It's for the best.

"Oh! Hi there! What took you so long?"

As expected, that long cheesy smile still persist on Betty's face as she showered an amused glare at Ayana's tired state.

"Just what do you obtain from doing these?"

"Heh? What do you mean?" She said with her lips pressed hard to control her laughter but it was pretty obvious she was feigning innocence.

Ayana was so prepared for the argument, but strangely her body had gotten extremely weak as soon as the warm breeze from her home welcomed her inside. Even lifting her tongue seemed too much of a trouble and waste of energy at this time. Her eyes felt droopy and her soaked wet sneakers felt cold.

"Coffee..." Those were the only words she could manage to say before landing straight onto her couch.

Betty chuckled at first, but much to her surprise, she came to notice Ayana was wearing the same dress as yesterday.

Betty was pushed into a puddle of questions as she had a an assumption that it was probably Ayana who dropped her home last night, because if so then she would've gone to sleep in her home as well. But considering she rather met her in corridor and the state of tiredness Ayana was in, could it be she was out somewhere this night?! The thought seemed very concerning for her.

"Just where were you after you dropped me home?"

Betty tried to recall her previous night incidences but couldn't find anything in particular except a figure in black dropping her in car and leaving her at door entrance.

Betty roamed around in the living hall, trying to remember what exactly happened last night, but more she tried to assemble her vision, the more it began to become vague. It was pointless.

"Wait, where's her jacket? Did she left it in her car? Geez~" she scratched the back of her head as heard her bestie snoring heavily in an awkward position. Even though the ridge between her brows ached from frowning for a long time, she couldn't help but chuckle helplessly upon seeing Ayana's old habit to always sleep in the most awkward position one would ever see.

"Seems like it's time to flex my trained muscles. C'mon Betty! Show this world the money you spent on gym wasn't gone to a waste!

Haiyaa!

Ugh! She's much more heavier than I thought she would be! Is it 62? No, must be 65 Kg for sure...urk! My back!"

........….....

"It seems you are finally awake."

A pale cold hand offered a warm black tea to Eric in a fancy cup. Things were slightly blurry, but it all became clear when the warmth reached his hands and began to spread. He pressed his nose from nausea and looked around for a while, only to find himself in his grand bedroom.

"What happened?" He said with a hoarse voice.

"You caught a severe fever last night. Thankfully it's suppressed for now, but I would suggest you to remain in bed." Sebastian said as he gestured to pour another cup of tea, but Eric stopped him as he was full.

As he chugged the last sip down his throat, his eyes happened to fall upon Sebastian poker face. There were a lot of things which he wanted to say and ask to him, but considering it was all pointless now, the effort would simply be a waste of time and energy. And so he chosed to seal his lips, just like he always had.

"I see. Any updates or upcoming meetings?"

Ironically, the warmth had bought back the coldness in his voice, and he was back to his usual self. Sebastian was also happy to see this side of him back. It was for the best, he believed.

"Fortunately no, Master. You can rest all day today."

"...good. You can leave now."

"Get well soon, Master."

The door finally shut close and a sigh of distress escaped through Eric's mouth as he finally heard those sounds of footsteps vanish into this suffocating air. Now, it was just him, his luxurious room, and this deafening silence, enough to make him hear his loud heartbeats.

He glances outside the window to see the bustling town beneath him and notice the movements of ant like people below.

"Men may come, and Men may go. But I'll go on forever, isn't it?" He repeated one of his favourite poem phrase.

He looked down carefully once again to focus on what people were doing down there. The time which was always used to run like a river, seemed stagnant like a lake now.

He was always used to laugh as how easily people can be replaced with one another, but now that he had gotten someone special in his life, he felt resent on his past arrogant self.

He knows everything that goes through Sebastian mind, but despite them being logical, he still deep down wished to be unreasonable, atleast in times like this.

"Maybe I've gotten spoilt from that woman." He sighed again as he tried to process the strong pain which was strangely emerging in his heart.

"But enough is enough now. It's time to move on over such things.

I don't share the same privilege like others do, nor do I wish to... But,..but even when I say that...why? Why is it that this pain won't resolve?"

The lid of his jar of emotions opened once again and a beautiful blue butterfly escapes this time. Her pixel dust were his warm tears.

God knows after how many years of his life, he cried his heart out so loud with his fist clenched upon his chest. He himself didn't knew why, but the more he cried the more tension in his heart erased.

It was the same back when he got a 'lesson' from his mother upon failing in a subject back when he was in fifth grade. He still remembered that day as clear as a crystal when he first time got aware of the true side of the world he lived in. It was painful at first, but upon receiving 'lessons' at every step of his life, he eventually got used to it.

With the passage of time, the cute little crybaby of Park family soon turned into an ice cold prince, and his eyes dried permanently that is until he met Ayana, the first crush of his life.

His cries could be heard outside the room, but his assistant, Sebastian, made sure everyone to leave this appartment in advance. He always predicted something like this might happen, be it the joy that it happened sooner than he had anticipated, but he was relieved that his master has finally made the decision to let go of this unrequited love.

"Please bear with it a little, master. I am sure, once you climb the stair of success you wouldn't even bother to remember this phase." He muttered to himself while staring blankly at the tray of crockery in his hands.