Chapter 11

After collapsing and taking three days of sick leave, Gabrielle returned to work the next day, only to find the atmosphere had changed completely.  

No one approached Gabrielle to ask about what had happened that day anymore. The obvious glances and whispers had sharply decreased. Gabrielle found this change curious, but there was no one she could ask about it.  

She only learned the truth near the end of the workday. Dominic, who had been focused solely on work without a single personal conversation, suddenly spoke up.

“From now on, no one will talk about what happened that day.”  

“Pardon…?”  

“I made it very clear to everyone.”

At first, Gabrielle couldn’t understand what he meant and simply blinked. Standing awkwardly, she nodded.

“Ah, yes.”

A brief, awkward silence followed. Her next words came out purely on impulse.

“Have you had dinner yet?”  

“…”  

“There’s a good restaurant nearby I know.”

She realized her mistake only after she’d spoken, expecting to be rejected right away. But her expectations were shattered in the next moment.

“Where is it?”  

“Well…”

Having said it, Gabrielle had no choice but to take responsibility.  

She led Dominic to the restaurant she often visited, feeling unsure if this was the right thing to do, but outwardly she calmly opened the restaurant door.  

It was a place that didn’t suit Dominic Moore at all, who was dressed in luxury from head to toe. The restaurant was old but clean, and though the owner was a bit curt, the food was excellent.

As soon as they sat down and ordered, Gabrielle glanced at her boss. He seemed unfazed, even though this was probably his first time in such a place.

“Isn’t this… unfamiliar?”  

“What is?”  

“A small, old restaurant like this.”

Gabrielle lowered her voice so no one else could hear and quickly added. Dominic stared at her for a moment before a slight smile appeared on his lips.

“I used to come to places like this often as a child.”  

“As a child?”  

“It’s not like I have blue blood, you know.”

Gabrielle almost spat out the water she had just gulped. Weren’t they supposed to pretend that day never happened?  

Feeling ambushed, Gabrielle hesitated before reluctantly opening her mouth.

“What I said…”  

“There’s no need to apologize. We’re both in the same boat.”

Dominic cut Gabrielle off sharply and shook his head. Just then, the food they ordered arrived. As the waiter placed the dishes on the table, Dominic continued.

“No one can truly put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Unless you can completely change places.”  

“…That’s true.”

That was all she could say. Avoiding his gaze for a moment amidst the strange tension, Gabrielle soon lifted her bowed head.

“Was there anyone making you uncomfortable?”

Her cautious question was met with a question in return—a confirmation, more certain than any affirmation. Gabrielle quickly shook her head and answered.

“No. Everyone’s being careful. I was actually tired yesterday, but I feel much better now. Thank you.”  

“Rumors about others never last a week. Whether fast or slow.”  

“Is that so.”

Gabrielle smiled faintly and shyly spoke up.

“Let me pay for dinner tonight. Please enjoy, Executive Director.”  

“Thank you.”

Her lighthearted joke was met with a simple thanks. Someone who had always seemed difficult and uncomfortable was gradually becoming easier and closer.  

Finding it strange, Gabrielle suddenly thought of Julian yesterday.

“May I ask just one more thing?”

Dominic, having set down his cutlery, quietly looked at Gabrielle. Gabrielle swallowed nervously and carefully began.

“There’s someone I’m grateful to, Executive Director.”  

“…”  

“I want to return the favor, but he’s a man, so I’m not sure how to do it.”  

“A thank-you?”  

“You seem about the same age as him… Is there a gift you think he’d like?”

She asked nervously, but the answer was disappointing.

“Well, I don’t think he’d need anything special.”  

“He wouldn’t?”  

“Words are enough—usually.”

Dominic said words would suffice, but Gabrielle couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied.

* * *

Gabrielle took a deep breath and knocked on the door. If no one answered, she planned to slip the ticket under the door, but unexpectedly, after a few seconds, the door opened.

“Um… Julian?”

Surprised, Gabrielle’s eyes widened.

“You’re home today?”  

“It’s my day off.”

Julian’s expression asked what she wanted. Gabrielle, hesitating, handed him the ticket she’d hidden behind her back.

