On the brightly lit street, the two of them walked side by side. Aurora and Julian had an endless stream of topics to discuss, ranging from business to food. Julian patiently went along with her chatter.
Aurora, caught up in her excitement, accidentally stepped onto the road. A car sped toward her, and in an instant, Julian reached out with his long arm and pulled her into his embrace.
He had been walking on her left initially, but who could’ve guessed that Aurora, in her animated storytelling, would drift to the left side? If not for Julian’s quick reflexes, the consequences could have been disastrous.
Aurora leaned against his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat and catching the faint scent of his cologne.
“Are you alright?” His deep, magnetic voice filled her ears. For a moment, Aurora was dazed. His embrace felt so familiar, so warm, so comforting that she didn’t want to let go.
Though they had shared the same bed for so long-even if they had forgotten each other-their bodies still remembered.
Julian’s hand remained on her waist, his palm’s warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her dress and onto her skin.
“I’m fine,” Aurora said, shaking her head.
“Be more careful in the future.” Julian’s back was damp with a cold sweat. This girl was far too nerve-wracking.
“I will,” she replied with a nod.
“It’s getting late. You should head home and rest. I’ll take you back.” Julian checked his watch. Their post-dinner stroll had done its job.
Aurora nodded again. “Okay.”
Julian walked her to her door. “Same time tomorrow, I’ll pick you up from the office.”
“Alright. Goodnight.” Aurora watched as he turned to leave. She thought of the goodnight kiss from the previous night, and to her surprise, she found herself anticipating it again.
She knew it wasn’t right, but there was a part of her that felt this was how things were always meant to be.
Julian leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. It was a chaste, emotionless kiss. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” That simple kiss filled Aurora’s heart with warmth. She remembered how Julian used to kiss her every morning and night-his good morning and goodnight kisses. Now, he was continuing this habit.
Aurora’s steps were lighter as she returned to her room. Being with him made her feel at ease, carefree even.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt no need to put up a front around him. She didn’t have to be cautious about whether her actions were perfect or worry about giving others an opportunity to criticize her.
When she was with Julian, she could simply be herself-eat when she wanted, laugh when she wanted. There was no need for pretense, and she was never concerned about how he perceived her.
After washing up, she climbed into bed and noticed a message from Julian: “I’m home. Sweet dreams.”
This had always been his habit. Whenever he traveled for work, the first thing he’d do after landing was to turn on his phone and send Aurora a message or call her, just to let her know he was safe. It was as if he was always afraid she’d worry.
Even now, when she couldn’t remember him, he still kept this habit.
Aurora replied with a sleeping emoji, then pulled up the blanket and drifted off to sleep.
—
Mio had gone to a nearby pet market and bought a beautiful Ragdoll kitten. Its big, round eyes were especially adorable.
He had arranged to meet Rebecca at a specific location. Today, she wasn’t dressed in her usual glamorous evening attire but instead wore a simple, plain-colored dress. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup.
She looked more like a college student than the president of a company.
Although Mio had secretly investigated Rebecca, he couldn’t understand why every man who pursued her ended up heartbroken. He assumed it was because her standards were too high, and those men couldn’t handle rejection.
After all, looking at someone as pure and innocent as Rebecca, it was hard to imagine she could be a bad person.
Rebecca approached Mio with a smile on her lips. “Did you really bring me a kitten?”
“Yes. A friend’s cat recently had a litter. He didn’t plan to sell them, so giving them away seemed like the best option,” Mio replied, lifting the basket.
Rebecca peered inside and saw a tiny, fluffy kitten. It let out soft meows, and in that instant, her heart melted.
She didn’t usually like animals-not that she disliked them, but she felt indifferent toward them. Yet, seeing this Ragdoll kitten softened her heart.
“It’s so tiny. I can hold it with just one hand,” Rebecca said as she carefully picked up the kitten.
“As long as you like it,” Mio said gently, a faint smile on his lips.
“What’s its name?” Rebecca cradled the kitten in her arms, reluctant to touch it too firmly.
The kitten, however, was quite docile. It snuggled against her hand, making Rebecca smile as she played with it.
“It doesn’t have a name yet. Why don’t you name it? It’s a girl.”
“Hmm… Let’s call her Momo.”
Mio was speechless. He had thought she’d come up with a creative name after taking so long to decide, but “Momo” was what she chose.
He scratched Momo’s chin. “Alright, from now on, your name is Momo.”
Momo closed her eyes in contentment, clearly enjoying their attention. Rebecca, who had shown no reaction to Lila’s pet hamster, found herself utterly charmed by this kitten.
“I don’t know how to take care of a cat. Can you come with me to buy cat food and a bed later?” she asked.
Mio, who had been looking for ways to get closer to Rebecca, was surprised when she brought it up herself.
“Of course. Let’s grab dinner first, and then we’ll go shopping.”
“Alright.”
The night before, Mio had spent hours researching. He always did his homework in advance, making sure to learn what the other person liked.
That way, when they met, they’d have plenty to talk about. And when he “accidentally” revealed his knowledge, it would leave a deep impression.
At the pet store, Mio showcased his expertise. He explained which brands of cat food were best for kittens, what kind of chew toys to get, and which scratchers were essential.
They walked out with their arms full of supplies. The sky had already darkened by then, and Mio, ever the gentleman, escorted Rebecca home.
Throughout the journey, Rebecca was in high spirits, playing with the kitten the entire time.
In a fleeting moment, Mio had a sudden thought-he wanted a family.
Watching Rebecca cradle the kitten felt like seeing her hold a child. He imagined the three of them living happily together as a family.
Before meeting her, no matter how beautiful or alluring the women around him were, Mio had always remained indifferent.
But when she appeared, every movement, every smile of hers tugged at his heart.
For the first time, Mio, who had always been staunchly against marriage, felt the desire to settle down.
The women in his past had always been nothing more than playthings to him.
But the woman beside him now-when he first laid eyes on her, he knew he had fallen for her.
A hunter’s greatest mistake is falling for his prey.
And this time, he had made that mistake. He had fallen for his prey.
Once someone falls in love first, they’ve already lost.
And Mio was the one who had lost.