Alicante’s words were harsh when he said them to him, but he could feel Alicante was slowly melting away with his efforts. And that was more than enough to give him a sign that he could approach the man from now on.

He could not help but smile, ignoring the gazes of everyone in the cafeteria, who were looking at the two of them in amazement.

"Wait here for a moment," he said.

Alicante complied with his request, although he was somewhat surprised. Jackson stepped up to the dining table with full confidence.

"Attention, everyone!"

"What are you doing!?" Alicante looked panicked when he realized what he was going to do. "Get off the table, Jackson! Are you out of your mind?"

"No, and I won’t do anything silly. You can take my word for it," he smiled at Alicante, who was getting more and more panicked at his answer.

"Don’t involve me in your problem," Alicante replied with a frustrated look.

He then turned to face the crowd of students who had gathered around his desk. Some students remained seated, but their attention remained on him.

"From now on, no one is going to touch, injure, or even bully Alicante. Did you hear my words? No one can do that. He is now under my protection. If any of you dare to touch Alicante, you will face me. Got it?"

The atmosphere around the cafeteria immediately erupted at his statement, and he continued his words while looking at Alicante, who was now lowering his face.

It made him wonder what the man was thinking about what he was doing right now.

"As additional information, if any of you feel confused about the reason I said all of this, I will gladly answer your curiosity. I, Jackson Wu, love Alicante Watson. Do whatever you want with my statement just now, as I will not pay attention to it. And done!"

Jackson clapped his hand cheerfully and bowed in front of the students. "Thank you for hearing me out. You can continue with your lunches, everyone!"

He jumped down from the table, took over the food tray that was still in the man’s hand, and replaced it with the two chocolate puddings. Then he pulled his hand away. With his other hand, he was guiding the man to leave the cafeteria room after he placed the food tray near the cafeteria exit.

His lips did not stop smiling when he saw the surprised reaction of the man, who was now giving him a questioning look. Pretending not to hear Alicante’s question, asking why he did this ridiculous thing.

He continued to lead the man until they arrived at the school parking area, then let go of the man’s hand.

"There is a place I want to show you. You don’t mind if we skip the class?"

When Alicante was about to protest, he helped put his helmet on Alicante, then patted the top of the helmet with a satisfied smile. "No need to worry. I won’t do anything to you."

"I am quite sure you will not accept rejection from me, right?"

"Exactly. You know me very well, eh?" He winked at his way of confirming Alicante’s words as he got on his motorcycle, gesturing for Alicante to come with him.

"Guess I don’t have any choices."

Somewhat reluctantly, Alicante complied with his request.

"Hold me tight."

His eyes widened, surprised to find Alicante unhesitatingly wrapping his arms around his waist so he could feel Alicante’s body pressed against his back. His heart was pounding from a combination of nervousness and excitement.

He cleared his throat, averted his thoughts, and started screaming in his mind to express his euphoric feeling at having taken a step further from his plan to get Alicante to open up to him.

Jackson then started the engine and left the school building. He was sure Alicante would be happy when he found out the place they were heading to.

***

Jackson turned off the sports motorcycle engine as soon as they arrived at their last known destination after Alicante’s death.

A beach. A quiet, deserted beach.

He finally took Alicante to the place he knew Alicante wanted to visit.

"We’ve arrived. Get off."

He parked the bike in the parking lot, glancing through the rearview mirror at Alicante.

"Come here."

Alicante walked over to Jackson clumsily.

"Give me your pudding first."

Alicante complied, handing the pudding to him. He placed it on the fuel tank and helped Alicante remove his helmet. Once he was done, he gave the pudding back to Alicante.

Alicante’s blue eyes looked around where they were in amazement and failed to hide it from him. A warm feeling came over him, provoking a small smile on his face.

Before, the expression full of astonishment on Alicante’s face turned stern as soon as he met his gaze again. Although he could still see Alicante’s body language telling him otherwise,

"Why did you bring me to this place?"

He did not quickly answer Alicante’s question. Leaving the man wondering while he got off his sports motorcycle.

For a moment, he glanced at Alicante. The man hadn’t moved an inch. His body was trembling, and he walked away from him.

It created a feeling of guilt that came back to him when he saw him. Alicante’s demeanor seemed to convey the man’s fear of him.

As if Alicante was worried that he would attack the man, as he had done to Alicante in the past.

Things he had done in the past, he vowed to himself would never do again.

Yes. He admitted he used to be a moron in the past. A jerk. A bully. He knew his reputation very well. He swore to himself to atone for all the wrong he had ever done to Alicante.

Although he would lose everything if he did.

Even if he had to lose his life. Anything, anything he would do if it meant he could get Alicante by his side.

"Y––you have not answered my question yet."

Alicante approached him, still terrified. He turned his head to find Alicante staring at him warily, full of suspicion.

"I will fulfill your old wish. You want me to die, to disappear from your sight. Am I right?"

His hands clenched tightly, and his mind replayed the words Alicante had heard. The words he didn’t want to hear again came from the man’s lips.

He closed his eyes as he caught his breath to reduce his sadness at the memory of the painful memory before he turned his head back to Alicante, who was still waiting for his answer with great fear.

"I have no particular reason," he said with a half-forced smile so that Alicante would not know what he was feeling right now. Although he doubted the idea that Alicante would care about him after what he had done to him in the past.

He walked away from Alicante with his feet wearing Nike sneakers that were not suitable for sandy places like the beach, where they had now entered a beach area that was rarely traveled by people.

The place that he had deliberately chosen for Alicante after he toured Ulriika in search of a suitable beach for the man before he went back to the past.

"I just want to bring you to the place where you have wanted to go for a long time," he said calmly.

No. The word calm was not the right word to describe his current mood. To be more precise, he was trying to be as calm as possible while desperately covering up his mourning. He held out his hand to Alicante as a way of leading Alicante closer to him.

But instead of taking his hand, the man walked past him. He brushed off his hand, which was still hanging in the air.

Holding back his disappointment when he found out Alicante still did not want to accept his initiative to grasp the skinny hand, he walked after Alicante.

He had no reason to be upset. He had no right to protest, and he didn’t deserve a good, warm response from Alicante after all the foolishness he had done.

He deserved it.

His feet felt heavy as the scenario of Alicante’s death replayed in his mind repeatedly.

His eyes remember, still recording the expression Alicante made before choosing to throw himself into the river near his school.

That day, it was raining. It caused the swift current of the river to carry away Alicante’s body after he jumped off the bridge. Until it was out of sight.

All for the stupid joke he told the man when he managed to bully Alicante by throwing all the man’s books into the river.

He did not expect it would be the last time he saw Alicante’s figure. When he did that, he did not intend to make the man decide to jump into the river. He only wanted to look at Alicante’s desperate expression.

It was only for that stupid, egoistic reason of his.

His eyes then looked at the figure of Alicante, who now seemed alive in front of him, walking with enthusiasm if he saw Alicante’s body language while looking around.

He smiled wryly, put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, and ran after Alicante.

"Do you like the place?"

"Yeah—I mean, it is none of your business," Alicante had answered curtly at his question just now, but he could see the look of pleasure on the man’s face.

It made him laugh out loud in response to Alicante’s curt reaction.

It was much better to find Alicante cursing at him now than to see Alicante’s frozen body after the emergency rescue team arrived and found Alicante’s lifeless body.

It was much better to see Alicante in front of him at the moment.

"After all, how do you know what kind of place I want to visit? How do you know I want to go to the beach?"

Alicante faced him again, still terrified.

"I don’t remember being that close to you until you knew my dream place."

"Well, it is not really like you told me to do it by yourself," he stepped back away from Alicante deliberately so he could make room for him.

Slowly, he wanted to make the man no longer afraid of him. He wanted to earn the trust of Alicante. And he would not care how long it took him to get Alicante’s trust.

"But I have my way," he continued again.

He then cast his gaze on the sea waves that slapped the shore, sweeping away leaves and tree branches—all objects on the shore—until they left nothing, with a sad gaze.

Yes, this used to be the place you wanted to visit, Alicante, he muttered to himself. Which I only found out after your death.

***