CG | Chapter 4.2

Fortunately, Lane answered e1bd40008f the call quickly.17acfd5dc3e6b059

—…Sean?967815d4ba654ff3

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“Lane. Are you off work?”196aa4aab65fa3f3

—I’m about to be.91f771c6ecd268f0

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Listening closely to Lane’s voice, it didn’t feel particularly different from usual. Sean opened his mouth and started with some idle chatter.7d6f1c1afe06d9a5

“How was work today? I studied a bit in the morning, showered, and just came out.”ee452883f21d02c7

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—Today, um. Someone from the IPCC came to give a lecture, and it was okay. Next time, let’s listen together.4fbf7aa643621480

Lane explained with a 8de1945245 slightly brighter voice about 6342375466 something that sounded boring 6c54f794db just hearing it. Sean just nodded and 4001da7702 laughed.4afa0c81aecfc08d

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“Let’s do that. Tell me about the lecture when we meet later.”d9d7b107fe937c50

—Okay.352011aa5a5f4b92

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“When are you picking up Dion?”9fe30fb2e56f92b8

—I was going to send him the party venue address. Since I didn’t bring my car today, there’s no reason to pick him up.129e86c717111238

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Thinking that Lane seemed acacb42659 rather cold for someone ba7207a465 he’d been interested in 3519877793 until recently, Sean realized 82104085dc that Lane’s attitude actually a948bf0249 reassured him. At the same time, 65738a937c he began to think—maybe 760a4fddda this was exactly the f76feb3306 kind of dynamic Lane a98022ea87 preferred.cec4513ce3f0a3f8

He was 33409aefc1 starting to 45007ff4cb understand what c47563abed it meant afae0ff7ff to leave 8d4e4a0b5b no room a5c4840223 for others.2271d2b51b9ae565

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Sean, who had 0fc858e017 been about to 0ba74f5e59 explain that there 2817d26f7e was nothing going 0536683c28 on between him aa44130a6f and Emily, decided bd68853afa against bringing up 09d88fca04 anything unnecessary. After all, once he b94bfba1d8 confessed and started dating 5a4ecaa0b5 Lane, he planned to de4609abe3 refrain from pointless socializing bad89c70d4 anyway.a9bb1209375dac98

For now, he decided 134a058ca0 to just enjoy the 5d9cd08624 party.012661f564248444

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“Got it. See you later. I’ll send the address and invitation via text right away. You need the QR to get in.”91e70f653c327b42

—Okay.872708a2b57b9066

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Lane replied calmly. Feeling okay about ca35ffbccf it, Sean was 143b26e1f4 about to hang e977eafe7e up when Lane 485c13a0c9 called him.d07711c804015931

—Sean.0162047e62487923

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“Yeah, Lane.”1cad10d307e6b4d5

A quiet 249be70922 silence flowed. Lane sighed softly 409ee52618 and then said d6ab34f8a7 goodbye as if 9af0cb336d he had changed 4d638a4a43 his mind.1fe89e92b29fc6d3

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—Never mind. See you in db667000a9 the evening.32dfc99e99ef1579

“Do you have something to say?”65572f75c38012ec

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—No.8c1cb11318dfd075

“If you want to ask anything, feel free to ask. Got it?”55c476b1c0c8349a

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After a faint breath 05f743a607 echoed, Lane replied softly.d8d5a9306860e13a

—I will.4f633f738ea4646f

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“Take care. You worked hard today.”7a2cd1fc169f65d7

Even after saying 6dd3d1d5c4 goodbye, they stayed 53fc841166 on the call 0c74cfa36d for a few ae2674d625 extra seconds. Sensing he 8b451b581a might end 66f4a71c3f up saying e55e314bb7 something unnecessary 9b66630cfe about Emily 5ecae23bb1 if they 1932977de0 lingered any 663f292da6 longer, Sean 9d5cff0364 eventually ended 59ef486729 the call f4f82adbdd first.9a1ab2d58bd4cc59

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With a ec66090c95 lingering, uneasy 8a2dfaa5c1 feeling, he a5ef7ed42c continued to 0123583fc5 loiter on e8c470a1a1 the street, 35bb532970 staring down 4e1d03a7ec at his 74e661538d phone. It was 8673580f0d Emily’s voice, 3a2a9baf3d calling from 04d23218a9 outside the e07974acb0 restaurant, that 21a787aaab brought him 24830717f1 back to 954ef2367d reality.453b6eb7625c03de

