Chapter 2
537words
However, I underestimated the "privileges" my past rebelliousness had earned me. Perhaps in their eyes, my eccentric behavior had proven that any attempt at control would only push me further away.
They compromised in a way I never expected.
That day, the main gate of the family estate—which I knew so intimately—slowly swung open for him.
He was no longer a distant silhouette beyond the wall but had stepped into my world, walking toward me step by step. Everything around us faded into silence and shadow; all I could perceive was his gradually approaching figure and that familiar gaze, now mixed with nervousness and joy.
No barriers remained between us. When he finally stood before me, breathing the same air, I felt no awkwardness or shyness. We naturally gravitated toward each other, our bodies leaning together. In that moment, it felt like something long missing had finally returned to its rightful place, secure and perfect. This wasn't a first meeting but a reunion after a long separation. The wall between us, those days of watching from afar, seemed merely a lengthy prelude to this moment of completion.
From the day he entered my world, my vast yet empty garden truly came alive. We were inseparable, exploring every corner of this land together.
Once, this garden had been my prison, its sameness suffocating.
But with his companionship, everything transformed. The damp soil no longer felt cold but carried nurturing warmth; the swaying grass became dancing sprites celebrating our love; even ordinary dewdrops sparkled brilliantly as they reflected our intertwined silhouettes.
He would bring me sweet fruits and crispy treats, offering them one by one, watching with a silly, satisfied smile as I enjoyed them. I sometimes worried he'd make me too plump with his constant offerings.
My world had never felt so expansive, so abundant. He became my everything.
The intensity of my feelings was overwhelming, like a fever that wrapped me in dizzy euphoria. With him, I needed no masks or restraint. I could be completely uninhibited, revealing my most authentic self. Those quirks I once considered strange became charming under his appreciative gaze.
This surging emotion eventually overwhelmed my rational mind.
That day, when he arrived with treats as usual, I was seized by an unprecedented impulse. Instead of greeting his offerings as I normally would, I went straight to him with the most solemn invitation—I proposed, laying myself bare before him, asking if he would unite with me forever.
I thought he would be overjoyed, would respond with equal enthusiasm.
Instead, the warmth in his eyes instantly gave way to shock, and even... a flash of fear. He didn't respond. He simply stepped back stiffly, then took another step, before suddenly turning and almost frantically fleeing from my world, disappearing through the door that had welcomed him in.
The warmth vanished abruptly, leaving only rigid coldness. I stood frozen like a statue, the air around me seeming to mock my presumption.
Was my passion, my complete surrender, too overwhelming? Had I frightened him away?
