Chapter 5: The Night

"Can you hold my hand and never let me go?" I saw Raze on bended knee in front of me.

W-what's happening?

"You change my life and I can't imagine the future without you" I can't understand.

That line sounds awful but since he's the one who spoke it sounds like it's the most romantic word I ever heard.

Why do I feel this way?

"I want to talk and ask him, but my lips couldn't move.

He held my hand and...

"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I scream out of my lungs out of fear.

That's a dream? Obviously, Lorence! There's no way he'll fall for you.

After that romantic scenario in dreamland, I crazily dreamed about being chased by a pitbull.

I'm panting and sweaty.

What the hell!

Why do dreams always involve such wild scenes?"

Thankfully, no dreams about ghosts, monsters, or sleepwalking. That would've been the worst.

I head to the kitchen from my room, craving a cold drink of water.

"Goodness! It's already 1:30 am?" I'm struck by wonder at the late hour.

I take a moment to enjoy the view outside before turning on the kitchen light; it's surprisingly bright out there.

"I climb every mountain, swim every ocean... Just to be with you," I sing softly to myself as I open the fridge.

There's a plethora of food inside, including ice cream. Ugh! I suddenly crave some, but the owner is a demon and I'm scared.

I settle for a pitcher of water and pour myself a glass.

I resist the urge to grab the ice cream, forcing myself to put the pitcher back. Even though I badly want some.

Instead, I opt for a cup of coffee to warm myself up, despite being in my PJs.

I find myself outside at the metal table with four chairs. It's a silent, breezy night.

Looking up at the sky, the stars are clear and beautifully shining.

I play some music and start singing along.

"Could dress up, to get love, but guess what? I'm never gonna be that girl, who's living in a Barbie world~"

"Your voice sucks!" a cold voice interrupts.

"You don't care-- WAAHHHH~ what are you doing?" I startle, placing my palm over my chest. 

Why did he suddenly appear? Is he a ghost? That's pretty scary.

Why did he abruptly interrupt while I was enjoying singing? How rude of him to ruin the moment.

"What are you doing? I saw you sleeping soundly earlier," he starts, which only adds to my confusion.

"What did you just say?" I responded, feeling flustered and a little embarrassed that he caught me singing like crazy.

"A-ah! I mean, I thought you were sleeping tight since you didn't come out after our dinner," he explains. Did he just massage the tip of his nose? What for? That's kind of cute, though.

Yes! He did say 'our dinner' because everyone was eating together with him at his very long table.

We happily ate there, but it's not so happy to wash all the dishes, even though there's a machine, you know, the dishwasher.

"Is that to admit that 'Lorence, I snuck into your room because I love you and I just wanted to check you out'?" I said, changing my voice to sound like a kid.

I really love to tease him, but I hate seeing his expression. It didn't change, and I failed to make him laugh or smile at least.

"Tsk! Overacting and effronteries, chump!" he whispers.

"Why are you up?" he asks seriously.

"I had a dream, and I saw you there. You were a monster and scary, so I woke up trembling, sweaty, and scared. RAWWWRRRHHH!" I act like I'm scared and turn into a monster with my tiger-like gesture.

"That's funny because I laughed afterward while I saw Raze raise his eyebrows.

"Why can't you appreciate a joke?" I repine out of annoyance.

He sighs hard, which made me curious.

I grab the cup of coffee and take a sip before my mind is blown away because I can't believe that he's standing in front of me now.

It's pretty awkward—I'm in front of the boss who's topless, and I really notice it late.

"Ahem! I think I need to get inside; it's cold," I excuse myself and finish up the coffee.

I found a love for me

Darling, just dive right in

And follow my lead

Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet

I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was

I will not give you up this time

Darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own

And in your eyes, you're holding mine

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass, we're listenin' to our favorite song

When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath

But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know

She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home

Perfect by Ed Sheeran

The music makes me shiver and my heart thump like I'm watching my favorite anime.

I'm about to leave when he grabs my left hand, causing me to stop.

"W-what?" I stutter, still avoiding looking in his direction, lest I get distracted again.

"Can you play another role tonight?" His voice is husky, and I wonder how he manages to change it like that.

"W-what's that, Raze?" I stutter, trying to act as if I don't have a silly mind.

"I need someone to talk to," he says, his voice suddenly serious.

I look at him, my brows crossed, curiosity etched across my face.

"I'll pay!" he adds before letting go of my hand. Is he serious?

He talks to me as if I never did something embarrassing in front of his face.

I smile once I recover from his sudden claim.

"No need to pay, Raze," I say as I sit back in the chair.

"Why are you here?" he asks, his demeanor returning to its usual aloofness.

"WHAT THE HELL! Are you crazy?" I yell! Of course, he'll let me stay, right?

"Shush, don't disturb the night creatures; you're so loud," he says, gesturing for me to quiet down.

"I mean it's already 2:00 am!" Oh? Time flies that fast?

Heck! But I'm not sleepy yet.

"I told you, I had a dream!" I reply, once again looking away.

