Completely unfamiliar, yet irresistible.
This feeling left Joel at a loss. Unconsciously, his breathing quickened, and his instincts urged him to retreat, to withdraw back into his shell.
However, he couldn't help himself.
Once again, his gaze sneaked over to Clementine, carefully tracing the contours of her face—her eyebrows, her eyes, her nose, her freckles, her smile—reluctant to miss a single detail.
Before he even realized it, a faint smile had already crept onto his lips, like the first glimmer of spring breaking through the long winter, clear and bright.
Huh.
The entire apartment held its breath, eyes wide open, afraid to miss a single moment. Brains buzzing, they slowly fell along with him—
The shyness and restraint, the unease and resistance, the unfamiliarity and hesitation—all so vivid yet unable to resist the pull of instinct. The tension and trepidation in their eyes intertwined, echoing the heartbeat.
So, this is what it's like to fall in love.
Not just Joel, everyone around them fell with him, the air filled with a faint warmth and a subtle excitement that made hearts tremble.
Clementine felt it too.
Though Joel said nothing, remaining clumsy, inexperienced, and slow, it seemed like one glance from him had drained every ounce of courage from his body.
But it was enough.
For Clementine, one look of affirmation was more than enough, enough to make her gather her courage, enough to make her rush toward him like a moth to a flame.
She moved, inching closer.
Bit by bit, Clementine closed the little space left between them. Then, she lifted Joel's left arm, ignoring how his left side went stiff and numb, and nestled into his chest, adjusting herself until she found the most comfortable, secure position.
Moreover, Clementine was meticulous—
Adjusting left, then right, as if Joel were just a cushion.
Thinking about it that way... it wasn't wrong.
Joel's stiffness had spread from his left side to every corner of his body, including his eyes. He remained frozen in place, letting Clementine position him however she wished. If he wasn't a cushion, he was pretty close to one.
Not until Clementine finally settled, curling up in his arms like a cat, did they both freeze for a moment—
Why did this feel so familiar?
Though they were strangers meeting for the first time, at this moment, they found a sense of closeness in each other's embrace and warmth.
Everything felt familiar.
Joel's eyes revealed a trace of confusion, his expression softened slightly, the stiffness giving way to exploration.
Clementine felt it too. Leaning entirely on Joel, she adjusted her position again, using every cell in her body to absorb his warmth.
It was a fleeting moment, gone in an instant. Neither noticed anything strange, instead, they melted naturally into this sense of familiarity. Not the kind of instant chemistry from a first date, but more like they had always belonged to each other—
As if it was ingrained in their body memory.
Clementine skillfully grasped Joel's left hand, her fingers tracing his palm, pressing, intertwining, and finally locking with his without a second of hesitation.
She liked this feeling of familiarity.
"Joel, someday you should take me to the Charles River. The river is already frozen this time of year."
Joel: ...
Clearly, unlike Clementine's naturalness, Joel remained slightly confused—
Why?
Where did this familiar feeling come from?
Why did his head ache?
He raised his right hand to rub his temple but didn't completely drift off. He reacted a bit slowly but still heard Clementine's words and responded with a smile, glancing at her warmly.
"That sounds terrifying."
Clementine seemed to sense the warmth in his gaze, lifting her head to look at Joel, "It is."
Meeting his eyes, Clementine's heart suddenly blossomed.
She adjusted her position again, resting her ear against Joel's chest—
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of his heartbeat echoed through his chest like a lullaby, calming her.
Clementine didn't think much of it, just liked the sense of security it gave her. A smile quietly bloomed on her lips as she began to study Joel's large hands and long fingers, playing with them like a toy.
"I'll make some snacks."
"A night picnic feels different. We can..."
However, before she could finish, Joel interrupted her.
"That sounds wonderful."
His voice was soft, a gentle murmur.
Joel didn't realize he was already falling, the familiar scent of her shampoo and the warmth of her skin slowly drawing him in. Before he knew it, his cheek was pressed against Clementine's head, using his nose to take in her familiar scent—
The sense of smell often lies in the deepest recesses of memory, never fading.
Even the most distant, long-forgotten memories, like the fresh scent of playing barefoot in the stream as a child, can awaken years-old memories in an instant.
Just like that.
Joel hadn't awakened those memories, but his body's instinctive response softened his rationality, clinging to Clementine to feel her warmth.
Sinking, falling—
The entire apartment, the whole world, fell with Joel.
All other thoughts vanished at this moment. They simply watched this scene quietly, feeling the intensity and warmth overflowing, unable to help themselves.
It wasn't just love; it was a bond, a connection engraved in their bones and souls, one touch enough to awaken the entanglement of past and present lives.
Contradictory yet harmonious, turbulent yet passionate.
Perfectly natural.
Everyone held their breath, their bodies frozen in place, afraid that the slightest movement would disturb the tranquility and beauty before them. Before they realized it, they were already caught up in this calm storm.
Clementine's contentment, Joel's daze.
Two completely different states somehow formed a resonance.
And then, hearts stopped beating.
No one was an exception, no one.
Attention naturally fell on Joel—
Slightly awkward, slightly stiff, slightly shy, he was clearly a dull, boring bookworm. Even tonight, everything had been led by Clementine, her brilliance completely overshadowing Joel, making people wonder what she saw in him.
Perhaps this scene held the answer.
Clementine's tension and joy gradually unwound, as if she had entered a safe harbor—perhaps this was what she had always been looking for.
And Joel?
Joel's expression seemed to be crumbling, losing control bit by bit, his passion on the verge of bursting from his chest.
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