A Touch of Madness (part2)

"Your boyfriend has a sharp temper."

Natalia whispered softly, glancing between Leonid and Charlotte. Then, she gave up on observing his back and turned towards her friend, holding her hands.

"He's not like that, it's just that he's been bitten and beaten,"

Charlotte said proudly, blinking in confusion when she felt the coldness of Natalia's hands.

"What's wrong? Your hands are cold..."

"Don't worry, I just got back from work, and the weather outside is rainy."

"Rain?!"

Charlotte's smile widened with childish happiness.

"Rain without thunderstorms... that's so great!"

"Yes... very great."

Natalia knew very well that Charlotte didn't like thunderstorms, or perhaps she had a phobia of them.

She took a deep breath, then said calmly.

"Anyway, Charlotte, I came by to tell you something, I want—"

"Before that... I want to say I'm sorry. What I said to you yesterday was terrible..."

"No! It's fine, I mean... I accept your apology. But I'm sorry too, I was wrong in my own way..."

A silence fell for a moment, before their gazes met and they burst out laughing together.

Natalia gently patted Charlotte's shoulder and said jokingly.

"Girl, I was scared the whole time, but suddenly apologizing became easy!"

Charlotte smiled, sighed in relief, and said.

"Well, I was scared too... but I'm glad we made up."

"I'm glad about that too."

Finally, Natalia felt a sense of relief far beyond the usual. This way, she could stop blaming herself.

As she exchanged glances with Charlotte, her phone rang.

"Oh, maybe it's Kaiser."

"Really? Then answer quickly!"

Natalia took out her phone, and when she saw Kaiser's name on the screen, she didn't answer.

"No need for that, his apartment is right in front of me, why should I answer?"

"Hmm... you're right, go quickly before he worries."

"I'll see you later. By the way, make up with your boyfriend."

"We didn't even fight, so why would I make up with him?"

Natalia shook her head at Charlotte's response, then raised her hand and tapped her finger on her forehead.

"You're childish, just like he said about you."

Charlotte frowned after the jab, wondering if she was prepared to take jabs from others.

"Just go."

She muttered reluctantly and gently pushed Natalia's back before going back inside.

Natalia stopped by Leonid, who was standing nearby.

"Mr. Leonid, we're done. You can go inside, but be kind to Charlotte. Throwing her on her knees earlier wasn't a very nice thing to do."

"Hmm..."

Leonid mumbled an unclear response, then nodded and threw his cigarette on the ground before crushing it with his foot.

"Don't worry, we're just playing around."

He said coldly before heading inside and closing the door behind him.

A chill crept up Natalia's spine.

What kind of person is this man? She wondered to herself, unable to believe how cold Leonid was compared to Charlotte's warmth.

"Whatever."

She sighed, then headed towards Kaiser's apartment and rang the doorbell. She had barely lowered her hand when the door opened.

"Welcome, beautiful~"

Kaiser greeted her, then raised his phone and waved it lightly.

"So, that's why you didn't answer? Well, come on in, my sweetheart ."

Natalia's green eyes brightened, and she smiled as she stepped inside.

"Where are you going?"

Leonid furrowed his brows as he looked at Charlotte.

Raincoat, waterproof shoes.

"In your opinion, where am I going?"

She inspected her white raincoat and tied her hair up in a high ponytail.

"Well..."

It didn't need much thought, but Leonid found himself hesitating a bit.

"You're not planning to go out in this rain, are you?"

Charlotte stopped inspecting herself and crossed her arms.

"Not true. Actually, I plan to go out and enjoy the rain~!"

"Unbelievable."

Leonid sighed and combed his silver hair.

"Charlotte, you just recovered from a fever. Did you forget that?"

"I almost forgot..."

She thought for a moment, then added:

"But so what? Won't I be better off now? Immunity gets stronger with every cold and fever!"

"Oh, really? And where did you hear that from?"

"Umm... I don't remember. Anyway, let's go out!"

She handed him his jacket and pulled his hand toward the door. A smile never left her face, as if she had let go of everything that had saddened and weighed her down in recent days.

Leonid could barely keep up with her pace, unsure if he had closed the door behind him or not. The important thing now was to run beside her.