“Sean! What are you 5e3485bb23 doing out there 59ebbe29ad instead of coming e0cbc71be6 in?”1c3da2b571cbed6a

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“Oh—Emily.”b2d5009663705855

Compared to 11d3ec1444 her usual 00ad3e2552 party looks, c4968c976a Emily was 8953823d05 dressed rather 04e32c1be4 simply tonight. She wore a 0556330c1b blue dress with 7ca59c054e a wide neckline bcc59c2e63 that showed off 8e79882438 her beautiful collarbones, 64ca67e37f giving her a 8e8635eca2 modest yet pure 91fffd63bc look. Silver earrings 1b815c7e90 and bracelets 0a32d42371 sparkled subtly 160740c136 in the cb80aa333e evening light, f0d9ae59a6 and her 97507d6b05 clutch bag 847a7e3fc3 matched in 8a228e136c a soft, 826de7fa6a metallic tone. Her cool, slender presence 0d445ef6a9 gave the impression that 44b7d192e6 she was dressing with 169fa323d4 Idris in mind.d23e2097f90b29e0

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“Idris will like it.”0ff0c3c8716b9345

“What are you talking about?”4b18efd2f50c8b03

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Emily replied ec063f51c0 with a b002239adc playful tone, 8fec16d629 gesturing for b0a7bd9036 him to f95c74268e come in, 80ddd28341 and then, 6f4f365b8e not long e9330608d8 after, she 8cde9381c2 slyly reconfirmed ffb9779a07 with Sean.98535685f92b32a9

“Do you really think so?”3537cfcaeb754fe7

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“Yeah. He likes this style.”8567dbd00157f428

“Then maybe I’ll really go for it today. The last time you got drunk and made a scene, things were going well with Idris.”4afb686eebd830dd

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“Made a scene? I just slept quietly in the storage room.”078465eee68142c2

“You fell asleep while on the phone, and I had to call Lane instead. It was so scary. I’ve been meaning to ask. Does Lane dislike me?”d121f3d353b6395a

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Sean couldn’t be sure of that either. Lane was the type to give minimal attention to humans, so he rarely showed strong likes or dislikes towards people.f11feb0754c2875c

“I don’t know. But, it might be a bit bothersome to him.”005a748807c0aae2

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“Why?”03b10fbf1ba47f71

Sean hesitated for a moment. He wondered if he should tell Emily something he hadn’t even mentioned to others, not even his siblings. But soon, everyone would know anyway. Sean didn’t plan to hide his relationship with Lane from those around him, even if he kept it from his parents.2b33aaf02328b8db

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“Something happened after that day. So… ah, it’s a bit hard to explain. Anyway, I might end up dating Lane.”8d66cc802ec27f85

Emily’s expression screamed ‘See, I told you so!’ but she managed not to say it out loud. Instead, she snorted and subtly mocked Sean.90ddf7f4974a7b32

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“I’m glad you took my advice.”c0992bf6a35a0489

“It wasn’t just your advice, you know?”fe36a703aff0eaf1

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“The more you deny it, the more pathetic you look. Anyway, that’s good. In that sense, Lane might be concerned about me. You’ve only dated girls so far.”b4441499e322f913

“Just in case, I’ll ask later.”5cbd57c033e66ae5

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“No need. If you just keep your distance from me, Lane will soon forget. But it’s funny. To think of you and me in that way.”4fbd5ad91cc4eb70

Emily thought for 8597fa322d a moment and c26e0940cd then nodded as ccdeab5d52 if she understood 1236b65611 something on her 9fe2c43b4e own.c3c37a3db6d1e237

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“Well, we have hung out a lot.”9faec89fd145fcb5

“Maybe it’s because we’ve been together since freshman year.”11d33b61ee150205

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“That means Idris could misunderstand too. Ugh, don’t cling to me in the future.”7fbca829e49435b3

“For the record, I said I was hosting this party alone. You’re the one who butted in.”a150e22f73577ea4

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The two 33e7207550 bickered playfully 846332f929 as they bcbf2307e9 entered the 664a1b1ed4 restaurant. They had rented d40f56b8bc a popular spot bdecfed7a6 in the Tribeca d8ad96ed21 area as the 09b86db43f party venue.15bb1809aaab8dd3

