AM I PERFECT

chapter 17: "Something I'll Never Forget"

"Eat your food," he said as he stepped into the room.

"I won't eat until you tell me the truth," she replied,

turning sharply toward him.

"Remember what I told you, "He said calmly. "And by

the way, there's no poison in the food."

His words only fueled her anger.

She walked straight toward him, stopping inches away.

Grabbing his collar with one hand, she raised the index finger of

her other hand in warning and said, "Tell me the truth. What is

behind this mask? Who are you?"

He moved even closer, wrapping an arm around her

waist and pulling her toward himself.

Like a trapped fish, she struggled desperately, trying to

push herself away from him, but he stood there in complete

control, watching her with a cool, unreadable expression.

"And if I don't tell you?" he asked, lifting his eyebrow

slightly.

She raised one hand toward his mask.

I will find out who you really are, she thought fiercely.

She tried to pull the mask off with both hands, but

before she could succeed, he caught her wrist. Pressing her hand

firmly against his chest, he said in a calm yet commanding voice,

"Smart... but how dare you do this without my

permission?"

She struggled harder now, thrashing like a trapped fish,

trying desperately to break free from his grip, but he had already

taken complete control of her movements. His hold was strong,

unyielding.

"Let me go!" she screamed at him.

The moment those words left her lips, he released her.

After his strong grip, she completely lost control of her

body and fell back onto the bed. The moment she collapsed, he

moved toward her. Seeing him advance, her heartbeat

quickened, pounding violently in her chest. Her collarbones

tightened as fear crept through her veins.

She tried to push herself backward using her legs,

desperate to escape, but before she could do anything, he bent

down and placed both his hands on the bed, trapping her

between them. Then he looked at her.

The instant their eyes met, she froze. Her movements

stopped completely. Her throat went dry, and not a single word

escaped her lips.

Without saying anything, he grabbed both her legs and

pulled her toward himself. Now she was dangerously close. Her

heart raced uncontrollably, and her gaze remained locked on him

alone.

He hovered over her, leaned in until his face was

unbearably close to hers, and said softly,

"You'll find out tomorrow... just one more day."

She tried to speak, but the words refused to come. He

lifted his gaze and met her eyes, searching for them intently.

"Hmm? Do you want to say something... or nothing at

all?" he asked, his voice slow, almost hesitant.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed, the words breaking

between heavy breaths.

His hand rose toward her face. Her breath caught in her

throat.

What is happening to me? she wondered in panic. Why

can't I speak? Why can't I move?

Gently, tenderly, he brushed the stray strands of hair

away from her face.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

Then he straightened up and stepped back.

At his words, she felt as if a sudden shock had struck

her. Her eyes remained fixed on him, while her mind spun

helplessly.

No... this cannot be happening. It's not possible, she

told herself.

Slowly, as if trying to reassure her own reality, her gaze

dropped to herself still standing there, breathing, yet shaken to

her core.

The moment she looked at herself, a wave of

embarrassment rushed through her. She quickly sat up.

He stood in front of her holding a tray.

"Food," he said.

She looked at him and shook her head. "I'm not hungry.

I won't eat anything."

As soon as she said that he placed the tray in front of

her and sat down at her feet. Gently, he took both of her hands

in his.

Her heartbeat was still racing, and the instant he held

her hands, it grew even faster.

Her body began to tremble, and she lowered her gaze.

"Look, I'm really hungry, but if you don't eat, I won't

eat either," he said, making the cutest little face.

She glanced at him briefly and shook her head.

"Thanks."

Then he sat down beside her, holding the tray in his

hands.

Without seeing his eyes, she reached for the spoon and

took it, turning her body slightly toward him as she sat.

"I have a surprise for you," he said, looking at her.

"Yes? Will you tell me everything?" she asked, a bit

excited but cautious. Mm, not necessarily... maybe it's another

kind of surprise, she thought to herself.

"What kind of surprise?" she asked, her voice laced with

curiosity.

He smirked. "If I tell you, how will it remain a

surprise?"

She tilted her head, hope glimmering in her eyes. "Are

you going to show me your face... or tell me the whole truth?"

"Not just that... something you'll never forget," he said,

and the way he said it made her expression shift instantly,

curiosity tangled with confusion and anticipation.

What could it be that's even better than all of this? She

wondered, her mind a whirl of questions and expectations.

"Everything's fine," he said.

"Hmm... okay," she said, surprised, taking a bite of the

noodles.

"Hmm... this is tasty! Did you make this?" she asked,

her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, I made it specially for you," he replied.

"No way, you're joking... right? I mean, this is

delicious!" she said, savoring the taste.

"I'm a good cook," he said confidently, bringing the

spoon close to her lips.