“It’s a ballet ticket. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled. Julian’s gaze, fixed on her, revealed nothing of his thoughts. Gabrielle quickly added, biting her lip.

“I happened to get a ticket. If you’re free, would you like to go with me? It’s a weekend evening show.”

It was a proposal made with all her courage. The sound of her racing heartbeat thundered in her ears.  

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she waited, like a defendant awaiting a verdict, holding her breath for his answer.  

A simple answer came back.

“I don’t think I can.”  

“…”  

“I have work tomorrow.”

Julian quietly declined, looking down at the ticket Gabrielle offered. As he stepped back to close the door, Gabrielle hurriedly stuck her hand in the gap to stop him.

“Then… when are you free?”

Her lips were dry with anxiety. Her next words came out almost without thinking.

“I can exchange the ticket. If you tell me a convenient time…”

Julian calmly responded, not blinking an eye.

“Well, wouldn’t it be better to find someone else to go with or just sell the ticket?”

“…”

With another rejection, Gabrielle felt as if she’d been punched twice in the gut.  

While she stood there, stunned, the door closed mercilessly. Gabrielle stared at the firmly shut door and let her shoulders droop.

“It’s a pretty popular ballet ticket… I barely managed to get it.”

It was the first time she’d ever asked a man out. She’d never even had a boyfriend before.

Her life had always been tight. As a student, she’d worked odd jobs to pay her own tuition and book fees, and after getting a job, her mother often took every penny she earned.  

She’d never had time to look around at the people around her, and so she ended up with neither friends nor a lover.

It was a date proposal made with every bit of courage she had. Gabrielle tightly shut her eyes and trudged away.  

She climbed the stairs weakly, when suddenly she heard a creaking door open behind her.

She turned her head, hoping for a moment, but was immediately disappointed.  

The door that opened was not the one she’d just stood in front of, but the next apartment.  

An unfamiliar, old woman looked Gabrielle up and down before speaking.

“What’s your name? What’s your relationship with the man next door?”  

“Excuse me?”  

“I asked your name.”

Startled by the blunt question, Gabrielle hesitated, then answered.

“I’m Gabrielle Brooks. I just moved into the upstairs apartment.”  

“You live upstairs, above him?”

“Yes. Nice to meet you, Ma’am. And you are…?”

“No need for you to know.”

The old woman cut Gabrielle off sharply, glaring fiercely.

“So, what’s your relationship with the man next door?”  

“Just…”

What kind of relationship was it?  

It was a bit awkward to call him a friend, and calling him just a neighbor didn’t feel quite right either.  

Gabrielle mulled over a few titles in her mouth before settling on a conservative answer.

“He’s just my neighbor.”

“Really?”  

“Yes… But why do you ask…?”  

“Then let me warn you out of old woman’s concern.”

The old woman cut Gabrielle off again and spat out a warning.

“Don’t get too tangled up with the man next door.”  

“Excuse me?”

Gabrielle froze at the unexpected words.

“What do you mean?”  

“It’s advice from someone who’s lived long. Stay close to that man, and you’ll end up destroyed—down to your bones.”

“Wait…!”

As soon as Gabrielle stepped down one stair, the door slammed shut with a loud bang.

* * *

With not much time left until the ballet performance, and unable to give the ticket to someone else, Gabrielle ended up going to the theater alone.  

Among the well-dressed audience from head to toe, she stood out in her modest clothes.

Fortunately, when the theater lights went out, everything except the stage was enveloped in darkness and silence. Feeling relieved, Gabrielle looked at the stage, where dancers in beautiful costumes appeared one by one from behind the curtain.

Accompanied by the orchestra below the stage, the male and female dancers began a light, flying ballet.  

Her disappointment from Julian’s rejection faded quickly, and in the fairy-tale-like setting, she felt as excited as a child.

When the princess, who had grown up innocent and deeply loved, fell into an eternal sleep because of a witch’s curse, Gabrielle almost sighed unconsciously.  

She wanted to keep watching the unfolding story, but just as the plot thickened, the first act ended.

During intermission before Act 2, the audience gradually left their seats. Gabrielle, following suit, also went outside.