Henry was led upstairs by Veronica.
Without caring about Veronica’s worried gaze, he went straight into his room.
Thud, he closed the door and threw himself onto the bed.
He didn’t know why, but he knew Declan was watching him. But this wasn’t something to talk to him about.
Henry chose silence rather than giving a headache-inducing excuse.
And so, the next day, and the day after that, Henry couldn’t go down to the first floor.
He didn’t repent. No, he didn’t know what he should repent for. So he didn’t go down.
Henry didn’t want to criticize Samuel with words he didn’t mean, and Margaret and Richard didn’t bother to seek out their young son.
Margaret only put in enough effort to prepare meals for him at appropriate times.
Though it wasn’t her intention, the environment of being locked alone in his room was enough to kill his appetite.
Henry repeatedly picked at the food given to him each time before leaving it as is.
The fortunate thing was that the day after Samuel’s visit, Declan Russell had moved to Samuel’s room to live.
The feeling of Samuel being erased from the house wasn’t very pleasant, but he didn’t object.
Even this time of being stuck alone in his room was difficult—and Declan Russell being nearby?
He could guarantee he would have suffocated to death from the awkwardness.
Henry shuddered at the thought, finding it horrifying just to imagine.
It was a day when such days had been repeating for several days.
Lying in bed all day, he had reached a point where sleep wouldn’t come anymore.
Henry was blankly looking at a message from Samuel.
He had sent Henry a message a few hours ago. Looking at the content, it seemed Veronica had told him that “Henry talked back to Margaret.”
[Henry, both Jay and I went there prepared from the start. You don’t have to be hurt and angry on our behalf—we’re okay. You’re still young and need your parents. I hope you’ll reconcile with them, okay? Jay is also very worried.]
Of course, Henry didn’t listen.
Samuel was just the trigger, not the cause.
Until the dim red sunlight illuminating the room was withdrawn and darkness descended. Henry lay on the bed, sinking into a world of his own.
He felt like he had become one of the specks of dust floating in the room, and he actually wanted to become just that.
What pulled Henry out was the sound of someone knocking on the door very quietly and carefully.
Henry naturally assumed it was Veronica. Turning over, he closed his eyes.
Sorry, but he wasn’t really in the mood to talk with her right now.
However.
“I’m coming in.”
Instead of a high but gentle voice, a low and indifferent voice was heard.
Henry’s eyes flew open.
The carefully turned doorknob made no noise, but Henry’s eyes, accustomed to the darkness, could easily recognize that someone had entered his room.
“…What?”
Henry quickly sat up in bed.
Henry’s voice, which hadn’t spoken a word for days, came out roughly scratched.
Declan was only careful until he closed the door. With just the two of them left in the narrow space, Declan strode toward Henry’s bed.
“What, what is it? Say something!”
When Henry, unable to hide his bewilderment, twisted his body to avoid him, Declan had already reached out his hand and was pulling back the curtains by the window beyond the bed.
In the dark night sky, faintly embedded stars illuminated the dark room, however weakly.
“Let’s go out.”
Pointing at the sky, Declan said.
The man was far too calm. Just listening to his voice, it was extremely casual, but the words that came out of his mouth were not casual at all.
Henry’s eyes narrowed. What the hell is this bastard saying right now?
“If we get caught going out through the living room, you’ll get an earful too.”
“Not the door.”
Then how?
With that question, Henry looked up at Declan, and he gestured with his head to indicate what would become the exit.
“…Here? You’re saying we should go out through the window?”
Henry’s face was colored with shock.
It took only a brief moment to understand his action, ask back, and be surprised.
In that short time, Declan had already opened the window and finished preparing to jump out.
Cold night air seeped into the room. The lethargy that had filled the room where he’d been trapped for days was gradually washed away by the frigid air.
His head cleared. The more it did, the more Henry realized that Declan Russell in front of him was crazy.
“Are you insane?”
“No.”
He asked again, but an unconcerned answer came back.
“What if we get caught?”
“We just won’t get caught.”
Dumbfounded, Henry looked at Declan. In his eyes, he could somehow even feel firm determination.
Declan Russell was seriously thinking about going out through the window right now.
While thinking it was absurd, Henry unconsciously glanced down outside.
Step on the roof, grab the pipes, hang, then jump down and land.
…It actually seemed possible. Like he said.
The shameless words “we just won’t get caught” somehow sounded like gospel truth. Even though he knew with his head that it was utter madness.
