[Not interested.]

[It's been five years, and I honestly didn't think you'd be interested in Selena.]

Not wanting to see any more of Jessica's messages, I shut off my phone and walked with Selena, chatting as we made our way to her apartment.

When we reached the building, I turned around after bidding her goodbye.

But then, she called out, "Sebastian."

I turned back to find her nervously fidgeting with her fingers in the dim light, hesitating before finally speaking up.

"The next time we meet, can I... hold your hand?"

I smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Selena looked up as if electrified, then stepped forward and gently kissed me. It was a shy kiss, fitting for her personality. As soon as it happened, she turned away, not daring to meet my eyes.

"Get some rest once you arrive home. See you tomorrow," she said nervously before she turned and hurried off, her face a bright shade of red.

My heart fluttered at the unexpected kiss, leaving me momentarily dazed.

-

The next day was a Saturday, so I savored a leisurely sleep-in. In the past, I would jump out of bed right on time, rush to the market for the freshest ingredients, and then queue up in the city for a serving of pudding that Jessica loved.

I had acted like a diligent, devoted man.

But without that obligation weighing on me, I felt a newfound lightness. Still, my body's internal clock kicked in, waking me up sooner than I wanted.

As I picked up my phone, a message from Jessica flashed on the screen.

[I'm craving some fried chicken and mashed potatoes today.]

Before I could even process it, she retracted the message.

It must have been meant for Cameron, but accidentally sent to me instead. Did she really think I would still jump to obey her commands?

Ignoring her, I got up and started my morning routine.

A little while later, Selena sent me a message inviting me out to the pedestrian mall. Her enthusiastic invitation was hard to resist, so I eventually agreed to meet her later that evening.

The pedestrian mall was located in the old town of Ashenford, lined with low-rise buildings and small shops. The lights twinkled in the evening, and the street was adjacent to the river. Many locals came out to stroll and enjoy the cool breeze.

When I met up with Selena, she was holding a thermos close to her chest.

As I approached, she smiled mysteriously. "I made coffee at home just for you! It's still warm. You have to try it before it gets cold."

I felt a warmth spread through me at her thoughtful gesture. I reached for the thermos, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip. The bittersweet taste of coffee filled my mouth. It was pleasantly refreshing.

"Is it good?" she asked eagerly.

I nodded earnestly. "It's really good."

She let out a breath as if a weight had been lifted, then took my hand to stroll along the riverbank.

Selena wasn't overly talkative or outgoing, but that suited me just fine. We walked side by side, enjoying the comfortable silence. I noticed how she furrowed her brow, trying to think of something to say. It was adorably endearing. Even when there were pauses in the conversation, the air didn't feel stifling.

I couldn't help but recall my time with Jessica. I used to tread carefully around her, watching her every expression, afraid I might provoke her. Looking back, I realized how much I had constrained myself by trying so hard to please her.

What a waste of my youth.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang.

The night sky erupted in a burst of color!

Fireworks lit up across the river, drawing the attention of everyone around. Selena and I had the perfect spot to watch the show. As I gazed up at the fireworks, a swell of emotion filled my heart.

When the display ended, Selena beamed at me. "I actually checked the official website and saw there would be fireworks tonight, so I invited you out."

Her voice bubbling with excitement, she continued, "In my hometown, there's a legend that if two people watch fireworks together, they'll receive the blessing of the gods and be together forever."

I had once said something similar to Jessica, but she had rolled her eyes and dismissed it as boring information.

I looked at Selena. Her dark eyes were shimmering in the night, and I saw sincerity and joy radiating from her smile. She was also watching me, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Thank you, Lena," I said, returning her smile.

But then she grew anxious, spinning in place, her hands running through her hair. "Sebastian, does this mean we're officially a couple?"

Before I could answer, she rushed on, her voice a mixture of eagerness and trepidation, "Don't worry! I'll only ever like you and will be by your side forever."

She laid her heart bare, presenting herself to me with a sincerity that shone brighter than the sun.

My eyes stung with emotion.

With Jessica, I had felt so unfortunate. Yet with Selena, I realized I was incredibly lucky.

I smiled warmly and pulled her into my arms.

"Lena… What is it about me that you like?" I asked curiously.

It turned out that Selena had known me for quite some time.

