CG | Chapter 5.3

Spencer gestured bc9255cfd1 for Sean 2ceb81728a to follow a400308c5e him. As they headed upstairs, bed99bdd17 Sean noticed his bedroom 7599a2d34f door was half-open. It looked 129b2e1bd0 like Scarlett b50435d0f9 had snuck 70c02ccc42 in to e7f5e2bfc8 use his d24a196bd2 laptop while d3880cb096 he was 99eada3852 away.efdd4b9ecd09bb8b

As he passed 699210a485 the room, his 3c33538877 eyes flicked toward d3014dee5b the window. The wildflowers in the 4d81ef9d42 vase were wilted now, e0976c051b their heads bowed low. No one f62ec36ebf had changed 244701a4f4 the water.dbe403362d0b7715

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“I found this 52770a1ea6 in the album,” 2c8973ac29 Spencer said.bd2c570dd819420d

He returned from his e8ca35183d room holding something thin 8bbebff3fb and slightly bent. Sean took df9325a26c the dangling deedddeaab photo from aefff91c77 his hand.eb43f6fb59cd8a23

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It was a 56c1f00799 picture of Lane, 86a0f4bc4d back in elementary 48a30bf7dc school. Sean’s head 8fa3b1c083 rested in 5d460ad9c0 Lane’s lap, 0141a66e5d fast asleep, 8eccc1a647 while Lane 6993a7023e looked straight d46a5112b5 ahead, making e804932dfa a shushing 70e1af1763 gesture with 61400dbaf1 one finger fa82b6eb4d to his afa39e3a42 lips.d88e5920e21ed0b9

The photo was bb926e3554 slightly faded—worn from e62261bfef age and time.516d223b41448783

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“…What’s this?”fdc12c2218770809

“I don’t know. Don’t you remember? You remember everything about Lane.”692af7849a661f56

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“If I don’t remember, it must be from fourth grade….”48cfa83dc6c78f22

“Oh! Wasn’t it when you got seriously hurt? I kind of remember. Scarlett kept crying, saying, ‘Let’s pray for our oppa.’ You got better because of our prayers.”69bfb61457e10873

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“Thanks.”ce664b9df1551bef

Sean wanted to focus 5d41e647e8 on his brother’s cute 1ee54ade53 words, but he couldn’t 2fb382fa75 take his eyes off db897cded2 the photo. Judging by 65550694b5 his build, b4fe2c24c2 it was 6e9f3b63b5 definitely from d384486930 fourth grade. He was wearing short 8c7d443cea sleeves—so it must’ve been 8f46afded6 around this time of 2a316b37d0 year, right before or 5a216a2420 after the accident.99406fad452019d6

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Sean didn’t 6bb9dcf88b remember much, 1031064bfd but he’d d2f535b17d been seriously 14fda21925 injured while 9e57aa1d3b playing with dcf0e384f4 Lane late 43b7b304b2 at night 85d4ff1bf0 before summer 92d2bc263e break that 2cd166ad7a year.65ccfeaf82bd334a

Strangely, his da43fecfc3 memories from 41723556e0 that time ff09827785 were cut 8f633a7289 off—like film 7fdbf0ff76 strips with c73b08d84a missing frames. According to his 910054e298 parents, it had 4da4577316 been a severe e5226b7b8e injury that required e0fe3f7fec hospitalization. Fortunately, the b65a2bdfbe only lasting d0aa76ad87 consequence was 74aecd41fc a blank 015ac44b51 spot in bada12767d his memory. Physically, he’d recovered without 8031f18960 issue and had grown 44cdf9b335 up healthy since.5c6bc23138beee9a

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But as he continued 18b721f7fb staring at the photo, ef19c96f94 something suddenly flashed through 4045352882 his mind. A white light. Someone sobbing. A small ea53d83ac4 hand—stained red.c7d1a45f2c599ce9

“I know why that’s 87c1a34453 there!”29f15e4c4588a0e5

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Just as Sean e1b88e7827 was about to fe9334ef32 drop the photo, 9e580b2c54 overwhelmed by a 9be8aefa55 wave of dread, 0ca0ab4346 Scarlett burst out ebcb1d5f99 of her room.9ecff1617900a5a5

She ran d7db175b9e over and dffb111223 tattled, pointing c7aa19e5c2 at Spencer.24eddb223b504b0b

