MERRY 30

Ethan watched my hands curiously as I adjusted his glasses, but he didn’t pull away. As my extended index finger moved back, his eyes followed it, and he sent it off with a smirk.

My gaze was drawn into the small, cave-like dimples at the corners of his mouth. Don’t you think those pink, perfectly shaped lips should require some kind of permit? Like, he should have to get government approval by proving he won’t use them to seduce anyone. Just as that thought crossed my mind, his lips moved, performing their primary function of speaking.

“I thought you had another reason.”

“Huh?”

“No more checkups?”

His timing was impeccable. The “checkup” Ethan was referring to was the procedure where I’d personally verify if his lip had healed. I’d wondered why my eyes were glued to his mouth, but it turns out it was just my strong professional sense of duty. I’m no doctor, but as far as my role went, it was a similar gig.

Every day since that incident, I’d lean in close and stare intently at his lips. If I diagnosed him with instructions like “don’t open your mouth too wide” or “stay away from hot coffee for a while,” Ethan would just nod.

Seeing the rapid recovery, my guidelines were clearly effective. I couldn’t say I deserved zero credit for him being well enough to drink hot coffee this morning. I glanced at the paper cup in his hand and leaned my upper body forward.

“I’m going to.”

I’m going to do that too, but let me emphasize again: I came out for a walk. Repeating this to myself like a mantra, I meticulously examined Ethan’s lips. There were no scratches or bruises, and the spot where the scab had fallen off had healed so well you wouldn’t even know there’d been a wound. But things might only look that way on the surface.

“I’ll have to look closer to see if it’s fully healed. Or maybe touch it a little.”

I pulled my stomach away from the table and continued.

“By ‘touching,’ I just mean the verification procedure, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

“I didn’t realize you had a medical license behind my back.”

“I don’t, but, well, considering what you said about the American medical system being a slave to whatever, Americans are pretty good at self-treatment. And I am that American.”

“Given you’re in a position where you don’t have to fear medical bills, that’s not exactly…”

“Anyway, the plain donuts here are the best.”

I’ll admit it. The change of subject was clumsy. But it was too late to turn back.

“Adding chocolate to a donut makes it too sweet.”

“Right.”

“Repeat after me if you get it. Plain donuts are number one.”

Ethan didn’t repeat after me, but he did take the information in.

“I’ll keep that in mind if I visit again.”

“Good call. Anyway, what time is it? If I walk too late, it doesn’t feel like a holiday.”

This time, by using an appropriate adverb, the transition was a bit more natural. I glanced at Ethan’s wristwatch instead of my own and leaned forward again. I brought my nose close to the paper cup in front of him and took a sniff. Just as I thought, it smelled like a brutally strong black coffee.

“Don’t be stingy. I’m not going to steal a sip.”

I stuck my tongue out at Ethan as he pulled his cup back slightly and then tried to straighten my posture. Or rather, I tried to. Ethan bit into his donut, and I was momentarily frozen. A bit of chocolate had ended up on his full lips. This wouldn’t have happened if he’d eaten a plain donut with nothing on it. Idiot. See, you should have chosen wisely.

A red tongue licked his lips but narrowly missed the chocolate. The chocolate-colored smudge ruined his tidy image. I chuckled, imagining him walking around like that. As I was giggling in anticipation of what would happen in a moment, Ethan spoke.

“Somerset. My mouth isn’t a donut.”

“What are you talking about? Who would mistake it for one?”

His emerald eyes pointed directly at me.

“Judging by the way you’re staring at nothing but my mouth, you seem to be very mistaken. I can feel a certain… appetite in that intense gaze.”

Intense? Who’s being intense? A snort escaped me involuntarily.

“Don’t you get the wrong idea. I wasn’t looking at your mouth because I wanted to. There’s nothing wrong with my willpower. It’s your fault for having a mouth that looks like it’s asking to be looked at.”

