Corruptions Are Best Exposed In The Autumn!

Chapter 25 - Cats And Bouquets

It was already December, but unlike last year, only the sounds of rain splashes filled the air outside Muller's Blend. While Lily, Gio and Rin got to attend her funeral, Mila's parents personally wrote me an email, asking me not to attend.

Man, this sucks...

It was almost closing time, but since most customers came earlier on Mondays, it had been awfully quiet since mid-afternoon. Well, at least until now.

Jingling!

In walked Eleanor, who was followed by a bodyguard dressed in a black suit and sunglasses. She would make a visit once every two or three days, asking if I wanted to move into their mansion. This only started happening because I told her I'd consider the marriage proposal with her family, and ever since then, it's been nonstop persistence.

"Good afternoon, Kai," she greeted me while I was behind the counter. Because I was now a manager, I opted to wear a light dress shirt with black trousers but told Lily and Charles they could come in wearing whatever they wanted.

"Hey Eleanor, uh, do you need something?" I asked.

"Well..."

She reached into her pink purse and pulled out an envelope. I raised my eyebrows as I recognized it right away: the letter I tried sending to Mila 5 years back.

"M-My letter!"

"Since she's already gone, I'll return this to you," she pouted, and gave it to me. I picked it up from the counter and observed how clean and white the paper still was.

"Thanks, I guess."

She was right; there was no point in getting it back from her anymore since Mila had passed away. But since I told Eleanor that I was considering her marriage proposal, perhaps she was returning the letter to me as my "reward."

"Huh?" I glanced and ran my fingers along the edges of the paper. Even though our names were still written on the front...

Why does this seem like it was recently sealed?

Despite the letter being 5 years old, the way it was freshly sealed made it seem suspicious. Did she recently reseal it?

"Anyways," I placed the letter on the counter and picked up another document which sat right next to the cash register. "I'll go over this marriage registration form and let you know my decision by the end of the day. Does that work?"

I couldn't even look her in the eyes as I said that, and Eleanor took notice.

"Hmph, okay. I'll be waiting then."

As Eleanor and her bodyguard exited the café, I sighed and looked down at the registration form again.

Am I really okay with this? I thought. Whenever my eyes hovered over something like this, all I could think about was that one moment of aid from Rin:

"It wasn't him that tampered with our matches, and it's not his fault for having all that debt either. Go to the café and talk to him! See how he reacts! And then decide if he's a loser or not by yourself, not just by assuming!"

Fuck, not again. I need to forget about her...

Ever since reappearing again in my life over a month ago, I just couldn't get Rin Miya out of my mind. Now that the store had closed, not a single sound chimed into my ears except the ticking of the wall clock.

Ring ring!

My phone buzzed in my pocket, tickling my thighs. I quickly pulled it out to look at who was calling me, and became puzzled - the caller ID shown on screen read: