Summer Must Die - Chapter 53

The wind blew fiercely. The half-open window swung wide open, causing the white chiffon curtain to flutter.

“When I first saw you, I forgot you.”

Russell carefully got up and sat next to Summer. He reached out his hand. As if handling a precious and delicate flower petal.

He withdrew the hand he had extended. In his hand was a single leaf. It seemed to have fallen on Summer’s hair in the wind.

“The next time I saw you at the lake, I remembered your name and face.”

“……”

Russell continued speaking while fiddling with the leaf.

“And the next time we met, I wondered why you were trying to die.”

“…I told you I’m not trying to die.”

“And then, I wanted to understand you.”

“…Russell.”

“After that, I resented the trajectory of my life that couldn’t understand you. If I had walked the same path of life as you, would I have been able to understand you more easily?”

“……”

“Wanting to understand, I kept asking you annoying questions.”

“They weren’t annoying.”

“Summer. I’m a person who believes that the day when a person truly understands another person will never come, even in death.”

Russell’s clear eyes shone blue in the sunlight. Summer focused on the neat and cold Russell.

She felt like she was falling in. Summer couldn’t tell if this should be called a sense of stability. After all, she didn’t have time to look inside herself.

“You are still unclear to me and a being that changes every moment.”

“That’s so true, I have nothing to say.”

“So I thought I would probably never understand you for the rest of my life. That was the answer I had drawn from my life so far. Emotions and appeals were unnecessary for me. I would just increase medical centers and counseling windows when the mortality rate rises.”

“……”

The wind blew again.

The leaf in Russell’s hand escaped and danced in the air, carried by the wind.

Summer’s gaze followed the leaf flying out the window again, then turned to Russell.

The moment she met his deep eyes, she felt tightly entangled and unable to move.

“But after meeting you, this is the result now.”

Russell gently held the tips of Summer’s fingers with both hands. Then, he lightly pressed his forehead against the back of her hand.

As if praying to God for an answer.

“Russell… sir.”

“In a world filled with numbers, you alone are a piece of writing to me.”

Russell finished speaking and raised his head to meet Summer’s eyes.

“…Ah.”

If he kissed her, would he push her away?

If the wind hadn’t blown again, no one would have known what would have happened next.

“Sh-should I close the window?”

“I’ll do it.”

Fortunately, Summer, who came to her senses first, broke the silence in a fluster. Russell, thankfully, closed the window without saying anything.

“Summer, I had a dream after meeting you.”

“Did I appear in your dream?”

Summer’s shoulders twitched at the unnecessary words. She was startled, thinking he had dreamed about her.

Why does he always say things that could be misunderstood? Summer felt her face getting hot for no reason and covered her forehead with her palm.

“No. I saw a strange and peculiar world.”

“…A strange world?”

“The buildings were so tall they seemed to pierce the sky. Higher than the spires of the imperial palace. Objects faster than carriages passed by me closely, making loud noises.”

“…What!”

Surprised, Summer covered her mouth with both hands. A tearing ringing sound was heard in her ears before it became muffled.

There was a constant buzzing in her head, and it felt unreal.

No way, no way.

“When I entered a building to avoid the objects, it was crowded with people with no room to step. No one paid attention to me. They were all looking at something small in their hands.”

“…And then? Did you try talking to anyone?”

“When I asked where this place was, a man looked at me strangely and answered. He said ‘Republic of Korea’.”

“Wait, Russell. What did you say…?”

“Republic of Korea. Is that a name you know?”

“W-wait a moment. When was this? The night you had this dream, I mean?”

“The night we played the lying game. It was that night.”

Russell had seen Summer’s world in a dream. How? The people of this world shouldn’t be able to interfere with the original world.

Summer’s complexion turned pale.

She finally felt with her whole body how deeply the world was interfering in this matter.

It was chilling. A world that crammed her into the body of a minor character, prevented her from dying, and said nothing.

Did she have the confidence to fight this god who even manipulated the main character at will? She wasn’t even the protagonist, just a mere human.

Like an insignificant creature before nature, she felt powerless. She couldn’t win.

If all of this was the world’s scheming and she had just been played by it. Suddenly, Summer couldn’t believe anything from start to finish.