"I see," he sounds bored.

🎶🎵Talk

Let's have conversations in the dark

World is sleeping, I'm awake with you

With you

Watch Movies that we've both already seen

I ain't even looking at the screen, it's true

I got my eyes on you

And you say that you're not worth it

You get hung up on your flaws

Well, in my eyes you are perfect

As you are

I will never try to change you, change you

I will always want the same you, same you

Swear on everything I pray to

That I won't break your heart

I'll be there when you get lonely, lonely

Keep the secrets that you told me, told me

And your love is all you owe me

And I won't break your heart

On Sunday mornings we sleep-in 'til noon

Well, I can sleep forever next to you

Next to you And we

🎵🎶

No one tries to talk, so I take a chance to look at him.

He's like a dream, and now I feel that he's not just the person I initially thought he was.

He looks so strong, cold, and superior, but when our eyes meet, it's like he's revealing a vulnerability I hadn't seen before.

"A-ahm! Where's your shirt?" I venture, attempting to strike up a conversation, though I'm not sure if that's a good question.

He flicks his gaze towards the waterfall.

I follow his gaze and spot a neon shirt hanging from a plant.

He walks towards it and returns wearing his shirt.

He looks effortlessly cool, his messy hair adding to his rugged appeal, and his scent adding a layer of masculinity.

"Why didn't your expression change? That'll age you quickly," I say, offering him a comforting smile.

I don't know why, but I feel oddly comfortable in front of him.

He sighed and looked up at the stars.

"This is me. This made me stronger, this made me an authority, but this is also me being useless," he whispered the last part, a hint of vulnerability in his voice.

I couldn't quite grasp what he meant, but his words tugged at my heartstrings.

"Hey! Look at me," I commanded, but he only glanced at me for a fleeting moment before turning away.

Damn it! I stood up and walked in front of him.

Cupping his soft face in my hands, I saw just how perfect it was.

His sterling gray eyes sparkled like the stars, his nose and his red lips forming a perfect masterpiece.

"A-ah! I mean... Don't look at the stars for too long, you can't count them all. No one can," I excused myself, realizing how embarrassing my comment was.

"I'm not planning to count them, you chump!" he retorted, his lips quirking into a faint smile. Did I see that right? Was he about to smile genuinely? But then again, maybe he was just forcing it. I couldn't read his mind; he was truly unpredictable.

"Please don't hold yourself back from doing something just because you think it's not the best for you," I said, looking around at the perfect, spacious surroundings.

There was a fountain at the center of the lawn, its colorful lights making the water look like a dancing rainbow.

"Come on! Let's go there," he suggested, perhaps noticing my interest in the fountain and inviting me to join him.

I wasn't planning to refuse, after all, those beautiful lights could only be appreciated at night.

"Sure, why not," I replied, walking beside him with excitement.

Only the music and the crickets broke the silence, and I struggled to find something to say.

"Why are you alone here?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Alone? There are plenty of us here," he replied.

"I mean your family?" I clarified.

"Everyone here is my family," he said, and though it sounded sweet, it didn't quite answer my question.

"What about your parents?" I pressed.

"They have their own house. They come to visit here sometimes. And I'm no longer a child, remember that, chump."

"Heck! I know what 'chump' means, and that's just st— Why 'chump'?" I complained, my brows furrowing.

"Because that's who you are!" he retorted, still gazing at the fountain.

He seemed serious again.

I pouted. "Are you an ungentleman?"

"What do you think?" he replied.

"I think so," I said.

"You can see," he remarked.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked, looking at him meaningfully.

"Drop it," he said, giving me a beastly glare. What was with that look? Roar!

"Just kidding. Can you please let me see a smile?" I dared, feeling mischievous.

"Worth 1k," I said with a smile.

"Okay, at my first salary," I added, winking playfully.

Suddenly, his lovely face lit up as he smiled, revealing his perfect white teeth, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"See, you're handsome a hundred times. Can you please smile more often?" I teased.

"Then I'll look like crazy?" he questioned.

"No, you'll look more like a king," I assured him.

"You're bluffing. Let's get inside now," he said, taking the lead.

I smiled and opened my camera.

"Raze?" I called out, relieved as he turned back to look.

"Gotcha, buddy!"

"What the heck?" he exclaimed, startled by the sudden flash of the camera.

"Oops, my bad, just a flashlight," I explained, grasping at a slim chance of an excuse.

Quickly, I located the flashlight shortcut and displayed it to him.

He shrugged it off and resumed walking.

"Hey, Raze? Sorry about our first encounter. I realize I was really rude," I confessed, trailing behind him with a sense of remorse.

The music is still playing, ♪ you're the reason♪

He remained silent until I placed the cup in the kitchen.

"Why?" I asked, puzzled by his behavior.

He stood in front of my room, appearing relaxed and drowsy.

"Good night," he murmured, then abruptly departed.

My ears burned with embarrassment, and my cheeks flushed. It was all so strange.

What was going on with him? He was so unpredictable and peculiar.

I couldn't fathom why my heart was racing like this.