Everything takes ti to co to a halt, crying included.
And so does the return of one's rationality.
Like a girl completely enveloped in Sam's embrace, as if she had received the comfort of the entire world.
Sophie suddenly realized sothing.
She lifted her head, her eyes swollen and red, and looked at Sam in astonishnt.
"Are you holding ?"
Sam paused for a mont.
"Obviously..."
"Weren't you asleep?!"
"...With you acting like this, it's hard for not to wake up. Should I go back to sleep?"
"Get lost! Let go of !"
Just like that, the mont of tenderness vanished without a trace, and Sam quickly let go of her.
Truth be told, he had so idea why the girl was crying.
Sam certainly couldn't hear thoughts, nor did he possess any supernatural powers... and his big cock surely didn't count, right?
But none of these made Sam a fool.
He might have been clumsy at understanding won at first, but as he deepened his relationships with these female leads, Sam was gradually learning.
Why did he find Sophie lying on top of him, incessantly asking "why" after he had just slightly awakened?
Perhaps it's just how things are.
When you belatedly realize the importance of sothing, it might also be when you're drifting further away from that thing, that person.
Regret is always the main the in life, with most people living beyond their control.
Sophie might not be entirely forthright, but she's not a bad kid.
The unfairness of fate made her hesitant to confront many things directly, mostly tough-talking verbally, more about reaching out yet retracting her hand, afraid to touch.
Watching the girl quickly turn away, wiping her eyes in a manner akin to burying her head in the sand, Sam chuckled, lazily sat up, and yawned.
Sophie didn't imdiately leave in embarrassnt.
Because she knew that at this point, any further pretense was aningless.
Having her tear-streaked face seen by him, what dignity was left for her to salvage?
Sophie...
You're an adult!
Crying your eyes out!
And in front of Sam, no less!
It's all over now!!
Sophie took deep breaths repeatedly, as if no amount of ntal preparation could help. One cannot deny or change what has already happened, just like the scene that had just unfolded. No matter how many reasons or excuses she gave, Sam wouldn't believe that she was crying just because she was cold, right?
Even Sophie herself didn't believe that.
So, after taking several deep breaths, Sophie looked up, her gaze sowhat vacant as she stared at the ceiling.
"Since you've seen it all... there's nothing much left to say."
Sam paused and looked at her.
Why did that sound familiar?
Especially that tone... wait, she wasn't planning to silence him because he saw her crying, was she?
"...Um, you seem to be in a bad way right now."
Sam glanced at the girl beside him and said cautiously.
Sophie slightly turned her head to look at Sam.
"I'm fine now."
"...Really? Then what did you an by 'there's nothing much left to say'? What does that refer to?"
"It ans don't expect to explain why I acted that way just now."
Sophie felt her face heat up, but there was no ti left for shyness. It was a case of a broken jar breaking further; any excuse would just make her look more pathetic.
Miss here is laying it all out.
Think what you will, but she definitely won't explain or admit to any of Sam's guesses!
Sam took a deep breath.
"So that's how it is... then it's all good."
Watching Sam's relieved and easy smile, Sophie looked at him with suspicion.
"You seem pretty happy to see crying?"
Sam casually leaned back on the sofa.
"Otherwise, what? Should I cry with you?"
His comnt seed nonchalant, as if there was nothing wrong with it, but the whole idea was absurdly abstract.
Yet, it made sense, and why did Sophie feel like punching him?
Indeed, a sleeping Sam was a good boy, but awake, he was nothing but a scoundrel.
"Who asked you to cry with ! Jerk... just forget about this by tomorrow, you hear?"
It was exactly the response Sam expected, and he smiled at her.
"So, that ans I don't have to forget tonight, right?"
Sophie paused, blinking.
"Why... why wouldn't you forget?"
Sam stretched lazily, then hugged the blanket, looking at her in her cartoon pajamas, fluffy and overly cute.
"It's nothing, just want to rember a bit more of how you look right now."
"That's ridiculous, there's nothing morable about how I look..."
