The forgotten Alleyway

Selene truly thought nothing would happen.
Theron had only gone nearby, and she thought it would be a quick trip to see the tree and come back.
“Ugh! Damn it… It’s already so f*cking cold…”
That complacent thought was shattered when a strange man, muttering to himself, approached from the opposite direction.
As the distance narrowed, a foul stench emanated from the man, stimulating Selene’s nose.
Not only that, but the man was dressed thickly despite the weather not being cold and was trembling.
Perhaps that’s why, Selene momentarily forgot Theron’s warning not to stare at any strange people.
Her eyes were naturally drawn to the unfamiliar behavior and attire she had never seen before.
The man’s face was grimy as if he hadn’t washed, and his eyes were red as if his blood vessels had burst.
Just then, her eyes suddenly met the man’s.
“What, what are you looking at! If you’re going to look at me with such pity, you should just give me some money, damn it!”
Selene didn’t know what to say to the man’s outburst.
‘W-what, are you ignoring me? Is it okay for a young woman to do that!’
‘Would he just go away if I really gave him money? Or should I pretend not to see him and ignore him now?’
As Selene was hesitating in the unfamiliar situation, Theron suddenly popped out of the alley he had disappeared into.
“Selene, are you okay…”
Theron, who had been speaking awkwardly, saw the man standing close to Selene and his eyes turned cold.
“Who are you?”
The man immediately flinched his shoulders at Theron’s fierce aura.
He seemed to be instinctively frightened, as Theron was taller and larger than an ordinary person.
“Th-this woman was looking at me as if she were ignoring me first…!”
As he said that and poked Selene’s arm, Theron grabbed him by the collar.
“Who are you touching now?”
“Ah, ah! That’s not it…!”
“Do you think I haven’t seen someone like you once or twice? If you’re on drugs, you should be cooped up in a corner instead of looking for someone easy to get money from.”
“Gak, gak!”
“I want to kill a person like you when I see one.”
Theron really looked like he was about to kill the man.
The man’s face was flushed red and he was panting as if he were suffocating from being held by the collar.
“Theron, stop it.”
In the end, Selene stepped in and stopped Theron.
At her touch, Theron’s panting gradually subsided.
Hmph.
Theron, who had let out a breath, glared at the man.
Theron let go of his collar as if to throw him.
“Get lost. Before I really kill you.”
The man, whose feet had touched the ground, immediately ran away.
But had Theron’s anger not subsided?
Theron stared at Selene roughly, his eyes still unsettled.
Finally, a loud voice came out of him.
“I told you not to even look at people like that! You were almost in danger, you know?”
Worry and anger swirled in Theron’s blue eyes.
For the first time in a very long time, Selene felt like she was being scolded by an adult.
‘Should I just say I’m sorry at times like these?’
As she was hesitating, Theron grabbed Selene’s hand roughly.
“Forget it, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
Theron led Selene and strode out of the alley.
His steps were so fast that it was a little difficult for Selene to keep up.
Although she didn’t want to sound weak, Selene felt her breath grow short in less than 10 minutes.
“…Theron.”
Selene called out to Theron, who had been staring straight ahead with a scary face, as if he were possessed by something.
“Theron…!”
“…”
“Theron Cox!”
And yet, as he continued to not respond, Selene finally called him out in a loud voice.
“…”
Theron finally stopped.
Hmph.
Without any reply, Theron, who had closed his eyes tightly and taken a deep breath, suddenly took Selene to a narrower and darker alley.
Before she could even ask why he had suddenly brought her here, Theron reached out his hand as if to trap Selene, placed it on the wall, and lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
And then he abruptly apologized.
Theron’s lowered eyelashes were lifelessly cast down.
“For what?”
“For getting angry.”
Theron slowly lifted his head.
Only self-loathing and self-reproach remained in his eyes, from which the anger had subsided.
“I know it wasn’t something to get angry at you for… but I was so surprised for a moment. I was so annoyed with myself for leaving your side for a moment, distracted by something not important.”
