"Don't touch it!!"
"No, no, no! Don't even think about touching it!!"
It was Ronan. Having brought Liora into his massive mansion, he was leading the way to his room. Liora, walking behind him, looked around in wide-eyed wonder. Every time she reached out to touch one of the exquisite ornaments lining the hallway, Ronan snapped at her to stop.
Liora rolled her eyes at his fussiness. But then, a frown creased her forehead. Why was he stopping her? Did he know about her unusual strength and worry she might crush them? Or did he simply hate the idea of someone poor touching his expensive belongings?
As Liora frowned, lost in these negative thoughts, Ronan glanced back at her. A beautiful, genuine smile broke across his face.
Cute, Ronan thought to himself.
His eyes drifted down to Liora's lips, which were pouted in annoyance. Then, lifting his gaze, he locked eyes with her.
Beautiful.
At this moment, Ronan's heart was controlling him, completely bypassing his stubborn, cruel mind.
Although Liora was initially uncomfortable under his intense gaze, she was soon stunned by the sight before her. A soft, breathtaking smile had formed on Ronan's lips, something she had never seen before.
Such a beautiful smile. she thought. Why does he always hide it? Doesn't he know how handsome he looks when he smiles?
Liora's curiosity about Ronan grew even deeper. She suddenly remembered Miss Scott's words from earlier: He has never received what people call love.
Liora couldn't believe the raw emotion swimming in Ronan's eyes. Without thinking, she slowly raised her hand. She placed her palm gently against his cheek, cupping his face, refusing to break eye contact.
Ronan flinched slightly at the sudden contact, but he didn't pull away. The next moment, tears began to pool in his eyes.
Liora's eyes widened in shock. Is... is he crying? Why?
Before she could ask, Ronan turned abruptly. Without saying a word, he walked quickly toward his room, hiding his tear-filled eyes and leaving Liora standing in the hallway, her hand still frozen in the air.
Liora shook herself out of her trance and followed him.
She entered Ronan's room just in time to see him disappearing through another door. She followed him silently and found herself in a home office.
The atmosphere had changed completely. Gone was the soft, vulnerable man from the hallway. Ronan was now sitting in a swivel chair with his usual cold, serious expression, typing something on his laptop.
Liora stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Finally, Ronan broke the heavy silence.
"That night… you were the one who hit my car," Ronan said in his harsh, business-like voice, not even looking up at her.
Liora's eyes widened.
"Come here." he commanded, his eyes still glued to the screen.
Liora walked over. Ronan extended a hand, motioning for her to sit in the chair opposite him.
"Look at this." Ronan said, pushing the laptop toward her.
Liora looked at him in confusion, then turned her gaze to the screen. It was playing a black-and-white CCTV recording.
The video showed a dark road, illuminated only by the faint glow of a single lamppost. A few cars passed by. After a moment, a human figure appeared, struggling to walk along the side of the road. Liora's breath hitched. She realized with a start that the figure was her.
This is the CCTV footage from the night of the accident. she realized.
On the screen, Liora collapsed in the middle of the road, clutching her head in both hands. As she struggled to get back up, a speeding car appeared out of nowhere. It slammed into her, knocking her body violently to the ground into a spreading pool of blood.
Liora winced, horrified by the sight of her own body being mangled. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Keep watching. You're missing the important parts." Ronan said firmly.
Liora forced her eyes open. A few minutes passed on the timestamp. Then, she saw Ronan get out of the car and rush over to her broken body.
The moment Ronan grabbed her, a visual distortion, like a lightning strike, flashed across the screen. Simultaneously, Ronan looked up at the sky. A faint white glow appeared on both Ronan's forehead and hers before vanishing.
Watching the footage, Liora's eyes went wide with shock.
"Wh-what is that, M-Mr. Brown?" Liora asked, her voice trembling. The reality of the footage was terrifying.
Ronan remained silent. Since he offered no explanation, Liora leaned in closer to the screen.