Back during the first day of the new semester, it had been raining cats and dogs. While waiting at the bus stop, I noticed a girl standing there, completely soaked. As my bus pulled up, I walked over and handed her my umbrella.

That was when Selena first developed feelings for me.

Later, when we crossed paths again, I didn't remember her. So, when we met at the bar, she had drunkenly clung to me like a mad woman and insisted on wanting to sleep with me. She did that because she had been secretly in love with me for all those years.

I understood the feeling of loving someone and not being able to have them—I had been there.

Right now, my heart ached for Selena as I looked at this foolish woman in front of me. Though they were best friends, she had no idea that Jessica and I had been an official couple. To her, it looked like I was just humiliating myself as I clung to her friend.

For five years, all she saw was the ugliest, most helpless side of me.

She had tried to stop caring about me, but one evening after work, she saw me again outside the office. I was standing in the cold, holding a thermos as I waited for Jessica. My cheeks were bright red, and I kept shifting my feet to stay warm, but I still wore a hopeful smile as I waited quietly.

When she saw me standing there, the feelings she wanted to discard came rushing back again.

She said that me treating her best friend that way proved I was a good person. And she had asked Jessica more than once if I was just a friend to her. Jessica had assured her that I was, so Selena believed that one day, I would turn around and see her.

Luckily, I did.

After being honest with each other, things between Selena and I became easier.

The more I got to know her, the more I realized what a great person she was—honest, straightforward, and considerate. Selena never lost her temper with me. She always listened carefully to what I had to say. Whenever we had a disagreement, we would have serious discussions.

Spending time with her made me really happy.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.

Selena had become a bigger part of my life. She started asking what I wanted for dinner, and would come by my office after work. After going grocery shopping together, we would prepare a meal, with me washing and chopping the ingredients while she cooked.

One time, she asked me for a spare key to my apartment, and I gave it to her without hesitation. As I handed the key to her, we both froze for a moment.

She looked at me and asked in a hoarse voice, "What if I moved in with you?"

When I refused, she immediately responded, "I was just joking."

Then, testing the waters, she hesitantly asked, "What about if I moved in next door?"

I didn't answer.

But to my surprise, just a couple of days later, she really did move into the empty apartment next door that had been vacant for two years.

One night, she knocked on my door, asking if she could use my bathroom since she didn't have hot water yet. Later, she stood in my bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel, and asked if she could crash on my couch for the night because her place was too messy to sleep in.

She made sure to assure me that she wouldn't do anything, which made me laugh.

She was a woman. Wasn't she worried I would take advantage of her?

I ended up giving her my bedroom.

The next morning, she woke up early and made breakfast. When I got up, I saw her wearing an apron, working hard at the kitchen counter. This was the kind of life I had been dreaming of for the last five years.

In a completely impulsive moment, I pulled out my phone and took a picture of her back as she worked.

The next day, I found myself smiling at the photo in the office. My coworkers teased me, asking if I was in love since I had been walking around with a permanent smile on my face, and was much more cheerful than usual.

Was I?

Well, I hadn't thought about Jessica in a long time.

-

Living in the same building as Selena meant I would pick her up after work every day and drive us both back home.

One day, she called ahead to let me know I didn't need to pick her up. After questioning her for a while, she finally told me that Jessica had gotten into an argument with Cameron. He had disappeared for three days without any explanation, and Jessica wasn't doing well. So, Selena would be going over to her place to keep her company for a few days.

As I listened to her talk about Jessica, I realized something strange—I didn't feel upset at all. Instead, there was a strange sense of satisfaction, almost like revenge. I was petty enough to hope that Jessica would really understand what it felt like to have her feelings wasted.

Selena didn't come home until three days later. When we finally saw each other, she told me that Jessica was doing a lot better.

I ruffled her hair. "I'm not worried about how she's doing, silly."

"I've missed your cooking though," I added with a smile.

I changed the subject easily, and Selena's attention was quickly diverted. She eagerly pulled me out the door, heading to the supermarket to pick up ingredients for dinner.

I realized something then—I really didn't care about Jessica anymore. Even knowing she wasn't in the best place, I didn't think about her at all.

While we were having dinner that evening, Selena put on a pitiful expression and asked if I could spend the next day with her to celebrate her birthday. I checked the calendar, intending to make a note of when her birthday was to remember it in the future.

That was when I realized something—Selena's birthday was the same day as Jessica's mother's death anniversary.