For Your Failed Unrequited Love

ous eyes.
Noel’s face turned pale at once.
He closed his mouth and crept his hips close to the wall.

There was a momentary silence in the carriage.
After that, Noel didn’t even smile until the carriage stopped.

* * *

Not long afterwards, the carriage arrived in central Bethel.
The town close to the academy was also large, but it was not comparable to Bethel.
There were a lot of people walking by.

Noel got out of the carriage first on the crowded road.
He reached out to Lucy, who was about to follow him.
But before Lucy could hold it, another hand popped out from behind.
The big, tendon-like hand grabbed Noel’s smooth hand without hesitation.

Noel, who was suddenly escorting Felix, gave him a stern look.

“Oh, what is this? Ahhhhhhh”

Suddenly he screamed.
As soon as Felix let go of his hand, he clasped his red hand and stamped his foot in his seat.
Lucy saw Felix approaching Noel who’s in pain and whispering quietly in his ear.
But despite his covert appearance, his growling voice was clearly audible to Lucy’s ears.

“Don’t mess with me.”

Felix, who turned around leaving a warning, hesitated for a moment.
Then he approached the carriage and reached out to Lucy instead of Noel.
Lucy stood at the door and looked down at the hand.

“Uh…….”

Lucy hesitated.

Although decorated like a servant, Felix Berg was Felix Berg.
Someone who can leave her world at any time and return to his original world.

She hesitated to hold his hand.
The moment she held that hand, it seemed like it would start again.
That torture-like expectation that makes your heart flutter.

She thought she shouldn’t be swayed by him anymore.

Lucy drew her gaze from his hand and stepped down to the ground alone.

“……Noel and I will go separately to the botanical garden.
We’d better say goodbye here.”

Felix looked hurt for a moment as if he didn’t expect Lucy to say that.
He dropped his hand in disappointment.

He didn’t want to show it, but Lucy, who saw it, felt heartbroken.
But soon she turned away from him, bracing herself.
Even if he was offended, she had to cut it out coldly.

Otherwise, one day, he and she will both be badly hurt.
It’s a huge scar that can’t be compared to the pain he just had.

“Let’s go, Noel.”

Lucy hurried to her feet and said, before she could get any weaker.
Noel followed her with a surprised look.

“Oh, my sunbae.
You must have had it hard.
Indeed, there are many childish pride fights at the beginning of a relationship.
You don’t want to fight anymore, but you don’t want to bend down first.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Anyway, you’re doing great.”

Noel laughed amusedly as he spewed out vague words.

After a while, looking back, he whispered to Lucy.

“He’s following us from behind.
I thought he would take care of his pride first because he’s a precious young man.
He’s a bit lame.”

Lucy looked back at his words and saw Felix following them from behind a few steps away.

“But don’t look at him.
The person who pays attention first loses.
You know that, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

Lucy thumbed aside Noel’s words and continued to walk ahead.
However, she was very concerned about the presence of Felix, who was following them from behind.

It was fortunate that the Bethel Botanical Garden appeared after a short walk.
Lucy, who had been walking all along caring about Felix, was distracted by the beautiful and huge architecture in an instant.

A huge greenhouse rose high as if supporting the sky.
Unlike the colorful scenery on the street, there was a green world in the greenhouse like only midsummer vegetation.

“Wow, it’s like a different world here.”

“Right? You’re glad you came, right?”

Noel responded to Lucy’s bewitched remarks like a child who wanted to be praised.

They went to the ticket office located at the entrance of the botanical garden.
As Lucy and Noel approached the staff to talk, suddenly a large shadow appeared.
Felix’s back was blocking the front.
Lucy realized he was paying the entrance fee for three people, so she tried to stop him but Noel stopped her.

“Well, let him pay.
If he wants to come with us, he has to do that.”

Then he wrapped his arms around Lucy’s shoulder and took her inside.

“Wait…!”

“Pay for it, Phil!”

Noel dragged Lucy in and waved at Felix.

Felix glared at Noel, but soon paid the entrance fee without saying much.