Chapter 42.1

Chapter 42.1

Andre was dressed casually today in a light blue shirt and dark navy pants, in contrast with the military uniforms most people wore coming and going from this place.

When he had taken out the robe for her, she had noticed a row of shirts in similar colors hanging in the closet. The bathroom sink also had toiletries like a toothbrush, aftershave, and a razor, all showing signs of use.

Considering that they had come straight up to the room without checking in, it seemed that Andre was staying at this hotel. Come to think of it, he had mentioned that he had come directly from the airport when they first met.

Perhaps he had only recently been assigned to Korea and his accommodation had not yet been arranged.

“Why are you staying in a hotel? You are a soldier, right?”

Andre swirled the red wine in his glass, carefully choosing his words. It was actually a relief that she had asked first, as he had been pondering how to bring up the topic.

“I was a soldier. Not anymore.”

“…Why? Why aren’t you now?”

“Because I’ve retired.”

Miran mulled over his response, then slightly furrowed her eyebrows and asked, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

“What happens when you retire? Can you still live here… I mean, inside the military base?

“No.”

Andre shook his head.

“I have to go back next Thursday.”

Miran froze. She gaped silently for a moment before swallowing hard. Her voice came out cracked.

“…Where to?”

“Home.”

Andre replied briefly.

“Where is that home?”

Miran, frustrated, raised her voice and stood up from her chair to face Andre. He, who had been leisurely leaning against the window frame, slowly straightened up.

“New York.”

Miran, looking bewildered, collapsed into the chair.

“New York…?”

Andre carefully took the half-tilted wine glass from between her fingers. She suddenly lifted her head.

“So… when you asked me out on a date, it was like The Last Supper?”

Her lips trembled as she looked up at him with a resentful gaze, her eyes sorrowfully distorted. Her eyes reddened quickly, and she blinked as if holding back tears. Then, with a sob, she covered her face with both hands.

‘Sh1it.’

Andre’s heart ached unpleasantly. Her large eyes made her tearful expression particularly pitiful. He had guessed that she would be upset about his departure since he knew she liked him, but he hadn’t anticipated such a reaction. Watching Miran cry made him feel like a piece of trash.

Andre sat beside Miran and wrapped his arm around her trembling shoulders, pulling her close. The act of comforting her felt much more natural than it had on the first day.

Her small shoulders that fit snugly in his arms, her silky hair—all of it felt familiar. The woman he had held every day for a week fit perfectly against him. His entire body greedily commanded him to hold her tightly.

However, Miran’s back, which usually softened immediately at his touch, was now stiff. Her palm came up to his chest, pushing him away slightly. This too was unexpected.

‘Is she pushing me away because I’m leaving?’

Andre’s heart skipped a beat, like a shoe tripping over a stone.

‘Should I just let her push me away? I don’t want to.’

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Soon, Miran’s shoulders slumped, and she grabbed the hem of his shirt and leaned into him.

As Miran softly sobbed, soaking his shirt with her warm tears, Andre hugged her tightly and sighed in relief, gently stroking her back. As their heartbeats began to synchronize, her sobbing gradually subsided.

When he gently lifted her chin, Miran looked up at him with her red, swollen eyes, blinking. Andre wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks with his lips.

The sight of this usually cheerful and lively woman, now with reddened eyes and a tear-streaked face, was strikingly beautiful, almost to the point of making his head spin. A strange, deep-seated longing stirred within him.

“Haa.”

With a sorrowful sigh, Andre planted small kisses on Miran’s wet eyes, cheeks, and lips. He then looked down at her with his deep, somber green eyes.

“It’s not like The Last Supper.”

Andre spoke firmly in a low voice.