That Strange Little Girl

Summoning her courage, she reopened the book and turned to the second page.

"When I confided in Nivi about how much the girl was getting on my nerves, she suggested to scare her off so she'd stop bothering me.

Eager to be rid of her, I hid in the balcony with the intention of giving her a good fright. But despite my efforts, she refused to give up until she tracked me down.

Her persistence astounded me. However, my attempt to scare her backfired when she accidentally fell from the first floor, fracturing her leg.

I ended up shouldering the blame, and despite it being a minor injury, I had to tend to her for the rest of my stay until I left.

I swore never to return to that place until one day.

She was sleeping peacefully beside me when suddenly, she began to cry.

When I asked her what was wrong, she said something strange. She expressed sadness about missing me, her home, and her parents when morning came.

I couldn't comprehend her words; perhaps she had a bad dream. So, I simply held her in my arms and comforted her until she fell asleep again.

Yet, despite my initial irritation, I found myself feeling sorry for her when she cried.

Later that morning, I discovered a note from her, "I'll miss you, brother," written in her childish scrawl, accompanied by a small keychain.

When I went to find her, she was not home and went outside with her mother, and her behavior was peculiar upon returning.

She kept her distance from me, and when I tried to approach her, she retreated to her mother's side as though afraid of me.

That night, she didn't come to me, leaving me puzzled if I had somehow offended her.

In any case, her behavior was strange and left me feeling unsettled."

Exhausted, Sushi drifted off to sleep while reading through the diary.

June's fists clenched, his voice edged with anger as he caught sight of Huan stepping out of the room where Sushi was sleeping. "How dare you be in my house with my wife?" he demanded, his tone laced with threat.

Huan stood his ground, his expression unwavering.

"Do you not trust your wife? Will something happen just because she's away from you and with me?

Haven't we been together all our lives? Don't you think something might have happened between us in the past?" he retorted, his words pointed and accusatory.

As Sushi began to hear June's voice, distant yet distinct. Slowly, she stirred, her senses honing in on the sound emanating from the hallway. Heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and concern, she recognized it as June's voice.

With a jolt, she bolted upright, a sense of urgency propelling her. She had to see what was happening.

Rushing outside, she found June and Huan locked in a tense confrontation, their gazes fiery and intense.

Sushi's heart raced as she absorbed the gravity of the situation unfolding before her, torn between disbelief and a desperate need for answers.

"June, what are you doing? Don't hit him," Sushi intervened, gently lowering June's hand.

"How did you get here?" Sushi asked, her voice filled with confusion.

"Don't you think that's my question? What are both of you doing in my house?" June snapped, his anger palpable.

"June, there's a reason for this. I'll explain everything later. But right now, you need to calm down," Sushi urged, trying to soothe his temper.

"I'll give you 10 minutes. Come outside when you're ready, and we'll leave," June declared, storming outside in frustration.

As they began the journey back to the city, an oppressive silence settled between them, thick with tension. Not a single word passed between Sushi and June, each lost in their own thoughts, grappling with the emotions stirred up by the confrontation.

Feeling the weight of the silence pressing down on her, Sushi finally mustered the courage to break it. "June, please don't misunderstand us," she started tentatively. "We found ourselves in a difficult situation—"

Before she could finish her sentence, June abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the messy road with a forceful halt. Without a word, he flung open the car door and stepped out, his expression unreadable but his frustration palpable.

Shaken by June's sudden outburst, Sushi stepped out of the car and approached him cautiously, her eyes pleading for understanding.

"June, please listen to me," she implored, her voice trembling with emotion. "It's not what you think. There's a reason why Huan was at the house—"

Before she could finish her sentence, June's anger boiled over, his frustration and suspicion overwhelming any semblance of reason. With a swift motion, he pushed Sushi against the car's edge, his grip firm and unforgiving.

"If you don't want to be my wife, you don't have to," he spat, his words laced with venom.

"But don't you dare misbehave and bring shame upon my family. How could you bring another man into my house and spend the whole night with him?

Have you ever stopped to consider how people will talk about me when they misunderstand?"

Sushi's heart sank as the weight of June's accusations on her. She struggled to find the right words to defend herself, but his anger seemed impenetrable, leaving her feeling helpless and alone in the face of his wrath.

"June, I understand why you're angry, but I couldn't disregard the professor's words, especially considering your close relationship with him. I don't want to be the type of person who refuses to listen to the advice of elders," she explained, her voice tinged with regret.

"Then you should have asked me to come, or you should have called me and explained the situation," June retorted sharply.

"I did try, June. I called you multiple times, but you never answered," she replied, her tone tense with frustration.

"So you're saying that it's my fault for not answering your calls, but you did nothing wrong. Is that what you're implying?" June continued, his anger still simmering as he shouted at her.

"No, June, that's not what I meant," she hurriedly clarified. "I meant to say that the situation unfolded unexpectedly. It was never my intention to disrespect you or our family."

"I was trying to be understanding, thinking I might have pushed you too far off the edge that night. I wanted to trust you," Huan vented, his anger boiling over.

"But you., you just keep on with your little games. I don't even comprehend what you hope to achieve by all of this."

His voice rose in frustration as he continued, "You plastered sticky notes everywhere, reassuring me that nothing's going on between you two, yet here I find you spending another night together."

His anger spiraled out of control, escalating beyond anyone's expectations.

"Why the charade? What's your endgame here? It's disgraceful that you're Chloe's sister and part of that family," he concluded bitterly.

"You didn't just break my heart; you shattered my pride as well into million pieces.."