In the Sea of Light and Darkness (Titanic)

Chapter 19

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【ｄｏ　ｙｏｕ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｇｉｒｌ】

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Clara and Dane recovered from complete silence as when a group of little children from the first-class passengers was running around the deck. Seemingly their parents just left them playing around while messes some people. Not far from them, one of the three children, a boy who has honey-blond hair tripped and the others, the little girl who has curly brown hair and another blond boy. They didn't care about him, the little boy who got tripped helped himself settle on a sitting position and check the bruise on his knee.

Clara was about to go to the kid and comfort him but Dane holds his hand to stop her from doing that kind of act. She was confused and Dane jolted his head when the parent of the little kid come and fetch him off of the floor. The mother just doesn't care. When the other kids are called, she confronted him.

"Why would you do that? I could help that child." She grudges.

"It's not like I don't want to do that, she will still criticize you if you keep doing it then,"

Clara couldn't believe it. "Stupid."

"It wasn't stupid, you just don't want to get into trouble."

"So helping someone can get me in trouble?"

Dane nodded as if that action was totally dumb for her. "Yes, of course, some people would think you offend them by that kind of generosity. That will lead to debating with their parenting and social issues that I feel like you don't need to waste your time on those things. People like them want attention—"

"Just like you," she said and Dane raises his brow.

"Why do you say so? I'm not like them."

Clara laughs thinking about it, "it's just like you know, you're pursuing to be friends when it's clear that the border of our relationship still lines as strangers, you know that?" she chuckles shaking her head.

Dane took a deep sighed, "I thought we're really friends now..."

"You're so serious, Dane. I was just joking!"

His face lightened up, "really?" still having doubts.

Clara slowly nodded to make sure that Dane would get it. "You don't have to take all the statements seriously and all comes with that. I know you're such a business-minded person and false information isn't your drama so I guess it'll be hard for someone to make you laugh because whenever they do, you make it hard for them to take the purpose of the joke."

He scratches his head, "I was—never mind. We moved on."

"Clara?" when she hears her name out of nowhere, she searches where it is coming from. "Dane?" he does the same as Clara. And not that long when someone behind them showed up, he tapped his hands on their shoulder and both of them startled and turned back to face him.

"You scared me," Clara worried, she placed her hand on her chest feeling the rampant beats.

"Where did come from, Frank?" Dane asked, he just stood behind them.

"I just woke and missed my breakfast," he started. "So I came here to have a smoke," he said and slid his hand inside his pocket and took out a piece of cigarette. "Do you want?" he offered but Dane declines, shaking his head. He gets the lighter inside his coat and flicked it to his cigar. On his first puff and Clara inhaled the smoke, she coughed steps away from Frank while covering her nose.