Intense Cold

大寒 [12] / [13]

"My sake,”

Alexander connected her sentence as she blurred her last word.

"I understand. Well, I'm so glad that you achieved something you planned."

She smiled dimly. Alexander sighed deeply. Now he noticed her wearing the ring and necklace which he had given her.

"Sorry, Kiara. I didn't know that. That you were preparing to move abroad,”

he said.

“Actually, we're both this way. Yet neither of us realizes what the other is thinking.”

Alexander didn't deny what she said, and even if he pretended that it wasn't true, on some level, he knew it to be so.

"You're not coming back?"

he asked. He could think of nothing else to add.

"For now, yes. I don't have any plan to come back once I leave,"

she said flatly.

"Why haven't you even mentioned that to me?" His tone was slightly reproachful. Her smile faded away from her face.

"Have we ever shared thoughts or plans before?"

Awkward silence again. What she said was very true. They were siblings, but their relationship was far more distant than even a close neighbor. He loved her of course, as kin, but not more than that. They hadn't had many great opportunities to build a mutual connection. What she did, what she thought, or where she'd been were never big concerns to him. Usually he didn't ever know who she was with. What happened on Kiara's birthday was very much a coincidence.

Kiara stood up from the chair,

"You can contact me anytime you need. I myself have doubts that I would contact you, but I'll always wish you to be happy, and to quickly recover."

Alexander stared at her face. There was no use in pretending to be sad or sorry for this farewell. But one thing remained in his heart, poking.

"Kiara, I'm really sorry about what happened between you and the Lucas boy. I've always wanted to say that. I hope your scar will be healed and you meet a nice person to be with."

Kiara smiled lightly and answered,

"Thank you."

She turned back from him without looking back. He could hear her words from outside of the closed door,

"Please take care of him.”

Soon, Kiara's footsteps got further and further away. Cynthia reentered the room.

“She didn’t stay long,”

Cynthia said.

“She has to go to France in the morning,”

Alexander said.

“For a trip?”

she asked. She thought Kiara might not have been able to call the schedule off, as this all happened without any warning.

“She said she got a job there. She's been preparing to move away for some time, apparently. She might not come back.” he said. She looked at Alexander with a puzzled expression.

"Were you just letting her go like that?”