn away, but perhaps due to the alcohol, Isabel didn’t immediately turn her back.
She kept opening and closing her lips, seemingly struggling to find words.
I silently waited for her to gather her thoughts.
Finally, her lips parted just enough to say.
“…I don’t want to disappoint you.”
Disappoint?
I looked at Isabel with a puzzled expression.
Her face, now even redder than before, turned away.
The night breeze blew once again.
Golden threads floated through the starlit sky like a galaxy.
The sea’s unique scent tickled my nose.
Mixed with the scent of the sea was Isabel’s sweet fragrance and the smell of alcohol.
“…You know, I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I considered you a rival.”
She was thinking the same thing I had been.
“I dislike that you speak ill of Lucas, but I respected your mindset. Honestly, I also wanted to move forward like you.”
Alcohol seems to make people more honest.
Once the reins on her lips were released, there was no stopping her.
“But now, seeing the kids having fun like this, I wondered if this is truly right.”
Isabel wore a slightly bitter smile.
It was a kind of obsession.
The fact that Isabel was alive and was able to live again stemmed from our rivalry.
In such a situation, having fun carefree made it hard for her to accept.
“That’s just silly thinking.”
I shot back, calling out her unnecessary worries.
Isabel looked at me, slightly flustered.
“I’m having fun too, you know.”
Isabel blinked.
Right now, while she was resting.
I too was taking a break in the same resort as her.
“Isn’t that enough?”
“…Well, that’s just because I feel like I’m lagging behind.”
“I won’t be caught up just because I train another day.”
If we got down to it, I didn’t exactly feel like I was ahead either.
That was just how Isabel perceived it.
“Isabel, people need to take breaks too. I don’t know your mindset exactly, but at least you should get the chance to check if you’re on the right path.”
“….”
While pondering my words, Isabel suddenly chuckled.
Seeing me frown, she waved her hands apologetically.
“No, it’s just that, I think this is the first time you’ve treated me kindly.”
“…I was just annoyed that you were being so cautious.”
“Right, that makes sense.”
Isabel turned her gaze back to the night sea.
“…Well, you’re dating Hania, so I guess I can catch up in that gap.”
Isabel smiled with a tipsy grin.
Yet within that smile was a mix of bitterness and loneliness.
“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”
I decided to burst her bubble a little.
“Since my relationship with Hania is just a facade.”
“Huh?”
“It’s just that there are circumstances. Do you really think Hania would date me?”
While others might not know, I felt it was better to give Isabel a heads up.
If she was aiming for me, I had to remain a goal high enough that she couldn’t reach.
That way, we could continue to cultivate our rivalry in the future.
“More than anything, I’m not in a position to date anyone.”
After all, I am not Hanon.
It would be rude to say that I would date someone in this state.
Isabel blinked her big eyes at me.
After a brief silence, her expression gradually turned into a calm smile.
“I see, that makes sense.”
That smile looked, somehow, almost relieving.
My eyes slowly opened wider.
Unintentionally, I found myself opening my mouth and shutting it again.
‘This is…’
It might be easy to mistake it for love, as per Sharine.
Isabel had been in a state of psychological unease.
This had resulted from losing her place to lean on in Lucas.
I had filled that void with anger and resentment.
Isabel had endured half a semester leaning on that anger and resentment.
And within that process, she had relied on me—the object of that very anger and resentment.
I had hit the nail on the head with my thoughts of becoming the moon, taking Lucas’ place as the sun.
“Well, it seems you’re…”
But then again, unexpectedly, an outcome originated from Isabel.
There’s a term called love-hate.
A psychological state of harboring both affection and hatred.
It indicates that affection and hatred can be just a paper-thin difference.
One can find hate for an individual they once held affection for.
Conversely, one might find love for someone they originally despised.
“…It feels like you’ll stay by my side until the end.”
Feelings are that complex.
“Ah, when I say ‘staying by my side,’ I mean as in paying attention to me.”
Isabel had to rely on me psychologically.
Even if it were based on the horrific emotions of anger and resentment.
She had to rely on me to survive.
And in that process, I had deeply established my position within Isabel.
‘Inherent possessiveness and need for exclusivity in humans.’
Even feelings that were originally meant for Lucas had, before long, come to be replaced by me.
‘So when Sharine said Isabel sees me and Lucas overlapping, this is what she meant.’
Isabel was not yet completely healed.
She was merely enduring by seeing me as the overlap with Lucas.
If I were to disappoint her and leave, she would find it unbearable to face that loss again.
Thus, she had been desperately trying until now.
‘When she heard the words about my relationship with Hania.’
The anxiety Sharine sensed from Isabel wasn’t jealousy.
Regardless of whether they were lovers or just friends, it was the anxiety stemming from her worries about me lowering my interest in her.
‘When that day came, and kids questioned her about my relationship with Ban, her fiery anger might have revealed hints of her true feelings.’
Isabel’s eyes met mine again.
Her eyes sparkled with brightness.
“I think I’m talking a lot today, but I’m just a bit tipsy, so you don’t have to take it to heart.”
Was that smile genuinely bright?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there wasn’t any light in her eyes.
That said, there seemed to be no immediate way to resolve Isabel.
Honestly, I wondered if this direction was acceptable.
The questions echoed along with the sound of the waves at night.
＊＊＊
Perhaps due to Isabel’s lingering smile from last night, I had restless sleep.
“Huuuh.”
I let out a sleepy yawn as I slowly got up.
At that moment, the arm of Iris, who had been cuddling me, drooped down.
I covered her with the blanket so she wouldn’t feel cold and quietly slipped away.
On the opposite bed, Hania was sleeping with a face full of resentment.
It seemed she was quite annoyed about being deprived of her spot next to Iris.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hania ended up stabbing me out of jealousy soon.
As I stepped outside, the morning air enveloped me.
Following my usual routine, I did a light warm-up before starting to jog outside.
Now, if I skipped just one day of running, it made me feel uneasy.
As I ran along the coastline, I spotted a few others jogging with me.
Of course, everyone here were students of Jerion Academy.
Training habits were instilled in them naturally.
‘So refreshing.’
Morning runs always lifted my spirits.
The frustration from the conversation I had with Isabel last night seemed to dissipate a little.
Pat-pat—
At that moment, I heard footsteps beside me.
Someone jogging in the morning was catching up to me.
Running diligently.
I moved slightly aside to let them pass by.
However, the person did not avoid me; they continued to jog alongside me.
Realizing this, I turned my head in surprise.
There stood a boy with short black hair.
My eyes widened gradually at his face.
“Hello, it’s the first time we’ve met in person.”
He smiled brightly when he saw me.
Oh, great.
‘I had expected someone from the first prince’s side to come but never thought it would be this kid.’
The identity of the person running beside me was none other than Hanon Irey.
Not the fake one, but the real Hanon Irey.