章 22: Meeting in the Rain
Taken aback by how a hooded figure falls face first on the cold, hard ground, Anastasia decided to grab her umbrella and rush out of the bakery.
But then, as soon as she reaches the sidewalk, she suddenly halts on her tracks. Though she doesn't sense anything dangerous with this person, she still feels the need to be cautious around strangers.
This one in particular is a little beyond strange. There's something about them that just seems to tell a tragedy or some sort of mishap. They even match the dull and gloomy weather with how pitiful and helpless they look.
"Hey, you there...!" Anastasia called out from the sidewalk, still maintaining her distance.
"Are you alright?!"
After hearing her voice, the person finally budges and tries to push themselves up from the floor. But then, their body appears to be trembling. Even their arms look wobbly as they try to stand up.
Then again, with the harshly biting cold wind, anyone would shiver to the bones. Even then, the hooded figure still continues to struggle to regain their bearings. They first try to kneel down on all fours until they suddenly slip once more.
"Oh, gosh... This is getting harder to watch," Anastasia grimaced out loud, eyeing the person with concern.
It appears like she really needs to go there at this rate.
With that, she eventually decided to walk closer and take a better look, but only for her to gasp in surprise the moment she did so. She might as well be seeing a breathing corpse right there and then.
"Hey, you look really pale now! Can you get up?" she started once more, bending her knees to check closer.
"Ughhhhh..." the person groaned, pain evident in their voice.
At that moment, they tilt up their head and look at her, showing their face at last. This got her gasping in flummox once again, her eyes widening like saucers.
It turns out to be an all-too familiar face that she just happened to meet personally today.
"Lucien August?!" she bolted out in her head as she froze on the spot.
The teen model has his whole body drenched in rain all over. His breathing is laborious and unsteady while his once brilliant crimson irises completely lost their luster.
Lucien just keeps staring at Anastasia for the next seconds to come. He appears to be out of it, though. It's as if he doesn't even have the remaining energy to react surprised by her sudden appearance.
Then, time ticks by for what seems like a fleeting eternity.
In the midst of that dim, empty street and under the clamorous weather, two young souls only continue exchanging looks without really realizing the significance of this fateful encounter.
---
Anastasia never thought that her birthday would take such a turn at the last minute.
The bakery had its last guest for today, and he happened to be not just any ordinary person out there. Up until this very second, she can't believe that the very 'Lucien August' himself is now under their home's roof.
"Well, it didn't really matter who this person turned out to be. As long as they're someone in need, I would certainly help them," she thought silently as she prepared a hot cup of chocolate drink.
For the meantime, Anastasia decided to take Lucien inside the bakery. He is too weak and cold to be at a state where he can explain himself properly, so she just takes it upon herself to invite him inside for shelter.
As of this moment, he's sitting on the waiting bench of the bakery, using a towel to rub his hair dry and splattering droplets of rainwater all over the floor. While he's busy doing this, she proceeds to place a small table in front of him and puts the chocolate drink on top of it.
"Have something warm for now..." Anastasia offered while regarding him from the opposite side of the table.
"Umm... Are you alright?"
Lucien finally pushes aside what he's doing at the moment and looks at her. His half-lidded crimson orbs seem to have regained a streak of light that somehow strikes a certain emotion through her.
It's her first time seeing him this up close, and she can't deny that he's indeed jaw-droppingly good-looking. But it's not really his frame that takes her aback the most here.
It's how empty and seemingly lifeless his eyes are.
"I would like to apologize for bothering you this late..." Lucien voiced out apologetically, casting down his gaze.
"And thank you for helping me out there."
"I-It's fine. You're no bother at all, and you're welcome..." Anastasia replied hastily, trying to reassure him.
"M-More importantly... May I ask what you're doing out there in this weather?"
At this, he seems to stiffen all of the sudden, his eyes widening a little. She then ends up quizzically tilting her head at such an unexpected reaction.
For some reason, the cause behind this famous personality's uncalled-for appearance in the middle of the rain appears to be much heavier than the one this baker's daughter has in mind.
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