“I told you to go.”
“Still, I shouldn’t have. Knowing how many strange guys are here…”
Theron gently squeezed the hand he was holding with Selene.
“You’re the most important thing to me.”
Selene found Theron, who was getting angry and then apologizing on his own, to be strange.
And yet, she felt sorry for him.
Selene, without understanding this complex and subtle emotion, took Theron’s hand.
“You don’t have to blame yourself, Theron. It’s because I forgot your warning for a moment and looked at the man.”
Selene’s tone was indifferent.
It wasn’t intentional.
Although she had tried to comfort him in her clumsy way, it seemed she had no talent for it.
Still, as if her effort to take the blame had reached Theron’s heart, his gloomy face seemed to have improved a little.
“To be honest, that drug addict would have picked a fight with you even if you hadn’t looked at him. When you’re on drugs, you sometimes don’t hesitate to commit murder to avoid the terrible withdrawal symptoms.”
“…”
“It doesn’t happen often, but if you assume the worst, that’s what happens.”
‘And… um…’
Theron paused for a moment.
“Honestly, the reason I got angry wasn’t just because my carelessness had put you in danger.”
As his words trailed off, Theron briefly averted his gaze.
“I think I was more angry because what had just happened seemed to show you the worst of this place… I promised I wouldn’t hide myself from you anymore, but I’m still afraid. That you, who have lived such a different life, won’t be able to accept me…”
Theron slowly met Selene’s eyes, as if to check her reaction.
“How was it, was the place I used to live terrible?”
In the eyes that met hers with the question, Theron’s desperation was felt.
‘Tell me it’s not. That you haven’t started to dislike me.’
At his gaze, Selene was at a loss for words for a moment.
Of course she hadn’t started to dislike him.
She didn’t feel distant from Theron either.
She just wanted to hug the anxious Theron.
Selene reached out her hand and hugged Theron, who was looking at her with a big build but with wary eyes.
“No. It wasn’t terrible. It was just a little surprising.”
And she calmly conveyed her true feelings.
This time too, it was not a very gentle and affectionate comfort, but seeing Theron hug her back with force, it seemed his worries were melting away.
“Selene, even if I lived in this crappy place, now that I’ve met you, I don’t resent anything.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not trying to pressure you, it’s really true.”
“Alright.”
Selene let Theron’s confession pass calmly.
What Theron Cox, who was like a big, whimpering dog, needed right now was calmness, not fuss.
And when she slowly released the hug, Theron’s face had improved considerably.
Rather, he seemed a little embarrassed to have confessed his true feelings and averted his eyes with an awkward face.
Such a Theron Cox was quite cute.
Undeniably, even though she didn’t want to admit it.
So much so that an impulse she had never felt in her life was tempting Selene.
“Theron, lower your head for a moment.”
At Selene’s words, Theron, while saying, “Huh?”, obediently bent his waist to match her height.
Peck.
Selene quickly pressed her lips against Theron’s cheek.
“…”
Theron, who had been dazed, slowly touched the cheek where Selene’s lips had been.
He looked as if he had been punched, not just pecked.
“What did you do…?”
“Let’s go. We’ve been here too long.”
As Selene tried to leave the alley first, pretending not to know, Theron grabbed her shoulder and stopped her.
“No, wait. We have to finish what we were talking about.”
“What were we talking about?”
“You just pecked me.”
Theron was talking as if his purity had been stolen.
“You have to tell me what you meant by that.”
‘What did I mean…?’
‘There was no great meaning in that act to be explained.’
“I just wanted to comfort you, Theron.”
“Selene, no one comforts someone like that.”
Selene’s eyebrow curved.
“What kind of answer do you want to hear?”
“…Can I consider that you’ve forgiven me to some extent?”
‘Forgiveness would mean she was opening her heart.’
‘Because they were still in an ambiguous relationship.’
But Selene could not deny that Theron was gently melting into her heart again.
‘Although Theron Cox was trying to squeeze in whenever there was even a slight opening, this change of emotion was definitely…’