He looked at me thoughtfully, his expression gentle but probing. "I wonder why... When I look at you, Cici, you seem to be strongly fixated on something. It's not about yourself or the other members, but about something else... I don't get that feeling," he said softly.
The fork with a piece of watermelon paused in mid-air, just in front of my open mouth. His words hit me like a pebble tossed into still water—rippling through my thoughts and leaving me momentarily speechless.
"I know it's strange for me to say this, isn't it?" Xavier added, his tone quiet but sincere.
"It's not strange at all," I replied, quickly popping the watermelon into my mouth to hide my unease. "I just... don't like to expose my vulnerabilities to people." My voice was a little hoarse, but I managed to keep my tone steady, even as a flicker of vulnerability flickered behind my words.