"Where are we heading?!"

He asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"To the roof!"

She raised her finger upward before heading toward the emergency stairs.

"We can't take the elevator to the roof, so we have to take the stairs."

"I see..."

Leonid knew the elevator only had buttons for the basement and the eighth floor.

"No need to rush, the rain won't go away."

"You don't understand what I'm feeling right now... Can you imagine how happy I am just seeing the rain?"

She glanced at him, then returned her gaze forward. Her steps slowed gradually until she stopped in front of the door separating her from the outside world.

"I'll go out now!"

"Go ahead, I'll stay here."

She wanted to enjoy the rain, while he wanted to stay inside and watch her.

"Well, as you wish."

She said and then opened the door. Suddenly, the cold air hit her face, and her lifted hair blew around, but she didn't hesitate. One step, and she was under the rain.

"This is so refreshing!"

She shouted happily, spinning around and raising her arms as if embracing the sky.

Leonid watched her silently from inside for a moment, then took out another cigarette, placing it between his lips before lighting it.

A few days ago, it had rained, but he had never seen her this happy before.

"Could it be... that she's afraid of thunderstorms?"

He muttered to himself, then shook his head and exhaled smoke slowly.

It didn't matter whether she was afraid or not. What mattered now was that she was happy.

Even after biting his finger and throwing pillows at his face, she could still smile as if nothing had happened.

Leaning against the doorframe, Leonid continued watching Charlotte. Time passed, but he didn't feel bored not until she finally stopped, as if her excitement had begun to fade.

Charlotte stood under the rain, her face lifted toward the sky, her back turned to Leonid. Tears fell hot and fast, blending with the cold, fresh raindrops.

She had to admit, crying in the rain had a special kind of comfort.

This way, her tears mixed with the falling water, making it impossible for anyone to tell whether she was crying or just shivering from the cold until her eyes became swollen and her nose turned red.

"Charlotte… Charlotte!"

She opened her eyes and turned around, seeing Leonid waving at her to come back inside.

"That's enough! You'll catch a cold!"

Leonid called out loudly, making sure his words reached her.

"Just five more minutes!"

Charlotte pleaded for more time, her long chestnut hair drenched, as was her coat, soaked with raindrops.

"No more time! Come inside now!"

Leonid's response was firm. In his eyes, her health came first. He had given her enough time, and the rain was getting heavier.

"Alright…"

Finally, Charlotte accepted his decision and moved toward the inside. As she crossed the threshold, she brought in streams of water, instantly soaking the floor.

"My God, look at you."

Leonid grumbled in a low, concerned tone, reaching out his free hand to gently touch her cheek.

"Your skin is cold."

His eyes narrowed in disapproval before he pulled her inside and shut the door behind her.

He placed the cigarette back between his lips, inhaled another puff of smoke, and then turned his gaze to Charlotte, who stood like a guilty child in the middle of the living room.

She was clasping her cold hands together, pinching her skin without realizing it. Perhaps she had stayed out in the rain too long. After all, she wasn't a child anymore, which only made her embarrassment grow.

Suddenly, she felt warmth against her cheek again. She lifted her eyes to meet Leonid's gaze, his cigarette smoke drifting from his lips.

It was a fleeting moment, but Charlotte felt as though she had inhaled that smoke, making her cough slightly before Leonid realized what he had done.

"Oh, I forgot to put it out!"

Leonid quickly stepped back, dropped the cigarette to the floor, and stomped on it.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how I forgot."

"It's okay."

Charlotte replied hoarsely, then raised a thumb in reassurance.

"What's wrong with your voice?"

Leonid asked, narrowing his eyes. Despite the sound of the rain, he could clearly hear the rasp in her voice.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

She answered quickly, raising her other thumb as well, as if to emphasize her words with an exaggerated gesture. But her weak voice gave her away.

"You're not fine."

Leonid sighed perhaps the hundredth time he had sighed because of Charlotte's exhausting behavior.

"Listen to me…"

He lifted his hand, about to start a conversation with her, but the vibration of his phone in his pocket stopped him.

"One moment."

He took out his phone, glanced at the caller's name, then swiped his finger across the screen and answered, bringing the phone to his ear.