Chapter 148 - At The Café +1

Seres was at her usual seat. She was waiting and not waiting at the same time. For her, going to that cafe and reserving a table for her ahead of the time was her only privilege to enjoy her time.

Every moment she sips the tea, she would remember the time that her mother would secretly bring her there when she was but a child.

The sweetest smile in the whole world was always in front of her. She didn't know it was important the moment she lose it.

Seres couldn't say the excuse that it's because she was just a child back then. It's because the one who took it away was another child like her, albeit a bit older, still a child.

Why didn't she have the power to stop him back then?

However, it was like a key inside its own vault. The one who gave her power was also the cause all of this trouble..

Her father.

His name. It was still blurry in her head.

What did he do to me? Seres, even now, wonders.

However, the one who ended his life was none other than her own brother.

'What kind of a broken family is this? There's no fairness in this world.'

Seres sighed. The girl that was always coming there to meet her was actually a good thing for her. This should only be her only time of relaxation but she couldn't. The moment she gained time for rest, she would use it to regret the past, mourn over it, and question it.

She hoped that girl would come here. 

'She's older than me yet she's so innocent. But the truth is, she was quick to grasp the things that I say. Of course, it's not her first time hearing it. She just forgot about it. Iesa, what a dangerous girl. The more I say to her, the more she tells her own opinion. I should be careful, at any moment, she may already have been plotting against me. I don't know when she'll be able to pierce through my defense and read my thoughts.'

While she was thinking though, someone sat in front of her.

"Iesa, I thought you wouldn't come to-"

At that moment, all of her body hair stood up as goosebumps courses throughout her body.

"Hello, Seres..."

Teren tried to greet her with a smile.

However, Seres didn't respond to him, only glared at Iesa who sat beside Teren. The one who received the glare could only smile wryly.

She ordered to escape the awkward situation.

"I just want to talk."

"Do you know what's happening?"

Seres immediately asked as if she didn't hear Teren say anything.

"Yeah, I know everything."

Teren nodded.

'No, you don't. If you do, you wouldn't be together with her.'

However, Seres didn't believe and could only inwardly sigh.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk with my little sister."

"Little sister...?"

"Yeah"

Seres scoffed.

"The moment our parents died, we are no longer blood-related."

"That's not how blood relations wor-"

"I know!"

Iesa watched from the sidelines and this was the first that she saw Seres show many emotions.

"I'm saying that we... are no longer siblings."

"Is there a way to bring that back?"

Seres just blankly stared at Teren.

"I guess that's not that easy, huh..."

"You should stop delusions of having a family at our old house first before you say something like that."

"Hey, Seres!" Iesa stepped in with a frown, thinking that Seres went over the line.

"You don't have a place to talk, shut up."

"Ergh..."

Iesa could only groan. But as she glanced, it seemed that Teren was fine.

"Yeah, you're right. I should stop doing that. It's disrespectful to her."

"As if the murderer has respect to the ones he killed."

Seres sharply commented again.

At that moment, Iesa noticed something. It's that Seres was not placing her arms to rest on the table. Instead, she was putting it underneath it. Teren, who met his little sister after a long time, didn't see the difference. But Iesa noticed it.

There was no need to look under the table. She just has to look at the clear glass beside them, the wall of glass that separates them from the outside. Although it's not that reflective, with just a squint of her eyes, Iesa could see that on the translucent reflection, Seres's hands were trembling.

"This Sunday, before our Quarterly Exam, can we go to an amusement park?"

Seres didn't respond with words but with her head as she tilted with a baffled expression. She couldn't believe that Teren would ask her such a thing.

"I'm just asking. If you don't want, then that's fine."

"You're not going to win me over with that petty attempt."

Seres sharply replied once again.

"Then I guess, I have to try another method." Teren scratched his cheek as his head lowered.

"What another method?"

"Hm?"

"I'm not declining it. I'm accepting it as a challenge and that's why I said you're not going to win me over with that petty attempt."

Not just Teren, but even Iesa had her eyebrows raised from surprise.

"Then it's a deal."

Teren smiled.

Iesa glanced and saw that Seres's hands were no longer trembling. It was a weird reaction.

"Then, I'll leave you two. Seres, I'll come and pick you up here, Sunday morning."

Teren took his bag and glanced at Iesa before leaving. Once he left, Seres looked at Iesa and asked.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't asked what's your relationship with Teren back then. I don't believe that just classmates is the right answer."

Iesa looked below with a shy expression.

Seres's eyebrows furrowed at this as her eyes squinted. She waited for the answer.

"I'm his... I'm Teren's girlfriend."

Iesa giggled on her own after hearing what she said. After laughing, she looked at the little sister and what she saw was not something she expected.

Seres has a grim face. This was the most shocked she had for months.

"What did you just say?"