# Side Story 7
The people sitting side by side in the photo looked incredibly happy. The couple, who appeared to be husband and wife, were looking at the child in their arms with bright smiles. The child with silver hair and blue eyes was probably herself.
“They were so happy. About your birth.”
“I see…”
Just looking at them made her heart warm, as if their happiness had been transferred to her. Instinctively, she could tell that her family had been good people. The same was true for Heyon, whom Kay had told her was her older brother. Though they didn’t look much alike, his gentle smile gave a hint of his character.
To think that such people had been her family. Looking at them made her imagine vaguely. What if they were still alive? Would she have been able to live endlessly happy days?
A daily life where she didn’t have to worry about when she might die, where she could laugh at trivial matters.
“…This is why I didn’t want to see it.”
Alice bit her lip tightly. She knew it would make her think unnecessary thoughts. That’s why she hadn’t wanted to see it. They were people who had died long ago. No matter how much she grieved or longed for them, the dead would not return. In the end, there was nothing she could change.
Alice clenched her fist until her nails dug into her palm. She tried to push away the feeling of her heart falling off a cliff.
Haylen quietly observed her. He felt nothing but sorry for Alice. He could have saved at least one person from her family. But instead, he had chosen to run away.
It was the same even after he found out that Alice was at Peace. If he had sincerely tried to save Alice then, she could have escaped long ago. But he had merely used Alice to survive, and as a result, Alice could only gain freedom after Raymon died.
Alice was the accumulation of all his karma. That’s why whenever he looked at her, his past inevitably came to mind.
His past self, who had been too busy hurting others without thinking about them.
Though it couldn’t be called atonement, he wanted to accommodate Alice as much as possible.
“I don’t want to keep their belongings.”
“Is that so.”
Alice subtly turned her head away from Haylen, who was quietly watching her. Today she realized something. That as things stood now, she couldn’t come back here anymore.
Even just thinking about it once trapped her in a futile dream, so how could she come back? She couldn’t return until she became more composed. The same went for the belongings. Having them would only complicate her thoughts.
As if reading Alice’s thoughts, Haylen accepted without saying much.
“I’ll come back someday.”
“They’d like that.”
They had genuinely rejoiced at Alice’s birth. If she came back again, they would undoubtedly be pleased. Alice stared blankly at Haylen, who was smiling softly. After hesitating, she opened her mouth. It was something she wanted to ask but couldn’t.
“…Do you want to become my family?”
“What about Alice?”
“I… don’t need it.”
Even if she had family now, she wouldn’t know what to do with them. Though she had imagined having a family, others couldn’t replace that. So it was better not to have one at all.
At Alice’s resolute words, Haylen brought up something he seemed to have prepared.
“I can’t become your family.”
He couldn’t. After all, he wouldn’t be able to give Alice the infinite affection that the family in the photo had.
“But could I become your guardian?”
But he didn’t want to just stand by and watch. He wanted to help Alice, if only for Heyon’s sake. It seemed to be an unexpected suggestion, as Alice stared at him blankly. Then she spoke lightly.
“Is it because you pity me?”
There was no emotion in her voice. It was just a dry tone, as if confirming a fact.
Seeing Alice waiting for his response, Haylen shook his head. He had never thought that way.
“No. It’s because Alice is family to someone precious to me.”
“…”
“I just want to protect you.”
Just as he had been happy thanks to them, he wanted to make Alice happy too, even if just a little. That’s all it was.
Alice was somewhat surprised by those words. She had thought she would be considered a burden. After all, she was just a burden who couldn’t offer any help to Haylen.
She had thought even pity would be appreciated. What kind of existence had her family been to Haylen for him to show such kindness? Alice slightly regretted refusing to become family due to the faint but clearly felt affection.
* * *
Tade checked the call coming in, excused himself to Ben, and hurriedly left the room. Ben tilted his head in confusion at this behavior, which was unlike Tade who would normally hang up immediately during work hours, and waited for him to return.
“Who was that call from?”
“Oh, it was from Kay.”
“Kay?”
After quitting the organization, Kay told Tade everything. Somehow, he had a strong feeling that Tade already knew, so Kay could speak without much hesitation.
