Elias froze, momentarily speechless, before a knowing smile spread across his face. "So you’re jealous?" he asked, his tone light yet teasing.
He gently ruffled Mira's hair, the warmth in his touch contrasting with the seriousness in his voice. "I just see Vera as a sister. Don’t you think she’s pitiful? Her life’s ticking away, her father doesn’t care for her, and my job is to help people. I do what I can to save as many as I can."
Is it really that simple?
Before Mira could voice her doubts, a cleaning lady came rushing out, mop in hand, shouting urgently, "Someone’s fainted!"
Elias' face immediately shifted, his expression turning grim as he rushed back into the restaurant. Moments later, he emerged, carrying an unconscious Vera in his arms.
"I’m taking her to the hospital!" His voice was firm, his gaze never meeting Mira's as he carefully placed Vera in the backseat of the car and sped off.
Mira stood frozen, her thoughts swirling in a haze.
Buzz—
A faint, electrical hum buzzed in her ears, drowning out the world around her. Her head felt like it was being pierced by a thousand sharp needles, the pain overwhelming. The room seemed to tilt, and as the world spun, Mira crumpled to the ground, clutching her head in agony.
When she regained consciousness, the sterile scent of disinfectant filled her senses. She was lying in a hospital bed.
"You’re awake," a doctor’s voice whispered, soft with concern. "Do you understand? You have a tumor in your brain. If you don’t have surgery soon, the fainting episodes will worsen."
Silence lingered in the room as she processed the gravity of the doctor's words.
Mira nodded numbly.
As the doctor left, her phone buzzed with a new call—Elias' name flashing on the screen.
"Mira, I’m sorry," Elias' voice sounded guilty, full of regret. "I left you alone today. I’ll make it up to you, I promise, twice as much next year."
Next year?
Mira’s lips curved into a bitter smile. Do they even have a next year?
"The situation was urgent. I understand," she replied, her voice distant.
Elias let out a relieved breath. "Vera’s fine now. I’ll be home soon, I’m picking up dinner."
"It’s fine." Mira’s words were cold, distant.
After hanging up, Mira took off her hospital gown and prepared to pay the bill. As she made her way toward the exit, a familiar female voice echoed from around the corner of the hallway.
"Elias, we haven't done the rehearsal kiss for today yet."
It was Vera’s voice, light and playful.
Elias' figure was cast in shadow on the floor tiles, his hand reaching out to gently touch Vera’s head. "Alright, stop fooling around," he said, his tone firm but affectionate.
"Did you kiss Mira when you got married?" Vera's voice had a teasing edge.
"...I did."
"Then, of course, our wedding should be like this," Vera said, standing on tiptoe, her voice soft but insistent.
The shadows, tall and short, moved closer together.
"Elias, can you kiss me? How can a girl kiss someone on her own initiative?" Vera’s voice was sweet and delicate, laden with unspoken longing.
Elias didn’t move. The atmosphere thickened, heavy with silence.
After a long pause, Vera whispered, her voice barely audible, “If you don’t want to, forget it. I can find someone else...”
The rest of her words faded into nothing.
The sound of lips meeting, of breath mingling, echoed through the quiet corridor.
Two minutes passed, thick with tension.
Elias' voice broke the silence, low and hoarse. "Don’t find someone else."
Mira, standing on the steps just beyond the wall, covered her mouth with her hand. She swallowed the sobs rising in her throat, her heart breaking with each passing second. Quietly, she turned and walked away.
In the bedroom, the faint light from outside spilled across the room, casting soft shadows on Mira’s red, swollen eyes. She stared blankly at the photo frame on the bedside table, her heart aching so painfully it felt as though it could shatter.
The photo was from the day of her high school graduation. It captured her and Elias in school uniforms, his arm around her shoulders. The moment the shutter clicked, she could still remember his soft whisper in her ear: "Mira, happy graduation. We’ll be together forever."
Elias' smile in the picture was as handsome as ever, and every time she looked at it, she couldn’t help but think back to the fire when she was fifteen. He had rushed in without hesitation, pulling her from the flames, saving her without a second thought.
