101st Confession - Side Story Episode 3 - Girl's First Love (3)

Side Story Episode 3: Girl’s First Love (3)

The room was quite dark.

Arista, worried that Lucas might stumble if she moved too quickly, took a moment to adapt to the darkness. However, at that moment, Lucas suddenly opened his mouth.

‘Arista, do you know that?’

‘Huh?’

‘You’re incredibly beautiful.’

It wasn’t the first time she heard such words from him, but on that day, it felt different from usual.

‘You stand out among people, and wherever you go, you catch the eye.’

Lucas, swaying slightly, closed the partially open door. Gradually, he enclosed Arista between his arms.

A strange tension made her heart pound. Given his half-closed eyes, he was undoubtedly intoxicated. Whether his words were empty or sincere, she wanted to hear more of his sweet whisper.

‘I’m that pretty?’

‘Yeah.’

‘How much?’

‘To a degree that can’t be compared with other girls…’

Arista felt her cheeks heating up.

‘How about when I’m with other guys?’

‘…It makes me feel bad.’

‘Why?’

‘Just… it makes me feel bad. I wish I were the only one by your side.’

When she heard the words she had longed for, a thrill ran through her entire body. Arista, using the excuse of the remaining alcohol, gently rested her hand on Lucas’ neck.

‘What if I kiss other guys…?’

‘Arista.’

His low, sinking voice made Arista tremble.

When she raised her head, even in the darkness, the details of the wall were vivid. It felt like she was looking at a gloomy night sky rather than the usual bright and cheerful one.

‘Don’t say such things.’

‘Then, show me your sincerity, big brother.’

Before those words could finish, frighteningly, Lucas engulfed Arista’s lips in a single breath.

That night, Arista shared everything with Lucas for the first time. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, and even their first intimate encounter—all of it.

She thought their hearts finally connected, but it seemed to be her misunderstanding. The next morning, Lucas disappeared abruptly, leaving behind an apology. Though they had a brief conversation under the pretext of discussing wishes with Lucia, it didn’t yield positive results.

‘I’m really sorry. I know running away like that is not right, but…’

Lucas, apologizing sincerely, looked painfully troubled.

‘I just can’t face you.’

Arista couldn’t bring herself to hold him with those genuinely heartfelt words.

Time passed without a proper resolution for about a month. There were moments when Lucas, as Ares’ aide, couldn’t avoid her, but he openly avoided her so much that they never had a proper conversation, not even a simple greeting.

As he continued to evade, she couldn’t approach him either. More precisely, she was afraid of discovering his true feelings. Whether he regretted spending the night with her, or if he mistook her for someone else, she couldn’t bear to hear the answer.

But she knew she couldn’t stay silent. Even if there was a chance to return to the way things were before, it wouldn’t lead to the kind of relationship she desired.

So, summoning her courage, Arista asked him to come to this place by 3 p.m. after a long time.

‘Will big brother come…?’

Every time someone entered the cafe, her heart pounded. An anxious Arista glanced at her watch.

The current time was 2:50 p.m. In just 10 minutes, Lucas would arrive.

* * *

“Haah…”

The promised time is approaching. Despite leaving home early to avoid being late, Lucas’ feet felt heavy when he arrived at the agreed meeting place. More precisely, he wasn’t ready to face Arista.

“Yeah, it’s probably my fault after all.”

Lucas was well aware of his mistake. It made sense; he had committed such foolish acts and had been avoiding her for almost a month.

‘Big brother, it would be better not to think about running away this time. If you keep avoiding me, I might not be able to predict my actions either.’

Arista, who had cornered Lucas against the wall and prevented him from escaping, used to laugh, but her eyes were filled with anger.

Recalling the events of yesterday, Lucas blushed.

“I’m seriously in trouble…”

Why does even an angry face look beautiful?

Whether she was laughing, pouting, or getting angry, there wasn’t a single unattractive aspect about her.

Although his feelings for Arista were clear, the reason he had avoided her until now was that he simply couldn’t face her.

Certainly, that day he had been the one to make the first move.

