After that conversation, I couldn't sleep that night.
Sil was such an important person to me that the decision weighed in my mind endlessly.
I went out of my balcony, and the city noise flooded my ears. Despite being already two in the morning, there were still people walking back and forth in my street. Most of them were with a partner.
Whether just for the night or not, they were with someone. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and I felt anguished that the only person I have in my life could potentially leave me. Although not due to death, we will become strangers. That thought did not sit well with me. How can I treat Sil as a stranger?
I don't know what got me, but then I called Sil that night. I knew that it was entirely out of impulse, but I called him.
"Hello? Kyrie?" asks Sil on the phone with a sleepy voice.
My voice couldn't come out.
"Kyrie? Answer me? Are you alright?"
Sil's voice made me sob.
Sil, awaked and worried, says, "Kyrie? Where are you? Are you okay?"
I did not respond to anything because I felt tongue-tied. I felt stupid for calling, but also touched that he was that worried. I ended up hanging the call.
However, moments later, I heard heavy bangs on my door. I opened my door to see Sil in his pajamas breathing frantically.
"Is everything all right? Kyrie? What is going on?"
Tears just came out of my eyes, uncontrollably.
"Kyrie, don't cry. I am sorry. I am sorry that I said this and put you into this. Please don't cry. Please..."
Sil repeatedly asked for forgiveness while he held me and soothed me.
After an hour, I stopped crying and hang in his embrace. I hiccuped, and my lungs felt overburdened, like my lungs were getting muscle cramps.
"I will try," I said in a low voice.
"What?" Sil asked like he has heard something wrong.
"I will try... But if it does not work..."
Before I finished, Sil was thrilled and said, "I will try to make you fall for me. Just you wait!"
Sil hugged me tighter and giggled a couple of times like an idiot.
After that night, our relationship grew and bloomed into something more profound. The intimacy was somewhat foreign for me at first, but then I slowly got used to it.
After Sil's ceaselessly showering me with love and care, I finally accepted him as a partner because my heart moved for him.
We even decided to move together after one year of dating. I liked the mundane daily life that I had with him. We would cook together, go on trips together, and try out new things together. Our conversations were open, and we could feel the sincerity of each other's hearts. At that point, I think I was more in love than Sil because Sil became my world.
One night, after Sil came back from his overtime, he asked if I would like to go to his company's new year's eve dinner. Sil, with his head on my lap, looked at me apologetically because he has promised to go to the temple with me during new year's eve to get some fragrance pouches for good luck.
"I would hate to let you stay alone in the house," says Sil.
I smiled and agreed to go to the company dinner. Although I will go with him as a friend because people have yet to accept others in a non-conventional relationship, I was happy that he made that suggestion.
The date for dinner finally came, and I struggled to tied my tie because I was still a student and has yet to graduate to work a white-collar job. Sil helps me tie it and looks at me with a satisfied smile. I was also surprised at my own reflection. It seems that it is true that a suit makes the man. Sil kisses my cheek and pats my back to signal that we were ready to go.
Entering the hotel was a new experience. The level of luxury was something I have never seen before. We entered the hall, where everyone was conversing in their formal attire. Soon, Sil was also busying himself with some colleagues that came to him to present him to other division managers.
"I will be back soon," says Sil and leaves with his colleagues.
After Sil left, a woman approached me.
"You are a new face," says a woman with a sexy body-tight dress.
I felt uncomfortable because I am a rather introverted person, but since the woman could be Sil's colleague, I endured and followed the small talk.
"My name is Kyrie, and a friend invited me."
"You are Sil's friend?"
"Yeah! You are..."
"Oh, sorry. My name is Melinda. I am Sil's assistant manager," she said while marveled at what I said, "Wow, our lone wolf manager actually has a friend? That is new!"
"No way... We are talking about Sil, right?" I asked for confirmation.
"Yeah, I mean... Sil is the kind that is polite and would care for the unfortunate. However, because he does things so politely, it is hard to really get to know him well."
"I see... I did not know that" I was a bit disappointed that I did not know that side of Sil.
"You might see him differently since you are his friend, right?"
"Yeah, I guess that is true."
A group of ladies waved at Melinda, and she says, "Sorry, I have to go now. Nice to meet you, Kyrie."
"As well, Melinda."
I breathed out of relief and walked towards the washroom. On my way, I suddenly got stopped by someone behind me and dragged into a room. I was shaking because I could not shake off his hold. Once inside, I got to see his face after he turned around. I felt the adrenaline pumping in my veins. I was ready to tackle him and run for my life. That is until he called my name.
"You must be Kyrie, right? Lin's kid, right?" says the man.
"You are?" I said with no recollection of ever meeting such a man.
"I am your father's close friend. My name is Logan. Logan Savoy. I used to play with you when you were young, and you used to call me Uncle Savoy. You... You seem to be fine."
The last sentence felt that Savoy was bizarrely surprised that I was okay.
"You should not tell anyone about the documents, Kyrie. Since you have a good life, you should just forget what your father did back then."
"Wait, Mr. Savoy. What do you mean by that? Documents? Do I actually know about the documents?"
"Wait a minute... You... You don't remember?"
"Well, I did lose my memory."
"Ah! Well, that is even better! I mean... You know what, just forget about our conversation. This will never end well if you dig too deep, Kyrie. Well... It's good that you are doing okay. That care, kid."
Savoy looked at the time on his watch. He looked at me with a sincere smile and tousled my hair before he left the room. Looking at his figure rapidly walking away, I was speechless that he left me hanging with more questions than answers. After being so stunned by the conversation, I left the room standing on the same spot like a stone statue.
When I closed the door of the room, Sil rushed to me and said, "Where were you? I was so worried."
He looks at the room and asks, "What were you doing here?"
I lied, "Oh! I just got lost."
He looked at me puzzled but then guided me back to the hall. For the rest of the night, the mysteries of my dad's death plagued me more and more. However, I tried not to show it since Sil was having a blast at the party.