After a while, Cristofer looked at Estelle from the corner of his eyes and asked softly, “Do you remember what it was like when we watched the stars on a rooftop for the first time?”
When Estelle and Cristofer were still passionately in love, they often did it. They would go to the rooftop if the weather were fine. Sometimes, they would stay on the rooftop for a whole night and often miss the morning lesson.
“It was a long time ago.” Estelle naturally remembered it, but she didn’t want to mention it because it was something she wanted to hide. The past wasn’t too bad, but she didn’t want to bring that up.
Cristofer smiled slightly and started looking back at the past. He said softly, “I remember we were still at school. If we wanted to watch the stars, I needed to help you finish your homework and choose a good day. Otherwise, we wouldn’t make it at all.”
“I had no choice. My teacher was too rigid. How could anyone finish so much homework every day?” Then Estelle added with a sigh, “But now I’d rather go back to school. Having lessons is much easier than working.”
‘If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t firmly hope that I could grow up faster. Who would’ve thought I would face so many difficulties after growing up?’ Estelle thought.
“Actually, we had much free time during that period.” Cristofer smiled brightly, even his eyes filled with happiness. He continued, “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to find such a perfect night. The sky that day was more beautiful than today.”
Hearing that, the first thing that popped up in Estelle’s mind was that Cristofer glorified the memory. And when she also carefully recalled what happened that night, she pointed to the stars in the sky and chimed in with him, “I remember we saw the Milky Way that night.”
With that, she moved her fingers in the air to show the shape of the Milky Way and pointed to the brightest star. “This is Polaris. Thankfully, the moon has hidden somewhere tonight. Otherwise, I wouldn’t find it.” After thinking about that night, Estelle gradually calmed down and felt no longer awkward.
“Actually, the jewelry you designed with the theme of the sky is more beautiful.” Cristofer praised her sincerely. Then he regretted that he should have kept the drawing, and he said, “It’s such a shame that I was too naïve to know what the most valuable thing was back then.”
Everything seemed to be quiet on the starry night. Estelle felt she could hear Cristofer’s voice and her own heartbeat. Her heart was striking her ribs loud and fast.
Then she uttered in a low voice, “That’s a good memory we should keep in mind.”
“I remember that we said we would look at the stars for the whole night, but then someone felt tired and leaned against me, sleeping soundly like a piggy. I couldn’t even wake you up.” Cristofer chuckled, thinking. ‘At that time, you looked cute and innocent with a bit of baby fat on your face. And I stole a kiss from you when you were sleeping. It was our first kiss.’
Estelle’s face immediately turned red. She tucked her hair behind her ears to cover her embarrassment and whispered, “I was just too tired.”
“Yeah.” Cristofer agreed, “I bet you had a good dream.”
At the moment, Estelle’s cheeks were still pink. Her voice would become softer when she was shy, but her tone was still cold, so the change wouldn’t be too noticeable. She said, “It doesn’t matter. It is all in the past. Actually, we have spent a lot of time watching the stars together.”
The more she talked, the lower her voice was. When she said the last sentence, she subconsciously thought of the plan that hadn’t been finished. Then she asked, “Do you remember when you accompanied me to look at the stars last time?”
“I do,” Cristofer responded, his voice sounding hoarse. He moved closer to Estelle, helping to smooth out the wrinkles in her trench coat caused by the wind. He sighed and admitted, “It was all my fault. If I had another chance, I would have watched the stars with you and stayed by your side before you even had to ask.”
‘But the last time I asked you to watch the stars with me, it all fell apart. You despised me so much back then, Cristofer.’ Estelle couldn’t help but recall the past. The pain of that memory still lingered, and she said, “Unfortunately, even the weather was against us. It rained for days. I stood by the window, hoping for sunshine, but it never came. Sometimes, it felt like the weather was intentionally torturing me.”
Cristofer felt a wave of sadness as Estelle spoke. He made a promise, “Whenever and wherever you want to gaze at the stars, I promise I’ll be there with you for as long as you want. I just hope you never feel like you don’t need me by your side.” His voice was soft, like a whispered confession.
Estelle gazed into Cristofer’s eyes, captivated by their beauty, but she quickly snapped back to reality. “You don’t have to do that, Cristofer. It’s in the past, and I told you I don’t need your compensation.”
Cristofer nervously replied, “I understand that. It’s not about you needing me; it’s about me needing you. You’re an independent and accomplished woman who can manage the children, work diligently, and keep everything in order. On the other hand, I’m still stuck in that rainy night from four years ago.”
Estelle remained silent after Cristofer talked. She didn’t know how to respond because neither comforting him nor saying she was satisfied with their current situation felt right, so she chose to keep quiet.
They had an unobstructed view of the clear sky from the rooftop of Cristofer’s house. The serene environment seemed to encourage Cristofer. He admitted, “Estelle, I’m scared that you might never need me. I’m feeling insecure right now. It’s a fear deep inside me.”
Cristofer also reflected on his own feelings, thinking, ‘It’s true. Even I, the CEO of Hans Group, who appears fearless, sometimes experience fear. But it’s not the storms or crises in the business world that typically unnerve people. It’s your reaction, Estelle.’
“Sometimes, I wonder if I’m being selfish,” Cristofer continued with a bitter smile, “You might not believe me, but if you ever decide you don’t want to be with me, I hope you stay single forever. I can’t bear the thought of you being married to someone else. Jealousy would drive me insane.”
Cristofer lowered his head and chuckled at his own foolish thoughts. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Estelle’s face as he confessed, “I know I sound ridiculous and vulnerable right now.”