Chapter 72

I felt relieved as Asulin’s trembling subsided noticeably at my words. Gone were the sniffles, the quivering body, and everything else that didn’t suit her.

“…Thank you.”

As she calmed down, her speech returned to its usual polite tone. She shifted on the bed, closing the distance between us.

It was just her coming closer, but I could feel a pleasant scent through my nose, making me feel dizzy for a moment. But given the time we’ve spent together, this shouldn’t have been enough to make me dizzy.

“Not at all,” I replied casually, feeling grateful inside for the self-control to face Asulin as she approached me.

There was no longer any discomfort in looking directly at Asulin under the bedroom’s dim light, not after comforting her earlier. After all, it was only about seeing the beautiful sight of a lovely person with my own eyes.

But when I found myself no longer uncomfortable with crossing gazes with Asulin…

“…….”

I saw Asulin lower her head slightly, seeming more uncomfortable than me with our proximity. I had thought she would be uneasy meeting my gaze, having cried alone in the room, thinking she had acted disgracefully.

However, seeing her lower her head to avoid eye contact, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. It was such a despicable reaction from my heart, one that I couldn’t even put into words. I had avoided Asulin’s gaze under the dim light because her beauty overwhelmed me, yet now, feeling regret over her avoiding my gaze felt like a cruel irony.

Even though I wanted to indulge in the painful realization, I knew I had to maintain this prickling sensation if I wanted to reflect thoroughly. Yet, I couldn’t predict how Asulin would react if I kept my head bowed like this.

“…Asulin?”

I called out to her, softening my curiosity with a gentle voice.

“…Andy.”

Only then did she lift her head and meet my gaze. Though her eyes darted around busily, creating a slight dissonance, her efforts to hide her embarrassment made her seem endearing, so I decided to wait until she found her composure again.

“…….”

Her movements halted, but there was hesitation in her eyes. Then, she let out a long sigh.

“…May I ask just one thing?”

She asked me with a cautious attitude that was unprecedented.

“Sure.”

My simple nod prompted her to speak.

“Did I make some big mistake to you recently?”

Her question seemed out of the blue.

“No.”

Seeing my immediate response, relief and confusion mingled on Asulin’s face. It was quite remarkable how two seemingly incompatible emotions could be conveyed simultaneously.

“…Lately, you’ve been treating me differently, and I worried that maybe I did something wrong that night, which led to more worry and eventually, crying.”

Before I could marvel at this, I reassured her sincerely.

“Not at all.”

“Then why did you avoid me every night? If I didn’t do anything wrong while drunk, there’s no reason for you to treat me so coldly.”

Despite my attempts to reassure her, Asulin remained focused on attributing the reason for my avoidance to herself.

While it was admirable that she looked inward first, her assumption was misplaced since there was no real mistake to begin with. Yet, correcting this thought would be necessary.

“…Should I say it?”

The thought of explaining what happened that night froze me. How could I tell her that you pulled me close in your sleep and pressed your lips against mine?

If I didn’t say anything, her misunderstanding would deepen, but saying it made me worry about her reaction. Even worse, I feared she wouldn’t believe me.

She might think I was lying to avoid a difficult situation. Despite my habit of overthinking, this silence seemed to convey a bad message to Asulin.

“…Sorry.”

As Asulin lowered her head, her face turned dejected, and she apologized.

Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, her apologetic demeanor was unsettling.

“I don’t remember much of what happened after drinking that night. I didn’t know what I did to you until I heard from Catalina that you carried me to the bedroom. Without knowing the details, I planned to ask you the next day, but…”

“…I kept missing the chance.”

After a long explanation, I added a brief remark, which made Asulin nod.

Just recounting the events of that day didn’t seem to bother her.

“But… I was always a bit anxious.”

Asulin’s voice, recounting her anxiety whenever I left at night, echoed in the room.

“Even though I don’t know what exactly happened, it felt strange that you’d leave me alone at night when you usually spent time with me. My heart was filled with unease.”

Her voice, despite sounding composed, felt like it was tearing open my chest.

“You must have thought I avoided you because of something terrible I did that night, something that made you lose all your affection for me during the day, only to express it at night by avoiding me…”

“…Asulin…”

“I understand. From what you said, it wasn’t because of that. But the pain of knowing you felt insecure for even a moment is greater than anything else.”

With each word, her feelings resonated deeply, and my sense of guilt towards her grew stronger.

I should have explained properly or lied outright rather than letting her feel insecure.

“I felt so sorry for myself, unable to stop doubting that I’m not the person you think I am…”

Realizing I had negatively affected Asulin’s feelings, I instinctively reached out and held her shoulders.

Even though I tried to remain composed, the physical contact made me realize how much my body still trembled with unease. My heart ached at this moment.

“…Andy?”

As Asulin’s eyes widened in surprise, her emerald-green eyes reflected my image clearly, showing the determination in my expression.

“…Yes.”

I spoke slowly, my desire for her not to be startled making my voice calm and gentle.

Even I was surprised by the steadiness of my voice.

The trembling in Asulin’s body, which had been caused by her unease, subsided significantly.

“That night…something happened between us. I swear, it wasn’t your fault.”

Even though my voice was gradually fading, a sigh escaped me.

“I…did something…I guess…”

I wasn’t sure how she interpreted my words, but her voice, though no longer despondent, was tinged with an unbearable embarrassment.

Would Asulin guess what she did wrong that night based on my words?

Since she didn’t speak, it was hard to tell, but her embarrassed expression suggested that she might be too embarrassed to bear it.

“Are you curious…?”

I probed gently.

“…I need to know to apologize to you.”

Asulin finally gave in after a long silence. I pulled her closer, drawing her upper body towards me.

Her expression showed surprise and confusion, but before it could fully change,

“Your actions weren’t your fault,” I reassured her.

Then, I moved my face closer to hers, now especially crimson, and lightly kissed her lips.

“…!!”

Asulin’s lips pressed together, and she exhaled sharply, showing her surprise. But she soon relaxed and accepted my kiss.

After enjoying the brief silence, I gently parted my lips.

“Believe it or not, I watched you sleep on the bed, and suddenly, you grabbed my face and our lips met…!!”

I tried to explain, but Asulin interrupted me by pulling me in with both arms, preventing me from finishing.

“….”

“….”

Their lips remained connected, filling the dimly lit bedroom with a heavy silence.

Though the action was dry compared to the affectionate exchanges of lovers and spouses, something felt different.

Why?

Even when I wanted to pull away, the urge to stay connected was overwhelming. I felt the softest touch on my lips.

It was as if I was experiencing the softest sensation in the world right now.