Male Lead, Please Dump Me Three Times - Chapter 54

“……Daisy?”

“Yes?!”

“What are you thinking about?”

It was the moment I had decided to confess.

My resolve scattered into the air at Ray’s sudden question.

“Oh, nothing… Nothing at all.”

Ray nodded at my words and asked again,

“Do you want to do anything today?”

“Want to do something…”

Honestly, this was practically my first date with Ray, no different than that.

And it was also my first date in my life.

Just the fact that I was on a date with Ray was exciting enough.

So I hadn’t had the chance to think about what I wanted to do or eat with Ray.

“Uh…”

“Or is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Somewhere I want to go…”

Wait a minute…

“Ray, are we heading to Bern now?”

“Um. For now.”

“Then, there’s a place I’d like us to stop by on the way.”

  
* * *

  
We stood in front of an old building with red outer walls. The familiar green roof was also visible.

“Is this the place you were looking for?”

Ray asked while taking in the three-story building in front of us.

“Yes. I have some business here. It won’t take long, is that okay?”

“Of course.”

We soon walked towards the entrance door.

Ray stepped aside for me and opened the firmly closed door.

‘Creak.’

The door opened with a creaking sound.

“Welcome. Thank you for coming.”

We were greeted by an unfamiliar old man.

The old man looked at us with wide eyes and greeted us. There was a sharpness in his gaze.

‘Oh…?’

I glanced sideways at the interior of Livro. It hadn’t changed at all from my first visit last time.

“Is the bookstore owner not here?”

“Excuse me? The owner…? What are you talking about…”

The old man looked at us alternately with a puzzled expression.

“Here, the owner. That grandmother.”

The old man tilted his head and made a strange sound.

“I’ve been running this place for 40 years… I’ve never hired a grandmother.”

“No way. Surely…, wait a minute.”

I started rummaging through the bag Ray was holding. Then I pulled out a purple book and said,

“I bought this from an old woman about a month ago…”

Flipping through the purple book quickly, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

The writing that had been clearly there just this morning had disappeared.

“No… What is this…”

The phrase ‘Do you like it?’ that had been written below my brief diary entry was nowhere to be found.

What on earth is going on?

It couldn’t have been a hallucination in my sleep.

Because thanks to a good night’s sleep yesterday, my mind has been clear since this morning.

A momentary fear crept in, causing my fingertips to tremble.

Suddenly, a large hand gently grabbed one of my shoulders.

“Daisy, are you okay? What’s wrong…….”

Ray, who had been holding my shoulder, shifted his gaze to the purple book in my hand.

Standing there dazed for a moment, I quickly closed the book.

“Ah, no! I must have been mistaken.”

Surely……. He didn’t see it, did he……?

The contents of this book could never be shown to Ray.

Because it contained all my true feelings about him.

I was extremely flustered. But the grandfather standing at the counter was just as flustered.

He kept looking back and forth at us with a look of confusion in his eyes.

“Then…, where are those two big men?”

I’m certain I saw them.

The two big men standing next to that old woman.

I saw them clearly with my own two eyes.

“This place has always been operated by me alone. Are you sure you’re not mistaking it for somewhere else?”

“…….”

I was at a loss for words.

Then who did I buy this book from……?

Who was I talking to……?

A chill ran down my spine as if I was bewitched by a ghost.

Feeling the tremble, Ray gently stroked my shoulders with both hands.

“Daisy, maybe we should go outside.”

I nodded in agreement to Ray’s suggestion.

“Yes…….”

Holding the purple book, I took Ray’s hand and left the place.

* * *

“Are you really okay? You look pale.”

Ray bent down to caress my cheek and asked.

“Uh-huh. I’m okay. It’s nothing.”

It was definitely strange.

The last time, on my first visit to Livro.

I had clearly bought this book from a blind old lady.

And I vividly remember the menacing appearance of the big men standing firmly by her side…….

If I had mistaken the building, I wouldn’t have been so shocked.

But the name of the building, its appearance, and even the air inside were exactly the same as before.

Ray asked me what was wrong with a worried expression, but I couldn’t tell him.

The writings of someone were in my book, and now they’re gone?

‘I can’t believe this situation myself…….’

To open up to Ray, at least I would have to show him the inside of the book and explain what kind of phrases were engraved…….

It contained my true feelings about Ray.

Even just before.

Didn’t Ray and I see the owner, who said he had been operating this place for 40 years?

He wouldn’t believe such absurd words.

I forced a smile and faced him.

“Ah! I remembered! Sorry, I mistook it for another place.”

Ray gently stroked my head again and asked.

“Are you really okay? Your face looks bad.”

“Yes. Of course. I was just startled because I realized we came to the wrong place.”

I joked lightly to Ray.

And thought to myself,

‘Today is an important day. Let’s focus on Ray.’

We walked hand-in-hand through Bern for a while.

“Daisy. Aren’t you hungry? It’s past lunchtime.”

“That’s strange……. Why am I not hungry?”

I smiled and said to Ray.

Because we stopped by Lorie, we had missed lunchtime.

But perhaps because I was so focused on being with Ray, I didn’t feel hungry.

As we walked side by side for a while,

We stopped in front of a building with a white sign and transparent glass windows.

“Ray! Do you remember this place?”

I pointed at the place and asked Ray.

The white sign had the store name written in cursive,

‘Atelier’

It was where Ray and I met again.

Ray brought the hand he was holding to his lips.

With a soft sound, his lips left my hand.

“Of course. Remember. It’s where Daisy came to meet another man.”

“That…, that wasn’t it! Well……. It’s true but…….”

Ray looked down at me and chuckled softly.  

Then he gently rubbed my hand back with his thumb and said,

“Just kidding.”

Despite being a weekend, the interior of Atelier seen through the window was quieter than expected.

‘Maybe a cafe is better than a restaurant for a confession spot?’

Besides, this place held significance since this is where Ray and I reunited.

A good idea suddenly came to mind.

Without hesitation, I said to Ray,

“Ray! I thought of something I want to eat.”

“What is it?”

“I want to eat strawberry cream cake here. Suddenly craving something sweet…… Ah, right……. You don’t like sweets, do you?”

Ray shook his head sideways in response to my words,

“I like everything Daisy likes.”

Ray said it as if it were obvious.

He spoke plainly, but Ray’s tender gaze and the resonance of his deep voice felt like they were directly reaching my heart.

To say such things without changing his expression…….

How can I not like him……!

It was then my eyes narrowed without me realizing.

“But Daisy, are you sure? You must be really hungry. Wouldn’t it be better to eat something?”

Ah…….

I hadn’t considered Ray’s perspective, focusing only on finding the right moment for confession…….

“Right…… Ray, are you hungry? Then we can go eat!”

“I’m full even if I won’t eat. It’s fine as long as Daisy is okay.”

Not hungry enough to eat……

That’s something my parents often say…….

I felt like I understood the hidden meaning in Ray’s words.

A soft laugh escaped through my lips again.

Pretending not to know, I playfully asked,

“Hmm? Strange……. Why are you full without eating?”

Then he stood facing me and bent down to match my eye level,

Our gazes intertwined closely,

“Curious?”

Ray’s earnest gaze slowly fell and then lingered on my lips,

His large thumb pressed and gently swept across my lips.