“Miss Colby, is it alright for you to have a room on a different floor from the gentlemen? The annex also has a nice view, so I prepared it just in case.”
“Anywhere is fine, but I’m worried that if I stay in the annex, I’ll just create more work unnecessarily. A different floor is perfectly fine.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Alexander’s mother guided Skylar and Kalix to their rooms while asking simple questions. Hearing the word “mother,” he reflexively wondered if she resembled Alexander somewhat, but aside from eye color, there didn’t seem to be many similarities.
Then Alexander’s mother suddenly said something to Alexander that he couldn’t understand, but it was probably their native language. True to what Alexander had said about living in his mother’s home country when he was young, Alexander seemed to understand, listening quietly, then glanced at Skylar once and Kalix once before smiling.
“That lady is my lover. Not the gentleman beside her.”
He had naturally expected Alexander to mention having a girlfriend, but apparently that wasn’t the case either. Alexander’s mother seemed to have misunderstood Kalix and Skylar. Since Kalix hadn’t expected this either, he reflexively looked at Skylar, and Skylar seemed the same, as their eyes happened to meet. When Skylar smiled briefly, Alexander’s mother, having already erased the surprise that had appeared on her face, approached Skylar and hugged her tightly.
“Miss Colby, it’s so wonderful to meet you.”
Hearing Alexander’s words, Kalix wondered if his mother was strict about dating. Or if she would show disapproval. But seeing now, he could feel that she was truly welcoming Skylar. At that heartwarming scene, Kalix looked at Alexander. What help was this? As always, it was just Alexander helping Kalix.
He didn’t hide his exasperated expression, but Alexander approached Kalix with a mischievous laugh.
“But you can rest comfortably.”
Patting his shoulder once and speaking quietly so his mother and Skylar wouldn’t hear, his words weren’t wrong, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had come for nothing.
* * *
They all had dinner together and drank tea while sharing various stories. All of it was truly peaceful. He had known from before that Alexander was close with his family, but seeing if it was the same with his mother, the atmosphere looked comfortable at a glance.
Alexander’s mother was naturally curious about how Skylar and Alexander had met. Kalix, as he had already heard from Alexander, now heard in Skylar’s voice the story of how they had been friends and then developed into lovers.
Actually, while at the Academy, he had encountered Alexander and Skylar separately far more often than seeing them together. So seeing Alexander and Skylar together in daily life like this was almost the first time, and perhaps because they had started as friends, the atmosphere between them had quite a peaceful quality. If he hadn’t known they were lovers, he might have just thought they were friends.
Such conversations continued. It was definitely the kind of casual conversation Kalix had enjoyed throughout his life, yet it felt strange because it seemed like such a long time. Even after returning to their respective rooms, Kalix was caught up in such subtle emotions for a long while, sitting quietly in a chair looking out the window. Then suddenly there was a knock.
“What?”
Even though he hadn’t said to come in, the door opened immediately, and naturally it was Alexander who appeared. He had thought Alexander would be secretly visiting Skylar or sleeping.
“Jay will probably come around tomorrow.”
“What?”
At that sudden statement, when he reflexively asked back, Alexander waved the paper he was holding once. It seemed to be a letter.
“Jay is rather shy with other family members besides me, but Freddy got leave and seems to be at the territory now. He asked if he could come this way, so I told him to come if he wanted to. You shouldn’t have any uncomfortable situations, but I thought I should mention it anyway.”
Kalix knew that Jasper went home during winter break. Of course, strictly speaking, this place was also a kind of home to Jasper. Most people knew that Jasper was an illegitimate child, but illegitimate nonetheless. Alexander’s parents had never divorced to this day. So Jasper was also Alexander’s mother’s child.
Moreover, while there was prejudice, in reality, quite many families that decided to accept illegitimate children treated such children properly and got along well with them. Seeing that he was coming to his mother’s villa, perhaps Jasper was such a case.
But he felt a bit puzzled. As far as Kalix knew, Jasper didn’t get along particularly well with his family. He always felt alienated, and that was one of the reasons he was always intimidated. He had used that resulting affection deficit to touch him.
Yet from what Kalix had actually experienced, Alexander took quite good care of Jasper. Moreover, even if he was shy with other family members, if he was coming to his mother’s villa, their relationship didn’t seem particularly bad.
“Aren’t you worried about leaving me and your brother together?”
He had such thoughts additionally. Kalix had already told his story to Alexander, and Alexander believed it without doubt. That’s why he had made him change rooms. Knowing it was to separate Kalix from Jasper, did he think it was okay to put them together this time?
