“I’m sorry.
It seems I’ve been talking to myself too much.
I’ve been ignored quite a bit lately, so I accidentally wasted your time.”
Huh… Huh.
Huh?
Her silver-gray eyes, once filled with despair and sorrow, suddenly brightened.
It was as if she had glimpsed a ray of warm sunlight once more.
Her gently bitten crimson lower lip relaxed and parted in disbelief.
These words… this apology… the young man’s true feelings were now crystal clear.
It was not condescending pity, nor empty chatter, nor help that could vanish like a bubble in the sun.
It was because he, too, had been ignored that he wanted someone to talk to.
It was because he had needs, because he had flaws, because he had desires.
So… Edward… needs me?
The underlying color of life is a quiet selfishness.
Something too perfect and flawless can feel slippery to the touch.
Like a perfectly smooth sphere, it offers no grip, no place to hold on.
Most people might enjoy cradling such perfection for a moment, admiring its absolute beauty.
But for someone drowning in despair, if they placed their last hope on something so flawless… they would slip away into the abyss with nothing to grasp.
What if that sphere had a small flaw?
What if it had a place to hold?
What if it offered a firm grip?
Then it would become something far more precious than any perfect ideal… something one could never let go.
===
Was he alone again?
The young man’s voice was soft, carrying an emotion that was difficult to name.
His dark eyes held an unusual, indescribable gleam.
The simple yet elegant furniture inside the tent was veiled in the soft light of night.
The carpet, made of some unknown material, had grown damp and cold from the steady drizzle outside.
The girl sleeping just across from him felt both close enough to touch and impossibly far away.
Throughout the entire day, the longest stretch of time they had spent together was while she slept, when no one else would interrupt.
It seemed Vill-V had only continued chatting because she was kind and found it hard to refuse.
Time to sleep.
Time to sleep.
He had no desire to stay awake any longer.
He was wasting her time… and his own.
The young man slipped off his shirt, pulled the soft cotton quilt over himself, and listened to the wind rustling through the grass as he drifted toward sleep… until a soft ringing sound echoed beside his ear.
He opened his eyes.
The phone screen glowed nearby, showing a message from the girl.
Vill-V: So… sorry, I tapped the wrong thing just now.
Vill-V: Because of my incompetence, I made some mistakes modifying the phone.
If I hurt your feelings, I am willing to accept some punishment.
Vill-V: I’ll be there!
Absolutely!
I’ll absolutely be available for this one thing!!
[The girl’s rapid change in attitude makes you a bit hard to understand.
In just a few minutes, she completely denied everything she had said before.]
[She would rather take all the blame on her own incompetence and foolishness than admit that those words were indeed hers.]
[The girl is even willing to accept punishment, and the earnestness in her words is something you can fully feel.]
[This cautious feeling… it really is her.]
[It was strange for her to be so bold just now.
In your impression, Vill-V’s personality, even if she really wanted to leave, would probably first apologize humbly.]
[—Isn’t this good?]
[Perhaps the girl really did tap the wrong thing just now, and what she is saying now is her true thought, or perhaps something happened in a short time.]
[Regardless, you have indeed gained another friend, a friend built on mutual help.]
[You actually don’t dislike Elysia.
Being ignored itself isn’t enough to make you so angry.
Your only complaint is why you didn’t properly gather information about what the girl liked and the path you were to take.]
[Why, after living together for so long, do you still not know that the girl is actually obsessed with scientists?]
[She loves chatting with various professional scholars and researchers.]
[You voiced these complaints to Vill-V, with whom you began your daily chats.]
[Of course, to consider the girl’s feelings, you also repeatedly stated that you don’t dislike scholars, and you don’t genuinely dislike or feel angry toward anyone.]
[The only one you might be somewhat angry at is perhaps yourself.]
[You and Elysia are childhood sweethearts, yet you don’t know her hobbies, or even what the girl truly likes.]
[You remember that you used to enjoy reading a lot, and she would often lean by your side, watching you read.
Perhaps it was because you later gave up reading and in-depth study that Elysia turned her attention to others.]
[At twenty, you and the girl continued your travels and the annual grand banquet.
This birthday was no different from the previous two years.]
[Again, many irrelevant people attended, people you didn’t know at all, all gathered around Elysia, as if she were the only protagonist, leaving you to stand unnoticed in a corner.]
[The only comfort was that Vill-V also stood there, dressed in a black gauze gown, carrying a delicately wrapped gift box.]
[She attended this kind of birthday banquet every time, though she never truly participated, neither joining in the revelry nor seeking amusement.]
[It even made you wonder why the girl attended the birthday banquet at all.]
[It couldn’t possibly be for Elysia, could it?]
[It seems it’s not impossible…]
Edward watched the perfect girl at the center of the banquet.
Not a single flaw could be found on her.
She wore a gentle, playful smile that would earn the highest praise from even the most critical observer.
The only things one might notice were the details around her: the pink dress, the white pantyhose… yet even those could not be criticized.
The faint trace of lipstick on her lips alone was enough to silence any complaint.
Her every interaction with others was like a gentle breeze carrying the scent of fresh flowers.
Just like the wind itself.
No matter how hard you reached out, you could never hold onto it.
It was meant to travel the world, bringing delight to everyone and easing the heat of summer from the depths of the heart.
The young man remained silent as he watched Elysia, the undisputed protagonist of the evening.
Until a distinctly shy voice sounded beside him.
“Edward.”
“…Your gift.”
This day… unbeknownst to him, had become Vill-V’s most important day of the year.
No matter what, she always made sure to set aside enough time for it.
Only once a year, for one single day, could she openly see the young man who had saved her, without any pretense.
Although Edward did not belong to her, and although he already had the girl who truly walked beside him… even as a mere observer, watching him, watching the gentle young man who was willing to help someone who felt completely useless, was enough to fill her heart with joy.
She looked forward to this day for an entire year.
It should have been that way.
Until this day.
Vill-V questioned Elysia for the first time.
In no way did the girl believe she could compare to the flawless, fairy-like beauty of Elysia.
Elysia had been busy in the group chat, devoting a great deal of time to organizing the banquet and inviting guests for Edward’s birthday.
Yet at this moment, seeing only one person standing alone in the corner, unnoticed by anyone, with not a single genuine well-wisher… only the warm orange-yellow lights casting their glow on the lonely young man.
Vill-V questioned Elysia for the first time.
Not about her effort, but about… her feelings.
Under normal circumstances, the girl had always avoided getting involved.
They were a perfect match, and it was not her place, a useless person, to say anything.
Although she had grown somewhat attached to spending time with the young man… this was the first time in her life someone had been willing to waste so much time talking with her.
Someone who was not frightened away by her strange and unpleasant personality, nor repulsed by her terrible demeanor.
Someone who could communicate with her like this, even willing to be a “trash can” for her emotions, patiently listening to all her complaints and trivial worries.
It felt like being protected by a sturdy ship on an endless ocean.
She had once feared it, yet she had slowly fallen into the warmth of that protection.
If this continued, she would probably never be able to leave this kind of life.
The girl had a clear understanding of herself.
She also harbored no inappropriate thoughts whatsoever.
[For normal people, a confession is a triumphal song, but for you, my dear friend, a confession is the opening drumroll of a circus.
Once the gong strikes and the drum beats, everyone is amused by your performance.]
[For Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix, playing the Joker required constant deliberation, careful thought, repeated practice, attention to detail, and subtle observation.
But for you, merely opening your eyes is the peak performance they can’t reach, unmatched in the world.]
These were the kind of online taunts and jests aimed at simps and clowns.
Just reading them made one feel as though countless onlookers were laughing loudly in mockery.
The phrase had become so widespread that even a girl who spent most of her time confined to her own world, endlessly battling her inner struggles, had heard of it.
Given the choice, Vill-V still did not particularly like or hope that one day she might end up with the King and Queen cards as her identity.
But… it was strange.
So very strange.
Why did it feel so strange?