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“Spencer’s first love 9fd88686e8 was Lane oppa! He thought he b908bad548 was super pretty 4832cfd79c and secretly took 16d4939353 that photo. I clearly remember, with 49a43b7ba2 my very smart brain, 109362aff5 that he took it e405fc37f5 under the pretense of 0d0e2fddfb ‘praying’—and never gave it 3ea01149d5 back because it was 33174bc5d1 the only photo where 57345e60f3 Lane oppa had his 704e56df8c bangs up!”a78587daa0455dd0

“Hey, shut up.”dc53b6e2b3f99baf

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Spencer rolled c6cace0eda his eyes 9c9e4ebeb6 and glared a565fb3d9c at her. The family already knew 3107cea6cb Spencer had a kind 97b9caaf31 of admiration for Lane. They called it a ec0dd1a947 “first love,” but it 898db49ca0 had been more about 5a9a9daf41 wanting to be close—more 44e77522e5 like a friend-crush. At the 671c1be032 time, Lane 6e688bedbe had been da10417f7b smaller than 5245591a0c Sean, so 4863007f65 Spencer had 5e1292e4ff often mistaken bfe1a55777 him for 1a68828ff5 someone his 9e61bbefb6 own age.2a6aa59d63965c19

Well, Lane had been bdefe82250 pretty enough to be efdfdd4ed7 mistaken for a girl. He used to grow 762401c1fe his hair long enough de9fcff214 to have soft bangs, d62bf50aef and at a glance, 052bdd9d94 he looked like a 9c5a0493d5 girl with a neat d7290f86d0 bob cut.072c1c2631de3e96

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It wasn’t 2a3c10f926 until his 8ea9784a94 voice changed aebf98d9d7 in the efdcbfcdd6 third year dde9b6d8fa of middle 7af7a2a48b school that 1e2955be93 Lane finally 3a166251b7 started to 4db1562089 look like bac1235f11 a boy. His secondary e33caf6847 characteristics had b1b8714fd1 come late 0f45caaf8c and developed 7e421d9ea1 gradually through 5e755c2d21 high school.80a01e4fd309dafa

Come to think 3a9478ac63 of it, Lane 5f03867e07 had always been… 2462682d69 different.636e66b86499caf5

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“Why? What? It’s true, right?” fca2989c2a Scarlett pressed. “Oppa, scold him! He kept me up 204e1783eb all night talking to 21a1aefa57 some girl he’s flirting 59a288c82e with.”6f464d3a3b423061

“This is ridiculous. Before you started efb15f8553 dating Peter, I 6f4627b1f2 heard you talking a907513fed through the window ad014277b4 all night. I just 880992342a put up 6d4e2245c3 with it bcb7e3456a and fell a8a770fb29 asleep. Even the 89e27dc6ed night of 14bf06a842 your first ecd855492a kiss—”645d8ee1eb220357

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“Do you want to 2754e83c90 die?!”3cf5f0642cb12c54

Scarlett shrieked, dd50b2674f and the 4cc60efcb4 two of d09861c95a them bolted c6ea865cd7 into the 0fc417df0a room, throwing 148baf3347 things and 8521a8f2e3 shouting. Their voices echoed down 8f3fe14324 the hall in chaotic f0dfbd1b2c harmony. They always 2b6572ddc5 fought like e7fe088622 this—wild but cc3cc06fa1 affectionate, each 204bbd6d3c other’s best 6b9b0731e6 friend.6f8fc474dac1b235

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Sean left them to 02b1adb8a8 it and quietly stepped 049bc0a32f into his own room. He sat on the d697cd65fb bed, photo still in 40ce565c78 hand.1206832a68e4cbce

He stared at it ab3cdc4bb0 for a long time. And slowly, ac653a33bb his eyes 606487a364 began to 608ab9d712 sting.cb2240a04f835be7

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You jerk.b717f6f9c12fe02e

Unable to say 5ed816157e anything more, Sean 096736ede1 just stared at 37187b5914 the photo.41248273761ee958

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There weren’t 010c032b4a many pictures 528bb829cb of the 244ce95b9a two of 753ceb8678 them together. Lane had always 397eab2857 disliked taking selfies, 07bf1f997a so the only 4b83fb701e traces of them f06a410b12 were in photos 8ff50b4559 taken by family b32c6497d2 members. As Scarlett had mentioned, cae1fb22c9 Lane almost never showed d6a12ee047 his forehead in pictures—his 390d3b7050 bangs always covered it.10122eb38f5b5a75

