Hearts at War (AlanxJeff) VI

22

Jeff 

The music played softly in the background, creating a calm atmosphere as we were engrossed in our books. Every now and then, I would glance up from my book to observe Way, trying to see if he was secretly watching me. However, he seemed completely absorbed in his reading. I was very surprised the first time I saw his books. Despite how fierce he could be in reality, he only read romance and fantasy novels. I began to wonder if that was where he got the ideas for the sweet personality he showed to the world. Those kinds of books had never interested me; I preferred adventure stories.

At first, Way came to teach me how to embroider and talk to me about the customs of society here in the south. But for the past few days, it seemed like he just came to read in my room. He would settle on the sofa and immerse himself in his books. On the third day, he asked me what kind of music I liked and if it bothered me to read with music. When I said no, he smiled genuinely. The next day, he had prepared a playlist with the music we both liked the most.

So we met every afternoon to read while listening to music. Occasionally, he would comment on a scene that had impressed him from his book or the song that was playing. Then, we would have afternoon tea, and after a while, he would say goodbye. I didn't understand this dynamic. Was he watching me? Did he want to check if I was practicing with Alan? But he never stayed to see it, nor did he mention anything about it. I didn't know what to think, but it was strangely pleasant. His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, I can't believe it! How can a writer be so cruel as to leave an open ending? I don't want to leave it to my imagination; I want to read that they lived happily ever after," he complained, closing his book forcefully.

"Well, not everyone gets a happy ending all the time," I said indifferently, though deep down I was amused by his passionate reaction.

"You're so cold, Jeff," he said, pouting. "I know that, but with books, you can live another life besides your own. The idea is for it to be happy; for everything else, there's reality," he assured me as he got up from the sofa and approached my table. "I didn't think I would finish it so quickly. Do you have any books I can borrow?" he asked while already browsing through my books.

"Choose whichever you like," I said without taking my eyes off my book, though I was actually curious to see which one he would choose.

"Oh, maybe you're not so insensitive after all. This one is really beautiful," he said, pulling out a purple and pink one. It was one of the ones Pean had brought me when I was unsure about the bite. I never read that one.

"I haven't read it. They brought it to me because I was curious about the brand, but I found another one that seemed more scientific," I replied, turning my gaze back to the book.

"Ah, but you know what it's about, right?" Way continued, with a spark of curiosity in his eyes that reflected the dim light of the room.

"About alphas and omegas?" I asked, visibly confused. "They teach us about that when we're 15."

"But not like this book describes it," Way insisted, raising the book with an almost sacred reverence. "What they teach us is that there's chemical compatibility through pheromones, the chemical process of bonding, and how to mate. All cold and impersonal. The truth isn't quite like that."

Way paused, his eyes softened as he looked at the book with a strange tenderness. The atmosphere filled with a solemn calm, as if time had stopped.

"This book," he continued, his voice trembling slightly, "my mother read it to me before she died. Here they explain that we have a predestined partner, even before we're born. You'll recognize them by their scent, a unique scent like no other, and it will make you feel comfort, warmth, and at the same time, your heart will race as your pheromones respond to it and recognize it as their complement. You'll be able to distinguish even the subtlest notes of their scent, and your pheromones, together with theirs, will create the perfect combination that will make you feel a connection you can't find with anyone else."