A DIFFERENT PORTRAIT - PART 6 (Patreon)

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Part 6: Fireflies in Your Eyes

As if sensing the spellbound gaze I cast upon her, Sylvia instinctively turned to face me. I wished I could see what my own face looked like in that moment—perhaps utterly bewildered—because the instant her eyes met mine, her cheeks flushed a delicate crimson. “Is something the matter?” Sylvia asked softly.

Though we were speaking to each other as equals, at her suggestion, Sylvia was still at least a year older than me. And yet, her polite demeanor felt as though she was placing me in a position of higher standing. Another endearing trait of hers. This girl was everything I could ever hope for—except I wasn’t worthy of her. These fleeting moments we shared now already felt like treasures I would carry for a lifetime. Even so, a small, bitter corner of my heart couldn’t help but envy the man who would one day become her husband. He would have the privilege of basking in her beauty whenever he pleased.

“Ah, nothing! It’s just that… this place is truly beautiful,” I said—a dull and abrupt comment, uttered solely to dispel the awkwardness lingering in the air. “You must come here often, don’t you?”

She smiled, but there was a faint trace of sadness in her expression. “Not really. People who live here are so accustomed to the beauty of the firefly forest that we rarely choose it as a spot for evening outings. Most prefer the bustling attractions in the center of Azure Haven Town instead. Besides, there’s an old legend that says we should only visit the firefly forest at night when we’re with the one we love. That’s when some kind of magic is said to happen. But since you’re a traveler from afar, I thought I should bring you here, so you could experience its beauty for yourself.”

I was surprised. Her words seemed to carry a hidden message, one I couldn’t quite decipher at that moment. I was about to ask more, but a faint sound from afar interrupted my thoughts.

“What was that?” I asked, rising to my feet and turning toward the direction of the sound.

Sylvia stood up as well, her eyes filled with concern. “It might be an injured animal. Let me go check.”

“I'll come with you,” I said, quickly following her. Together, we traced the sound, and eventually, we found a small squirrel trapped in a thorny bush. It was struggling to free itself, but the more it fought, the more entangled it became.

“Let me handle this,” I said, kneeling down to carefully untangle the thorns from the squirrel's fur. Sylvia stood beside me, holding a small flashlight to illuminate my work. The soft light from the flashlight fell across her face, and for a brief moment, I found myself pausing, captivated. I shook my head quickly... this was not the time!

“Is something wrong?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Ah, no, nothing serious,” I replied hastily and resumed untangling the thorns. Once the squirrel was freed, its tiny body was covered in scratches from the thorns—not too severe, but enough to pose a risk of infection if left untreated. The instinct of a veterinarian awakened within me. My oversized coat, often jokingly compared by friends to Doraemon's magical pocket, lived up to its reputation. From one of its deep pockets, I pulled out a compact but complete first-aid kit, leaving nothing to chance.

The little squirrel obediently allowed me to tend to its wounds. Though this was our first encounter, squirrels are remarkably intelligent creatures. They have the keen ability to distinguish between those who mean harm and those who come to help. Once I had finished treating its injuries, the squirrel scampered off into the distance, pausing briefly to turn back and look at us. It let out a soft chirp before darting away. Could I take that as a word of thanks, I wondered?

“You're really skilled,” she said, her eyes shimmering with admiration.

“Oh, it's nothing special—just my job,” I said, scratching my head, feeling a bit flustered by the unexpected compliment. Back in Luminous City, no one had ever thanked a veterinarian for helping animals. To most people there, this line of work was simply about “getting paid to do a job.” If I ever failed to treat their pets successfully, they’d probably threaten to sue me. This was the first time I’d received such a genuine compliment, and it struck a chord in me.

“Um... no, really. I admire you a lot,” she said softly. “Even last time... if it hadn’t been for you, I probably wouldn’t have been able to even touch those little ones.”

“Last time? Why don’t I have any memory of this?”

“Ah... it's nothing, really. I was just talking to myself. Don’t worry about it!”

