“Ah…”
At last, my hands were free. The dishes were all done. I would wash them meticulously, scrubbing away every trace. With a sense of blissful determination, I gently tapped Kamian’s back.
“Take good care of Sherry and play with her. She was so miserable because of the rain,” I said.
“Of course,” Kamian replied.
As Kamian sat next to Sherry, he blushed shyly, as if wondering when he had cried, and nestled against Kamian’s waist. In that moment, a sense of indescribable betrayal shook my body.
…Dishwashing, Eden Garden. Though I should have been happy, my journey to the kitchen felt bitter.
I wiped the dampness off the dishes and arranged them, ensuring they were properly aligned. It was then that something small tapped my thigh. Sherry stood before me, her face adorned with a mischievous smile. In her hands, she held a white piece of paper, faintly revealing colours on the reverse side.
“Did you draw with Kamian?” I asked.
“Yeah! I drew Liv too! Kamian said I drew really well, so I wanted to show you Liv’s drawing too!” Sherry replied.
In an instant, the lingering bitterness vanished. Despite being preoccupied with Kamian and playing, it seemed she still had some thoughts for me.
With a gentle smile, I extended my hands.
“What is it? Show me.”
“Here it is.”
My smiling face froze in an instant. I squinted my eyes, repeatedly gazing at the drawing from a distance, and then stretching out my arm to examine it closely.
“…Kamian praised this drawing?”
Sherry nodded emphatically, her cheeks turning rosy. That rascal, Kamian.
In the drawing, a man who appeared to be Kamian and a woman who appeared to be Sherry were holding hands, dressed in a tuxedo and a dress. By their side, I, wearing a tattered brown rag, stood stopped with my hands clasped, trembling with trepidation. While Kamian’s eyes were adorned with large stars, my eyes were merely represented by two sticks.
The hand holding the paper trembled uncontrollably.
“Well? I drew it well, didn’t I?”
Still, I mustered up a smile, restraining the urge to say anything unpleasant to Sherry.
“Even if you’re angry, Sherry,” I said softly.
Sherry, her spirits lifted by my praise, burst into a gleeful laughter.
“Shall I go with you to paint?” she asked.
“Yes, that sounds lovely. We have plenty of paint!” I replied.
Sherry took my hand and dashed off joyfully. As the door swung open, I caught a glimpse of Kamian, who I wanted to give a good thrashing, from the corner of my eye. He turned his head at the sound, tilting it slightly and lifting one corner of his mouth in a display of insufferable arrogance.
“Did you see the painting?” he asked.
“Yes, I saw it quite well,” I replied.
“Sherry truly has a talent for painting.”
I forced a smile, my lips trembling. Kamian chuckled and pulled a chair over, taking a seat beside me.
Sitting down abruptly, I stared piercingly at Kamian. He didn’t avoid my gaze, but merely cocked his head, smirking.
“Why are you looking at me?”
He didn’t answer the question.
“Sherry,” I called.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to paint something beautiful with me?”
Kamian furrowed his brow slightly. It seemed he also knew he was handsome.
“I want to! I want to!” Sherry exclaimed, rising from her seat. I gently wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pointing my index finger towards Kamian.
“Behold, there lies a perfect subject, ready to become an exquisite model,” spoke Sherry.
Sherry’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, while weariness settled upon Kamian’s face.
“I truly possess the skill to draw magnificently,” said Kamian.
“Is that so?” Sherry responded.
Sherry, our dear Sherry, gently stroked her hair twice before approaching Kamian with determined steps. Extending her hands as a gesture to be held, Kamian merely shifted his gaze and observed from a distance.
“Come now,” Sherry urged.
With a sense of resignation, Kamianobediently placed his hand atop my open palm. As our hands overlapped, it seemed as if it were not I who held his hand, but rather Kamianwho held mine. His long fingers spread apart, encompassing both my ring finger and pinky finger. Bravo. I pulled his arm backward, raising Kamianto his feet and leading him towards the bed.
“Sit gracefully,” I instructed.
I tapped Kamian’s cheeks lightly and continued to stroke his untouched hair. It was immensely amusing to witness the contortion of his face.
“Do not smile like that,” I warned.
“Does my smile make your heart flutter?” Kamian asked mischievously.
“It’s ominous. It frightens me,” I replied.
“Well then, I must smile even more,” Kamian declared.
With utmost effort, I raised the corners of my lips and blinked my eyes. Despite finding it unsettling, he couldn’t divert his gaze from my face. What are you staring at? The slight crease near his eyes gradually revealed a mischievous glint. My face was fully reflected in his transparent reddish irises. The proximity was almost overwhelming. Just as my lips began to tingle from the passage of time, his fingers twitched. I swiftly jerked my head back. I thought I was about to be kissed. The atmosphere wasn’t conducive to that, and Sherry was behind me… Suddenly, such thoughts entered my mind. Have I finally gone insane?
In order to dispel the rising confusion, I called out to Sherry in a deliberately loud voice. She approached me eagerly, her voice filled with excitement.