"Everything's fine," he said.

"Hmm... okay," she said, surprised, taking a bite of the

noodles.

"Hmm... this is tasty! Did you make this?" she asked,

her eyes lighting up.

"Really, I made it specially for you," he replied.

"No way, you're joking... right? I mean, this is

delicious!" she said, savoring the taste.

"I'm a good cook," he said confidently, bringing the

spoon close to her lips.

He brought his spoon close to her lips, signaling for her

to eat. She ignored his gesture and, using her own spoon,

brought noodles to her mouth, but she didn't move from her

spot. His spoon still hovered near her lips.

"What's his problem? Why's he pretending like this?"

She thought, finally speaking up.

"You're not hungry now, are you?" she asked, placing

her hand over his on the spoon, trying to guide it toward herself.

"What would happen if you ate from my hand?" he said.

"I don't want to eat," she replied, but he pressed a little

harder with his hand, nudging the spoon closer to her.

"You're really rude," she said.

"Just accept it that way," he said coolly.

"I love it when you insist," he said, his tone filled with

warmth and affection.

She noticed the red cloth in his hand and asked, "Why

do you have this red cloth?"

He held it up, pointing toward the fabric, and said

softly, "Hmm..." She nodded.

"It's for you," he said.

"For me? What do you mean? Wait... don't tell me this

is"

"Will you tie this cloth over my eyes?" she asked, her

gaze questioning yet hesitant.

He looked at her with a hint of a smile. "Hmm... right.

You're very smart," he said.

"Look, I won't just tie this rope," he added.

She stared at him, her suspicion rising. "You don't trust

me," she said.

He shook his head. "You're not one of my own. How

could I blindly trust you?"

He took a deep breath. "Fine," he said and stepped

forward.

As he moved ahead, something stirred within her.

Without realizing why, she reached from behind and grabbed his

hand.

He paused. "Hmm... alright," he murmured.

She turned fully toward him, and her hand lifted the red

cloth he held. Gently, almost reverently, she draped it over his

eyes. Silence fell between them, thick and heavy.

Darkness had always frightened her, but now, even with

the world hidden from view, fear gripped her eyes. She shivered.

"Why isn't he saying anything? Is he here? He wouldn't play

games with me... would he?" she thought, panic rising.

"Are you really here?" she whispered, her voice

trembling.

He stood still, letting her words hang in the air.

"Hmm... I'm here. Don't cheat," he replied softly, placing both

his hands on her shoulders, steadying her in the darkness.

She jerked her shoulder and said, "Hmm... fine. Now,

hurry and show me the surprise."

He took her hand. The moment his fingers wrapped

around her, a strange sensation ran through her body. Then his

hand slid to her waist, and as soon as he touched her, her

heartbeat quickened. Before she could react, he lifted her into his

arms.

"What are you doing? Put me down!" she protested.

He smiled faintly and began walking forward. Her

restlessness grew with every step. Where is he taking me? She

wondered.

"Listen, put me down!" she snapped irritably.

"You'll see the surprise when I want to show it," he

replied calmly. "For now, you'll have to do exactly as I say."

"Ugh, you're so frustrating," she muttered.

He ignored her complaint and kept walking.

"Ah, what's the problem now?" she grumbled under her

breath.

Suddenly, he stopped. Have we reached the destination? she

thought, excitement bubbling inside her. Unable to control

herself, she raised her hands to remove the cloth covering her

eyes.

Just as she tried to pull it away, he placed his hand

firmly over her eyes. "Not yet," he said.

At his words, she lowered her hands.

Then she heard a sound, something like a code being

dialed. This sounds like the noise you hear when a password is

being entered, she thought. Her heartbeat raced even faster, as if

it had slipped beyond her control.

Her breathing grew deep and uneven.

And then suddenly, a loud sound crashed against her

ears. The sound was neither sharp enough to pierce her ears nor

soft enough to be pleasant. Instead, it came from very close to

her ears. For reasons she couldn't understand, it intensified her

restlessness.

He began moving forward again. She felt that her hair,

which had been perfectly set before, was now being tossed

around, scattering across her face. Then she felt gentle gusts of

fresh, fragrant air so beautiful, so intoxicating that her senses had

never experienced anything like it before.

As the breeze brushed against her cheeks, it felt as

though someone was confessing their love to her. There were

such depth, simplicity, and sweetness in that air that it compelled

her, once again, to lift her hands toward the cloth covering her

eyes.

He stopped. Perhaps we've reached the destination, she

thought, her heart pounding and her thoughts tangled in

confusion.

This time, when she raised her hand toward the red

cloth tied over her eyes, he said nothing. And the moment she

removed it and looked around her

The sight before her stole her breath away.

She lost all sense of herself.