Elvira closed her eyes and breathed hard as mixed flavors spread out in her mouth.

Gradually, only sweetness remained, as if the other flavors had never existed.

It was so sweet.

Elvira felt warm rising inside her, as if someone was hugging her.

But why was she crying?

A tear trickled down her cheek to her chin and fell.

“Daze...” she mumbled. This alcohol is heartbreaking.

Looking at her, Ethan wasn’t surprised by her reaction.

He picked up the glass of water in front of him and took a sip.

“Right, Daze,”

he repeated in a low voice.

“What do you need me to do?”

Elvira wiped the tear away and asked.

“First, read the file I gave you. Then all you need to do is play along.”

Ethan stared at the colored glaze behind her as he spoke.

“Okay,”

she nodded.

“If there isn’t anything else, I have to go.”

Elvira stood up to leave.

“Wait a minute.”

Ethan grabbed her arm.

She turned around in amazement and looked at his hand gripping her arm.

Ethan let go of her arm in embarrassment.

“Um...you...” Words stuck in his throat.

“What is it?”

Elvira looked at him coldly. She could sense what he was trying to say.

He was rather nervous when he met her eyes.

The look in her eyes froze. A dull pain ran through her body.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said quietly, yet somehow his voice filled the entire room.

Finally, he said it.

That year, when she learned that he had gotten acquainted with her with a purpose, she didn’t make a scene or get hysterical. She just found him and asked him calmly whether what she had heard was true or not.

He had nodded.

Then she smiled and walked away,

without giving him a chance to explain.

now that they had gotten in touch again,

he wanted to explain why he had acted that way back then.

Or one might call it making excuses. Anyway, he wanted to say something.

However, he didn’t even know where to begin with.

Words froze on the tip of his tongue. All he could manage was, “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t forgive you,”

Elvira replied coldly.

Ethan’s mouth agape, he was unable to say a word.

“Inform me one day earlier when your grandpa is coming.”

After that, she left.

Ethan slumped onto the sofa with a bitter smile.

Light reflected off the colored glaze and slanted down over the wall. The door was opened and a tall, slender shadow was cast on the floor.

“Luv, fix me a glass of Daze, please.”

Ethan's head slumped, some hair fell into his eyes.

“Okay,”

the person responded.

Soon, there were already five empty bottles on the table. Ethan inclined on the sofa, one hand on Luv’s shoulder.

"Luv, you never finished telling me your whole life story."

The tears on Ethan’s face had dried up. Colored light spilled on their bodies. The room was filled with light and shadows. A little bizarre.

“You’ll know,”

Luv answered with a careless expression.

Then she took a bottle of alcohol from the cabinet, uncorked it adeptly, lifted her head and took two gulps from the bottle.

Feeling better, she walked back to the sofa and sat beside Ethan.

They were bothered by different matters, yet somehow, they understood each other. Light flashed across their stony faces now and then.

“Luv,”

Ethan called in a hoarse voice.

Luv didn't respond, so Ethan remained silent.

She sat there, her eyes squinted, not caring about anything else.

Time ticked by so fast sometimes people wondered where it went.

Soon, Elvira got Ethan’s call.

“Hi, Elvira, my grandpa is arriving tomorrow morning,” Ethan told her carefully.

“Got it,” she said calmly.

He had said “Hi” so gently it sounded as if when he had said “Good night. I love you,” to her back in college.

“He wants to meet you at your workplace. Is that okay?”

He sounded still cautious.

“No problem,”

Elvira answered simply.

After hanging up, she sat on the bed, falling in a daze.

“Who was that?”

Nigel asked casually, stopping what he was doing.

Elvira had few friends and had never received any phone calls at home before. His gut feeling told him that this call was from a guy.

“My alumnus from college,” she answered honestly.

Nigel went on with his work after a simple “Oh.”

Ethan’s car stopped in front of Elvira’s office building. His grandfather, Galton, got out with a cane. Ethan held out his hands, intending to support him, but the old man slapped his hands away. They acted like two children as they walked through the entrance.

Elvira was already walking towards them before Ethan called her.

“Nice to meet you, Grandpa,”

Elvira greeted Galton politely.

Galton looked at his grandson and thought this girl must be his girlfriend.

He smiled at her benignly and nodded vigorously as he said, “Oh, nice to meet you too.”

They talked at the entrance. Then Galton suggested that they have lunch together.

There was still some time before Elvira’s lunch before. She couldn't leave the office yet. But she thought it inappropriate to keep Galton waiting.

As she was stumped, Bernice showed up and spoke to her.

“Elv, it's okay. You can go now. And you can take this afternoon off.”

Bernice wore a bright smile, her eyes sparkling. She didn’t seem to be joking.

Elvira was confused. She found that Bernice had been acting strange. That woman had been way too nice to her.

It was well-know that she was a hothead and was always mean to Elvira.

And now she was being considerate to Elvira and even told her she could get off work earlier. It felt surreal.

Elvira thought she must have misheard.