Chapter 10
“Um… Vallon. Sniff, I think I’m okay now.”
“Ah.”
Vallon clicked his tongue in disappointment as Leticia pulled away from his embrace. The moment she nestled into his arms had felt fleeting, too short.
“Th-thank you.”
As she regained her senses, Leticia felt embarrassed, realizing she had stayed in Vallon’s arms for too long. To think she had cried in the arms of someone she had been trying to avoid.
‘Too close.’
Vallon knelt on one knee in front of her, leaning in too close, his gloomy face right in front of hers. His appearance, no matter how often she saw it, never grew on her, and it made her frown.
Leticia, now fully conscious, subtly leaned back to create some distance.
“What for? You helped me too, Leticia.”
Vallon didn’t miss the opportunity to observe her closely.
“Haha… right.”
“We’re friends, so of course I should help.”
The word “friends” coming out of Vallon’s mouth felt strangely unsettling.
But why was Vallon here so early this morning? She knew it wasn’t right to be suspicious of someone who had just helped her, but her thoughts kept drifting in strange directions.
Could Vallon have been the one who put the mouse in my locker?
It was odd how he had shown up at just the right time, as if he had been watching.
It was too early for him to have arrived.
Normally, classes didn’t start until 9 a.m., and even if someone arrived early, 8 a.m. was the norm. But Vallon had shown up at 7, a full two hours before class started.
Could it just be a coincidence?
“B-By the way, Vallon, why did you come so early today?”
“I woke up early. Did you wake up early too, Leticia?”
“Oh, um… yeah.”
It was just a normal conversation. There was nothing strange about Vallon’s demeanor, nothing that would make her feel suspicious.
Maybe I shouldn’t be doubting him anymore.
It could just be a series of coincidences that brought him here at this time.
Doubting Vallon, especially after he helped her today, would be rude.
“I’m fine now, so you can go.”
“Here.”
Vallon pulled something out from his coat. It was a freshly baked piece of bread, its savory aroma filling the air.
“Why are you giving me bread all of a sudden?”
“You said you liked it.”
“Oh…”
It was the same type of bread Eric had offered her. But hadn’t Vallon been far away when I mentioned she liked this bread…?
Even though it was her favorite, for some reason, she didn’t want to accept it from Vallon.
She just told herself not to be suspicious of him, but here she was again. Besides, she didn’t think she could swallow anything right now.
She needed to decline the offer without upsetting him.
“Why aren’t you taking it? Don’t you like it?”
“No, didn’t you bring it for yourself? I’m fine.”
“Do you think I put something weird in it?”
Had her reluctance shown on her face? Vallon’s question had a strangely sharp edge to it, and it made Leticia break into a cold sweat. Their conversation felt unusually awkward, as if something was preventing it from flowing smoothly.
Whether it was her desire to distance herself from him, or the cold aura that seemed to surround him, she wasn’t sure.
“No! It’s not that…”
“Then why won’t you take what I’m offering?”
Did she misread his eyes, or did she really see a flicker of displeasure in them?
“No, it’s not because you’re giving it to me…”
She had no excuse.
She used to think Vallon was bullied because he lacked social awareness, but now she realized that wasn’t the case at all.
He was incredibly perceptive.
“Since you bought it for yourself… You came out early, so I thought it was breakfast for you.”
“No? I bought it for you, Leticia.”
“For me? Oh… well, thank you. I’ll take it then. Thanks.”
She decided to take it, figuring she didn’t have to eat it right away.
As she reached for the bread, her hand briefly touched Vallon’s.
“Ah.”
His appearance really didn’t grow on her. His skin, hidden beneath his hair, didn’t seem bad, so why did he keep covering himself like that?
Did he have a large scar? Was that why he was hiding it?
Leticia debated whether to ask him if he found it uncomfortable to walk around like that, but decided against it, thinking it would be too intrusive. She didn’t want to risk Vallon misunderstanding her, just as Richelle had warned.
“Well, I’m going inside now. Thanks for helping me today.”
A lot of time had passed. People would be arriving soon. Leticia stood up and turned her back to Vallon.
As she entered the classroom for her first lecture, she glanced back to see Vallon still standing in the same spot, watching her.
Why does he stare at people like that?
While she appreciated his help today, she truly hoped she wouldn’t have to get involved with him again. Trying to escape Vallon’s gaze, Leticia quickly slipped into the classroom.
“……”
Lick.
Watching Leticia flee from him, Vallon lifted the fingers that had touched hers and licked them, curling his lips into a smile.
‘She’ll realize soon enough that she’s already within the palm of my hand.’
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