Of course, Kalix had absolutely no intention of doing anything with Jasper. Rather, he hoped that wouldn’t happen. Moreover, now, among the people he had touched when his body wasn’t his own, Jasper was the one who bothered him least. Because he was Alexander’s brother.
Perhaps because he had heard various things from Alexander, now when he saw Jasper, the memories from when his body was taken didn’t automatically overlay. Of course, it’s not like he didn’t think of it at all, but still, more often than not when he saw Jasper, he just thought without much concern that he was Alexander’s brother.
But that was Kalix’s situation, and Alexander had even changed rooms worried that Kalix might touch his brother.
“That wasn’t the case, but now that you say that, I’m getting worried.”
Since he didn’t want to interfere with Skylar and Alexander being together anyway, he was going to say he’d return to the Academy before Jasper came, but Alexander continued speaking first.
“But you wouldn’t do that.”
It was Alexander’s characteristic groundless certainty. But Kalix didn’t bother adding other words. Now, Kalix too, beyond just hoping it would be so, thought it might be possible. Moreover, especially with Jasper. Because he was Alexander’s brother.
“And anyway, there probably won’t be much occasion to run into each other. Jay will stay in the annex.”
It seemed Jasper would use the annex that was originally prepared for Skylar. Since the buildings were different, there would be fewer occasions to run into each other, but even so, they would eat together, so why was he saying there wouldn’t be occasions to meet?
“Is that okay?”
But before that question could continue, at the question directed at him, Kalix looked at Alexander for a moment. He had always known that Alexander was helping him, but only now did he realize how attentive the process was. Perhaps because of that, Kalix didn’t want to think he was causing Alexander any harm.
“That’s fine. And thank you for inviting me, but I’ll just stay about a week and then go.”
Of course, if he returned to the Academy, Marcel would be there, but he thought it would be okay now. Because Kalix didn’t want to do wrong things.
“Why?”
“You’d prefer being alone with Skylar too. It seems like your mother doesn’t oppose it anyway.”
When he said what he had been thinking, Alexander leaned against the doorframe and tilted his head slightly.
“But it’s more fun with more people.”
“Then why didn’t you ask Dylan?”
He knew Alexander had deliberately invited Kalix, but if Alexander’s words about more people being better were true, he could have invited other friends as well. But he hadn’t.
“He wouldn’t come even if I asked. Not just Dylan, everyone’s going home. It’s true that I didn’t ask the others separately, but it’s also true that everyone except you is going home. I didn’t ask because I already knew, so there was no need to ask.”
Alexander looked at Kalix quietly and smiled gently.
“So stay longer. Skylar won’t like you leaving either.”
“Really?”
While that might be true for Alexander, Skylar’s thoughts could be different. Naturally, wouldn’t she want to spend time just with her boyfriend? Of course, Skylar showed no signs of being uncomfortable with Kalix at all. But not being uncomfortable and just wanting to spend time as a couple were different things.
“I’ve been with her all along anyway. Since this is the last vacation we’re spending here, she said she likes having more people around too.”
“Why? You haven’t graduated yet.”
The phrase “last vacation” bothered him. Skylar was a fourth-year, one grade above Alexander. There was still one more year until graduation, so why was she saying last vacation?
“Skylar’s going back after this vacation ends, didn’t you know? Their school year starts differently there.”
At those words, Kalix reflexively asked back:
“How would I know that?”
He knew Skylar was from another country. Since her parents were diplomats, she’d moved around frequently from the beginning, and he’d heard that maybe her parents would return to their homeland completely this time. But that was about her parents. Even if Skylar was going back, he’d naturally assumed it would be after graduating from the Academy.
“Oh, didn’t I mention it? She’s going back after this vacation ends. She’s finished all the transfer procedures too.”
Alexander had never told Kalix about such things. Come to think of it, it would be strange for him to tell Kalix about such matters anyway.
“So don’t disappoint Skylar and stay longer. We won’t be able to see each other anymore after this.”
But then, what would happen to Alexander and Skylar? It wasn’t like there were no couples who had long-distance relationships. Kalix knew several students who had fiancés abroad. They all seemed to be getting along fairly well, so maybe Alexander and Skylar had decided to do the same.
Looking at Alexander and Skylar’s attitudes so far, they didn’t look at all like lovers facing separation. If they’d decided to break up, they wouldn’t have come to this villa in the first place. Besides, maybe thinking that things would become difficult just because the distance increased a bit was Kalix’s prejudice.
His head became a bit complicated, but Alexander, who had caused that confusion, smiled loosely and straightened up from where he’d been leaning.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