What she saw next defied logic. As Ronan tried to pick her up, the blood that had pooled around her on the asphalt began to move. It wasn't drying; it was reversing. The blood was absorbed back into her body. By the time Ronan lifted her completely, the street was clean. He carried her to the car, turned the vehicle around, and drove away, leaving only an empty road on the screen.
W-What happened? Did my body revert to the way it was before the crash just because Mr. Brown touched me? Liora thought, wrapping her trembling arms around herself.
A long, heavy silence filled the office. Liora stared at the floor, shaking. Ronan noticed her fear, but he did nothing to comfort her, staring blankly into space. Liora also noticed that he had been avoiding eye contact ever since she touched his face in the hallway.
Finally, Ronan spoke.
"We're special."
Liora lifted her head, looking at him in confusion. "Special?"
Suddenly, Ronan moved. BAM.
Liora flinched violently. Ronan had punched the edge of his mahogany desk with a casual, standard swing, but the force shattered the wood, causing a massive chunk of the desk to break off and crash to the floor.
"Mr.-"
"It's okay. I can get another one," Ronan said calmly, anticipating her shock. "This happened to you too, right? The strength?"
Liora nodded slowly.
Ronan sighed. "We're special, and we're both special to each other." He looked away again.
"H-how?" Liora asked.
Ronan finally looked straight into her eyes. Liora could tell immediately that he was scared. He was fidgeting uncomfortably, rubbing his fingers together nervously as he held her gaze.
Why is he so nervous? she wondered.
"S-sorry for doing this." Ronan stammered. "But if you want to understand why we are special, I have to try this. I-I don't know if this will work."
Before Liora could process his words, Ronan grabbed her hand that was resting on the table. He snatched a razor blade from his stationery set and, in one swift motion, made a deep cut across her wrist. He immediately let go.
Shocked by the unexpected violence, Liora gasped and looked down at her wrist. It was bleeding profusely.
"What the heck!!! What did you do, Mr. Brown?!!" Liora screamed.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Strangely, instead of sharp pain, she felt her entire hand going numb.
Ronan bit his lip hard, his own eyes filling with tears as he stared at the wound he had inflicted.
"P-please, Mr. Brown, d-do something!!" Liora cried out in panic. Through her tears, she could hear Ronan mumbling apologies over and over again.
Minutes passed. The room began to blur. Liora knew she was going to lose consciousness from blood loss. She felt dizzy and weak.
"P-please..." she whispered. Her blood was covering the damaged table.
"O-Okay, now." Ronan said, his voice shaking.
He reached out and grabbed Liora's bleeding hand firmly.
Liora's heavy eyelids flew open. Through her blurry vision, she watched a miracle. The blood that had spilled onto the table defied gravity; it lifted and was sucked back into the deep wound. The skin knit together before her eyes.
But the shock was too much. The next moment, Liora's head crashed onto the table as she blacked out.
When Liora opened her eyes, she blinked for a few minutes at an unfamiliar ceiling, trying to remember where she was. The room was bathed in the warm glow of electric bulbs. She realized she was lying on a soft bed.
Then, memories of the office came rushing back. Liora shot up in bed and frantically checked her wrist.
Surprisingly, there was nothing. Not a wound, not even a faint scar.
She looked around and saw Ronan sitting on the floor, his head resting on the edge of the mattress, asleep. He was still in his office clothes, his hair messy and disheveled. She realized she was in Ronan's room... in Ronan's bed.
Did he carry me here and put me to bed?
Liora's entire face turned red at the thought. She watched him for a while, blushing softly. Tentatively, she reached out, wanting to run her fingers through his messy hair. Just as her hand got close, Ronan stirred. Liora quickly yanked her hand back.
Ronan woke up fully, lifting his head and rubbing his face with both hands. He squinted at Liora.
"Oh, have you regained consciousness?" he asked, his voice raspy from sleep.
Liora nodded.
Ronan sat up properly, looking down at the floor guiltily. "I-I-I'm s-sorry."
Liora sighed. "At least you should have told me before you did it."
"I thought you wouldn't let me do it if I told you," Ronan admitted.