“If you don’t want to, stay here. I’m going.”
He said that and put his weight on the windowsill. And then, with eyes asking if he really wasn’t coming, he was urging Henry on.
Henry gulped. He cursed him plenty in his mind, but his proposal was quite thrilling and appealing.
If he did as Declan said, he could escape this room, even if just for a moment.
“…Just a minute.”
Henry, who had stopped Declan so he wouldn’t leave alone, quickly grabbed a jacket from the hanger and put it on.
“Wear the scarf too.”
A blunt voice added. He was telling him to wear the scarf he’d left behind too.
“…It’s been ages since my cold got better.”
Henry grumbled but followed his words and wore the scarf.
It absolutely wasn’t because he said so. If he went out at this hour without a scarf and caught a cold, Margaret might find out, so that’s why he was doing it.
“Follow exactly where I step when you come down.”
He told Henry, who had finished preparing and approached. Henry stuck his head out and looked where Declan’s feet were heading.
His sneakers stepped on the bare ground moistened with morning dew. Henry hesitated very slightly, but eventually stepped outside the window too. It was a precarious step tinged with hesitation.
Just getting out of the house, yet it felt like once he safely stepped on the ground, a different world would unfold.
***
Henry walked aimlessly following Declan. Late at night when everyone was asleep, passing through the affluent neighborhood lined with detached houses, they arrived at the edge of Houston.
Below the hillside, a small river flowed calmly. The trees densely planted along the riverbank swayed with the wind.
Henry was sitting on the grassy hillside following Declan.
Was it because they were far from the city center, on the outskirts? Unlike the sky he’d seen from home, all the stars poured down, each showing off their own presence.
In the excessive peacefulness, Henry thought everything unfolding before his eyes was like a dream.
The night air was cold just enough to feel good. The sound of a saxophone from a jazz bar could be heard faintly from somewhere.
The sound of music pushed by the wind felt like the boundary between reality and fantasy.
“Drink.”
At some point, Declan, who had disappeared leaving Henry behind, suddenly appeared and held out a paper cup. When he reluctantly took the cup, warm heat melted his cold hands.
Opening the lid, he found hot chocolate inside. He couldn’t help but wonder where he’d gotten this at this hour.
“…Thanks.”
At Henry’s thanks, he nodded slightly and sat down next to him.
Slurp, he drank the steaming hot chocolate. Even after swallowing, the sweetness of chocolate lingered in his mouth.
It was a taste that improved his endlessly sunken mood, even if just a little.
Henry stole a glance at Declan. At some point, he had laid his back against the grass and was lying down.
“How did you know about this place? I’ve lived here my whole life and this is the first time I knew a place like this existed.”
“Just happened upon it.”
“…Do you come often?”
“No, this is my first time too.”
The conversation seemed to continue but didn’t.
Normally, he would have been irritated by the conversation that kept breaking off. Because he couldn’t stand the awkwardness that followed when words were cut off.
But tonight was different.
Rather than being annoyed, he was curious.
“Do you talk like this when you’re having conversations with other kids besides me?”
At Henry’s words, Declan raised his head. Their eyes met.
“Probably.”
“…Speak in longer sentences. It’s hard to understand.”
He had never given a satisfying answer.
Either staying silent or answering with a rough guess. He always chose one of the two.
In the end, Henry had grumbled at him.
Though he did say it, he hadn’t expected the other person to actually listen.
Speaking habits weren’t easily fixed, and there was no reason for Declan Russell to change his way of speaking for him.
“Okay.”
Declan’s ready agreement was something that overturned Henry’s thoughts.
Surprise flashed in Henry’s eyes for a moment.
He looked into Henry’s eyes and spoke.
Though they were eyes that always only held boredom, tonight his pupils held Henry and the stars pouring from the sky.
The man’s eyes holding nature within them made him feel like he’d be sucked in just by looking.
The eye contact that continued with neither of them turning their heads away once again made Henry impulsive.
“Even from your perspective…”
It was a quiet night. A slightly stronger wind than before blew once, and ripples gently rose on the river water.
All this situation surrounding him felt magical and surreal. It felt like a mere fantasy that would end if he closed and opened his eyes.
The picture-like scenery gifted Henry with strange courage.
“I’m strange, aren’t I?”
It was a question he had wanted to ask someone someday.
Henry had once again laid out his most tender part to none other than Declan Russell.
