My heart pounded loudly.

Yuri looked at me, his eyes smiling as if he found my blushing face endearing.

It felt as if time had stopped just for the two of us. I stared at Yuri’s face, entranced, and then belatedly shouted, “Okay, enough! My thoughts are my own!”

“You’re not an easy person,” he replied.

Yuri’s chuckling voice was as smooth as velvet. He stepped back slightly and handed me the mug of hot chocolate that had been sitting beside me. “Drink it quickly. It’ll get cold.”

Just moments ago, when he had been clinging to me like melted jelly, Yuri now sat beside me with a freshness akin to a summer forest. I sipped the now lukewarm hot chocolate, my lips on the mug, and glanced at Yuri.

‘I have no idea what he’s thinking.’

Just then, as if he had read my mind, Yuri turned his head. Our eyes met directly. Startled, I quickly averted my gaze, and Yuri tucked my hair behind my ear, which had fallen forward, and said, “Unlike someone else, I’ll say it confidently. I’m jealous of everything that catches Titi’s eye.”

“Pfft!”

Was that really something to say so boldly?

The little bit of hot chocolate I had in my mouth got caught in my throat, and I coughed. I put down the mug and glared at him. “I almost spilled it because of you!”

Yuri pressed his sleeve gently against my lips. I frowned, feeling like a baby all of a sudden.

Yuri continued speaking, still focused on my face. “Actually, I’m also very curious about this ‘Master’ person you occasionally mention. Who is he?”

“What?”

His tone was casual, but the topic was a stark departure from our previous conversation. I responded in a bewildered tone, “There’s nothing much to it. Just a man with pink hair and blue eyes.”

As I described his appearance, I cast a hopeful glance at him. Anyone would think it sounded like Yuri.

‘If only he’d say, “He sounds like me.” That would be a success.’

Then we could naturally talk about whether he was the Master.

But once again, Yuri’s response was outside my expectations. With a very serious expression, Yuri asked, “Is he better looking than me?”

“I don’t know why you’re asking that.”

“I told you. I’m jealous.”

I wondered why he brought up jealousy and then started talking about the Master.

‘Is it because he’s an unknown entity, and that’s why he’s so wary?’

Otherwise, it didn’t make sense for Yuri to be so openly jealous. So I decided to give him a bit more detail about the Master, whom I had always vaguely described whenever Yuri asked.

“The Master had burns all over his face. So he grew his hair long to cover it. He always stood in dark places.”

“Burns.”

What I wanted to convey was that while the Master’s features were similar to Yuri’s, I couldn’t confirm his identity because I couldn’t see his face.

‘So the Master could be you! I mean, I almost think it’s you…’

And once again, Yuri’s reaction veered far from my intention. Yuri rested his chin on his hand and murmured in a doubtful voice, “That’s strange. Someone capable of such magic would leave their face burned. There must be something suspicious…”

“Stop it already!”

Why did the conversation keep going in that direction?

I grabbed Yuri’s shoulders. Then, in a clear and distinct tone, I declared, “I told you clearly, didn’t I? You and the Master are different. And the one I like is you!”

At that moment, Yuri said, “That’s the answer I wanted to hear.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuri lifted his head and pressed his lips against mine.

Smooch.

With a very soft sound, his lips touched mine and then parted.

I gazed at him with my eyes wide open, like a rabbit. The corners of my eyes were red. In Yuri’s eyes, I saw an urgency that had never been there before, rolling like waves.

‘I know this feeling.’

The anxiety of not knowing what the other person is thinking, throwing out ambiguous words as if testing the waters, yet being unable to express your true feelings for fear of being disliked.

That was exactly how I had behaved until I came to this villa.

‘In the end, we feel the same way.’

Having realized my emotions, I should have felt calm, but instead, my heart started beating even more wildly. Yuri’s strong arm wrapped around my waist. His voice trembled slightly.

“If you don’t like it, just tap my arm.”

After taking enough time to confirm my intentions, Yuri slowly leaned closer. His beautiful eyes disappeared behind his eyelids.

We kissed again. Unlike the brief touch of lips earlier, this kiss was distinctly different, as if confirming our presence.

Whenever it seemed like we were parting, he would draw in my lower lip again, and the excited breath was swallowed into the parted lips.

After repeating this several times, he lightly licked my lips.

“It tastes like chocolate. Can I taste it again?”

The red tongue that appeared and disappeared was tempting. Feeling inexplicably thirsty, I swallowed dryly.

That was my answer.

Yuri eagerly kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Even though my heart was pounding so wildly that I couldn’t think straight, strangely, I felt at ease. As if I had found my rightful place.

I squinted my eyes open. I could see Yuri’s face, his eyes gently closed. His slightly reddened cheeks, eyelashes trembling like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings…

Looking at Yuri’s face made my throat dry with an inexplicable thirst.

As if sensing my gaze, Yuri’s eyelids opened slightly.

In his light blue eyes, yellow star dust seemed to scatter. While I was gazing at that mysterious sight as if entranced, he suddenly bit my lower lip lightly.

“…Focus.”

Instead of answering, I kissed various parts of his face softly.

‘Fool.’

How could I focus more here?

‘My heart is full of you.’

After the long kiss ended, I leaned my head against Yuri’s shoulder.

“…It’s kind of strange.”

“What is?”

Yuri asked back, wrapping my shoulder carefully. I sighed.

“It’s comfortable having you by my side, but we’ve known each other for less than a year, right?”

I had never felt comfortable being by someone’s side before. To me, others were like symbols of responsibility or debt.

Not because it was good to be beside them, but because they were someone I had to protect.

But Yuri had never given me any kind of burden.

So how was it that being by Yuri’s side felt so comfortable? As I pondered, Yuri chuckled as if I worried about everything and replied.

“It seems my side was Titi’s place.”

His tone was light, as if stating an obvious fact. Tears welled up in response to that answer.

‘My place.’

How much I had struggled to find a place where I could stay.

‘But now I have a place so easily.’

Though people and situations change easily, at this moment, I felt incredibly happy.

Not wanting Yuri to see my tears, I turned my head to look outside the window. Before I knew it, the sun was streaming through the clouds as if it had never rained. The sky, visible in patches, was a clearer blue than ever.

“It looks like the rain has stopped.”

“Really? Then, shall we go outside?”

“Hmm…”

Going outside sounded nice, but being alone with Yuri like this was also good. So, I hesitated to answer.

Knock, knock.

But before I needed to decide, there was a knock on the door. I stood up.

“Masha must be here.”

“I told her not to come to work today, but maybe she was worried.”

Knocking as soon as the weather cleared up. She must have started heading here when it was still raining, which was concerning. I grabbed the shawl I had draped over me and hurried to open the door.

“Masha, how did you manage in the rain…”

But the person standing at the door was unexpected.

Droplets of rain dripped from hair the color of azaleas, and eyes distinctly darker blue than Yuri’s.

His shirt and jacket were soaked, deeply colored from being in the rain for a long time.

When our eyes met, a faint light flickered in his previously gloomy eyes. I widened my eyes and called his name.

“Yujin?”

At that very moment, a tremendous sound erupted. Lightning struck behind Yujin.

Boom!

Startled, I hunched my shoulders. The sky that had been clear just moments ago was now filled with dark clouds, and the blue light had vanished without a trace.

It was a sign of the storm.