His Obsession Began After Losing Her-Chapter 31: Thirteen Years Ago: Noran’s POV (3)

I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I came to this realization.

Swallowing nervously, I glanced down at Shuri, who seemed as innocent as ever.

I had a strong urge to reach out and touch her, but I resisted, clutching the bag of cookies tighter in my hands.

This was dangerous.

For the first time, I felt scared and unsure.

It was like venturing into unknown territory, emotions I had never felt before.

With a heavy heart, I went home, troubled by the thought of how my feelings and presence might affect Shuri.

It was clear that I shouldn't return to the café.

My presence would only bring further trouble for Shuri, especially after what happened today.

I worried that if my family found out about my feelings, it would only make things worse for her.

I couldn't stand the idea of adding to her troubles.

It was a painful conclusion to reach, but it was the right thing to do.

But it'd be rude if I were to disappear without saying goodbye, so I decided to go back one last time tomorrow and let her know I wouldn't be coming to the café anymore.

The next day, Roy informed me that he had resolved yesterday's issue and the girls from our school wouldn't cause problems at the café again.

However, for some reason, he appeared hesitant to visit the café, so I ended up going alone.

When I reached the café, I was surprised to see the "Closed" sign on the front door.

Were they taking a break?

The tiny bell at the front door rang as I pushed it open.

However, no one came to welcome me. There were no customers at the moment, and Shuri didn't appear as usual.

I removed my mask and walked further into the café.

Then, I heard voices coming from behind the kitchen.

Shuri seemed to be engaged in a friendly conversation with someone.

A short moment later, I saw her walk out of the kitchen.

She was with a guy I had never seen before.

They seemed so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice my presence.

I didn't mean to hide, but I happened to stop behind one of the cafe's pillars, strategically positioned near the kitchen exit.

"Thank you so much for fixing the pipe, Jeffrey, and for dropping by our place last night to fix my laptop."

I frowned, feeling a knot form in my stomach as I watched them.

That guy went to her place? At night?

And she was calling him by his first name while she addressed me as Mr. Kingston?

"I'm happy to be of help to you, Shuri," Jeffrey replied, his cheeks slightly red.

"And why the hell is he blushing?" I thought, my expression becoming darker.

Jeffrey continued to say, "You don't have to be so formal with me. You can be casual, like Karlene. Just call me Jeff."

Now he even wanted her to call him by a nickname?

I felt a pang of bitterness rise within me.

"I shouldn't do that, Jeffrey."

"Yes, you shouldn't."

I nodded quietly, feeling relief.

Shuri continued to answer politely, "Please let me know the repair cost. I'll transfer you the money right away."

"Oh, you don't have to. Neighbors should help one another."

"No, you already refused to get paid for helping me with my laptop. I can't keep owing you," Shuri insisted.

Then, I saw Jeffrey take out two tickets as if he had planned for this in advance.

"If you want to repay me, why don't you accompany me to the Global Orchestra Concert? I heard Noran Kingston will be making an appearance there among other renowned soloists and orchestras."

Shuri appeared hesitant.

"Jeffrey, I appreciate the gesture, but I can't accept something so expensive."

Jeffrey's smile faltered slightly, but he persisted.

"I understand your concern, Shuri. But these tickets didn't cost me much. My parents have connections with the organizers, so I managed to get them at a discounted price. And I know how much you admire Noran Kingston. It would mean a lot to me if you could accompany me."

"I-I don't know, Jeffrey. It's still too much."

"But Shuri," Jeffrey implored, his voice soft but earnest. "I want you to have this experience. And besides, it would be wonderful to have your company."

I had already clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white as I continued to hear their interaction.

I knew it wasn't gentlemanly of me to be eavesdropping, but my body refused to move away.

I thought I needed to get out of there, but when I saw Shuri reaching out like she was about to accept the ticket, my body moved forward involuntarily.

"Miss Shuri," I called out to her, my voice sounding louder than I had intended in the quiet café.

Both Shuri and Jeffrey turned to look at me, surprise etched on their faces.

Shuri's eyes widened as she stared at me, and I could see a blush creeping up her cheeks.

It was her first time seeing me without my mask, and the suddenness of it seemed to catch her off guard.

"Mr. Kingston, wh-what are you doing here?" Shuri stammered, her voice a mix of shock and a hint of shyness.

Seeing her face grow redder, I felt a warm, amused feeling well up inside me.

Jeffrey was equally shocked to see me, but I didn't bother registering his reaction.

At that moment, I just wanted him to leave and let me have my time with Shuri.

"I left something behind when I rushed off yesterday," I said, making up an excuse, my eyes fixed on Shuri's.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your break, but I realize what I left behind is really important to me, so I'm eager to get it back."

