I WISH I HAD A HAPPY ENDING TOO

Chapter 2:

"Should I drive you home? You wanna go home?" he asked, his voice deep and laced with genuine sincerity.

I stopped sniffing and shook my head.

"Can I ask you a favor? Keep me distracted for tonight. I just want to forget my boyfriend for a while. I don't want to go home. I don't want to see his face or listen to his repetitive explanations," I pleaded.

A wide smile spread across his face, and he eagerly guided me toward his Lamborghini—a vehicle that practically screamed absolute luxury. My jaw dropped.

"Is this yours?" I asked in utter awe, limping slightly as I rushed forward to stroke the sleek hood of his car.

"Hey! Be careful," he chuckled, though I paid him no mind.

For a brief moment, I completely forgot that my life was currently falling apart and that my foot was throbbing in pain. Hearing him laugh behind me, I quickly composed myself and offered an awkward smile, suddenly realizing he was standing right there. He elegantly opened the door for me and gestured for me to get inside, which I did without hesitation.

‘This is my dream car!’ I thought to myself. I decided right then that I would get in, even if he didn’t explicitly invite me. He didn’t seem like a bad person, after all, I reasoned, there’s no way a criminal could look this good.

He drove me to his home. But it wasn't just a regular house, the sheer scale of the estate made it look like a sprawling mansion. Strangely enough, he didn't turn me away. I knew he was a complete stranger I had just crossed paths with tonight, yet here I was, willingly going with him. It was a bizarre feeling, as if my body instinctively knew I was entirely safe. I was usually incredibly guarded and sensitive around men, so it baffled me why I didn't feel even a shred of anxiety around him.

"Hot chocolate," he murmured, handing me a mug. A genuine, bright smile formed on my lips.

"Are you okay? Do you not want hot chocolate anymore?" he asked frantically when the smile on my lips suddenly faded, replaced by a blank expression.

I stared blankly at the mug in front of me. I felt the sudden urge to burst into tears all over again.

"Huh? No, it's not that. It's just... it feels like it’s been a long time since someone actually saw me."

Even Vin, after all these years, didn't know that I never drank coffee and always preferred hot chocolate.

"Wait, do you know me?" I asked, completely bewildered as I took a slow sip. He was sitting across from me at the dining table.

He averted his gaze, leaning back comfortably against his chair.

"It's me... Sutehan Kuro."

My lips parted in sheer shock. I nearly dropped the mug right then and there, barely managing to keep it from slipping through my fingers.

"Su-Sutehan? As in... my classmate back in college?"

He scratched the back of his ear and nodded, looking suddenly bashful.

"Y-Yeah, it's me. I used to be your safe place too, you know," he added, a hint of playful resentment in his voice.

"OH MY GOD!!! How have you been? It’s been so long since—" I trailed off, offering an awkward smile. I came dangerously close to bringing up the very reason everything went downhill between us back then, which ultimately led to us completely losing touch.

"I'm good, as you can see... What about you? How are you doing? Aside from being completely brokenhearted right now," he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him and crossed my arms defensively.

"Well, here I am... a fool in love. But you already know how it is, right? Having zero experience, I couldn't even tell if I was being played or if I was just inherently stupid."

I felt tears welling up again, but he suddenly burst into a loud fit of laughter, making me scowl deeply.

"You're actually really cute when you cry," he chuckled, causing my brows to furrow in annoyance. "Though, you're still as short-tempered as ever."

"You know what—"

"That I've gotten much handsomer? I know, right," he interrupted smoothly, his tone dripping with playful arrogance.

"You pest—"

"But I'm your Darling."

I squeezed my eyes shut and glared at him, trying to signal that I was not amused. But the i***t was completely oblivious to my irritation and embarrassment.

"I miss those big eyes of yours." His expression shifted into something deeply serious as he held my gaze.

There was absolutely no doubt about it. It was really him—the boy who had been my dear friend for the longest time.

"Where's your ring? Weren't you married? To Ashika?" I asked, my eyes dropping to his bare hand.

He followed my gaze, a quick smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, you haven't given me one yet... Don't tell me you're proposing to me right now?"

I nearly choked on my drink. I would have spat it right into his face if it didn't taste so incredibly good. In fairness, his hot chocolate recipe was divine. I figured this was probably the exact same treat he lovingly prepared for Ashika and their child.

"You know, you're really something else. I don't think any amount of medical treatment can fix whatever is going on inside your head. Gosh! Maybe I was destined to be the one delivering sinigang to you at the asylum, which is why God allowed our paths to cross again in this massive world."

"Correction, Ms. Beautiful Eyes. The Lord simply granted my wishes. I mean, I was the only one consistently making them, since you clearly forgot all about me," he said, his voice laced with a subtle pout.

I merely arched an eyebrow at him.

The nerve of this guy to play the victim. He was the dummy who wasn't careful enough back then, which was why—

"Hey, I've been talking to you for a while now! Don't you want to sleep yet?" A gentle flick to my forehead snapped me instantly back to reality.

Damn, was I seriously spacing out?

""Hey, that hurts! It's not like you needed to flick my forehead so hard!" I complained, rubbing the spot.

"Just so you know, this is actually the first time we've ever spoken this long, just the two of us!"

He simply smirked, standing right beside me with his hands on his hips. I hadn't even noticed him approaching.

"True, but you still owe me a lot of forehead flicks from the past."

Our playful bickering finally came to an end when he showed me to the room where I would be sleeping.

Strangely enough, the room's color palette was a striking combination of maroon and crimson. My absolute favorite colors! I was just about to ask him if Ashika also shared a love for red, but when I turned around, he was already gone. I had been too spaced out in amazement to notice him slip away.

Aside from the massive bedroom, the

walk-in closet was enormous. And guess what? Every single piece of clothing inside perfectly matched my size, and even the various pairs of shoes were my exact fit! I reasoned that his wife must simply share the exact same measurements as me.

After marveling at the room's interior design and taking a quick half-bath, I finally collapsed onto the bed. It felt incredibly wonderful to talk to him again—not over a screen, but in person. I genuinely liked his personality now. He was no longer the extreme introvert he used to be.

I was glad that the pain in my foot had quickly subsided, but I still couldn't erase the image of Vin and Furanshin's faces from my mind—the thought of them happily spending the entire night together while I sat there like a fool, waiting for nothing at that restaurant. I officially despise restaurant dates now. It only served as a brutal reminder of just how miserable and pathetic I was in love. Buried under the weight of my own thoughts, I eventually cried myself to sleep.