Chapter 4 : The Question That Shouldn’t Be Asked

Chapter 4 — The Question That Shouldn’t Be Asked

Both of them stood still, fingers still touching the same book. The air between Ethan and Lucas felt unusually heavy for something as simple as a library shelf. Lucas tilted his head slightly, studying him.

“Who are you?”

His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge underneath it—like he wasn’t used to not getting answers immediately. Ethan didn’t react much. He only shrugged slightly, as if the question wasn’t worth his attention. Then, without hesitation, he pulled the book closer to himself.

“I’m just a transfer student.” His tone was flat. Simple.

Detached.

Then, without waiting for any reply, Ethan walked past Lucas as if the moment never mattered at all.

Lucas stayed where he was.

Still.

Watching him leave. For a brief moment, it looked like he wanted to say something else—something more.

But before he could even open his mouth, his phone suddenly rang. The sound broke the silence.

“Tch.”

Lucas clicked his tongue, pulled his phone out, and glanced at the screen. Whatever he saw made his expression shift slightly.

And just like that, he turned away and walked out of the library without another word. Ethan paused near the bookshelf, watching Lucas’s back disappear through the door.

“…Strange,” he murmured quietly.

For a second, something flickered in his eyes.

Not confusion. Not curiosity. Something deeper. Something emotional. But it was gone just as quickly as it came.

He lowered his gaze to the book in his hands and tightened his grip slightly, as if grounding himself.

Then he walked toward a table at the far end of the library and sat down. Silence wrapped around him again. Only the faint rustle of pages filled the air as Ethan opened the book.

Time passed slowly.

Minutes turned into nearly an hour.

Ethan didn’t move much—only his eyes shifted across the pages, absorbing every word carefully. His expression stayed calm, but there was a subtle intensity in the way he read, like he was searching for something hidden between the lines. Something important. Something personal.

The library remained quiet, except for the occasional footsteps of students leaving as classes ended.

Eventually, the room grew emptier. The light outside softened as clouds slowly gathered in the sky.

Rain began to fall. At first, it was gentle—just soft tapping against the windows. Then it grew heavier.

The sound filled the quiet library, making the atmosphere feel even more isolated.

One by one, students started leaving until only a few remained. And then— Eventually—

there were fewer people were left inside.

Ethan. And someone else. footsteps approached slowly from behind him. Calm. Unhurried.

Ethan didn’t look up immediately, assuming it was a librarian or another student passing by. Then a voice spoke.

“Excuse me… can I sit here?”

The voice was low.

Soft. Strangely warm, yet carried a hint of something cold underneath. Ethan finally lifted his gaze. A boy stood beside the table. Someone unfamiliar.

He had a calm expression, slightly narrowed eyes, and a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his face. His presence felt quiet—but confident, like he didn’t need permission to exist in any space. Ethan studied him for a second.

Then nodded once.

“Yes. You can.”

No hesitation.

No curiosity.

Just acceptance.

He returned his gaze to the book immediately, as if the conversation had already ended. The stranger blinked slightly, as if surprised by how quickly Ethan lost interest in him. Then a small smile flickered across his lips. He pulled the chair out and sat down across from

Ethan without saying anything else. For a while, only the sound of rain filled the space between them.

Minutes passed. Neither spoke. Ethan continued reading. The stranger simply watched him. Not in a creepy way. More like… observing. Studying.

As if Ethan was the book he was supposed to be reading instead.

Outside, the rain grew heavier, tapping loudly against the glass windows. The sky had turned completely gray, and the library lights felt warmer in contrast.

Eventually, the stranger broke the silence.

“Something’s been bothering me.”

Ethan’s eyes paused slightly on the page. But he didn’t look up. The stranger leaned back a little in his chair, still smiling faintly.

“Why do you always read that book?”

That question— It made the air shift.

Ethan’s fingers stopped turning the page.

For the first time in a while, his calm expression tightened ever so slightly.

The intensity in his gaze deepened as he slowly closed the book halfway. Then he finally looked up. Directly at the stranger. A quiet silence followed. The stranger didn’t look away.

Instead, his smile softened a little more, as if he already knew asking that question would get this reaction. Ethan stared at him for a long moment.

Then slowly asked,

“…You..

The rain outside grew louder. And the stranger only smiled. As if the answer was something Ethan should already know.

To be continued…

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