For Your Failed Unrequited Love

“Ah…”

An unknown sound came from Adrian’s mouth. He suddenly felt like he had been hit on the head.

Then a strange feeling flashed into his eyes.

Unaware of it, Rei continued.

“Actually, my situation was not so good at that time. Normally, mercenaries are not treated very well on the battlefield, and I’m a woman. I finally said it.”

Rei talked while touching the glass as if recalling the memories of that time.

“It was raining a lot that day, but I was the only one who slipped and fell into a hole. The new shoes that they gave out were really big for me. Anyway, I shouted for help, but nobody came. Those bastards! Oh, I’m sorry I cursed. ……you were the only one who ran to me then. You don’t remember because it was so long ago, right?”

Rei smiled shyly.

“You probably don’t remember. We’ve only had one conversation.…. It seems that Sir doesn’t even know about my existence.”

“…….”

“You don’t know how grateful I was at that time. I’m glad I can say this now. Thank you very much, Sir Felix.”

“…….”

“Well… Mr. Reinhart?”

Adrian raised his head at the sound of her calling.

“Are you okay? You don’t look good.”

She asked, but Adrian only looked at her strangely.

He felt like the excitement that had filled his heart just a moment ago had gone out all at once. He now felt a sense of disappointment.

I mean, this woman…….

“Do you like him?”

“What?”

At Adrian’s sudden question, Rei opened her eyes wide as if embarrassed.

“D, Do I like him? Why, why do you ask such a question like that?….”

Rei stuttered with a red face. Her eyes rolled around in confusion.

“Well, that question is so sudden……. I don’t know what to say.….”

Adrian, who was listening to Rei, crept up from his seat.

“What?”

“Let’s get up now.”

“What? Oh, yes, yes.”

Adrian dodged Rei’s gaze and walked to the counter. Rei stared at his back for a moment with puzzled eyes, and got up in case she missed him.

  *** 

After returning to the room, Adrian sat on the sofa without taking off his jacket.

He sighed shallowly and swept his hair away.

I mean, I wasn’t the one she was interested in. It wasn’t me.

“Why Felix?”

He muttered, looking at the ceiling.

What a stupid illusion.

Unsure despondency and disappointment continued to pour in. He was angry and annoyed.

In Adrian’s opinion, there was only one reason for this feeling.

That he was also a little interested in Rei. And that he was secretly hoping that his premonition that she likes him would be true.

  *** 

“Hello, Mr. Reinhart. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

Adrian briefly replied to Rei, who greeted him like any other morning.

“The weather is really nice today. I think summer is coming soon. You can wear thin clothes.”

“I will.”

Adrian answered and went into the room.

“Today is the day the publisher decided to release the first binding, right?”

Rei asked cheerfully when Adrian changed his clothes.

“I’m so curious, too! Besides….. I can see the cover before everyone else! As expected, it was a good choice to be in charge of guarding Mr. Reinhart!”

“Yes, I’m curious, too.”

“Well, actually, I heard a little from the boss. I heard you draw the cover yourself. Writing skills, drawing skills…… Mr. Reinhart is really good at everything!”

“It’s nothing.”

After hearing a few short answers, Rei seemed to notice Adrian’s unusual attitude.

After wandering around her seat for a while with a puzzled face, she soon approached the bag she had brought. Rei took out the dye from her bag and asked Adrian.

“What color would you like today? You said you wanted to try a hair color that you’ve never tried before, right? So I bought a variety this time. Purple! Blue! Red! Oh, there’s also fluorescent pink! It’s amazing, isn’t it?….”

Rei, who was explaining with a dye, eventually closed her mouth, blurring the end of her words. This is because Adrian’s expression was one she had never seen before.

A look of no interest in what Rei says

She asked again with a slightly hurt face.

“Would black be better…?”

“Today.”

Adrian finally opened his mouth.

“I’ll just wear a hat.”

“Hat…”

Without further explanation, Adrian rose from his seat. He went into the room and pulled his hat out of the closet.

“Stupid fool.”

He muttered in his hat.

“You’re a fool, Adrian Berg.”