I wasn't lying; I really did leave something behind.

Shuri became anxious.

"Let me help you look for it. What did you leave behind?"

"You," I answered her in my head.

Her jaw dropped and she seemed to freeze on the spot with flushed cheeks as she stared at my meaningful smile, as if she could understand my thoughts.

"By any chance, am I disturbing something?" I asked Jeffrey with a fake smile, my tone polite but clearly sending the message, "You're disturbing us. Scram."

Jeffrey became flustered as he quickly excused himself and exited the café.

Now with only the two of us left, Shuri appeared more nervous.

She glanced down, her cheeks still flushed, and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Her hands fidgeted slightly as she looked back up at me. "Mr. Kingston, about..."

"Noran," I interjected.

"What?" Shuri asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"I want you to call me Noran," I said with a smile, watching a mix of confusion and shyness flicker across her face as she processed my request.

"I...I don't think..." she stammered, ready to reject me.

"How about Ran?" I proposed mercilessly, still smiling.

Shuri's eyes widened further, and she seemed even more nervous.

Her lips moved as if she was trying to form words, but no sound came out.

She appeared stunned, caught off guard by my sudden change in attitude.

I was equally surprised by my own changes as well.

I came with the intention to cut ties with her but ended up doing the opposite.

I realized I couldn't control these strong emotions I had never felt before.

She was the first thing I ever wanted; she had become my obsession.

I wouldn't let her escape me.

Taking a step closer to her, I noticed her body tense up.

Shuri instinctively moved back, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and anxiety, until she hit the wall behind her.

There was no escape.

Suddenly remembering a move Roy often bragged about for impressing girls, I reached out and placed my hand against the wall beside her head, trapping her between the wall and me.

Shuri looked up at me, her eyes wide and her breathing shallow, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.

"Mr. King..." she managed to utter in a shaky voice.

"Ran, call me Ran, okay?" I said gently, my expression softening as I looked at her.

She seemed to be holding her breath, her eyes darting left and right, avoiding my gaze.

Then finally, thinking she had no way out, she took a deep breath and whispered shyly, "Ran."

"Yes, Rin?" I responded with a warm, reassuring smile, my eyes reflecting a mix of tenderness and satisfaction.

"Ri...Rin?" Shuri stammered, utterly surprised by the nickname I gave her.

I couldn't stop smiling, finding her even more adorable.

However, I decided to hold back on teasing her today because I didn't want her to feel overwhelmed by my advances.

As I backed away from her, I heard her let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll come back in another day to get what I left behind," I informed her with a meaningful smile.

I didn't know if she understood what I meant, but I noticed a spark of anticipation in her eyes as she watched me leave.

...

The following day in my practice room.

"Karlene accepted me..." Roy said with a sigh.

"Congratulations," I replied, lacking sincerity.

Roy looked unhappily at me as he continued, "I know you don't care about my problems. But listen to me. It's fine if she's just a fling, but I don't think I can start a serious relationship with Karlene. I think I'll stop going to the café."

I kept quiet, thinking he must be afraid of the consequences.

"We need to be logical, Noran. Getting serious with someone from an average background would only bring us trouble. Our families will not approve of our relationship and imagine the criticism she'd face by being with us," Roy continued, his tone filled with concern, as if he was trying to hint something to me.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked knowingly while brushing off Roy's concern. freewebnøvel.com

"Don't think I don't know you're serious about Miss Shuri."

"And what if I am?" I replied, unfazed by his observation.

"Fuck! You're not even trying to hide it anymore!" Roy exclaimed in frustration.

"Don't tell me you're going after Miss Shuri? Do you think the Kingston family would approve it?"

"I don't need their approval."

"Oh my god! Are you really the Noran Kingston I know who only does what he's told? What happened to you? You're acting like a completely different person now," Roy stated in disbelief and appeared to be wondering if a person could really change this much.

I was equally surprised by my drastic change in attitude, but it was a change that gave me immense pleasure, so I decided to welcome it.

Roy continued to persuade me, "OK, let's say you got together with Miss Shuri. Are you planning to hide her? Even if you did, do you think the Kingston family won't find out? Your family is worse than mine.

Don't forget they want you to get engaged to Sophia Carter. They'd stop at nothing to chase Miss Shuri out of New Valley. What would you do then, huh? Leave the Kingston family and the city with her?"

My lips curved into a smile instinctively at his last statement and I replied, "I think I should."

"Excuse me?" Roy blinked, trying to process my words.

I met his gaze steadily, the smile still lingering on my lips, quietly affirming to him that I'd go anywhere Shuri goes.