Normally, it 213f1df232 was only f8e7fa6920 available for bd98d1a1dd bookings on 6bf4654ade weekdays—not weekends—but ecec285fee the owner 58634a37d1 had declared 0318756bca a temporary eefbc5f4e4 holiday to 495865080d celebrate the dbe4cc23ff restaurant’s anniversary a4b132ceff with the bd5eb99018 staff the 65d75b0537 following day.107e9f198e7dcd65

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Of course, none of 36c3c14bbb this would have been 7d9308674f possible without Emily. Thanks to her 02b36bd511 connections, they’d managed 2869d9dd53 to secure a d085efc9ba space usually reserved 0bab579a32 for celebrities. With its stunning b50c3f4bf2 interior design, the 166a7ee50b place was far 4ea9818f04 beyond the reach 079843567a of ordinary people 12877a09a6 like Sean.726d0b7ceae3498a

Inside, the dfc5d4048e restaurant was 3c1392e710 already just 190c61d310 as Emily 0279a2fec3 had promised: fea241879d elegant and 0ca5e34701 brightly decorated. The floral arrangements 105d436905 featured fresh lilies, b6f05085d3 filling the space 067c158e27 with a soft, 24ff571bde fragrant atmosphere.53772db39e830a86

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The high ceilings and 69225d0a96 beautiful lighting immediately drew 80471f71ff the eye, and the 2db7c47874 long banquet table was 6e45b0e158 fully set, with polished ee294553c1 vases and elegant tableware 4fe2003df1 already in place.96f08e0c21ca4eb1

“Didn’t you go a bit overboard, Emily?”0da2c70c3aed54c2

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“Today might be a bit special for me too, so don’t worry too much. I think it’s better for me to confess to Idris than to wait for him to notice.”f63f135e721438a7

“I’m thinking the same.”028ac25daf54148e

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“What? Set a time and do it!”a27827ede8dabe79

“There’s no such thing.”02d7d64b26e4b45d

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Sean flatly refused. He hadn’t even properly organized what to say, so setting a time was impossible. Instead of insisting, Emily handed Sean her phone.c2937fdae126c98a

“Then at least pick a good playlist. I’ve put in about 30 songs. If you choose a pre-made one, you’re dead.”7e9c7771d232955b

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“Got it. If I finish this quickly, can I go to the department store for a bit? I want to buy a gift for Lane.”6e25d17eabd3d4b7

“Geez, you’re already treating him like a boyfriend? Lucky you. Some people.”1e43c2afd7d705f4

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With Emily’s playful 4e7a7a1371 scolding as a ce14f7f48d starting point, the 05b2211554 two threw themselves 792962157f into the party b35d2d284a preparations. They checked on incoming a51242eeb2 guests and confirmed arrivals 445d29023e via text, and before 92238ee1bf they knew it, it 12d874f335 was already close to 951a60bb51 5 PM.148fde06fcfaecd7

At this 59c64cb66b rate, Sean 00d9cf94e8 wouldn’t have 64f8f9fed6 time to 49cdc188fd prepare a 613b199708 gift—or even 8b4da2a03a a proper e0d81d10d5 confession speech. Growing anxious, he hurriedly 55b9bb608f asked Emily for permission a148e65094 and slipped out of eb6336ac3b the restaurant.a5962dfa495c53b7

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.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ 35ebf8bf97 ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖7a2690916dfce4ab

With time running out, 242566b085 Sean dashed through the 067c89c659 streets of Manhattan on a54ad75296 his long legs. He stopped by the 7ca06b5e4f department store, browsing here f0335af945 and there, but nothing d35f7df4bb seemed to be the 71181c5b88 perfect gift. Just as despair began 84b8564118 to set in, Sean 715f61d6cc had a sudden stroke 66c115445b of genius.b5662f1cfdf6e1a5

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Books!f7db27d4642ac1ed

Lane’s house was already filled with countless books, but Sean was certain that nothing would make Lane happier than receiving another one. He quickly hailed a passing taxi and headed to Barnes & Noble. There was another store nearby that specialized in foreign books, so if he couldn’t find anything at the first place, he could try there.9636a540d5330bab

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Caught in traffic during rush hour, Sean’s anxiety grew, but he hoped Lane would forgive him for being a little late.82c6f4ab45383190