***

“Mr. Reinhart, have you been to that dessert shop?”

On the way to the publishing house. 

Breaking the long silence between the two, Rei pointed to a store and asked.

“Yes, I’ve never been there.”

“That’s a hidden restaurant! A good restaurant that only a few people know about! I’ll make sure to buy a cake and bring it to you sometime.”

Rei spoke in an exaggeratedly cheerful tone.

“You’ll probably recharge the sugar you need to write at once.”

“I see. It looks delicious.”

Now Adrian felt like a fool. 

Why on earth am I doing this?

Even though his head knew that he shouldn’t, a blunt voice kept popping out of his mouth.

Even a boy going through puberty wouldn’t show this childish attitude; he felt pathetic about himself.

Rei seemed to have given up after several conversation attempts.

Adrian’s repeated insincere answer deeply hurt her pride. She kept her mouth shut. No more talking, no more asking questions.

Maintaining such silence, the two arrived at the publishing house.

“Writer, you’re here.”

Glenn came out to welcome Adrian. These days, he is excited about how much money he will be able to sweep away when a new book is published.

“The first binding has just been completed. Come and have a look.”

Glenn led him to the president’s office.

Before taking Adrian in, Glenn shouted at Rei.

“Hey, Rei! Where are you going?”

As Rei turned around, Glenn made a chin gesture as if to come in together.

“You said you wanted to see the cover. Come on in. Is that all right, writer?”

Adrian nodded at Glenn’s question.

However, Rei dropped her face to the floor for a moment and only fiddled with her hand.

“What? What’s wrong with you today? Hurry up and come in when the writer allows you! She made a fuss about wanting to see the cover.”

“I… no.”

Rei raised her head and spoke quietly.

“I’ll just see it when it’s published. I’m not even an employee here.”

Then she bowed her head and went out.

“She’s really weird today, isn’t she?”

Glenn tilted his head as he looked at the door where Rei disappeared into. 

“Anyway, let’s go in.”

Adrian, who was also looking at the place where Rei disappeared with an uncomfortable expression, soon turned his head and went into the president’s office.

  *** 

A few days later.

It wasn’t Rei who came to the hotel to pick up Adrian. Adrian frowned and said when he saw the man  he saw for the first time standing at the door.

“What about you, Rei?”

“Rei? Who is that?”

The ugly-looking new bodyguard scratched his head and asked back.

“I don’t know anyone like that. I’m here because Glenn told me to bring you to the publishing house safely.”

The man gave no further answers.

It was not until he arrived at the publishing house that he heard from Glenn that Rei had quit being an escort.

“She quit?”

Adrian said, disbelievingly.

“Yeah, a few days ago, she suddenly came and said she couldn’t protect the writer anymore.”

Glenn answered lightly, as if it were not a big deal.

“Well, never mind. It’s because I couldn’t break her old mercenary habit. She is not the one who likes being stuck in one place. She likes moving from one place to another, receiving only the requests she wanted to receive. I wondered why she stayed here for a long time this time.”

Adrian looked down at the table with a blank face. He did not hear Glenn’s voice as he explained some of the closed interviews that would take place when his new book is published.

Adrian was angry.

He was angry at himself.

He had the nerve to feel disappointed in the situation.

He hurt her pride first, but he is the one disappointed.

After the conversation, Adrian left the president’s office.

The whole day seemed to have vanished from his memory. There was nothing but emptiness in his mind.

Entering the hotel lobby escorted by a new bodyguard, he told the bodyguard.

“That’s enough, go now. I’ll go back to the room on my own.”

The bodyguard went back without a word.

Just as he was about to climb the stairs.

The hotel clerk approached and held out a piece of folded paper to him.

“Mr. Reinhart? A man just told me to deliver this memo.”

Adrian, who received the note, unfolded the paper on the spot. Then, his expression as he read the letters became more and more hopeless.

Mr. Reinhart, please forget everything I said the other day. If I knew you would be so burdened, I would never have expressed interest. Anyway, I’m sorry. I won’t go to a publishing company from now on. Congratulations on your new book in advance. -Rei