When I Was A Wallflower

At 6.00AM, Amelie left home with a basket on her arm. Her father, Steven, had been suffering from a cold and coughing, so she was worried that it would get worse if he left the house. As such, she deliberately got up earlier to help with the groceries.

Shopping online was more convenient now, plus her company had a section dedicated to electronic shopping. It had held live shopping events for agricultural products, and she could always ask her own company to send some over. However, Steven wasn't sold on the idea and felt that it would be better if he picked them out himself. She couldn't argue with him and was willing to give in, so their family maintained the habit of going to the market.

Waking up at 6.00AM wasn't easy for Amelie. When she pushed open the lobby gate, a figure suddenly appeared. She assumed it was another resident who had risen early, but upon taking a closer look, she froze.

"Leo?"

What is he doing here so early in the morning?

Leo turned to her with a confused look, seemingly surprised to see her there as well.

"Were you drinking?" She rarely saw him this confused and couldn't help asking the question warily.

"No." He threw away the cigarette between his fingers.

Right then, Amelie noticed the multiple cigarette butts littered on the ashtray above the rubbish bin and tilted her head in surprise. She recalled that he was obsessed with cleanliness and never touched a cigarette, so what was this about?

"I was taking a walk and didn't realize I had wandered here." He stepped toward her, his arm nearly touching hers. The coldness emanating from it made her shiver briefly. How long had he stood in the cold air?

"Did you walk from Clouson City to Halport, then?" She had seen him acting cheesy with her too many times and did not take him seriously, teasing him instead.

didn't answer, only forcing out a

sideways at Amelie, who was at chin height. He then

a step back when she saw that he was about

guarded against me, nor do you need to deliberately avoid me. I will never

that, he nodded his head at her and

leaving just

his words even more so. She was confused and could not react for some time, staring at where his figure had been while even

6.00AM, Amelie left home with a basket on her arm. Her father, Steven, had been suffering from a cold and coughing, so she was worried that it would get worse if he left the house. As such, she deliberately got up

willing to indulge her as well; her lessons were twice a week, but she had applied for an additional annual pass so that they could

many people skating about on the freezing ice. Since the surface had to remain frozen,

the ice excitedly, stumbling slightly before starting to skate. She looked around for someone with wide eyes as she did so, and Amelie knew whom she was looking for. Leo had practiced skating with them without fail all this while, so

wasn't there.

is busy with a lot of things and is probably late. He will be here soon.

he did not show up even after they had warmed up.

sudden absence made her anxious. She couldn't avoid replaying

start practicing." She didn't think too much about it.

did not appear even when Bria's practice had ended, and she walked out of the rink despondently with hunched shoulders. There was no sign of him for several days, but Amelie was too occupied with work to ponder over it.

once both sides signed them. The lawyer could help send the files to Halport but considering Julia didn't know about

documents to Julia's office in

in her white work outfit. She did not call for her assistant and poured out the coffee beans herself to brew freshly ground

Julia's makeup did not hide her