“Ah…”
At last, my hands were free. The dishes were all done. I would wash them meticulously, scrubbing away every trace. With a sense of blissful determination, I gently tapped Kamian’s back.
“Take good care of Sherry and play with her. She was so miserable because of the rain,” I said.
“Of course,” Kamian replied.
As Kamian sat next to Sherry, he blushed shyly, as if wondering when he had cried, and nestled against Kamian’s waist. In that moment, a sense of indescribable betrayal shook my body.
…Dishwashing, Eden Garden. Though I should have been happy, my journey to the kitchen felt bitter.
I wiped the dampness off the dishes and arranged them, ensuring they were properly aligned. It was then that something small tapped my thigh. Sherry stood before me, her face adorned with a mischievous smile. In her hands, she held a white piece of paper, faintly revealing colours on the reverse side.
“Did you draw with Kamian?” I asked.
“Yeah! I drew Liv too! Kamian said I drew really well, so I wanted to show you Liv’s drawing too!” Sherry replied.
In an instant, the lingering bitterness vanished. Despite being preoccupied with Kamian and playing, it seemed she still had some thoughts for me.
With a gentle smile, I extended my hands.
“What is it? Show me.”
“Here it is.”
My smiling face froze in an instant. I squinted my eyes, repeatedly gazing at the drawing from a distance, and then stretching out my arm to examine it closely.
“…Kamian praised this drawing?”
Sherry nodded emphatically, her cheeks turning rosy. That rascal, Kamian.
In the drawing, a man who appeared to be Kamian and a woman who appeared to be Sherry were holding hands, dressed in a tuxedo and a dress. By their side, I, wearing a tattered brown rag, stood stopped with my hands clasped, trembling with trepidation. While Kamian’s eyes were adorned with large stars, my eyes were merely represented by two sticks.
The hand holding the paper trembled uncontrollably.
“Well? I drew it well, didn’t I?”
Still, I mustered up a smile, restraining the urge to say anything unpleasant to Sherry.
“Even if you’re angry, Sherry,” I said softly.
Sherry, her spirits lifted by my praise, burst into a gleeful laughter.
“Shall I go with you to paint?” she asked.
“Yes, that sounds lovely. We have plenty of paint!” I replied.
Sherry took my hand and dashed off joyfully. As the door swung open, I caught a glimpse of Kamian, who I wanted to give a good thrashing, from the corner of my eye. He turned his head at the sound, tilting it slightly and lifting one corner of his mouth in a display of insufferable arrogance.
“Did you see the painting?” he asked.
“Yes, I saw it quite well,” I replied.
“Sherry truly has a talent for painting.”
I forced a smile, my lips trembling. Kamian chuckled and pulled a chair over, taking a seat beside me.
Sitting down abruptly, I stared piercingly at Kamian. He didn’t avoid my gaze, but merely cocked his head, smirking.
“Why are you looking at me?”
He didn’t answer the question.
“Sherry,” I called.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to paint something beautiful with me?”
Kamian furrowed his brow slightly. It seemed he also knew he was handsome.
“I want to! I want to!” Sherry exclaimed, rising from her seat. I gently wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pointing my index finger towards Kamian.
“Behold, there lies a perfect subject, ready to become an exquisite model,” spoke Sherry.
Sherry’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, while weariness settled upon Kamian’s face.
“I truly possess the skill to draw magnificently,” said Kamian.
“Is that so?” Sherry responded.
Sherry, our dear Sherry, gently stroked her hair twice before approaching Kamian with determined steps. Extending her hands as a gesture to be held, Kamian merely shifted his gaze and observed from a distance.
“Come now,” Sherry urged.
With a sense of resignation, Kamianobediently placed his hand atop my open palm. As our hands overlapped, it seemed as if it were not I who held his hand, but rather Kamianwho held mine. His long fingers spread apart, encompassing both my ring finger and pinky finger. Bravo. I pulled his arm backward, raising Kamianto his feet and leading him towards the bed.
“Sit gracefully,” I instructed.
I tapped Kamian’s cheeks lightly and continued to stroke his untouched hair. It was immensely amusing to witness the contortion of his face.
“Do not smile like that,” I warned.
“Does my smile make your heart flutter?” Kamian asked mischievously.
“It’s ominous. It frightens me,” I replied.
“Well then, I must smile even more,” Kamian declared.
With utmost effort, I raised the corners of my lips and blinked my eyes. Despite finding it unsettling, he couldn’t divert his gaze from my face. What are you staring at? The slight crease near his eyes gradually revealed a mischievous glint. My face was fully reflected in his transparent reddish irises. The proximity was almost overwhelming. Just as my lips began to tingle from the passage of time, his fingers twitched. I swiftly jerked my head back. I thought I was about to be kissed. The atmosphere wasn’t conducive to that, and Sherry was behind me… Suddenly, such thoughts entered my mind. Have I finally gone insane?
In order to dispel the rising confusion, I called out to Sherry in a deliberately loud voice. She approached me eagerly, her voice filled with excitement.
