Gentle Forest

Chapter 8

Rattling rattling... .

The rhythmic hum of the aging fan, which tended not to work properly when left alone, had become quite familiar. I woke up to the faint tapping noise against my ears.

Surrounded by the absence of its owner, the fan was nowhere to be seen, and I had to stretch lazily under the thin blanket, contemplating the effort to roll out of bed.

I never had an early rise in my dictionary. Even after waking up, I'd spend a good thirty minutes lingering in bed. During my school days, I used to set my alarm considering that time for lounging. Now, with nothing to worry about, I reveled in the luxury of sprawling out, much like a cat seeking relief from the heat.

"Up already?"

Not long after, the owner of the fan returned.

Aiden returned not long after, the events of yesterday fleeting by like the fluttering of a butterfly. Nodding casually, I scanned Aiden with my eyes, lying down and stretching my legs. Seeing my relaxed state, he offered a faint smile.

"They said they're leaving after lunch, so you can keep lying down."

"Yeah," I replied, allowing myself to savor the extra time.

Aiden, being an athlete, seemed to recover quickly. There would be issues with the time difference and eating differently would take some getting used to, but he seemed more comfortable than me living here. However, the noticeable dark shadows beneath his eyes hinted at the shared struggle with sleep.

Perhaps because I was in the same room as a stranger, I could barely take a nap the whole time. Both of us had dark circles that were darker than before.

"Did you run here?"

"No" he denied, though it was an early rise considering the time difference. Aiden ran his fingers through his hair, a hint of embarrassment apparent.

"Uncle wanted to talk to you"

"Ah."

Knowing my dad's knack for being overly nosy, I was well aware that this was the natural sequence of events. Even my dad, no matter how clueless he is, knows that what Mister said was harsh.

There might have been conversations we were unaware of during the prolonged drinking session with Mister. Of course, that conversation would have been followed by a double dose of nagging about me.

Not wanting to delve into trivial matters, I left it at that. Aiden approached, sitting on the edge of the bed with his butt snug against it. The fan continued its rhythmic hum, unaffected.

"So, is the conversation over?"

He nodded. Having confidence in my dad's comforting skills, I felt reassured. My dad often devoted considerable time to even minor issues, probably not much different with Aiden.

Aiden wore an expression that made it impossible to gauge his mood. He silently observed me, who buried my face in the pillow. The beautiful eyes remained fixed on me. Feeling awkward without more to say, I bit the bullet and asked while massaging my stiff neck.

"Did Mister wake up?"

"Not yet."

I secretly wished he'd wake up much later. Facing him was a bit uncomfortable. A strange wish emerged for me to have minimal interaction with him and leave as soon as possible.

When Aiden mentioned there was still time, I thought it would be better to take advantage of that time to sleep more deeply. Rather than having a awkward conversation with Mister, I sighed, considering the option of using sleep as an excuse to fast forward through the clock.