章 45: Fragments of What We Were    

[BONUS Chapter for reaching 100 PS! Thank you all!]

"Of course you don't."

The memory hit me like a wave crashing over jagged rocks, pulling me back to a time when things were simpler—yet somehow more painful.

"When we were younger, I used to follow you around everywhere. Like a shadow that wouldn't disappear," I began, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "You never wanted me there, though. You never liked having me around. I was just . . . annoying to you."

I looked down at the cream puff in my hand, a smile tugging at my lips despite the bitter taste of the past. "But every year, on my birthday, there'd be this little box of cream puffs waiting for me. I used to think it was from my mother. That maybe, just maybe, she cared enough to get me something for the first time."