"So why did you do it to me?"
"I... I can only heal your wounds." Ronan said quietly. "It doesn't work on anyone else."
"Mr. Brown, how exactly do you know that?" Liora asked.
Before Ronan could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Ronan called out.
Miss Scott entered, carrying a tray of food. She smiled warmly at them, but as she set the tray down, Liora's eyes widened in disbelief. One of Miss Scott's hands was heavily wrapped in bandages.
Liora looked at the bandage, then at Ronan. She saw him glance secretly at Miss Scott and then look down in shame. The realization hit her. He must have tried to heal Miss Scott first, and it failed. That was how he knew.
"Huh... H-how did you-" Liora started, then stopped herself and shook her head.
"I brought dinner for you two." Miss Scott said cheerfully, placing the tray on the table before leaving them.
"What dinner?!!" Liora shouted, turning to Ronan. "Mr. Brown, how long have I been unconscious?!!"
"F-five hours." Ronan muttered, still avoiding her gaze.
"So what time is it?!"
"It's past nine."
"Oh no! I missed my shift at the hotel... Ahh!" Liora groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is all because of you, Mr. Brown!"
"S-sorry," Ronan said again, glancing at her furtively.
"I'm going." Liora got out of bed and started toward the door.
"Wait! Eat and go." Ronan insisted, stopping her.
"No, I have to go home. It's getting late."
"How can you go out alone at this time of night? Wait and eat. I'll escort you home afterward."
Liora looked at him in surprise. Why is he worried about me? Haha, well, yes, he should be. This is all his fault. He has to treat me like this out of guilt, right? He isn't thinking about you for any other reason. Liora, she told herself.
She decided to stay. Ronan was right; she didn't want to go out alone at night, especially with Samuel's friends potentially looking for her.
They ate together, discussing the CCTV footage. They both accepted the reality: they were different from ordinary people, and they were linked. They didn't know why or how it happened, like something out of a fantasy movie, but they agreed they had to be careful with these supernatural powers.
As soon as they finished eating, a thought occurred to Liora.
"Mr. Brown." she said.
"Hmm?" Ronan asked, taking a sip of water.
"You can heal my wounds... We don't know if I can heal yours, right?" Liora asked, an mischievous glint in her eye. She was secretly planning revenge for the wrist incident.
"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to try-"
Ronan stopped mid-sentence. He realized what Liora was implying. He looked at her hand and saw she was already clutching the steak knife Miss Scott had brought with the food.
Liora had an evil, playful smile on her face.
"L-Liora, what are you doing?" Ronan asked, his eyes widening in fear.
"You tested me before... Now I'll test you."
Liora stood up and advanced toward him. Ronan, reacting faster than she expected, bolted.
"Heyy, wait a minute, Mr. Brown!" Liora yelled, chasing after him.
Ronan sprinted around the spacious bedroom, and Liora ran after him, laughing and waving the knife. It was a ridiculous sight.
"L-Liora, stop laughing! This is not a joke, stop it!" Ronan shouted, dodging furniture.
But Liora couldn't stop. She laughed as she chased him, neither of them realizing that their speed was far beyond that of average humans.
"The rich CEO Mr. Brown, running scared from a poor uni student! Hahahahaha!" Liora paused for a split second to catch her breath, laughing harder.
Then, with a burst of supernatural speed, she cornered him. She pinned Ronan against the wall, raising the knife playfully.
Realizing he was trapped, Ronan reacted on instinct. He grabbed Liora's wrists, spun their positions, and slammed her against the wall instead.
CRACK.
The strength of the impact caused a spiderweb fracture to appear on the plaster behind Liora's back.
Suddenly, silence fell.
There was only an inch between their faces. Their hot breath mingled. Their bodies were pressed so close together that they could feel the rapid thumping of each other's hearts. They breathed heavily, staring into each other's eyes, trying to decipher the unspoken words passing between them.
Liora found herself wishing she could look at this view forever. His face was damp with sweat, his large, intense eyes searching hers. She noticed the tiny birthmark under one eye, the slight bump on his nose, the mole at the corner of his lip... all of it was driving her crazy.
