Villa Nettiea

Chapter 34

Narrine had fallen asleep without realizing it, still wrapped in Mew's embrace. When Mew noticed, he carefully adjusted Narrine's sleeping position and gently covered him with a blanket. He stood up and quietly left the room, making his way downstairs.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he found Gulf, Jom, and Tay deep in conversation. Their voices were low, but friendly. However, Mew's attention immediately shifted to Thara, who was still there, sitting quietly by the door, as if waiting for something.

"How was your talk?" Gulf asked Mew, his voice casual but filled with genuine curiosity.

Mew gave a small, tired smile. "It went better than I expected." He looked over at Thara for a brief moment. "I'm really grateful for how well you've raised Narrine. I didn't expect him to be so accepting of me. I thought he might be angry, but... he's not."

Mew paused for a moment, his chest tight with emotions. He wanted to say more—to express how much he appreciated the way Narrine had welcomed him, and how much he wished he could have been there for him sooner. But before he could continue, Narrine's arms had wrapped around him in a tight, warm hug earlier, cutting his words short.

Gulf smiled, seeing the vulnerability in Mew's expression. "You've both been through a lot, haven't you?" he said, his voice soft.

Mew nodded. "There's still so much I need to make up for... but right now, I'm just... glad he's okay."

Mew turned to look at Thara, who was standing now, her posture a little stiff as if preparing to leave.

Thara offered a soft smile, her eyes meeting Mew's. "I should go. It's getting late."

Mew nodded silently, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt. Thara had always been there for Narrine, a quiet but unwavering presence. Even though their relationship was complicated, he couldn't deny how much Thara had helped keep things together.

As Thara turned to leave, Gulf stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for looking out for him. For being his shield when he needed it most," he said, his voice sincere.

Thara nodded, her expression softening. "Of course. He's my only friend who accept of who I am. And so are you guys, now."

With a final glance at Mew and the others, Thara left the house, the door closing softly behind him.

Mew stood there for a moment, watching him go, before Gulf placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice steady but kind and smiling at him. Mew gave a small, grateful smile, feeling the weight of the past few days pressing on his chest. 

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As soon as Thara stepped out of the gate of Narrine's house, his phone began vibrating non-stop. It had been buzzing for a while, but he had ignored it. His mind was too clouded, lost in the feeling that he wasn't being taken seriously by Mew. The way Mew had looked at him earlier—it was clear he didn't trust him. Thara could feel it.

It wasn't surprising. After all, he was the son of the person who had hurt Mew's family the most. How could Mew ever see him as anything other than trouble? Thara thought bitterly as he started the car and drove away.

As he navigated the familiar streets back home, the tension in his chest only grew. He tried to push the thoughts away, but they lingered, gnawing at him. He'd always known the weight of his family's past, but today had felt different. The way Mew treated him... it stung.

When he finally reached his parking spot at his condo, the phone was still buzzing. He sighed and pulled it from his pocket, answering with a sharp breath.