Chapter 27: Trust
After that day, Darryl started to frequently visit my lab. Unlike other organisers, sponsors and the like, he preferred to watch me up close and may even participate in my experiments once in a while. Though I was the test subject instead of him. It would be bad if anything happened to my source of income.
It became a usual occurance that seeing him the minute I opened my front door was no longer a surprise. It also seems like all the handsome men like to climb mountains on a daily basis.
It makes two out of three hot men who enjoys scaling mountains on a daily basis. A fair number for a study I'd say. There isn't many hot men out there that could be categorised together with them.
Huh? The third person? Me, obviously. What's with that face? Anyways, I can tell Artemis of this information once I meet her again. She tends to mention about still being single at her age whenever she gets drunk.
"Good morning. Are you out on a morning stroll?" Darryl asked, drawing me from my thoughts as he pulled his hood down, revealing the silken locks of his white hair.
"I am. Would you like to head in first?" I asked him as I opened the door for him, gesturing him to head inside with a tilt of my head.
"It's alright. I'll go with you."
"You sure? You just scaled a mountain to get here." I raised an eyebrow before Darryl burst into a hearty laugh.
"Maybe I just want to spend more time with you?" Darryl joked as he tilted his head, mimicking me.
"... I'll never understand the way handsome men think." I muttered beneath my breath before shutting the door behind me.
"I'll take that as a compliment. But Sol, you are pretty charming in your own way." Darryl said as he stopped me in my tracks.
"... Is this your way of making fun of me?" I glanced narrow eyed at him before he shook his head and lifted my chin so that we could maintain eye contact.
"I don't openly mock people. Nor do I freely give compliments. By my own standards, I believe you are rather beguiling." Darryl said before taking a step back with a smile.
"T-thank you..." I turned away, feeling the burning sensation on my cheeks.
"Do you not get compliments that often, Sol?" Darryl asked as we both walked towards my usual route.
"Th-that's rather sudden, but... If its regarding looks then, no. Aries is more charming in that department than I am. So it wasn't surprising I ended up looking nothing but a blur in the background." I said as I kicked at the fallen leaves.
Before I knew it, autumn had begun. The weather had grown colder and the flower field Aries had brought me to had long gone dormant. It was now close to the end of the month mark that Aries had mentioned, yet, he had never made any attempt to contact me.
He does show up on some posts and magazine covers so I knew he was still alive and kicking. In retrospect to before, this was better than the time I knew nothing of his whereabouts. So my heart had been at ease.
"Hmm... Oh, how about a change of pace today?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't we head to town?"
"Town? ... Didn't you just climb up here? And you want to go back down?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow before rubbing my chin.
"There is a convention going on. Besides... I still owe you a tablet." Darryl laughed as I was reminded of my tablet that had gone to sleep with the fishes.
"Ah! How could I have forgotten!" I gasped before grabbing his hand.
"You're going to replace it right? Guess I'll just top up the difference. I think there's another new model being released soon." I muttered before nodding enthusiastically, "Let's go. I'll change first."
"Is there a need to change? You look fine to go out, though."
"You don't get it. Probably because you have your secretary running your errands for you... no offense... but, the shopping complex is a battle field. Even after years, that is the one thing that remain constant." I pointed out as I waggled my finger at him.
"Really? That somehow sounds very exciting." Darryl said with a smile.
I smirked as I can't wait to see the look on his face when we get to the purchasing part.
"It is going to be very interesting." I grinned as I headed back to the house.... or where I thought the house was at.
"Sol? If you're heading back, the house is this way." Darryl called out from behind me as I felt like he had pointed out how bad at directions I was.
"What? Of course I knew that! I-I was just looking at this!" I pointed randomly at the ground.
"The fallen leaves?" Darryl asked as he headed over towards me and glanced over my shoulder.
"I-It just had a pretty colour." I blurted out as I had wanted to avoid embarrassing myself. However, thinking about it wouldn't this be a similar situation?
"..."
"W-what is it?" I pressed him so that he would just say whatever he was thinking and get the awkward moment to gloss over.
"You find the beauty in even the smallest of objects. I never would have thought to look at the leaves."
"I-is that so?"
"You're certainly different from anyone I've met." Darryl said as he bent to pick the leaf I had been looking at, raising it against the clouds as the colour permeated from the leaf.
"I-is that a compliment?"
"Of course. I only ever compliment you. Hence, the trip to town. I wish to see our product on display in the future."
"... You think too highly of me." I replied as I felt a warmth in my chest. Somehow his words always encourages me. He is a wonderful sponsor.
"I hope you don't disappoint me then." Darryl smiled yet it still felt like an instruction for me to keep at it till I succeeded.
"I can't make promises, but... I will do my best. You can trust me on that."
"That's great. I'll look forward to standing by your side then."
"... Sure?" I replied as we both headed back towards my lab.
It seems the day has come when I need to put up signs around my lab so I won't get lost. It won't do to have visitors leading the way when I'm the one who lives here.