By the time we made our way back, night had fully descended. Fireflies began to emerge in the darkness, their lights shimmering like thousands of tiny stars dancing in the air. Sylvia stood close to me, her eyes glowing with wonder as she took in the magical scene.

“It’s so beautiful,” I whispered.

“Yes, it truly is,” she replied, her voice softly blending into the serene stillness of the forest. “Thank you... for coming here... with me.”

I turned to look at her, feeling as though my heart skipped a beat. She glanced back at me, but quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue. I couldn’t quite explain this feeling. The closeness between us felt like more than mere friendship, as if something deeper was beginning to take shape. Thinking about it, the whole notion seemed absurd—we hadn’t even known each other for a full 24 hours.

“You...” I began, wanting to say something, but at that moment, a strong gust of wind swept through, tossing her hair into a wild cascade. A few strands fell across her face, partially obscuring it. Suddenly, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me. It was as if I had seen this moment before, but I couldn’t quite place where or when that feeling came from.

“Let me fix that,” I said, reaching out gently to brush the stray strands of hair away. But the moment my hand brushed against hers, we both froze. Our eyes met for a fleeting second, and I felt my breath catch in my chest. She quickly pulled back, stepping away as if to avoid my touch. I was left stunned, my arm suspended in mid-air for a few moments.

After a moment, Sylvia spoke, and I thought I could see a faint glimmer of tears welling up in her eyes, “I’m sorry… I…”

I forced a faint, awkward smile. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. We only just met today, after all. My actions were probably a bit too forward, weren’t they? I’m sorry!”

To my surprise, Sylvia shook her head vigorously. “No… no, that’s not it! I’m just angry at myself for being rude like this again! I’ve been trying so hard to change… all this time. I thought today I’d done well enough. I thought I’d finally overcome my shyness and managed to talk more. But in the end… I still can’t escape the person I used to be. I’m so useless!”

I fumbled awkwardly, my hands flailing in a panic. “Please… don’t cry! I don’t really understand what’s going on, but you… you’re not useless at all. I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet, but lunch today was amazing! And I’m also grateful that you brought me to such a wonderful place.”

Sylvia wiped away her tears, her expression seeming to brighten once more. “Really?! You liked it? That’s wonderful! I’m so happy!” Her eyes lit up with joy, shining even brighter than the firefly-filled sky around us.

After that, we quietly made our way back home. Yet, throughout the entire journey, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sylvia’s eyes. They held a mix of confusion and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite grasp. But there was one thing I was certain of: my heart had begun to recognize her as someone truly special.

In front of the porch, Narek and Lina were sitting together, chatting happily. I felt genuinely glad for the happiness of the soon-to-be-married couple, yet I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of loneliness myself. I wondered when it would finally be my turn to walk down the aisle as the main character, rather than being the reluctant groomsman like I was this time.

Both of them noticed our return. However, instead of waving or greeting us normally, they leaned forward and made some bizarre expression I couldn’t quite decipher. If I had to describe it, their eyes squinted slightly, giving off a mischievous vibe, paired with a half-smile that only added to their crafty. Their cheeks were slightly flushed, suggesting either excitement or some kind of mock shyness. What was most peculiar, though, was how identical their expressions were. Was this some kind of psychic connection between soon-to-be spouses?

But my question was quickly answered by another question from Narek, “Well, well! How romantic, huh? Holding hands, are you?”

At that moment, I suddenly looked down at my left hand, startled. Sylvia, too, glanced at her right hand in surprise. Neither of us could even remember when we had started holding hands on the way back. We quickly let go and hid our hands behind our backs, as if we’d been caught doing something wrong. My face flushed red, and when I glanced over at Sylvia, I saw that her face was even redder than mine.

Lina walked over to Sylvia, her eyes squinting in amusement as she grinned, “Well done! You didn’t let me down at all!” Sylvia pressed both hands to her cheeks, as if trying to cool down the heat radiating from them. “Stop talking!”, she exclaimed, her voice flustered.

PART 7 >>