MERRY 27

Except for when he had to raise his voice to cut through the noise while speaking to Jimmy Myers, he spoke in his usual low tone. He seemed to know perfectly well that every sound from his mouth reached my ears.

I chewed on the question that had dug unnaturally deep into my ear and rubbed the back of my neck. My palm was sweaty. Damn it.

“I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about, what you mean.”

As I sputtered like a broken robot, Ethan let out a low “Mmm” from his throat.

“Why wouldn’t you? They were your words. About leaving a scar on my lip…”

“Oh. Oh! That.”

If I were to make an excuse, it wasn’t that my memory was failing; it’s just that your mind tends to go blank after a shocking event. Not that what just happened between Ethan and me was some massive shock, of course. Anyone at this party could dream of something like that, and half the people here came looking for even more.

While trying to convince myself, I kept my mouth moving busily.

“Well, it’s because you’ve got a pretty great exterior. Humans should cherish their strengths. And you’re a human. Even if you’re a stalker, a human is still a human.”

I really wish no one would ask me what I’m rambling about. Because I don’t know either.

“As a fellow human, I’m just extending some goodwill to one of my own species. Since, as you know, I’m the type of person who knows his strengths and uses them. I’m quite excellent in that regard.”

Somerset Quinn. Please, just shut up.

“So, that’s why. That’s the only reason.”

I ruffled my hair for no reason. I was at a loss, not knowing where or how to fix the situation to get things back under control. Ethan’s expressionless face made me even more confused. Did you understand what I said? I don’t even know what I’m saying, how could you?

Pushed to the point where I couldn’t even read the context anymore, I decided to change the setting to clear my head.

“Isn’t it too loud in here? It’d be better to get out.”

My heart racing ahead of me, I grabbed Ethan’s wrist. If he had resisted even a little, I would have let go, but he didn’t. I pressed my hot palm against his metal watch and pushed through the bustling crowd.

It was still bright outside. I took my keys from the valet and headed to where my car was parked.

“Where did you leave your car?”

“I lent it out.”

“To that colleague again? Well, that works out. I’ll give you a ride. It makes me uncomfortable to send a patient off alone. And whether it’s you or me, even when we’re alone, we’re not really alone. Besides, you were going to follow me anyway.”

I didn’t stop talking while I walked or even while I was unlocking the car. It was the same as I opened the passenger door.

“Come on, get in. You can handle the seatbelt yourself, right? Did you hurt your hand when you were ‘paying them back worse’ like you claimed? If it hurts, I’ll buckle it for you.”

“I’ll pass.”

“I’m not going to force you. Just get in. What are you doing?”

Ethan was just standing there, looking at me.

“Somerset.”

“You know, you sure get chatty once you hurt your lip.”

The one who had been talking enough to represent the country in a chatterbox competition was me. Ethan lightly ignored the nagging that lacked any self-awareness.

“I think letting go of this comes first.”

He lifted the arm I was still holding. Instead of my hand cooling down, his watch was heating up.

“Oh.”

I pulled my hand away and moved. I forgot the courtesy of waiting for him to get in and closing the door for him. As I walked to the driver’s side, I rubbed my dry face hard. My face was burning because I felt so pathetic.

It made me sigh to think how ridiculous a grown man must look acting like a clumsy kid. The person who exudes wild charisma in front of the camera wasn’t here. All those introductions about being charming or “selling well” felt pointless. It felt like I was the crazy one, not Ethan.

I hesitated for a second, then kept moving. I just need to get it together now. Everyone makes mistakes. And I wasn’t the silent type to begin with. If I just control myself a little, I’ll look cool again. I brushed back my hair, checked my outfit, and got into the driver’s seat.

Buckle the belt. Hold the steering wheel with ease. Look straight ahead while making the gaze seem natural.

I struck a pose as if meeting the tastes of a demanding editor. I drove while maintaining a heavy silence. My shoulders were so stiff I almost slipped while turning the wheel, but I managed the crisis with the flexibility of my back muscles.

Bothered by the silence in the car, I resumed the jazz music I usually listen to when I’m alone. Coincidentally, the saxophone solo reaching its climax didn’t even register. Ethan’s slight movements had drowned it out. He leaned toward me slightly to check the rearview mirror. I couldn’t figure out why he was doing that when I was the driver.

“That van, has it been following us for a while?”

“What?”

“The dark gray van.”

Only after his question did I take notice of the car behind us. It was just an ordinary van, and it wasn’t even close enough to look like it was chasing me.

“I’m not sure.”

“I’ll count to three, then move to the left lane.”

“Suddenly, what…?”

“Three.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Two, one.”

It was an absurd request, but since he pushed me without giving me time to think, I followed it for now. Ethan even placed his hand over mine on the wheel, so I couldn’t refuse. While I was at it, I made a left turn and changed streets. Again, I had simply reacted to his commanding tone.

I had no idea what was going on, but it didn’t feel like a joke. Ethan looked incredibly serious as he turned his head to see if the car was following. I glanced at him and asked.

“Is that it? Is it over?”

“Speed up.”

“Is it because of how you chased me earlier? Are you hooked on high-speed chases? Are we the ones running this time?”

Ethan’s long fingers tapped rhythmically on the dashboard. Unable to win against the urgent gesture, I stepped hard on the accelerator. Fortunately, there were no cars blocking the way, so I could fly down the road.

“Right turn ahead. Go into the alley.”

“Got it. I got it, but why do I have to participate in this weirdness?”

Without getting an answer, I kept following the instructions. Only after we entered an avenue where high-rises stretched out like roadside trees did Ethan’s strange behavior end. He took his hand off the wheel, leaned his back against the passenger seat, and contacted someone.

“Who was it? What is it? Answer me. Even you have to admit that staying silent now would be pretty shameless.”

“I wonder.”

“I don’t want to fight with someone who’s hurt. So tell me. If you want to hide the message, then explain it to me. What on earth happened? I was the one driving, so it’s my business too.”

“It’s nothing. It was just my imagination.”

I got angry at Ethan for trying to brush it off. Harse words were racing around in my mouth, so I made sure they didn’t get out. Because when I pour out harsh words, I’m the one who gets hurt. I just… I felt pained. I don’t know the logic behind it, but the nights I spent unable to sleep for the past few days proved it.

“Fine, you win. I’ll just guess on my own, so you just listen.”

I puffed out a breath and put my brain to work.

“Did you think it was my stalker? Is it because you’re a stalker that you see everyone else as one? If that’s the case, you shouldn’t be following me around. Go get some counseling.”

“I’ll take the advice to heart.”

“You know your nonchalant reaction only fuels my curiosity more, right? Just you wait, I’m going to get the right answer. I’ll somehow… Ah! It’s the guy who hurt you!”

A plausible theory flashed through my mind, making me slam on the brakes. The tires screeched against the ground as I pulled over to the shoulder. My insides were burning, but I had enough sense to reach out an arm toward Ethan to brace him for the sudden stop.

“Sorry. I was in a rush.”

His glasses had slipped slightly, but he didn’t stumble much. The gesture of fixing his black rims was slow. His movements and speech were a total contrast to my frantic self.

“Am I right? Were we being chased by the guy who cut your lip?”

Even at the pressuring interrogation, Ethan reacted calmly.

“If I said yes, what would you do?”

“What would I do? I’d go after him right now!”

“And after you catch him?”

“I’ll pay him back exactly for what he did to you—no, even more.”

I was prepared to do something dangerous. The person who tormented Ethan deserved to pay the price.