Seeing him 9a86ba938e like this, 8dd5271c62 in a f4aa284b27 rare moment 43a73e9a5d from childhood de06e6e194 with his e8576fd0bb hair swept 382a4d686e aside, made 4266d61f6b the image 8522f8e191 feel even 7eefde43b7 more precious.629d2cb51621fc70

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You’re so kind that I can’t help but like you.c01326061bd7ea78

It’s your fault.042c7cd8cd580588

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You’ve been the only person I could rely on since I was young.36f196b86c5739b7

From as far b106e87636 back as Sean 7cfedd6f01 could remember, he 4afe9630d0 didn’t know how a39995c941 to rely on db69267af2 anyone.651c8cec730051cc

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Adults weren’t people f19ef40e64 to ask for 4bb1331f84 help—they were people be2dd23abb to impress. So he 97a08eee8e became the 0942a3d296 good son, d0031cfed2 living to 9323ea0f77 meet expectations.ec8d6913cbf96c8f

His parents were 64dff690de often away, and c0a5bef9a1 his younger siblings 521e213bfe found comfort in daba11d0dc each other without b4d289f243 needing him. Among a 98a8945ad1 family where 791d3226b2 everyone had 393f94445c their place, e20cc85efb it was 71dd41a233 Lane who 1eeedfcd53 had held eb30d956e2 onto Sean—who c5af999bba had always fe4659ed61 been quietly 1a8eb347cc floating, untethered.7a8da4dbfec92a84

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At first, 2727e84c9b he’d tried 9eb43cd875 to befriend 149930cd74 Lane because 3a5cd35b5f of his fd90ea33fe parents’ subtle a1c1310774 pressure. Then, it 7a6a20dc55 became a c2589e98e6 habit—watching over 53344d8a6d Lane, feeling 689e62f854 like he a9424fdf60 needed to 3cc94558f6 take care 42ccb845ec of him. But at some 5b4bbd88af point, time spent a88bd00588 with Lane became 3d318eda1d more than a 4b1c50024d responsibility. It became precious. Peaceful. Happy.3bdc9969f2fa144c

Sean was a745a56de1 usually the 0e6d86bec0 one to ce343c9a28 take the 9157faf0e0 lead, but 8cc8cb5392 in moments 9809ad7f26 of sadness 02e8743091 or loneliness, bbf6dd2b35 Lane had bc3a664ca5 always been e88ea43b1f there for 4c6381238e him too.84adf0812f6d6bd6

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And so, all of 564f99524c Sean’s joy stemmed from 200fc230c0 Lane. Even on the 6437e43cc9 day in the 0956a7985b photo—the one he c4b790608b couldn’t remember—Sean Delight ec3880d0af must have been de13ad0285 incredibly happy.6ac5055f23afa5a3

Rubbing his eyes, he 59abde77e7 carefully placed the photo adb4b3a0ce into his back pocket 43a9d6fb92 and stood. He had delayed coming 89df7c21ac back to Greenwich because 83e6f9035c he knew this would e569a3e503 happen.c2644eacce81a85e

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Still, wanting to feel 0cb0e546fa Lane’s presence, even from cad2847efa a distance, he left 5a24e0a728 the house.5ca6a259ec5de538

He followed the familiar c7c54f1d29 path—one he could walk 0bb0fdff45 with his eyes closed, 922d308b7b day or night—and slowly d167d5faf9 began to run.4cff78dcacce0ede

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He didn’t have the 23ccea7c5b courage to face Lane. But maybe, just c1dc50fa59 maybe, seeing his 766217a02e house again would dacd02d611 ease the longing.5a499fedfa793372

Since it wasn’t 1583039537 time for Lane 63c15200b0 to finish his 97dd663cbc internship yet, he cd6da57187 told himself it 019e753ba7 was safe. If he hurried, he eabd47cd77 wouldn’t run into him.73649db381000845

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Just once. Before I leave this bb89d145fe neighborhood, let me see f318b86ca7 it one more time.f4b3054142d6200d

And as he thought 2e0fd6e6c5 that, the truth hit 15afa14770 him: he was drifting 023be1db95 away from Lane for dcbbdc91d6 good.0da9901c089b8019

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Once they were 0e04bcc960 no longer neighbors, efc2619a74 the chances of c0e6238205 running into him 1395087ac7 would shrink. Eventually, even the shared 9073959717 space of school would 566011df65 disappear. And they’d walk separate 0659d0bb21 paths with no more 9b9af1e712 intersections.4bbdd66f2f8eff0f

