No human being grows up without pain.
Everyone carried wounds of their own. No matter how deep they were, scars were constantly torn open again throughout life. There were no exceptions.
That included me.
And yet, I still thought this.
Perhaps I really did not understand pain.
It was difficult for me to fathom the feelings of the girl wearing that lonely expression. Even the feelings that had made her unable to throw away an object filled with memories, yet still deny her mother’s very existence when they stood face-to-face.
Understanding was sometimes arrogance.
So I simply stood behind my lover without saying anything. Though she had clearly heard me call her name, only then did Sien move her lips with a bitter smile.
“Ian Oppa.”
“I heard.”
There was no need for a lengthy exchange.
At my brief reply, the girl continued staring down at the Cat’s-Eye Stone without even turning around.
After some time—
A small sigh escaped between her translucent lips.
“I don’t really know either…….”
A confession with its object omitted.
But there was no difficulty understanding what she meant. For now, I chose silence over an answer.
It was not really a matter I had any right…