Unbeknownst to her, Ronan's grip on her wrists had loosened just enough that the knife slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
And Ronan? Ronan wanted to freeze time right here. He wished he could live in this moment forever. A surge of unimaginable feelings crashed over him. He wished those innocent, wide eyes would always look at him like this. And her lips... God, he wanted to taste those full lips.
But Ronan, deciding this wasn't the right time, let out a shaky sigh and pulled away from her.
"Come on, I'll take you home." Liora heard him mutter hoarsely.
Neither of them said a word during the drive. The entire time, Ronan avoided Liora's eyes, just like he had earlier.
He dropped her off in front of her apartment. Liora watched Ronan's car until it vanished from view around the corner. She looked up at the starry sky, a beautiful smile playing on her lips. She knew she would never forget this day.
And certainly, neither would Ronan. Strange, powerful feelings had filled their hearts for the first time. They both knew something profound was beginning between them.
Ronan went home, showered, and got ready for bed.
Every moment that passed, Liora's big, expressive eyes haunted his mind. He couldn't erase them, and he didn't want to. He loved it.
He placed his hand on the side of the bed where Liora had slept earlier. Unconsciously, a tender smile appeared on his face.
Then, Ronan sat up. He opened the drawer of his bedside table and took out a piece of paper, worn from years of handling. Alongside it, he took out Liora's necklace, the one he still hadn't managed to return.
Ronan's eyes filled with tears as he read the opening lines of the song lyrics scrawled on the paper.
Where is my star, my gentle guide?
Through the long day I try to hide.
Smiles I wear, yet shadows stay,
Inside I'm wrapped in blue and grey.
Tears fall quietly, none can see,
A world so bright, yet not for me.
Reach for me, though I may seem
A painted mask, a broken dream.
He had written this himself. Ronan, who had no mother or father to share his feelings with, had poured his sorrow into these letters during college. He remembered the pain of that time.
He read the next verse, tears streaming down his cheeks.
I don't know where I went wrong
A blue question mark grew with me all along
Maybe that's why I've been fighting to breathe
Yet looking back, I stand dazed, unable to leave
A shadow looms, it swallows my light
The question mark still burns blue in the night
Is this anxiety, or is it despair?
Am I a creature lost, or a soul born rare?
The ferocious blue claws at my chest
I stumble, I hope, I try my best
I search for an exit, a crack in the grey
Hoping the shadows will not stay...
He remembered how the other kids had bullied him for being "weird." Yes, he was weird. He thought differently, saw the world in ways no one else did. All that bullying had hardened him into a mean, cruel person to survive. But the feelings he wrote down back then were still there. He was still looking for the light in his life.
I just want to feel lighter somehow,
This cold has settled into my bones.
I reach out again and again,
But only silence answers back.
My voice fades into colorless air,
No warmth, no echo, just weight.
Even the ground knows my sorrow,
Pulling me down as I stand alone.
I sing to myself to stay alive,
A fragile sound in the dark.
I only want a little happiness,
Is that really too much to ask?
"Mom! Dad!" Ronan whispered to the empty room, choking on his tears. "I don't know you. I've never talked to you before. But if you two were here with me today..."
He clutched the paper tighter.
"I want my star, Mom... W-why? Why can I see my star, my light, in Liora's eyes?"
Ronan pressed Liora's necklace to his chest, sobbing openly now.
"I haven't really known her yet. But why do I feel like I've known her for so long? Why am I so attracted to her? Does she feel the same way about me?"
He closed his eyes, remembering the sensation of her hand on his cheek in the hallway.
"When she touched my face, I felt the comfort I've always wanted, Mom..."
"I'm s-scared. I'm scared, Mom... I'm scared to think that she's my star, the one who brings happiness to my life and changes me. What if she leaves me like you two did?"
Ronan curled up, hugging the paper and the necklace as his body shook with cries.
"I want... I want that thing... I want that comfort, that happiness, that feeling... I want to experience it... forever..."