101st Confession - Side Story Episode 2 - Girl's First Love (2)

Side Story Episode 2: Girl’s First Love (2)

“How did it end up like that?”

“…They told me not to play with it anymore.”

“Just for that reason?”

“Yeah. Just for that reason.”

“Isn’t there any other reason?”

“Well, I guess. Probably just wanting to grow up like other kids, you know, in an ordinary way.”

Wearing dresses, learning manners, practicing martial arts, wishing to live gracefully—she desired all of that, but nothing seemed to suit her.

‘What am I supposed to do, born like this?’

She didn’t understand why girls couldn’t wield swords or why they had to live like everyone else.

“Do you think I’m weird too?”

“No? What’s weird about you?”

“But, my parents, Ares, and everyone else think it’s strange that I like swords.”

When she was young, they praised her for being good at everything, but as the years passed, the way they looked at her changed.

‘Well, miss, why don’t you grow your hair out?’

‘Swordsmanship is great, but let’s do embroidery together. It’s really fun, you know.’

‘Arista, please, can’t you just do as Mother says?’

Maybe she didn’t have listened to them, because she felt like she would be denying herself if she did.

“I just like swords.”

As Arista became sad again, the man looked perplexed. After silently gazing at the sky for a while, he finally spoke.

“I can’t live just the I want.”

“But you can compromise.”

“Compromise?”

“Yeah. Your parents probably want something from you. Follow that while also practicing swordsmanship. They might worry if you do nothing but focus on swords.”

“But what if they take the sword away forever?”

“Have you tried talking to them?”

“No.”

“What if you assume things? That’s why your parents have to come out strongly.”

“If I do as you say, will they still be okay with me holding a sword?”

“If you’re worried, talk to them before you start. Say, ‘I’ll listen to my parents, but even if I hold a sword, please don’t say anything.'”

“Then, do you think it’s not weird for me to hold a sword?”

“Why? Don’t you think you look cool?”

Nameless and unknown, it was the first time she felt acknowledged. The man gently took Arista’s hand. As she looked up at him in surprise, the sunlight behind him seemed even brighter.

“It means you’ve held a sword enough for your hands to be filled with calluses. I think people who immerse themselves in one thing are cool.”

His warm and gentle fingers, unlike her rough ones, were only ticklish. When Arista quickly withdrew her hand, the man scratched his head awkwardly.

Thud!

“Oh? It’s Ares.”

At that moment, the man stood up at Ares’ voice. Before leaving, he affectionately tousled Arista’s hair.

“Please talk to your parents well. Keep swinging the sword hard in the meantime.”

After the man left, Arista gathered her courage and followed him for a while. Somehow, it felt like she shouldn’t let him go like this. As she hurriedly left the maze and looked around, she saw the man and Ares walking side by side in the distance.

“Lucas, where on earth have you been?”

“I had something to do for a moment.”

“Do you have any business other than seeing me at my house?”

“I do. It’s better if you don’t know about it.”

“Dangerous guy. Let me know where.”

Their conversation couldn’t be heard as they were too far away. Although she wanted to go and ask for his name right away, her feet didn’t move.

She just watched the man who smiled brighter than the sunlight from a distance. Feeling her heart beating, Arista thought for the first time that she needed to change.

‘I’ll become a cool person.’

With the faint thought that they would meet again someday.

* * *

“Ugh… my head.”

Even a slight movement made his head spin, and his stomach felt queasy. It was natural after drinking so much at Lucia and Herwin’s wedding as an excuse.

“If I drink again, I’ll die.”

Lucas blamed himself for not resisting the temptation of alcohol and struggled to get up. As he stretched his groggy body, a strange sense of discomfort struck him.

“Did I undress?”

For some reason, his upper body was exposed under the blanket that had fallen below. But that wasn’t the only problem. There were vivid hickeys on his chest.

This is definitely…

With a contemplative face, Lucas quickly lifted the blanket. Sure enough, he was in a state of complete undress, wearing only underwear.

“This is insane.”

