After riding the Carousel Tower, Misha couldn’t keep denying the truth; Gabriel was genuinely afraid of heights. His body reacted too violently, and his mouth had been quite talkative. 

That being said, Misha couldn’t exactly drag Gabriel to another roller coaster. Only a brainless fool would dare ask the teenager to ride a second one, especially after watching him empty his stomach—Misha had decided to act spoiled, not heartless! He had to show some concern for his well-being, even though he couldn’t care less if Gabriel puked his guts out. Thus, he didn’t mention riding another roller coaster and instead proposed to sit somewhere and relax.

Well, that was one reason. The main reason, which he wouldn’t admit, was that Misha was also not feeling too good. His head was spinning so much that he saw double at times. As long as his brain was still in the process of adapting itself to his older mind, his body would be stupidly weak. Misha had noticed that merely moving around or thinking about complicated matters was enough to wear him out; let’s not talk about riding a roller coaster. 

It’d take some time before the drawbacks wore off. Misha was aware of that, and he could only hope that it wouldn’t take years.

Shortly after Gabriel recovered, they went back to the dining area and sat at a picnic table near the river. The white parasol protected them from the sun while the fresh air coming from the river swept along their skins, cooling down their bodies.

For a while, they said nothing, simply staring at the colorful ripples on the water. It was somehow hypnotic, and the teenager and the child slowly lost track of time.

Seconds, then minutes passed until Misha finally broke the silence, asking, “Do you like my sister?”

Gabriel didn’t answer immediately, taken aback by the sudden question, but he also didn’t take long before smiling, “Yes, of course.”

Misha slowly turned his head and looked into the teenager’s eyes. The boy’s bright blue eyes held a deep feeling of sorrow, and seething anger seemed to storm silently in their depths, yet they also reflected a fearsome serenity.

When these eyes landed on him, a chill ran down Gabriel’s spine. He instinctively straightened his back, wariness seeping into his bones. 

“Do you love her?”

Gabriel couldn’t help but frown slightly. He had that strange feeling that the child’s choice of words wasn’t without meaning. But why? He couldn’t figure it out. So he glanced at Misha, hoping to find a clue in his expression.

The wind was blowing the boy’s hair in all directions, making the strands of strawberry blonde hair dance before his face. And yet, they couldn’t conceal his icy eyes. That cold and distant expression had nothing to do with the smiling face Misha had worn since the beginning of the day.

For a short moment, Gabriel pondered over the sudden change in the child’s demeanor. But it was to no avail. 

“Yes, I love her,” he ultimately said. 

Misha responded by uttering a small ‘hmm’ before shifting his head, gazing out over the peaceful river. His thoughts drifted back to the day he erupted in Gabriel’s office on January first. Even though it was the first day of the year, the young adult that Gabriel was at the time had shut himself inside his office at school, preparing his class curriculum for the next semester. Since it was his first year as a teacher, he had many things to do to keep his job after his contract expired in June. He had to leave a pretty good impression on the director, and thus the young teacher worked nonstop.

Back then, when Misha smashed his door open and asked what the hell was going on with his sister, Gabriel had answered truthfully, breaking apart Misha’s little world.

“I’ve never once seen your sister as my lover.”

The harsh words had deeply engraved themselves upon Misha’s heart. He could never forget them, even if he wanted to.

Remembering the past made Misha clench his fists and pinch his lips.

Just now, the teenager had lied to him with a straight face. The worst lie of all; the one that had made his sister hope for sweet love, only to put her through hell.

Misha closed his eyes, calming the raging storm inside his heart. He silenced his anger and looked back at the teenager, a sweet smile on his lips—but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Let’s walk around a bit.”

“All right,” Gabriel nodded, his eyes as gentle as ever. 

***

The group left the amusement park quite early since they had to take the train, and the ride took a few hours. The teenagers had school on Monday, and therefore, they had to go back home as early as possible.

They usually didn’t go as far as Montreal when they went out, but Masha wished to visit the town and ride the roller coasters of La Ronde. Of course, there were amusement parks in Ontario and many other activities. However, the teenage girl had already visited the said amusement parks many times. They weren’t as exciting as they once were in her eyes, and Montreal wasn’t that far by train. She wanted to try new things.

This trip was her parents’ birthday gift, although the present came with conditions. They made her promise to go to her classes on Monday, even if she was dead tired. Camille and Gabriel were in the same situation. As for Misha, his classes had already ended. His summer vacation officially began on Friday, two days ago, so he didn’t have to wake up early anymore.

The moment they boarded the train, Misha almost instantly fell asleep, his head resting on his mother’s shoulder as he drooled, his mouth wide open. Gulnas smiled with indulgence, stroking her son’s soft hair while listening to the teenage girls talk about their plans for the upcoming weekend. Again, Gabriel didn’t say anything, merely smiling as he listened to their conversation.

