12. Choices They Have Made
1021 Words
Enya's Point of View
The bar was loud with laughter and chatter. Everyone was genuinely happy and excited. I think it was just me pretending, because the only other person who wasn't excited and happy was Raphael. But he took no effort to pretend to be satisfied like me.
Rose was already giggling with some of the guys. Sandy, half-drunk, had become even more cheerful, her energy infecting the table. And Noah… Noah was making everyone forget he was our professor, blending in so seamlessly with a group of students that it was frightening to me.
I forced myself to smile, joining the conversations and showing everyone that I was happy and engaged.
When I was reborn, I promised myself that in this life, I would keep myself happy. Yet here I was, unable to be truly happy even at the first outing of my college life....
I sighed inwardly.
How had everything gone so wrong for me in this life, too? Hadn't I suffered enough in my past life?
However, I didn't want to make things any more awkward than they already were. So I didn't touch a drop of alcohol. The mistake I made getting drunk in my last life was more than enough for all the lifetimes.
And yet, the atmosphere suffocated me. Noah was utterly cheerful and easy-going. Raphael, on the other side, was cold, quiet, and visibly unhappy. Though neither of them did anything to trouble me directly, their contrasting presences were enough to make me feel like I was being crushed between them.
"I'm going to the washroom…" I whispered to Rose, pulling at her hand.
"I'll come with you." Rose was already about to get up.
I quickly waved her down. "No… No… It's fine. You continue the 'chat'!" I winked at her.
"I'll be back in a minute."
I needed to be alone, away from everyone.
But I didn't actually go to the restroom. Instead, I walked out into the cool night air. I leaned against the cold brick wall, shutting my eyes tightly and filling my lungs with fresh air.
I inhaled deeply, trying to push all the negative thoughts from my mind. The crisp breeze calmed me, and I stayed there for a few minutes, reminding myself that this life was different, that I didn't have to hang onto the roots of my past and make myself suffer. I am not that weak, pathetic self anymore.. I will never let myself reach such a low level again.
When I finally walked back toward the entrance with a faint smile on my face, my head filled with positive energy, I came to a sudden halt.
Raphael and Noah.
They stood in a dark corner, their tall figures half in shadow. Their tones were low, but tense. From their gestures, I could easily tell that they were arguing.
My breath caught. Did I spend all that time calming myself just to walk into this?
I should have walked away as if I hadn't seen them. I should have got back to my cheerful friends who were chatting without a worry in their hearts. That would've been the best way to keep my peace of mind.
But curiosity got the better of me.
I edged closer, careful not to let them hear me.
Noah's voice came first, calm but firm.
"You overreacted. You made everyone upset."
Raphael's reply was instant, sharp, and without holding back.
"It was you who tried to intervene in a student's game and ruined everything."
Noah let out a low chuckle. "How did I try to intervene?"
"Was it me who gave that dare to her?"
Her? My heart thudded. They were talking about me.
Raphael stepped forward, reducing the gap between them. "If you didn't want to intervene, why did you happily agree to let her kiss you? Is that something a professor with even a tiny bit of sense would say?"
Noah didn't answer; he simply chuckled faintly again. As if the question Raphael asked was too stupid to even answer.
"Why did you come here knowing we were coming here too?" Raphael pressed on.
"Last time I checked, this bar is a public place. Anyone can come," Noah chuckled and replied.
His light chuckle seemed to provoke Raphael more than his words. Even in the darkness, I could see Raphael's hands clench.
"Why didn't you transfer to Queen's?" Raphael asked suddenly. "You were even offered a higher salary. Why did you refuse?"
My breath hitched. Transfer? So, Noah was at Western, even in my past life, before he moved to Queen's? I had no idea about that.
Noah paused, then replied slowly.
"What if I ask you why you suddenly transferred to Western? You had a bright future at Queen's. Didn't they even promise to waive your tuition fees completely?"
I felt as though my whole body had frozen.
So, what I suspected all this time was actually right? Neither of them was supposed to be here in this life, just like my past life. But somehow… for whatever reason… one of them chose to stay here, abandoning a higher salary and greater reputation. And one of them decided to transfer here, abandoning a comfortable college life without even having to pay tuition fees.
Why? What is the reason they changed their minds like this?
Does it have something to do with me?
But how could that even make sense? I was the one who had been reborn, not them. I was the one who chose Western to stay far away from them.
Then why do their choices perfectly overlap with mine?
I was stunned and scared beyond words. I just needed to leave, not go back inside, but to go home. To my room. To my bed.
I took a step back, but my luck was bad. I stepped on an empty plastic bottle.
Crunch.
The sound echoed, drawing the attention of the two men who had been arguing a few feet away.
Their eyes found mine in the dim light, Raphael's sharp, filled with anger, Noah's calm and unreadable.
And I stood there, totally immobilised.
- Writer