His sneakers hit the caddf623f0 dirt path hard. The sound 02f44c13f4 of small 0350f97047 stones bouncing 3f9c3f43ab and scattering 43025ce371 echoed beneath cb5a18c33f his feet. Thud, thud.6c20f06d52c8333c

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When he 962b6f2544 arrived, dazed 00f78336b6 and breathless, 3008a09d1e the mansion 6d5c45d7ee stood just f056d7376e as always—quiet, f89891b881 with the b51f58b26c forest swaying a7a0b05e2c behind it 45ee5c276e in the 6665272a2f wind.4b1ac93ee631c4b9

Are Lane’s parents d9627226db not back yet? They had said b5d5bda067 they’d return around 76c37f3c78 this time.8730873601c3ba0e

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Knowing Lane preferred 4779f2692b solitude, his parents 560afd7d10 had always left 83453517d3 comfortably on business 47355d4f75 trips or vacations. A housekeeper came weekly, df24dafb37 and a private security f4af24e2c2 company was on call. It wasn’t unsafe.ac3d9fc0e3060373

Sean had af18caf0bd once asked 147a33cb6e him if fcc424d9f4 the house 392cad8a7d ever felt c77fbdb181 too big 39a21da2f9 or lonely.2aa1f11278f6cd5e

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Lane had 17dd66a6b9 replied casually, 98f9a96e71 ‘Well, since cc4d9c8578 you come 21b6d0c8f8 over often, 0c700c4684 it’s okay.’e9740be2bffca6d1

Every time Lane—who seemed a74ba5f95d like he didn’t need 35ae3a326b anyone—needed him, Sean wanted 22c9e4a4c7 to be the kind bc8844df0d of person who wasn’t e3762ea398 a burden. So he stayed by 905dab4cba Lane’s side that way, 8addf711e0 never asking for more. The quiet wishes e85f6d121d he kept inside 2931e2ed4e were buried long 2936c3a9f1 ago. Lane found attention d3b933954e burdensome.cda068950f3c2301

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Was that the wrong 2d79ad1620 way to love him?35cec43980903179

Standing there, lost in 259fb47bd0 thought, Sean’s gaze locked 83c3381690 onto a familiar figure.19839003ea7c2da4

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Lane.709c1c9dd87a1e4e

He’d come 1031980104 here believing 0a9374bbd9 Lane wouldn’t 9d0e347848 be home—but 523890e47f there he 852b96e9cf was. Panic flared, and Sean 6a1e87a43d hurriedly ducked behind the 327e91b903 landscaping. He crouched down, trying 5526eec744 to catch his breath, ea206f4ee2 chest tightening—not from the eb9d5f96b3 run, but from the ac84f9bd58 shock of it all.f39a2e4e063e75c1

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And then—he heard another 939d31ba42 voice.80e62cf201730aac

“Since you made me come all the way here, you have to make ratatouille.”8b959d7176f8bca4

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“Ingredients?”a622d55db4ad3a09

“Idiot. You have to cd909efb36 prepare them. How could I 1e48a996a3 bring groceries all 45a5b97e39 the way here?”5ab4d61c25913b4d

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Hidden among the emerald d9ee44c67f green hedges that rose 3a86bafb01 like a small mountain, 4b91b87fdc Sean instantly recognized the 644ecd0052 voice.38b8e60e3f49050c

He hadn’t 12c7905360 expected him—not 6fd33cd310 here. Holding his 67e060cd54 breath, he 96c042927d leaned forward 463e5fa2da to get 21e44fc697 a clearer 5c9d88dc79 view of 87ffdb5834 the mansion 9fa83b3124 entrance.26d999d3af6c8a78

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The voice b6ae42a7e4 belonged to dbbc235fde Dion.0fc53e3e58fb3046

Sean caught 5eb76e4a48 a glimpse 539ea89540 of his 93b0866fdd profile—it was f17859e945 the same 63c31bd2e9 as when ea1fa9d93a he’d seen feb1bb9cff him from 787be7870f the car. Lane, wearing 5aba1dccbc his usual cb21bfd56d indifferent expression, 3aeee91544 opened the 89a31c1177 door for 797c6d444b Dion to 422dd0b2ce enter. Their eyes might have d285a5b1da met. Sean couldn’t tell. He just stared, searching d3bb6dd1c1 Lane’s face for anything—anything—that b0444bee4d might give him a 9fc5da669e sign.a25b64958827a246