Lucas broke up with Becky and hadn’t met a woman even once since then. Despite drinking like a fish, he never caused trouble to the extent of spending the night with an unknown woman.

With a pounding heart, Lucas reluctantly turned his head. There was supposed to be no one on the adjacent, but a blanket was raised in a round shape.

In despair, Lucas wiped his face.

“What the hell did this jerk do?”

Lucas simply couldn’t believe the current situation. Even trying to recall yesterday’s events, all he could remember was drinking and fooling around with the guys.

He didn’t even know how he ended up in this room in the first place.

Lucas sighed and, with determined eyes, looked at the side. If he got away with this, he’d be sure to find out who it was, because he was the scum of the earth.

Lucas cleared his throat and slowly reached out toward the blanket. Eventually, he lifted the blanket.

“Ugh…”

At the same time as it fell, a woman groaned and turned her body towards Lucas.

Seeing the woman’s face, Lucas froze on the spot.

“Ma, don’t…”

Lucas, who was muttering unconsciously, quickly covered the other person’s mouth before they woke up. Fortunately, the person didn’t open their eyes.

“Ugh!”

Lucas’ heart was not only beating fast but he also felt pain. Panicking, he quickly ruffled his hair and tried to remember what happened yesterday.

However, his attempt was cut short as the woman tossed and turned. As a result, the blanket slipped off, revealing a white upper body without any clothes, adorned with various marks all over…

‘I, I need to get out of here.’

Lucas grasped his dizzying mind and hurriedly got off the bed, searching for his clothes. Clothes were strewn across the floor as if a trail had been left.

Barely managing to dress himself quickly as the woman’s tossing became more intense, Lucas felt relieved. Just as he put on his shoes,

“Ugh… big brother?”

The woman lying on the bed opened her eyes. With a sensation like his heart dropping, Lucas slowly turned his head.

As the woman rubbed her eyes and sat up, the loosely placed blanket fell off. Lucas’ face burned hotly.

“Big brother, what time is it…”

The woman, wiping her eyes, felt his gaze slightly lower than her eyes and realized her state. Feeling embarrassed, she hastily pulled the blanket to cover herself.

“S-sorry!”

Bang!

Lucas shouted with a crashing sound and escaped as if his anger would shatter.

The bright sunlight through the curtains illuminated the woman on the bed. Platinum blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her radiant violet eyes blinked. 

“Why is he running away?”

Arista was watching from behind the curtain, seemingly undisturbed.

* * * 

One month later.

“Oh my, Lady Lydia.”

“Why is she so beautiful?”

“I bet there’s no match for a conversation with the Lady.”

In the most popular cafe in the city these days, ‘Songbird’s Courtyard,’ Arista sat alone at a table. She seemed to be waiting for someone.

Those who recognized her glanced at her with curiosity.

Arista paid no attention to people looking or talking about her.

“Hah…”

A shaky sigh escaped her. Arista pressed down her pounding heart and waited for the person to come.

“I have to settle things today.”

Unlike her usual reserved demeanor, she had made up her mind this time.

Arista anxiously waited, and the person who made her heart flutter just by thinking about them was none other than Lucas Agnes, her first love and secret crush for seven years.

She couldn’t postpone it any longer. It was time to confess her feelings to him.

“Of course, there were some things before today, but…”

Arista blushed as she recalled the events that happened a month ago. In truth, she had planned to confess right after Lucia and Herwin’s wedding. However, due to an unexpected accident, Lucas was avoiding her.

Thinking about Lucas’ uncomfortable expression when he looked at her, Arista let out a bitter smile. 

‘Was he that repulsed by it?’

On the night of Lucia and Herwin’s wedding, after the after-party and everyone being intoxicated, an incident occurred.

While taking care of their respective partners and friends, Arista, as a swordmaster, was one of the first to sober up.

‘Big brother, try walking properly.’

‘Haha! The floor is swaying!’

Unable to be upset at his innocent laughter, Arista couldn’t bring herself to scold him. She took him to a room.