Sophie turned her face away, not because of Sam, but because she couldn't bear to et his eyes right now.
It felt like one more glance would make her heart explode.
All the embarrassnt she felt earlier would surge back, along with the sensation of her heart racing.
That warmth was sothing she could scarcely obtain in her lifeti.
Sam's endearing embrace still lingered in her mind.
That was what she truly couldn't face, hopelessly sinking deeper into an inexplicable vortex...
What Sophie didn't expect was, just as she averted her gaze, she heard Sam's sowhat deep and husky voice in the darkness.
"Because you're very cute right now."
Suddenly, Sophie was at a loss for words, her eyes widening dramatically.
Her face, which had cooled down a bit, now flushed a frightening shade of red, as if she was about to bleed.
What nonsense was this jerk spouting now? Was this the typical trick of a womanizer?
She mustn't fall for it!
"Ha... you probably say that to everyone, don't try to sweet-talk with that line, I'm not buying it..."
"No, I rarely call people cute, and I genuinely think you're cute right now."
"...Ugh!"
She almost made a sound.
Sophie quickly bit her lower lip to stop any strange noises from escaping.
This Sam was infuriating.
So despicable!
She almost fell for it. Did he really think she would believe him?
He probably said the sa thing countless tis to Angel, and even to Isabella, right? Maybe he's been saying it to countless girls since he was young, as n always seem sincere when they say such things.
Despite thinking this way, and constantly reminding herself not to fall for such clumsy womanizer tactics,
Why did Sophie still feel sowhat happy?
"You... not a single true word cos out of your mouth, only a fool would believe you, and you better not say these things to again," Sophie said, regaining her composure and sounding quite rational.
Sam chuckled.
"Is that so? You seem very alert now, different from earlier."
"That... that was just an accident! Of course it's different, I will always be alert and calm."
"Really? Then why won't you look at ?"
The way this girl stubbornly denied her feelings was just too adorable.
Previously, Sam only thought of Sophie as an extrely unforthcoming person, like a mischievous child who neither cries nor fusses but sohow manages to be annoying.
But as their relationship deepened,
As he ca to understand more about the stories of this girl's life and discovered so many of her traits, Sam now believed that no one is just ant to be disliked.
It's just that so people aren't good at showing their best side to others, or perhaps their true selves are reluctant to be easily revealed.
It's like when you're playing a ga,
The harder a reward is to obtain, the more precious and substantial it becos.
"Why would I want to look at you in the middle of the night? It's so dark in here, I can't see anything."
"Then I'll turn on the light."
"You, you, you, you!"
Caught off guard, Sophie couldn't stop Sam's actions in ti.
"Click."
Sam got up and turned on the living room lights.
The sudden bright light made it impossible for Sophie to adjust imdiately, so she closed her eyes and even covered her face with her hands to gradually adapt to the glaring brightness.
She thought to herself that she might now have the courage to calmly face this Sam.
After all, it wasn't the first ti she had embarrassed herself in front of him; she had done it so many tis, what was there to worry about?
No fear!
So, gradually, Sophie lowered her hands, but what she didn't expect was that the mont she lowered her palms and then opened her eyes.
What she saw was not the familiar living room scene, nor the glaring light above her head.
But... Sam's face, smiling as he watched her.
Completely caught off guard.
Utterly unprepared.
It was like being shot in the heart without any warning.
Sophie's eyes widened, with no chance to escape or ntally prepare.
She hadn't expected that at this mont, Sam would be standing right in front of her, slightly bending down, smiling as he looked at her.
With that indescribably handso face, with his deep and bustling eyes like brilliant stars watching her.
The allure was unspeakable.
She seed only able to stare dumbly at this Sam, unable to prepare any words to escape this scene, even feeling like she might lt into his eyes at any mont.
Sophie was speechless, but Sam spoke softly with a smile.
"It's not that hard, is it?"
"...What did you say?"
Sophie didn't understand what Sam ant, nor why he had deliberately struck such a pose to look at her like this.
