At the End of That Memory

Chapter 14

Lee Taeseong did not return to Kwon Yido. I was concerned about the sight of him standing in front of the door, so I asked him to come in, but this time he just stood blankly at the entrance. The sight was extremely uncomfortable, so I couldn’t pretend to see it and go into my room.

“…I’d rather go to the greenhouse.”

In the end, I headed to the greenhouse as usual, accompanied by him. I didn’t forget to ask the staff, who always provided refreshments, to prepare two cups of tea. Lee Taeseong glanced at me and followed behind me as bluntly as a robot.

When we arrived at the greenhouse, as expected, he stood at the entrance and did not come in again. His posture, with his back straight, made him look like a gatekeeper at first glance. I didn’t know what instructions Kwon Yido gave him, but he wouldn’t have told him to stand like a statue like that.

“Lee Taeseong, please come in too.”

“No, I…”

“I feel like I’m being watched and can’t leave, so I hope you come in.”

When I frowned, pretending to be troubled, Lee Taeseong twitched his cheek. With a look of concern on his face, he eventually followed me inside. The strides he took after me were different from Kwon Yido’s.

Two teacups on the table had been set up in advance by the staff. At first, he would follow me and pour me tea, but after I told him not to, he would prepare it in advance without a word. However, it was surprising that the tea was always warm.

“Please take a seat.”

“…”

I naturally sat down at the table and poured tea into my cup and Lee Taeseong’s cup. The flower in the transparent teapot seemed to be a magnolia. The petals didn’t change color at all, so it looked like they were fresh and well-maintained.

“Are you going to drink your tea while standing up?”

I glanced at Lee Taeseong and asked. Lee Taeseong, who was standing still despite being told to sit down, lowered his eyes and avoided my gaze.

“I’m fine.”

“Hm…”

Normally, I would have gently coaxed him to sit down, but Lee Taeseong didn’t seem like the kind of person that would benefit from that. There was no flexibility in him at all, and the more I treated him well, the more likely he was to act stiffly.

“Why don’t you just sit down? You know you can’t refuse anyway.”

So I just followed Kwon Yido’s words. As expected, the effect was direct. Lee Taeseong sat on the chair across from me with a look on his face. Did I look like this when I received my car keys? Once again, I realized why Kwon Yido reacted by saying I was so funny.

“You do not have anything such as a pollen allergy, right? I think the flowers have been treated accordingly, but you never know.”

“… Yes, none.”

He fiddled with his teacup, looking very uncomfortable. His thick hands and dainty teacup created a rare incongruity. My hand size was similar to Kwon Yido. I didn’t know if it was a difference in shape or a difference in familiarity.

“Please enjoy the tea.”

I took a sip of tea and opened the novel I brought with me. It was the last series of books on the bookshelf. Since I would have read all the books in my room just by reading this, I was going to ask Kwon Yido if I could use his study room.

“…”

The fluttering sound of books turning tickled my ears. While I was flipping through three pages of the book, Lee Taeseong did not take a single sip of tea. Even while reading the book, I could feel him shaking as if he were sitting on a thorn cushion.