A Practical Guide to Ending a One-Sided Love - Chapter 13

“I’ve already ordered the meal in advance. Is that alright with you?”

“Yes, of course. But…”

“Is there anything you can’t eat?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Leila, who had been watching his composed behavior with visible restlessness, finally seemed unable to contain her curiosity and cautiously posed her question.

“The food is fine. I’m just wondering why you’ve set up this meeting today, sir. If it’s fine with you, may I ask first what it is you wish to speak to me about so urgently?”

Leila’s action of asking about the purpose of today’s meeting was also within Bjorn’s expectations. It was a little earlier than he had anticipated, but he did not panic.

With a far calmer mind than before, Bjorn reviewed today’s plan.

Yes, everything was perfect. He had prepared a script that would be more than enough to make Leila give up today. Surely everything would proceed exactly as he intended, without the slightest deviation. There was no need to be nervous.

“The reason I asked to see you today, Miss Bailey, is because of what you said to me a few days ago. You said that your feelings for me haven’t changed at all from five years ago.”

Seeing Leila listen to his words without even breathing, Bjorn felt an intense pressure that made his earlier resolve feel hollow. The shirt button constricting his neck suddenly felt stifling, to the point that he wanted to tear it off.

“I can’t give you a definite answer right away, but… I’ve become curious about you, Miss Bailey.”

The sound of her sharply inhaling struck at his conscience, but he forced himself to ignore it.

“Come to think of it, aside from your name, I know nothing about you at all. If it’s alright, would you consider meeting me with the premise of a relationship? I thought it might be good for us to slowly get to know each other.”

Of course, this meeting would be the first and the last, but for now, he acted with sincerity. The disappointment that would come after her expectations rose would hurt all the more.

Unaware of Bjorn’s dark intentions, Leila simply stared at him with both hands covering her mouth, looking overwhelmed. Thinking that a face filled with contempt would soon replace that expression of adoration made his mouth feel bitter for no reason.

“Then does this mean… that this is a date? It sounds like, depending on things, we might end up in a relationship. If I’m misunderstanding…”

Her voice trembled finely as she asked again, pushing up her thick glasses as if trying to steady herself. Bjorn cut through her doubt in a single stroke.

“You’re not misunderstanding. That is what I meant.”

“My goodness.”

Leila took in another deep breath, then even began fanning herself. Her trembling breaths reached Bjorn’s sensitive ears. Beyond the glass lenses, her amber eyes seemed to be brimming with tears.

He wasn’t saying they would truly be in a relationship, just suggesting they meet a few times with that premise. Was something that small really enough to make her that happy. It gave him a strange feeling.

It was an emotion Bjorn, who had never once in his life felt affection or love toward anyone, could never understand.

The fact that she had not given up her feelings for him for ten whole years was just as incomprehensible.

He already knew that his outer shell was fairly presentable. He had heard such evaluations and praise to the point of weariness since childhood.

But even so, could mere appearance truly be enough to drive someone to love another person alone for ten years?

He didn’t think so. The feelings Leila harbored were stubbornness and obsession wearing the mask of love.

Even if it truly was love, Bjorn could not believe in it. There was no way someone could genuinely love him in a world where he had not even received the love of his parents, which should have been the most complete of all.

The reason Leila was so happy was probably because this moment felt like a reward for ten years of time. Looking at her, still overwhelmed with emotion, Bjorn thought that perhaps this was for the best.

In a way, the absurd act he was about to carry out today was also for her sake. There was nothing good to come from being entangled with someone like him, barren as a desert wasteland. He needed to strip away the rose colored glasses covering her eyes as soon as possible.

Unaware of Bjorn’s impatience, Leila, who had been at a loss for words for quite some time, finally opened her mouth to speak.