Chapter 4

It took Evander a fraction of a second to process the sentence. He finally managed a hoarse, "O-of course," his voice breaking.

"May I?" Elena asked, making sure, stepping forward and pushing him back.

Evander nodded.

He was so utterly endearing, a stark contrast to the intimidating aura of the team captain he'd displayed moments earlier.

Meeting the beautiful eyes of the woman before him made him flustered, and he quickly looked away.

The man lacked the courage to meet Elena's gaze, his heart beating twice as fast as before. "It's you who likes me, not the other way around."

"Jerk!" Elena slapped his broad chest, pushing him away. "Why do annoying people like you even exist?"

"Annoying, am I? But you like it!" Evander defended himself, secretly smiling faintly, pleased that he'd managed to tease Elena and make her sweet face flush instantly.

They fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts, allowing themselves to be consumed by the warmth of the stunning afternoon, far from the world's hustle and bustle.

"Why would someone like you like me?" Captain Evander blurted out suddenly.

"Someone like me?" Elena countered, glancing at the man beside her.

"Hmm, someone like you. Someone who has everything, who is perfect," Evander explained, articulating his perspective on Elena's accomplishments. "Why would you like someone who has nothing, like me?"

"Doesn't that sound abnormal? There's nothing interesting about me, Miss."

The woman he was speaking to mused for a moment, then whispered him answer a second later, "Because loving someone doesn't require a reason, Evan," she said softly.

According to Elena, feelings of attraction for the opposite gender arose uncontrollably.

They just happened.

And she couldn't choose her target. It was her heart that did that work.

"I like you in every version of yourself. When you're happy, when you're sad, enthusiastic, and even just ordinary. I like the way you look at survival."

"I like everything about you, Evan. And I'll prove that this feeling isn't something fleeting or simple, but something that will last a long, long time."

The twilight hues gradually deepened, mirroring Elena's successful mission in expressing what she had long kept hidden.

For her, trying and facing an uncertain outcome was far better than not trying at all. She didn't want to live with regret, knowing she might never have such an opportunity again.

Evander's path and mindset were different.

He believed it was better to keep his feelings secret and bury them deep, rather than cause trouble.

He didn't want to complicate Elena's life.

Indeed, Evander felt the same way. Just like Elena, he harbored a quiet admiration that had subtly emerged and slowly grown amidst his duties.

"If I had confessed this before you, it would have been quite a shock, wouldn't it?" Evander said suddenly, a corner of his lip lifting. "A-ah, what a coward I am."

"I should have done it first," he continued, adding to his own words. "Even though I was determined."

Elena was stunned, her lips perfectly sealed. "C-confessed it first?"

"I-I don't understand what you're saying, Captain. Why would you want to say it first? Don't tell me—"

"I like you too, Miss," he interrupted, answering quickly before Elena could finish her question.

"Who wouldn't be drawn to someone as good as you? Kind-hearted, always putting others first, and taking such good care of everyone. However—"

"Why does there have to be a 'however'?" Elena cut in. "I just want to hear your feelings without any other worries, Captain."

"You're ruining it by adding 'however'," she added, looking down in disappointment.

Evander stubbornly insisted on explaining his reasons, "People like us are never meant to be together, Miss. There are too many differences that create a huge dividing wall between us."

A dividing wall.

That man, Captain Evander, was too afraid, labeling himself a coward because he wouldn't take the great risk of being in a relationship with Elena, feeling the differences between them were too stark, ultimately creating boundaries.

It wasn't without reason. He didn't want Elena to be trapped with someone like him. In this world, someone as perfect as her was surely destined to be with a great person.

Someone who wasn't Evander.

"You keep talking about 'people like me' and 'people like you' as if we're not the same. What makes you think that way?" the girl asked.

"Even God doesn't differentiate among His creations. From the start, it's just been your own worries," she continued.

"Besides, liking someone isn't a sin, is it, Captain?" Elena took Evander's hand, demanding a reasonable answer. "Please give me another explanation. An honest one, from your heart."

Why should they be forced to give up on this relationship just because of the high status of Elena's family, which made her too untouchable for Evander, instead of fighting for it just once?

Evander used his other hand to remove Elena's grip from his side. "I told you, Miss, this won't work."

"I'm sorry, forgive me."

"Are you rejecting me?" Elena confirmed once more.

"I just don't want you to waste your precious time on this futile endeavor, getting involved with someone who—"

"I don't want to hear it!" she asserted. "If the words you're about to utter are only self-deprecating, I refuse to listen!" the figure declared emphatically.

Elena's eyes were red, brimming with tears. It was heartbreaking to see her suppress her sobs like that.

But what could Evander do?

Take back his words? Embrace her? Absolutely not! Not at all.

He had no other choice but to reject her early on.

Rather than this relationship continuing and ultimately hurting each other, Evander chose not to pursue it.

***

"I want to stay here. I don't want to go home!" Elena chattered aimlessly, wrapping her arms more tightly around Evander.

Her feet were chafed from the reeds and forest grass, leaving Elena unable to walk. Whether she wanted to or not, she was carried by Evander, cradled on his shoulder, back towards home.

"You said you were afraid of the dark earlier," the man replied, carrying the petite woman comfortably on his shoulder, his whisper exceptionally soft.

"Don't talk to me!" Elena snapped, annoyed.

He was at a loss. Evander didn't know how to restore the mood of the woman who was now his responsibility.

"I hate you so much, Evan. I'll never forget today, the day you rejected me!"

"I'll always remember! Anyway, I'll keep reminding you of your cruelty to me. I'll never forgive you, never pardon you!"

The words pouring from Elena's lips pierced Evander's heart, choking him with pain.

If only he had a choice.

If only Victoria hadn't threatened him.

Surely today would have ended differently, wouldn't it?

Surely Elena's declaration of love would have been met with a joyous answer, uniting them as a couple.