Yvette shook her head.

One can only dream if they’re alive.

She had never heard of dead people dreaming.

‘Then, am I really alive?’

Wasn’t she supposed to die if she didn’t meet her destined partner?

As Yvette was pondering to herself.

The voice she had forgotten about drew closer behind her.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Yvette froze at the sudden presence.

Only then did she remember that she had company.

‘Right. I made a mistake.’

She had almost forgotten there was someone else in the room, surprised by the fact that she was still alive.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I just had something to think about for a moment.”

Yvette cleared her throat once and turned around.

Since it was impossible to undo what had already happened, she intended to at least handle the situation well.

However, the moment her eyes met the other person’s, Yvette froze.

“Finally, we make eye contact.”

The unknown man smiled slightly.

Just that was enough to make Yvette feel her heart sink.

Originally, she was someone who didn’t believe in love at first sight.

But the man before her seemed capable of forcibly making someone fall in love with just his face.

Beneath his jet-black hair, his features were strikingly defined.

His sharply extended eyes were a light silver-blue, with very distinct pupils.

It was a gaze that seemed to pierce through people just by looking at them.

Below that was a smoothly extended, high nose bridge, and relatively thin lips curved upwards.

If only his face had been handsome, it would have been fine.

As if he had received God’s favoritism with his entire body, the man was like a sculpture from head to toe.

‘To think such a person actually exists in this world.’

As Yvette stared blankly, the man smiled gently.

Judging by his relaxed response, he seemed used to receiving others’ gazes.

“…Is there still something left to look at on my face?”

“Ah.”

When he opened his mouth, Yvette let out a small exclamation.

‘Wow, even his voice is nice.’

The man’s voice was just the right level of baritone to be pleasant to hear.

Earlier, she couldn’t hear it properly because she was distracted, but once she recognized it, she wanted to keep listening.

‘Did I have the sense to consider looks even while drunk?’

Yvette looked at the man with mixed feelings.

He was handsome enough to make her eyes spin, but the fact remained that they were strangers.

“…Um, may I ask your name?”

“Name?”

“Yes. Given the situation, I think I should at least know your name.”

Yvette asked, trying hard to maintain her composure.

Perhaps it was an unexpected question, as the man’s expression changed subtly.

“…Noel. Call me Noel.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he revealed his name.

Then, Yvette took a breath and continued.

“Alright, Noel. This is my first experience with something like this, so I’m a bit flustered, but could I ask for an explanation?”

“Explanation?”

“Yes. An explanation.”

Yvette pointed at Noel with a serious face.

“Why am I in the same room as you, dressed like this?”

“…Don’t tell me, you can’t remember?”

Noel asked, raising one eyebrow.

When Yvette silently nodded, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

“I see.”

He muttered briefly, sticking his hand crookedly into his pocket.

“Perhaps, it might be better if you don’t remember.”

At his words, whispered as if to himself, Yvette swallowed hard.

“Why? Did I make some kind of mistake?”

As she asked with anxiety in her voice, Noel shrugged his shoulders.

“Well. I’m not sure if it should be called a mistake…”

He deliberately trailed off, then smiled gently.

“Last night, you pounced on me.”

“…Pardon?”

Clunk.

Yvette’s eyes rolled slowly.

She desperately searched her memory for a brief moment.

Then, vague memories of the previous night came back to her.

“No. Don’t go.”

“…If I do this, it’ll be troublesome for you.”

“It’s okay. Just… give it to me.”

Yvette stopped recalling and buried her face in her hands.

If nothing else, she was certain that she had been the one to hold onto Noel first.

Realizing this, her face turned bright red.

It felt like all the heat in her body was rushing to her head.

“I’m sorry. I must have been out of my mind from drinking yesterday.”

“You certainly did seem quite drunk.”

Noel nodded with an inscrutable expression.

Unlike Yvette, he didn’t seem flustered by the situation at all.

“…I’m asking this just in case, really.”

After a brief pause, Yvette gathered her courage to speak again.

“Did we, by any chance, go all the way?”

Noel hesitated at the direct question.

“…Do you want me to answer honestly?”

As he asked meaningfully, Yvette hurriedly shook her head.

“No. Please don’t answer. I’ll just think about it on my own.”

Vaguely, she remembered being held in his arms.

It was a hazy memory, and it was hard to distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.

However, considering the current situation, the latter seemed more likely.

‘Let’s not think about it.’

Yvette shook her head.

Recalling any more would only make her more embarrassed.

‘…Still, should I consider it fortunate that I broke the curse by meeting him?’

As the shock of spending the night with a stranger subsided somewhat, she was able to think rationally again.

‘Someone like him wouldn’t be bad as a destined partner…’

It was then.

Yvette’s eyes suddenly widened at a thought that occurred to her.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t they say that when you meet your destined partner, a flower blooms on the tattoo?’

Yvette immediately turned and ran to the bathroom. Then, with a sense of disbelief, she checked the mirror.

“A flower has bloomed…”

Looking in the mirror, Yvette took a sharp breath.

The slip she was wearing was sleeveless, revealing her neckline and arms.

Thanks to this, she could easily see the tattoo that reached up to her neckline.

On the previously empty branch, a flower about half the size of a palm had bloomed.

Its color was a light silver-blue, exactly like Noel’s eyes.

‘That person really was my destined partner.’

Yvette stared blankly into the mirror.

What were the odds of meeting a destined partner she couldn’t find for 20 years in just a few hours, and in a cheap bar of all places?

At first, she thought it was impossible.

But that impossibility had become reality.

‘…Is this why they call it a destined partner?’

Until just yesterday, she thought she would never meet him.

This meeting was too incredible to be dismissed as a mere coincidence.

“…Just in case you’re wondering, I didn’t leave any marks.”

Noel, who had approached her side at some point, spoke up.

Hearing his voice, Yvette turned around with a start.

Noel was leaning against the doorframe, looking at her.

His calm gaze fell on her neckline.

“I didn’t want to trouble you because of last night.”

“…Ah.”

Belatedly understanding his meaning, Yvette blushed.