And as he expected, Tade already knew. But even he hadn’t anticipated that Kay would tell him. He thought Kay would keep it a secret from him…
Kay hadn’t revealed that he was Kane, but just by confiding in him, Tade felt good that Kay trusted him.
“You knew?”
Ben hadn’t thought at all that Tade knew Kay’s identity. He knew? He hadn’t even mentioned anything about Kay for fear of being discovered. He stared blankly at Tade with his mouth wide open.
“You didn’t tell me?”
“No! I’ve never heard about it!”
Tade tilted his head at Ben’s excitement. Come to think of it, maybe he didn’t mention it. But now that he knew, it was fine, wasn’t it? Tade dismissed Ben’s reaction casually. He thought it would be shocking if Ben knew.
“Kay told me everything before.”
“…Then didn’t you feel betrayed?”
“Why would I?”
Ben was at a loss for words as Tade blinked, unable to understand why he should feel that way. In his case, he had suffered greatly from the sense of betrayal, so why was Tade so calm about it?
“Well, everyone has something they hide.”
“That’s not the issue here!”
Tade stopped talking at Ben’s outburst and stared intently at his face. Then, as if understanding, he smiled slyly.
“Seeing how you’re talking, it seems you felt quite betrayed.”
“…Of course. He was someone important to me…”
At those words, Tade thought for a moment, then nodded as if understanding Ben’s feelings.
“I guess so, since he was someone you liked.”
“What…?”
Tade’s casually thrown words hit Ben hard. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but Ben blinked for a long time, not understanding.
“W-what are you saying!”
Ben shouted, having a fit after belatedly realizing. Tade couldn’t help but be bewildered by his reaction.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
He thought Ben was slow, but he hadn’t expected him to be completely unaware.
“Ben-ssi, you liked Kay.”
“…Me?”
His head, already complicated, felt like it was being turned inside out as Tade kindly repeated himself. Tade, letting out a small sigh at Ben’s visibly confused appearance, started to point things out one by one.
“Didn’t you want to do everything for him?”
“That’s, well…”
“Like wanting to see him constantly, or smiling automatically when you see him.”
“That’s… well.”
Ben nodded blankly at Tade’s words.
“Then you liked him.”
“…”
Ben’s mouth, which had been about to retort, closed. Back then, he had thought it was just because Kay was important to him. But thinking about it again, it seemed like a somewhat different emotion.
It was enjoyable to be with Kay, and he kept thinking about him. He wanted to get closer to Kay, and seeing him automatically made him feel good.
He had never dreamed that this was what it meant to like someone. Ben’s face, having just realized that he had liked Kay, turned bright red as if about to burst.
“Uh, I mean! That’s… that’s not it…!”
Kay had a lover. To like such a person. Though it was already obvious, Ben denied it with all his might. It was a futile action for Tade, though.
“Well, it could be.”
“…But not anymore.”
Ben fidgeted with his hands and mumbled an excuse. Though he had realized it because of Tade, he definitely had liked Kay. But it was just a very faint feeling where Kay’s importance outweighed his own emotions.
Even that was now practically gone. After learning Kay’s identity, a distance had formed between them. In that state, he became the director and had no choice but to push thoughts of Kay aside in his busy daily life.
As a result, Kay had now become one of his important people, like Tade. Perhaps it was because Kay was the first person who became special to him that he momentarily developed feelings of affection.
“I know that too.”
“Don’t tell Kay.”
“Of course. Why would I go around telling such things?”
Tade waved his hand, telling him not to worry. Indeed, he wasn’t the type to go around talking about such things. Still, hearing the confirmation was reassuring. He sighed in relief and calmed his racing heart.
Now that his feelings of affection had disappeared, Ben just wished for Kay’s happiness. The sense of betrayal had certainly been great, but as time passed, it gradually began to subside.
Currently, he was relieved to hear that Kay was living well with his lover. Though he hadn’t shown it, he knew Kay had gone through difficult times.
That’s why he hoped Kay would live happily without any worries from now on.
That was the best he could wish for Kay, who had changed him.