If he felt an appetite coming from me, it’s because Ethan Reed’s lips looked delicious. It’s only human to salivate when you see something appetizing.

“And as your honorary primary physician, I still haven’t checked if the wound is fully…”

“You have the kind of face that makes people want to follow you.”

Ethan cut me off.

“What?”

“The answer to your question about why I follow you. Your face looks like that.”

Having countered me with my own logic, he wiped the chocolate off his upper lip with his thumb. You knew it was there and just left it this whole time? And then you had the nerve to ask why I was staring? Sneaky bastard.

I got a little revenge by snatching the rest of his donut and eating it. But even after being robbed of his donut, Ethan didn’t lose his composure. In fact, he encouraged me to eat the whole thing while he sipped his coffee. His relaxed attitude annoyed me.

“You think you can get away with an answer like that? Not a chance.”

As I stood there cold and distant, Ethan blew a warm breeze my way. The breeze made of words was gentle.

“It’s only natural to want to follow you. You’re handsome. Your eyes are deep, and your nose is like a sculpture. You’re charming when you smile. Your diverse expressions pique the curiosity of anyone watching.”

The praise, delivered in such a matter-of-fact tone, made me feel giddy. The sensation started at my ears and reached the soles of my feet in an instant. I lifted and dropped my heels repeatedly.

I should have snapped at him to stop talking nonsense—trying to justify a stalking crime with my good looks—but my mouth wouldn’t move. Maybe because of the chocolate from the donut still on my tongue, but the taste was too sweet. I swallowed my sugary saliva and backed away slowly.

Was I running away? From what? Why?

Instead of seeking an answer, I suppressed the question with an air of resignation and backed out. I hesitated as if facing a criminal with a gun, then turned and left the cafe.

I ducked into a narrow alley on the way home and let out a long breath. I felt like I was floundering in water.

I ruffled my hair. Even though thoughts have no physical form, I used a physical method to shake them off. I stood with my back against the cold wall. The alley must have been a wind tunnel, because cold air kept passing through. I squared my shoulders, which were trying to hunch up on their own, and kicked at the ground.

Before long, a tall silhouette appeared and blocked the path. It was Ethan.

He walked toward me, step by step. He was definitely making his footsteps loud on purpose. His presence was prominent enough without that. The sensation of him carving himself into my narrowing vision broke my resolve to flee. It felt like Ethan would follow me wherever I went. All because I had the kind of face that made people want to follow me.

I faced him, my jaw set tight. The alley was so narrow that even though we both had our backs against the walls, the distance between us was close. The proximity, which forced me to be conscious of him, was uncomfortable. It felt unfair that I was the only one feeling restless. Finally, I dropped my gaze first.

“You left this behind.”

Ethan was holding my jacket. No wonder I felt cold. I took the jacket and draped it over my shoulders. My eyes were still fixed on some dirty spot in the alley.

“If you’re done, go away.”

I added a shooing gesture, but Ethan didn’t budge. I glared at his feet planted on the ground and then looked up his long legs. His calves were straight, making him look even taller. His thighs weren’t exactly thick, but they weren’t frail either.

Standing with perfect posture, he looked reasonably sturdy. Just scanning him with my eyes felt as taxing as climbing a steep mountain. Just as my gaze reached his chest and I was about to look down again, Ethan asked.

“No walk?”

That was the plan when I came out, but the plan had gone sideways. I couldn’t deny that I felt intimidated and that the man in front of me was the one making me feel that way, which left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“I’m not. I don’t want to anymore. I’m going to lie down and watch a movie.”

I should buy some beer and snacks and go home. My head will clear once I’m lounging around.

“What about the checkup? Not doing that either?”

Ethan, offering a different suggestion, tapped his foot. When I reluctantly looked up, he was waiting for me, rubbing his lower lip with his thumb. He was definitely provoking me.

“That… is a necessary procedure.”

“Then you can do it now.”