Love Director [ENG]

Chapter 39: Reality is different from imagination

Despite it being well past ten, Valentine's Day traffic meant the roads were still congested. By the time the taxi Paint was in reached the large house, the hour hand on the clock was already at five. It was too late for visitors, but Paint didn't care. He quickly paid the fare and used his key to unlock the gate and enter the house, looking up at the dark, unlit building.

He wasn't sure if his phi had returned yet, but this was the only place he could find Phi Aphros to explain the madness of the day. Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Phi Aphros, are you home?" he called out.

The house was completely dark, so he reached out to turn on the light and was startled by what he saw.

Phi Aphros, wearing only jeans, revealing his strong physique, had a casual suit jacket draped over the sofa and a pink shirt crumpled on the floor. But what left Paint speechless were the numerous empty liquor bottles scattered on the floor beside the sofa.

Paint had seen his phi drink before, but it was usually just a few glasses of wine. The amount here was far more than just a few glasses, and he knew he was the reason his uncle drank this much. It was his fault.

Phi Aphros moved slowly, creating a tense atmosphere. "It's too late to work, now." he said. Despite the heavy drinking, his voice wasn't slurred but was instead cold and clear.

"I'm not here for work, phi. I came to apolo—"

"Then why are you here if not for work? We're not anything to each other, right?" Phi Aphros sneered, his mocking smile making Paint shudder.

The words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat as Phi Aphros slowly stood up. "Go home. I have nothing for you to do." he said.

Normally, Paint would have turned and left at the sound of such a tone, but not that time. His eyes burned, his chest was hot, and his heart screamed that he couldn't leave until his phi forgave him.

He stepped forward, but his phi raised a hand to stop him. "I said go home."

"Phi Aphros! Please listen to me. I didn't want to break our date. I wanted to come, but so much happened, and I couldn't leave. I know it's my fault, but please don't be angry with me. Please." Paint pleaded, speaking as much as he could while he still had the courage. "I know today is Valentine's Day, a special day. I know you prepared a lot for me, but I was foolish. I should have kept the date, knowing how important today was. But because of my stupidity, I—"

"It's not because today is special!!"

Paint flinched as Phi Aphros' voice roared through the house, the sound echoing in his head, stopping all his words. He could only stare into his uncle's fierce, shining eyes.

"It's not because today is special, not because it's Valentine's Day or anything like that. Any day could be just as meaningless. What makes me this angry is that you were with him. You chose to go to him instead of meeting me. That's what makes me angry!!"

Paint stood frozen, his body trembling with fear—not fear that his phi would hurt him, but fear that his phi would hate him and not want to see him.

"I said I would wait. Do you know how it feels for the person you love to go to another man? Do you know how long I sat there with those stupid flowers, planning like a brainless idiot for damn love, waiting for you, only for you to choose him? Do you know how I feel right now!!"

"I— I..." Paint couldn't speak, a sob choking him.

He wanted to say that his uncle wasn't a fool, that the foolish one was him, not his phi. But he couldn't get the words out, afraid he would cry.