Henry moved away from the main gate and took a few steps away. I waved farewell and gave him a friendly grin. 

When I saw my friend vanish, I snorted. I knelt, thinking about what he’d just said. 

“Do I need a love life?” I repeated what Henry told me earlier while I continued taking a few steps back to the apartment with my eyes on the phone to see if any texts had arrived. 

No one texted or contacted me, including Mark, who has been keeping a close eye on me lately.

Then, I accidentally ran into someone. 

A huge crash resonated across the apartment complex as I collided with a man, who brought the guitar on his back down with me.

We fixed our gazes on one other while we remained so quiet that we could hear the breeze and the bending trees. I locked my gaze on him. 

He looked familiar with a grimace on his face. 

Because of his size, I didn’t know our lips had touched until it was too late. 

That’s what kissing a man’s lips feels like. 

The initial taste of his cool minty lips is nearly addictive, and I want more. I couldn’t help myself. Almost.

My body couldn’t respond to my desire to shove him away. My arms were intertwined with his. This strange sensation rushed through me, severely weakening me. Before this guy jumped on top of me, I’d never felt so vulnerable.

As a signal to stand up, I pushed him harder. He gave it his all. However, his guitar case appears to be too heavy for him to stand up.

The old landlady, who was frequently seen in the gardens, was the wife of the real owner of the house who passed away due to natural causes a few years ago.

Years already passed but her sorrowful mood has remained intact and unscathed, regardless of the endless possibilities this world has for people like me. 

At that moment, I heard her making a chuckling sound and her loud strides. 

“Today’s kids are useless,” she said in a pessimistic tone, which is complete nonsense.

The landlady kept walking until her voice was no longer audible. Even though she was only a few meters away from us, I could still understand everything she was saying due to her loud voice. 

“Oh, it’s too chilly to do that out here. You should do something romantic inside the room.” She muttered and shut the door to her flat.

The man whose face was still dark from the night rose, grabbed his belongings, and walked away without saying anything. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I started bringing his attention to him. “Hey, you wouldn’t even say sorry?” I screamed to no avail. He just kept walking quickly until he disappeared.

As I closed my eyes, I had the sudden urge to slap myself, which I did. Ignore it. I mean, it was only a kiss, right? That is something that everyone does. 

“It’s nothing,” I explained. Right? Then I sighed and pressed my chest. By the way, who is that jerk?