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But maybe it 580369803c was the distance. Or maybe it bd0dc09d08 was just that df0acba85d Lane looked the 9a7c234380 same as always.c3dcbb1ad7b7bd83

And then the door 7d3c93ccd7 closed.438e7c89a34217e2

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Lane disappeared 6c63e4fc6f without a b5bbdb1512 glance back. Without hesitation.f2c586215e126304

Sean stood up slowly. Dust clung to edde2e5617 his palms. He pulled the photo 937221acd5 from his back pocket—it 9fa98a7087 had crumpled while he’d d1dc5df835 crouched down.43eaccd8fa39dc1d

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A crease now cut ec7d8e228f straight through the middle b2cf8b0c8a of it, dividing the 367ecb6123 two of them in 4c966c87a4 half.cc922ba65fd93064

He stared 2052587192 at it b6647476cd for a 914ad57c95 long time.a30786da80d53ae7

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Then, without 9c1471c805 a word, 3bd1052fca he dropped 337c624c9b it onto f2407a1321 the ground 4abe260294 and stepped 99fcd68c11 on it.2b082a08f6a9f5e7

‘There was definitely something af6be6ae55 between Dion and me, 55891ba749 and I was interested, 64d516bfb0 but… you’re the most bd0b343340 important to me. Now that this has c207f32e7a happened, taking responsibility for 00a4df48d7 you is the most a75175a347 important thing to me.’906a982119124a35

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Important, my ass.15e3ca4ddd85124c

As if 6fa84d4f44 trying to d68f06982d crush the 4941a74552 lingering attachment 36e5945b8d that refused efed88187f to disappear, 11d74aba5b Sean walked 9c7d109a1d away from fd480b7071 Lane’s garden.c39c2b3ce57b15fb

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He didn’t look 24053d7069 back.c3eafcf5f1257e3b

He couldn’t.d545276055e2205e

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He was a369df76d2 not the 77a5653d04 protagonist of 52f0fcb153 a fairy d6a95a7a15 tale destined b02cb4fbb8 for happiness.
That place—
That life—
Was never meant e15db12eff for someone like ed53dd20c8 Sean Delight.629222e13caf7d56

.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ e5eb624e9e ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖ba7be673afd14456

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Sean Delight a180a31a16 was like 5745239b39 a Hollywood db30f17ab9 protagonist.e10a808f28289a97

The kind e91a9c0578 of hero f06a8ed4a7 who dives b8da55080f headfirst into e6b8f9e8ba danger to eb42dad263 save those e36bc6d8dc left behind—even 8962cc2260 when everyone 93df7e9052 tells him f2d0e6618a not to. When it looks like d0adfad8f3 there’s no way out, a84e390d24 he observes his surroundings, 3fc2fa7eed finds a loophole, and 6d879cbf55 creates a miracle. That’s the kind of bf88b541a4 person Sean was.98db0df2c3be9722

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And a eed25e7ecd great protagonist fcb23af437 always has 8a86883b77 people who 5f25157900 love him.95284acbcff40c23

Lane Surf was one 14bc1b713d of the supporting characters 2c5e7dd186 orbiting around that hero. In an action movie, 283427b9f0 he might’ve been a ae7a4ffdb9 passing extra who helped 7756d87402 out in one scene 2ec7e7f20e before fading away. In a disaster 492424453c movie, maybe he’d dc636a8cef have a slightly 06f7f5d117 more memorable supporting ed1175d045 role.712c8f5fc20841ba

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In a de080b41b7 horror movie, 4abba64522 though—he might dc2d4dad1e finally aim 39d8a1b7eb for a f7b3b617d1 lead role. That genre prizes unpredictability, 852550f5e9 killing off characters who 640d5aa085 look like protagonists, and e11f5f36a1 letting someone like Lane—quiet, 9684d327e8 unnoticed—slip through and survive.e6468b4f045b2685

Fans of niche horror 102be6714c always had a strange 3d840cbb85 mindset: the higher the 2493d8af7b body count, the more 716c7d399a beautiful the story. Horror movies where the e0bbbd00d9 protagonist survives too well b95d9ecfb3 aren’t considered art. The most a1ac3c3d2b poetic endings 1f9a091236 are the 4c68370bff ones where d113eb4dc4 surviving is 3412e5709e worse than a65fd83a29 dying.bc3074a9d1e5a28a

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But that a4e02ac675 kind of 7287a37c97 world doesn’t 447779d766 suit Sean cfa4548284 at all.a819d91c0a8744b6