When the train arrived at the station, Misha didn’t wake up, and even when his mother shook his shoulder, the child still refused to open his eyes. Gabriel, who was the strongest in the group, ended up carrying the small kid in his arms until they reached the bus stop.

Inside the bus, which was almost empty, the teenager sat with Misha, the boy still asleep in his arms. At some point, Misha wrapped his tiny arms around his neck, nestling his small face in the crook of his neck. Gabriel could feel the steady breath brush against his skin—and the saliva that slowly started to wet the collar of his shirt.

After reaching the house, Gabriel brought the sleeping boy inside while Camille and Masha stayed outside, standing on the doorstep as they said their farewell. 

Leaving her daughter and her childhood friend aside, Gulnas awkwardly showed Gabriel the way to Misha’s bedroom and apologized as they climbed the stairs. Unfortunately, she wasn’t strong enough to lift her little boy and could only rely on the teenager. 

“I don’t mind,” Gabriel winked. “Misha isn’t particularly heavy, and I doubt he’d let go of my shirt if I were to pass him to you.”

And as expected, Misha clenched his fists around his clothes when Gabriel tried to tuck him in bed, refusing to let go. Helpless, he had to battle with the small fingers to open them. He didn’t want to use too much strength and accidentally hurt the boy, and it thus took him quite a while before managing to escape his clutches.

Once Misha finally loosened his grip, Gabriel swiftly stepped back, said goodbye to Mrs. Brown, and left the room.

He then went outside, meeting Masha in front of the door. Camille had already left, so they were alone, standing on the doorstep. The two old porch lanterns fixed on each side of the door cast a pale light over them, gently brightening their faces in the darkness.

Simultaneously, Masha and Gabriel looked into each other’s eyes. A devious smile stretched the teenage girl’s moistened lips, while the teenage boy had a blank expression on his face. No trace was left of his previous warm smile or gentle demeanor; only emptiness remained in his emerald eyes.

“Are your cheeks sore?” Masha snickered.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he looked around before sneering, “So the pest is finally gone.”

“Oh, come on! Camille is not a pest. She’s adorable!”

“As adorable as a viper can be, yes.”

Masha glared at the teenager with a pout.

“Don’t give me that look. You’re well aware that I don’t like her. I’m telling you, you’ll regret associating with that girl one day,” Gabriel said matter-of-factly. “But I guess you don’t really care about my opinions, right?”

“You know me well,” Maha laughed heartily, and Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh.

Indeed, he knew her well, and he was probably the one who knew her the best. This stubborn little girl… She didn’t listen to anyone, not even him.

“Anyway, as long as you’re happy, I guess I’ve got nothing to say.” Gabriel shook his head. Then he rummaged through his pockets and brought out a small, thin box. He shook it under her nose as he said, “Here. Happy birthday, Masha.”

The teenage girl was stunned, but the look of surprise on her face quickly disappeared, replaced by a broad smile that curved her eyes into two crescent moons. She carefully took the box and opened it; inside laid a delicate necklace. The silver chain twinkled under the light of the lanterns, attracting the eyes. However, what drew her attention wasn’t the chain but the heart-shaped leaf pendant positioned in the middle of the box.

“Oh my god! It’s so beautiful! Thank you!” She jumped in the teenager’s arms, loudly kissing his cheek.

“You’re welcome,” Gabriel replied dully.

In contrast to his monotone voice, a discreet smile stretched the corner of his lips. It wasn’t gentle, but it still held a hint of tenderness. 

Gabriel hugged Masha back, then distanced himself. “I need to go. It’s getting cold. But tomorrow, can we eat together?” Before Masha could answer, he added, “I’ve got something to tell you. It’s about your brother.”

Masha’s eyes slightly widened, concern flashing across her face. She frowned but still nodded. It was already late, and her doorstep wasn’t the most appropriate place for a private discussion.

“He didn’t do anything bad, right?”

“No, don’t worry. Misha is indeed adorable. At least, he’s a hundred times cuter than my brothers.”

Upon hearing these words, Masha couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle. She knew that Gabriel’s family situation wasn’t all sweetness and sunshine. These brothers of his could be a real pain in the neck—one even had the brain of a bird. In contrast, her mischievous little Misha was indeed an angel, no matter what he did.

“Well, then, I’m off,” Gabriel said as he jumped down the stairs. “See you tomorrow.” 

“See you tomorrow.”

As Masha watched the teenager’s back disappear into the night, she brought the little box to her chest and tightened her grip. Whatever Gabriel had to say, she could only hope it wasn’t something too serious. But deep down, she had a hunch it wouldn’t be anything pleasing to hear.

Mini theater

MC: Wait, what!? Masha, you knew this bastard’s personality!? O_O

Masha: *Smiles, smiles* Hmm?

MC: *brain turns off*

ML: There’s nothing wrong with my personality, though.

Masha: Well, that’s open for discussion...

ML: I won’t give you another gift any time soon.

Masha: You have the most beautiful personality I’ve ever seen ♥

ML: Hmpf.