In the following days, everything fell back into its usual rhythm.
Except Lena and Egrathiel were staying over more often than before.
But in the meantime-
"It's not that I hate it..." Fran said, scratching her head lightly. "But it's starting to get out of hand."
She turned to me, still hugging a pillow as she sat on the couch. Her cheek puffed slightly as she mumbled-
"Dad, why?"
I stared off to the side, a finger tapping against my leg as I sank deeper into the couch.
"That..."
"I think your mom would know better-"
"She told me Dad would know more," she cut in. "Mom said you were the only person she ever thought about, so she turned down every guy who asked her out."
I inhaled sharply, burying my face in my hands as a sigh slipped out.
"She said that...?"
I looked up at her.
From the kitchen, a soft hum and faint sizzling filled the background.
"Mhm," she nodded, then flopped back onto the couch, burying her face into the pillow again.
"Then she kept going on about how you stayed by her side even after she cried and lied about who she was..."
"It was endless..." Fran grumbled. "I'm glad Mom loves you that much, but it kind of feels like she's flaunting it at that point."
A dry smile formed on my lips.
"Yeah... your mom does tend to do that..."
"But that's not the issue," she said, brows furrowing. "I don't get why I keep receiving confessions."
"And most of them are through messages too! I never even gave anyone my account."
Fran pushed herself up, meeting my eyes again.
"Maybe I should just lock my profile?"
"That could work," I said, snapping my fingers. "But that still doesn't explain why they keep getting drawn to you..."
I paused, a thought clicking into place.
"Wait-you're the school Supreme Student Council president, right?"
Fran tilted her head slightly as she leaned back.
"Yeah... why?"
I nodded, rubbing my chin.
"Mr. Batumbakal mentioned you're really active in school events too."
My gaze shifted back to her.
"And you take after me and your mom."
A small pause.
"That alone makes you stand out."
"Dad..." Fran muttered flatly. "Seriously...?"
I cleared my throat, waving a hand.
"That said, it's mostly just popularity. High school stuff."
"It's not that serious. And you're not obligated to respond to them."
I leaned forward, clasping my hands together over my knees, a faint smile forming.
"I know you probably feel bad turning them down. You're too kind."
My smile softened as I pulled back.
"But remember-they chose to confess. You didn't force them."
"The best thing you can give them is honesty."
I stood up and walked over to her, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently before lightly pinching her cheek.
"If people start pressuring you to date someone, you don't have to give in," I added, brushing a strand of white hair from her face.
"Everyone moves at their own pace. You should too. No one gets to decide that for you."
"And if they can't accept that, then you set boundaries. Whether they stay or not is their choice. If they leave, don't chase them."
I smiled faintly.
"The right people will stay. But I'm sure you're smart enough to know that."
"What's going on?"
Anathasia's voice came from the doorway.
We both turned to her. Fran and I exchanged a glance before smiling, which only made her raise an eyebrow.
"Well...?"
"Just the usual high school romance stuff," I said, stretching before tying my hair into a messy bun.
"Also..." I glanced at her. "You suck at giving relationship advice."
Anathasia flinched, recoiling slightly before her expression hardened.
"What did I do...?"
-
Later that afternoon-
With the sun high in the sky and barely any clouds overhead, Anathasia and I walked through downtown.
High-rise buildings lined both sides of the road, filling the skyline. As usual, I ended up carrying most of the shopping bags filled with her clothes and other things.
"Hnn~! What a nice day for a date~"
"Yeah..." I muttered, my arms already starting to ache. "Definitely..."
Cars passed by occasionally while other couples, mostly young, walked side by side.
But that said...
I glanced down at Anathasia before looking ahead again.
*We probably don't look any better anyway-*
"Ah."
She suddenly stopped, tugging my sleeve and pointing toward a café.
"What is it this time...?"
"Dude, that's Rhea," she said, glancing back at me before looking inside again. "You know, the Author and Original Creator? Looks like she really stopped with all the abstract stuff."
I squinted at the white-haired woman sitting inside.
"...Oh."
"It really is her avatar..."
She nudged my side.
"Told you."
Before I could respond, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the café.
"Let's check on her."
"Wait-!"
Anathasia dragged me inside anyway.
She pushed the glass door open, the bell ringing softly as we stepped in. The café had that same modern yet opulent look, something that would've made me avoid it completely back in college if not for her.
We stopped at the counter, she handled the ordering while I stood behind her.
"Hmm..." she glanced back over her shoulder. "What're you getting?"
My eyes settled on the menu she held up.
"Black coffee sounds nice-"
"Uwah, seriously?" she cut in, scrunching her face at me. "Your taste buds really needs to get checked-"
"Shut it."
I grabbed her face with one hand.
"Mmpf?!"
She struggled for a second before prying my hand off.
"Fine, fine," she grumbled. "Black coffee then."
She turned back to the counter, placing our orders before glancing at me again.
"You go first, I'm pretty sure those bags are-"
"Alright, thanks," I cut in, already turning away.
I headed toward a table near the glass, right beside Rhea's. Without waiting, I dropped the bags and sat down, my arms practically screaming at this point.
"Why'd she buy so many hoodies anyway..."
"And all of them are way too big for her..."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. A strand fell near my eye, and I brushed it back.
"Looks like I need another trim..."
I slumped forward, resting my face against the table without caring who saw.
A groan slipped out.
A while later, Anathasia arrived with the tray.
"So it really was that heavy...?" she said, looking down at me as I slowly lifted my head.
"What're you even using those hoodies for anyway...?"
She started setting our drinks down, along with a few pastries.
"They're for you, obviously," she said casually, placing the last cup down. "I'd look like a child wearing those."
Anathasia brought the tray back to the counter before returning to her seat, her usual macchiato in hand.
"And besides, once you wear it, I can borrow it later, yeah? It'll have your scent too." she added, a small smile forming before taking a sip.
My expression flattened.
"Weirdo..."
"Talking like you're not used to it," she shot back, rolling her eyes as she reached for a pastry.
She waved it lightly as she continued.
"Besides, we do share some of our clothes anyway. Shirts and stuff-"
"That's just because you keep digging through my cabinet."
She scoffed, brushing it off before taking a bite.
I let out a quiet sigh, my gaze drifting toward the glass panels of the café. High-rise buildings stood just beyond, stretching into the skyline.
Then-
I caught a glimpse of the person behind Anathasia.
A silver-white haired woman.
She sat quietly, flipping through the pages of a book, completely unbothered.
Anathasia noticed too. She glanced back briefly, then hummed.
"She's actually living now at least," she murmured, turning back to me as she stirred her coffee.
A small pause.
"Funny how she chose our book specifically though..."
"You are not very subtle about gossiping," a voice cut in.
We both paused before turning toward the silver-white haired woman.
"Anathasia Veridielle Augthoria."
She gently closed the book with a soft thud.
And looking a little closer-
272 Days Until...
was printed across the cover.
"I was just saying," Anathasia replied, shrugging as she gestured toward the empty seat beside her.
Rhea's brows furrowed slightly as she looked between the two of us. She hesitated, then stayed at her table instead.
"I'm fine," she murmured. "And it was you who told me to let go."
Her gaze shifted toward the glass panels.
"Which... is what I am doing."
Anathasia simply nodded, a small smile forming.
"I'm glad you're finally seeing what I'm seeing," she said softly.
She stirred her coffee, watching the small whirlpool form inside the cup.
"Authority, authorship... they sound flashy on paper. Having absolute control over things."
A quiet pause.
"But it only really lasts for a while. It gets hollow the longer you stay there."
Her gaze softened slightly.
"Don't you agree?"