Was it a kind of mockery?
Was he intentionally trying to see her act out of character, to witness more of her embarrassing monts?
It seed as if there were stars twinkling in Sam's eyes, the halo around his pupils. It was like the most dazzling mont in a movie, an unforgettable scene that forever etched itself in mory.
"Whether it's facing or honestly confronting the discomfort in your heart, letting yourself cry freely isn't hard at all. It's okay, I won't tell anyone, but you should let always rember this mont."
A tumultuous emotion surged within Sophie.
It felt like a revelation.
It wasn't the previous sourness, not the kind that seed ready to burst forth at any mont.
But rather an indescribable sweetness.
As if soone was holding your heart and tenderly caring for it.
How much had he heard... when all she did was repeatedly ask why, when all she did was turn all her inner words into tears.
But why did it seem like he knew everything, as if she couldn't escape his gaze?
Did he... really understand her that well?
Sophie's eyes slightly drooped, her voice no longer firm, weak beyond reason.
"What's there to rember... it's not beautiful, I'm just a ss who can only cry. I guess I'm no different from any other girl in your eyes."
It seed she had completely let down her guard.
In this mont, she couldn't hide anything else, resigning herself to self-abandonnt.
"That's right, I'm just like that. Just as you said, I'm that terrible, I like to be infuriating, and I don't like telling the truth. You don't need to say anything to comfort , I can get used to it, the right thing to do would be to leave ... the farther, the better."
The harder it is to let go.
The more she needed to push him away.
To mask her own attachnt.
Sophie knew this truth.
But that's just how people are, never learning from their mistakes, always repeating the sa old patterns.
She didn't really want... didn't want Sam to truly disappear from her world forever.
Otherwise, that faint glimr of sunlight would truly vanish. Her gloomy days would be just like before, no different.
No vitality, nothing to look forward to, unable to truly be happy, unable to laugh out loud, and even less able to freely vent her emotions without any reservations.
All those seemingly trivial bickering... gone.
And Sam, smiling, nodded.
"Of course, I know you're a terrible person."
"What are you saying...!"
Why that phrase?
Was this jerk really trying to annoy her at this mont?
But the next mont, Sam covered Sophie with an even gentler gaze, speaking in a softer, clearer voice.
"But I just find your awfulness quite endearing, your insincerity never really bothers anyone. I understand that many things take ti, maybe you think it's not good, that being like this makes you different from everyone else, only this way can you appear strong, having the courage to face everything, but..."
Sam shook his head.
He crouched down, right in front of her.
Sophie's gaze involuntarily followed his, as if tracing his eyes.
Like a moth in the night seeking the only light.
Perhaps, she had beco the light herself, a firefly.
"I think you're fine just the way you are, no need for any changes. Just... don't push away, it hurts too, okay?"
"..."
This jerk...
How could he say such things at this ti...!
"I told you not to say things like that... jerk..."
Sophie turned her head away, the blush on her cheeks more honest than any response.
Sam's brilliant smile lit up as he propped himself up on his knees.
"There's no helping it, you know , I'm just this kind of rascal. Can we get along normally now? Go to sleep if you're tired."
Sophie had been clenching her fists tightly all this while.
Gripping them hard, but it didn't calm her down. She hesitated before saying,
"I'm going to sleep, what about you?"
"I'll sleep too."
"But... isn't it going to be cold?"
Sophie said softly, looking at the thin blanket on the sofa.
Sam thought for a mont.
"Hmm... it might be a bit cold, how about I sleep in your bed?"
"Get lost!!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha."
Sam's hearty laughter echoed in her heart.
Then, on a certain day in a certain year,
On a day when the grass was lush and the orioles sang,
She stood at the crossroads, looking back at the bustling street, the countless car lights.
But all she could think of was Sam's laughter at that mont.
She knew that life wasn't a math problem, not everything's value could be quantified.
For instance...
The billions of people in the whole world.
None could compare to a boy nad Sam on that night.
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