No matter how much he liked the other person, it wasn’t right to do so without consent. But to rush in like an animal…

‘Big brother, stop it…!’

The embarrassing memory of that night flooded back into his mind.

While he had considered confessing to Arista, this wasn’t the way he had intended to do it. However, there was no desire to use this incident as an excuse to continue a relationship with her.

“…Haah, still, I need to untangle this mess.”

Of course, he knew it wasn’t something that could be easily resolved by avoiding it. He had thought about finding a way to talk with Arista about that day, but…

‘How can I not think about that day every time I see her face!’

More precisely, he couldn’t forget the sight of Arista the morning after that day. Carelessness might lead his body to…

“Good thoughts, good thoughts.”

As dangerous thoughts began to dominate his mind again, Lucas quickly composed himself. After a few deep breaths, he checked the time and entered the cafe with determination.

Without searching here and there, he could spot Arista right away, sitting by the window. Lucas cautiously approached her.

“I’m here.”

Seeing Arista’s bright smile, memories of that day started flooding back into his mind. Suppressing the instinct to run away, Lucas sat in front of her.

He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t even recall what they talked about the last time they had a conversation. Lucas, struggling to find words, finally opened his mouth.

“Why did you call me?”

This isn’t it! Lucas regretted his words immediately.

“Why? Well, you must have expected something since you came, right?”

Lucas swallowed hard, her violet eyes seeming to see through everything.

“Let’s talk about that incident.”

“Hmm, yes, you’re right.”

Although he sighed to dispel tension, it sounded different to Arista.

“Do you remember exactly what happened that day?”

“I don’t remember everything. I drank too much, and there were gaps in my memory. Somehow, we ended up in the same room. I don’t even know how I got into the same room with you.”

Upon Lucas’ response, Arista clenched her hand, hidden under the table, into a fist.

“But one thing I know for sure…”

Lucas, who couldn’t meet her eyes, finally looked up. It had been a long time since he directly looked into her eyes since that day.

“I was the one who made the first move.”

Huh?

Arista, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected response, felt her heart pounding.

“I forced myself on you, even though you said you hated it…”

“Wait, big brother, what exactly do you remember?”

“Well…”

Lucas’ face flushed, and it seemed to catch fire. He turned his gaze away with a forced cough.

“You know, too.”

The reddened skin against the light wall seemed strangely surreal. However, it was equally provocative. Arista, as if his heat had transferred to her, felt her entire body warming.

The embarrassed pair avoided each other’s gaze and opened their mouths.

“I’m sorry, even though I knew avoiding it wasn’t the right thing to do, I just couldn’t bring myself to see you.”

“Then it’s not because you hated me.”

“There’s no way!”

Lucas urgently denied, his expression desperate. Arista’s lips twitched, as it seemed at least he wasn’t pushing her away.

“I don’t know how it happened, but I couldn’t face you after doing such a thing to you. Not to anyone else, just you.”

However, Arista’s face stiffened at the words that followed. She stared at Lucas again, feeling her head turning cold once more. And then, she realized.

‘He’s regretting it after all.’

It was probably true. They had known each other for quite a long time, and it was an act involving the younger sibling of a close friend. He still saw her only as his friend’s sister.

If it weren’t for her being the friend’s sister, he would have taken responsibility for his actions. That’s just the kind of person he was.

It used to be nice that they could spend time together even if it was just as friends’ siblings, but now, that fact felt bitter.

“Say whatever you want, I’ll take it sweetly. In the end, it’s my fault and something that happened because of me. If you want to hit me, go ahead! I’m prepared for anything.”

Seeing him offering one cheek with determination, Arista couldn’t help but laugh with a bitter sense of amusement. With a faint smile, she spoke.

“Anything I say?”

“Yeah, anything.”

“Alright. So you’re ready to accept whatever I say, big brother?”

She was afraid to be too noticeable. Why did they have to cause such a big accident while drunk? If not for that, they might have had time to get to know each other by now.

Lucas closed his eyes, awaiting Arista’s response. Seeing him shivering, Arista sighed and gently touched his chin.

“Let’s date.”

“…Huh?”

Lucas, a beat late in comprehending her words, looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.