A Life Once More-Chapter 71: Alice (2)

"Hey Alice." I couldn't meet her eyes and just looked above her like I was searching for someone. Actually, I was looking for Marik but couldn't find him at all. Hopefully he wasn't the kind to show up right on time. I'd even take five minutes early!

'If these two were siblings, I feel like they would have come at the same time.' It was only a theory, but it made sense, right? If you were attending the same party as siblings, wouldn't you arrive together?

[From what I understand, that might not always be the case.]

'Huh?' I couldn't understand it. I could only chalk this up to me being unfamiliar with the situation of having siblings. I'm still rather new to this.

Alice's stare was quite unbearable, and with no luck finding Marik, I regretfully had to actually pay attention to her. My body no longer reacted like a mess because of her appearance. I sighed in relief that nothing crazy was happening like last time.

The rooftop had been transformed into a sleek party space. Glimmering string lights arched overhead, catching on the soft navy of the early evening sky. A gentle breeze teased the white linen canopies and flicked at the corners of the tall, flickering candle lanterns.

Behind her, clusters of people mingled around tall tables adorned with small cakes and colorful drinks. A DJ tucked into the corner spun soft upbeat tunes—something jazzy with a pop finish—setting the tone without overpowering the atmosphere. Laughter mixed with clinking glasses as the early people chatted with each other waiting for the party to actually start.

"Are you feeling better?" She sounded genuinely worried. Numerous thoughts ran through my mind, but no matter what I came up with, I couldn't form a response. Nodding my head, I gave the best neutral smile I could muster.

"Did I do something?"

"No."

"Then why are you acting so weird?"

'Did Eiz never confess to her?' Her worry seemed too genuine to be fake, and the way she looked at me was also strange. It felt more like she looked up to me than anything else. Her eyes never left me—I could tell she was forcing her posture—and the way she talked just felt... strange. Everything felt like she was trying to look good or you know?

If you were confessed to and then rejected that person, I don't think you could still act this way. Even if the two parties remained friends, there would still be some kind of new distance or tension.

[What if you've just been overthinking this whole thing?]

'Tha—? No. Even if that is the case, it's of no consequence.' I could still remember the pain from when I first met her. That feeling wasn't going away anytime soon. It was still the best course of action to limit my interaction with her. However, this party might make that difficult, so no need to fight the inevitable.

Shaking my head, I gave a bigger smile. "I was looking for someone, so my attention was elsewhere."

"Is it your guest?"

"No, I'm technically their guest."

"U-Uh, doesn't your mom own this place? Are they retarded?"

"Bhaha~ I don't think he knows that piece of information!" It was really exhausting trying to remain cool, but thankfully, my acting skill had risen. Speaking of that, I could totally use this as an opportunity to level it up!

[Hah~ You're starting to grow!] Ezryn sounded so proud that I almost cursed him out loud, but I couldn't afford to start looking crazy.

She looked around. "So what's he look like?"

"You assume it's a dude?"

"Really? A woman invited you... I doubt that."

"Why?!" I felt kind of insulted. Technically, my only two close friends were women!

"Because you hate most of them. You claim they're too noisy and cause too much drama. Did that change?!" Excitement radiated from her near the end of her explanation. I felt like I wanted to slap her, but obviously, I couldn't do that.

"I'll have you know that I have a girlfriend and a female friend I'm close to."

"Disgusting."

"How? Because I'm friends with my girlfriend's closest friend?"

"Tch, you're just trying to have a threesome." She gave me a cold stare, but I didn't falter.

"Tch. Think what you want."

Silence expanded its domain—sharp and concise like a certain king—but it didn't last long.

"Hahahaha~ I'm glad we can talk like this!"

I stared at her blankly. Actually having a conversation with this woman was changing my perception of my understanding of the original Eizkel. It seems that Ezryn could be right about this whole thing after all. However, that really was for another time, and I needed to stop thinking about this bullshit.

While I was lost in my head, Alice had left to go to a girl standing in the middle of the place. The centerpiece cake had just been wheeled out—multi-tiered, iced in a swirl of gold and crimson. Guests clapped lazily, distracted by a small drone buzzing overhead recording the moment.

I got back to waiting for Marik, and before I knew it, the party was starting. The last of the guests were coming from the elevator, and once the final group came up, I saw the elusive Marik himself.

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He was wearing a loose white button-down—sleeves lazily rolled up to his elbows—paired with dark olive joggers that tapered neatly at the ankle. The shirt draped naturally on his lean frame, slightly rumpled like he'd fished it from a half-folded pile, yet somehow pulled off the look. A thin silver chain peeked out from his collar, catching the string lights above with a subtle glint.

His green hair, the color of fresh spring leaves, looked like it had only met fingers, not a comb, and surrendered to the breeze. It suited him, honestly. His tan skin gave a sun-warmed contrast to the vivid green of his eyes, which scanned the rooftop excitedly—until they landed on me.

Basically, bro looked good.