Between sun and storm

chapter 11

Lila was standing in the kitchen, making dinner, while Dante sat in the living room, thinking, "Why is Lila at home? Doesn't she want to go out and celebrate her birthday at midnight with her friends or maybe family?" After thinking about it, he finally decided to ask, "Why are you cooking? Why don’t you eat out?"

Lila, confused, furrowed her brow. "And why would you think I’d eat out? I’m not some billionaire who can dine out whenever they want. So shut up. I’m already frustrated with you," she said, making a "hmm" sound before resuming her work.

Dante felt guilty about the damage he had caused, even though the things that broke were old and useless. "Why would it even matter?" he thought. "I... I’m not used to doing all these chores. It’s my first time, so some losses are to be expected, don’t you think?" he said, trying to ease his guilt with words.

When Lila heard this, she initially got angry, but then she thought, "Maybe he’s right. It’s not his fault. I didn’t even ask if he knew how to do these chores. And on top of that, he’s injured. How could I be so cruel?" She then vocalized her thoughts, "It’s fine. Maybe it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have burdened you. I’m sorry."

Dante's eyes widened in surprise when he heard her apology.

Later, they both sat at the table, eating their dinner. It was 10 p.m., and Dante had decided that he would wish her birthday at midnight. He also planned to leave tomorrow when she went out to celebrate. So, he asked, "Can you lend me a cell phone so I can contact my friend?"

He thought to himself, "Friend? More like my right-hand man, a killing machine. He can’t really be anyone’s friend."

Lila looked up from her food and silently passed her phone to him. He took it and set it aside. After dinner, he went to his room and dialed Ben’s number. On the third ring, Ben picked up but said nothing. Dante whispered, "Come pick me up from the main city, near Visali Restaurant, tomorrow. Got it? And don’t try to be too clever by tracking the number—it’s a stranger’s phone. Tomorrow, I’ll be there."

On the other end, Ben, who had been tirelessly searching for his boss day and night, got to work tracking his location. As Dante had guessed, Ben found it but decided to follow his boss’s orders. "Tomorrow, main city, Visali Restaurant," he confirmed, speaking to his team on the other line.

Dante, Lila, and Clip were enjoying their time when Dante struck up a conversation. "I’ll be leaving tomorrow."

Lila, who had been laughing at something on the show they were watching, suddenly froze. She turned toward Dante, finding him staring at her. "Oh… it’s time now, I guess," she said in a low voice, as if afraid of losing something.

"Yeah, I had a great time with you and that stupid dog. But you saved my life, and I’ll always be grateful to you. If you ever need me in the future, I’ll be there. But I hope you’ll never need my help or have to meet me again. You’re a bright person, and you don’t need dullness in your life," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Lila thought she saw tears in his eyes, but then guessed it was just the reflection from the screen. "Don’t be like that. I know we’ll never meet again. You’ll go your way, and I’ll be leaving the country, starting a new journey. But we’ll always be part of each other’s stories. Whenever I tell someone about my life, you’ll be a part of it—a nameless Charlie," she laughed, though there was a longing in her voice.

Dante gave her a small twitch of a smile, his lips lifting slightly, with a similar longing in his eyes. "If only the circumstances and my life were less messy, maybe we could have been friends, or more. But we can’t, and that’s the truth I have to accept."

Suddenly, the clock struck 12, chiming loudly. Dante turned to Lila and, in a soft voice, said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my savior." His face remained neutral, but his eyes held warmth.