Can she go back? On what basis did Fei say she didn’t have to return until tomorrow? What is God thinking? What does God want to do with her, an outsider? They say cracks are forming in the world because of the outsider’s existence?

No, does this world even want to continue existing in the first place?

Why on earth?

What grudge do they have against me to do this?

Summer wanted to curse at God if she could.

“Why are you doing this to me…”

But her body was shaking violently like an aspen tree, and her voice kept coming out hoarse as if someone was choking her.

“Summer? Are you alright?”

“N-no, I’m not okay… Ugh, ugh…!”

Summer retched and then her skinny body collapsed.

Russell quickly supported Summer. Her body was excessively cold.

“Summer! Just a moment. I’ll call for a doctor.”

“D-don’t go. I’m scared…”

“Summer. Calling a doctor takes priority.”

“Please, please! Please just stay by my side…”

“……”

Summer cried out nervously and clasped her trembling hands together.

Russell’s wavering eyes soon stopped shaking with firm resolve.

Russell hugged Summer tightly. As if he would embrace even her trembling.

“Huu, huu…”

“Shh. Summer. I will find a way.”

“I-I’m cold…”

“…Summer. Can you hear my voice? Do you understand what I’m saying right now?”

“Y-yes, yes…”

Summer answered, shaking.

Looking at Russell’s calm eyes made her feel a bit better, but the helplessness and fear that had once consumed her entire body were not easily shaken off.

“Then… please grant one last mercy to the person who will live with a space in his heart reserved for you forever.”

Russell quietly lowered his head.

His arms tightened around Summer, and their bodies pressed together without a gap.

And warm breath touched her. On her forehead, on her eyelids, on the tip of her nose.

And on her lips.

It was a brief kiss, almost regrettably short. Surprised, Summer looked up at Russell with wide eyes.

“Ru-Russell…?”

“You have some color in your face now. That’s a relief.”

Russell smiled a little sadly. His eyes were smiling, but his mouth was forcibly pulled up, causing his lips to tremble slightly.

“Russell, do you perhaps… me…”

“It’s not very important. If my feelings obstruct your path forward. Even if those feelings exist, they shouldn’t.”

Tell me the answer. You’re Russell Bertrand, who’s always clear about everything.

Summer’s expression was openly revealing her thoughts, but Russell simply covered her eyes with his hand.

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes me want to hold on to you.”

“Russell. Can’t you stay with me?”

This wasn’t the Summer who was always on edge, guarded, and pretending to be indifferent while putting up walls.

She was a fragile and unyielding person who had to tremble alone in a strange place, crying out in nightmares while alone in her room.

“Of course. I was planning to follow you even without you saying so.”

“I… need to go to the temple.”

Summer spoke, trying hard to calm herself.

When Mary talked about her body in the original world, when the world turned back time, and when Russell said he saw the original world in a dream.

Summer was certain. It was a problem that required going to the temple. She needed to go to the temple and see her true self again.

And she planned to return from there as well.

“Let’s go together. Your body is still shaking.”

“Russell. Can I say one bad thing, just once?”

“Anything.”

“When I leave. Could you… be by my side?”

“……”

Taken aback by the unexpected words, Russell swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. His jaw was clenched tightly.

“If not,”

“I will. It’s a cruel request, but you know I won’t be able to refuse.”

“I thought you would refuse.”

“You said you’d return, so I’ll believe you. But if I think you’re in danger, I’ll stop you.”

Even after saying that, Russell sighed once and swallowed dryly. How far does this lady intend to shake him?

“Let’s take my carriage.”

“Okay.”

Summer preferred that too. She hoped that the coachman Jack wouldn’t discover her dead body.

Russell stood up and rang the bell. Soon, Russell’s servant approached.

“Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the temple.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the servant left, Russell slowly paced around the reception room.

Seeing him sigh occasionally while holding his head, it wasn’t hard to sense that this situation was quite challenging for Russell as well.

Russell would carefully organize the situation, but then laugh hollowly at his own contradictions.

At first, she was an absurd woman. She seemed a bit pathetic too.

But after being bewildered, confused, and curious, he ended up here.

Knowing how painful it is to love someone who will eventually leave. Once again.