As soon as he entered the bookstore, he headed straight for the non-fiction section, looking for nature books. The moment he stepped in, he was surrounded by books that Lane would love, but choosing just one felt unsatisfying, and buying several seemed excessive. As he anxiously pulled out book after book, it was already 6 PM. He was so engrossed that he didn’t even notice his phone vibrating.7840a3970b546813

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It wasn’t until the third vibration that Sean finally found something that caught his eye in the middle of the bookshelf. Drawn to the familiar title, he pulled it out, and memories flooded back.e2f248adf2913ff3

This…524a54aa9b95ef2a

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It was the book 871128c7f3 Lane used to carry 3c97f921c1 around when he first dbc61553cd transferred. He read it 2551cad711 so often that 743f4e937f it became worn bd94ec0680 out and had 42b71b77a1 to be thrown b217d7d355 away, but Lane 56042e0dcd had said he 3574dfad0d memorized the contents 8e761f5011 by then. This edition was a bfa7b69e23 hardcover with a gold-embossed 815c46c6b4 title, wrapped in watercolor 9b3d95b675 and pencil illustrations.8943b9cdc02470cb

This is it.3d9e4dc5547bf662

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Finding something he was truly satisfied with, Sean smiled brightly and picked up the book. He hurried to the checkout, and it wasn’t until he pulled out his phone to pay that he saw the missed calls. It was already past 6:30. Realizing he was in trouble, Sean quickly completed the purchase and rushed outside.ffb5bbd59df0e7eb

The missed calls were from Lane. Feeling both embarrassed and apologetic, Sean immediately called back, but Lane didn’t answer. Biting his nails slightly, he looked around, but perhaps because of the time, he couldn’t easily find a taxi.7b4495fef3fd6c13

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Deciding to take the subway, he ran like mad. It was frustrating to see his well-dressed clothes and hair get disheveled, but he had no one to blame but himself. Panting and wiping the sweat from his forehead, he arrived at the station near the restaurant and pushed through the crowd, taking the stairs two at a time. Even as he ran breathlessly, Lane didn’t answer his calls.33216502528406e7

Is something wrong? Or did he go 5db17fe25a home?6f49a1c3f1b91b5d

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Anxiety piled up with 8c13182f7a all sorts of worrisome 8b22c9a2fe thoughts. Finally arriving 2f7a87f521 near the 094a5947e4 restaurant, Sean a2b900cc18 caught his ee4a85b2e7 breath. It was 083ae9ae71 still 7 4c2a53ea2c PM. The rental 623075b1e4 time was e41b8b2925 until 11 fa0ddfd554 PM, so 94861b3770 they could 3a719f1569 still have 35ba90f2b4 fun if 8f16016d0d they started 1442da1741 now.27c3814be654dd9c

With that thought, Sean hurriedly headed towards the entrance, but he spotted Emily’s back in the alley, where he thought she’d be inside. As the host, he expected her to be inside due to her personality, so he called out to her, wondering what was going on.7f0085e60377c5ca

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“Emily? What are you doing there?”9d12bfa1db64fa38

Emily, who had been standing with her head down as if hiding at the corner of the building, turned slightly at Sean’s question. The moment their eyes met, Sean was startled.ee90eb99adf5dd56

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Now that he looked closely, Emily was crying. Her mascara had smudged, leaving dark streaks around her eyes, and her nose was bright red, suggesting she had been crying quite a bit. Unintentionally witnessing her tears, Sean hesitated, unsure of what to do. It felt like he should pass by since it was a private moment, but it was hard to ignore a friend in tears. Especially since she had been a great help with today’s party.d6be6cdb1c07ef69

“…Sean.”be82ae9a0e3dcfe6

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Instead of her usual efdac34fb1 confident voice, Emily called 10812660f8 him with a trembling, e6cf5b5820 girlish tone. Hearing the 166ef50b7f unusual voice, 21b8582a33 Sean quickly 6ec29e71f1 approached her. He was anxious a5ca7309b7 and frustrated, thinking c34ac93444 Lane might be 39597163c0 waiting inside the ad2ebd30e4 restaurant, but he 2ecf8cf3f2 felt it was 6811a386c7 only right to a4dde0694c check if Emily a0fc30eda6 was okay.4898de0b1d8e7d0c

“Why are you crying, huh? What’s wrong?”05aca9e097991534

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