บท 61: Self introduction

Jennifer stood at the doorway of the hospital room, watching with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation at everything happening inside. Unexpectedly, Renly had entered and exited in less than a minute. Jennifer stepped aside, allowing a clear path from the door. Renly emerged, their eyes briefly met, and they exchanged a polite nod. Jennifer then turned her attention back to the room, her concern for Hazel growing.

Within the room, the stark whiteness exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine. Hazel sat motionless, her gaze fixed on the kite before her. Dim light outlined her tense muscles, revealing a sense of powerlessness. The anger and emptiness, the uncontrolled emotions, seemed to cascade down like gentle rain, as if time itself had halted on her frail shoulders, forgetting to move forward.

Compared to her earlier outburst and rage, this version of Hazel was even more heartrending.

At that moment, Hazel's right hand hesitated, rising slightly toward the kite as if to touch it. Yet, internal fear arrested her movement. Her fingers, suspended in mid-air, were pale and delicate, trembling slightly, betraying her vulnerability and struggle.

Jennifer's nose prickled with a sensation of sadness. She lowered her head in disarray, wiping the dampness from her eyes. As she took a step forward to enter the room, the man beside her moved ahead, obstructing the doorway with a subtle shake of his head. His silent refusal carried an air of undeniable authority.

This left Jennifer baffled and irate. She was about to protest, but he shook his head again, saying nothing. Instead, he gazed toward the room. Jennifer followed his gaze involuntarily, observing Hazel's right hand slowly descending, her shoulders slumping, enveloped by sorrow.

Just when Jennifer thought Hazel might crumble under the weight, Hazel straightened her posture once more. She sat silently, fixing her gaze on the butterfly kite again. She neither reached for it nor reclined. She simply maintained her seated position. Though the change was subtle, Jennifer could sense Hazel's previously turbulent emotions gradually settling.

A miracle of sorts.

"What's happening?" Jennifer pondered in bewilderment. She was about to ask Renly for insight when, from the corner of her eye, she caught Hazel turning her head. Anxious, Jennifer spun around, pressing herself against the wall, away from the glass window of the room's door, ensuring she remained unseen.

Her heart raced, thudding against her chest. This moment felt suffocating, almost unbearable. When she finally turned back, Jennifer noticed Renly on the other side, mirroring her position. Both clung to the wall like geckos, wearing expressions of alarm. Their appearance held a touch of indescribable absurdity, causing Jennifer to stifle a chuckle before realizing it was inappropriate. She bit her lip, suppressing the laughter.

They maintained their positions briefly. Then Jennifer observed as Renly stood up gracefully, their demeanor calm. Confused for a moment, Jennifer soon grasped that they were no longer near the glass of the room's door. There was no need for such dramatic concealment. They weren't in a spy movie, and there were no omnipresent cameras.

As this realization dawned, Jennifer straightened herself, tucking her stray hair behind her ear, concealing her embarrassment. From the corner of her eye, she saw Renly stride away from the room. Hastening her steps, she caught up, matching their stride. With urgency, she asked, "What just happened? Is Hazel really okay?"

Renly halted his steps, but Jennifer, in her momentary lapse of awareness, walked a bit further, unintentionally overshooting. She too came to a stop, pivoting to face Renly directly. However, she maintained a two-step distance between them, not closing the gap.

"I don't know," Renly replied, leaving Jennifer even more puzzled. "What?" she responded, her brows furrowing.

Renly shrugged, repeating, "I said, I don't know." Then, he continued, "I don't know if Hazel is fine or what's on her mind. I'm just trying to treat her as a friend. If my friend suddenly disappeared for almost half a year, unable to party or celebrate with me, I'd be disappointed and maybe even angry. Friendship fades over time. If I had a headache and a fever, I'd want someone to care for me, but not be overly loud, because my head already aches enough without added noise."

Initially, Jennifer had wanted to retort, but gradually, her shoulders sagged, and her previous momentum deflated. It wasn't because Renly's words were particularly wise, but because his underlying message was clear: Hazel didn't need pity, assistance, or motivation—she needed a friend.

Reflecting on her earlier actions, Jennifer realized she might have been too hasty. "I'm sorry," she sighed in frustration, "I just..." She hesitated, unable to find the right words, which left her feeling defeated. "I just wanted to help."

"Me too," Renly's tone remained calm. "We're all Hazel's friends. I believe there are different kinds of friends—people like me, people like you. It's these differences that make life colorful."

"Are you consoling me, or mocking me?" Jennifer knew she had much to learn about her future interactions with Hazel. Upon hearing Renly's words, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Lifting his hands in surrender, Renly quipped, "People tend to hear what they want to."

His words carried a rich irony, yet not cutting; instead, there was a faint warmth. Jennifer bit her lip, unable to suppress a chuckle. She nodded, acknowledging his insight. Lifting her head again, she confidently met Renly's gaze. "Regarding what happened at the Los Angeles airport, I think I owe you an apology."

"No, it's actually me who should apologize," Renly expressed his regret proactively. In a crowded public space like the airport, he shouldn't have been wearing earbuds.

Jennifer chuckled lightly, surprised by Renly's response. On reflection, both their encounters had begun with misunderstandings and ended with her own embarrassment. "Perhaps we should stop apologizing further, or people might start thinking I stole your girlfriend."

Interpreted this way, Renly burst into joyful laughter, lowering his jaw slightly. "That's a reasonable explanation."

Jennifer's mood lightened. "But there's one thing. I have a tendency to be impatient, always rushing headlong. I must work on that. So, I do owe you an apology."

"I thought we had moved past that phase," Renly's smile made Jennifer pause for a moment. After thoughtful consideration, she asked, "Has anyone ever told you? You don't seem like a British person."

Renly widened his eyes, surprised. "Is that... a good thing? Or a bad thing?"

Jennifer realized her misstep in expression and waved her hands apologetically. "Look at me, once again talking without restraint. What I mean is, your choice of words, your tone—it's like you're someone who emerged from Cambridge or Oxford. But your smile..." Seeing Renly's smile growing deeper, Jennifer rolled her eyes helplessly, finding herself at a loss. "Well, my personality is clearly going crazy again. Just pretend you didn't hear that."

In truth, British people weren't overly given to smiling. They even refused to converse on the subway. Their smiles held a certain detachment and coldness. Distances between individuals were quite pronounced, especially in London. Yet Renly's smile was like that of... a child. Jennifer recalled Renly flying kites with the kids downstairs earlier—it certainly wasn't what one might expect from a Brit.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Renly said with a light laugh. Jennifer burst into hearty laughter. "So, was that flirting just now?" She couldn't help but entertain herself with the idea, her laughter echoing softly through the corridor. Realizing her lack of propriety, she quickly covered her mouth.

Renly spread his hands with a smile, raising an eyebrow gently. "If that was flirting, then we both did a terrible job."

Jennifer nodded, her face carrying a playful disdain. Then, she extended her right hand politely. "I believe we missed an important step. Second-time meeting, the gentleman is Renly Hall."

Indeed, Renly had forgotten this formality, as he took it for granted that he already knew the other party. Still, he extended his right hand. "Second-time meeting... mademoiselle?" Renly's quizzical tone prompted Jennifer to wrinkle her nose, expressing her protest. "I'm Jennifer Lawrence."

Their right hands met in a friendly shake, instantly bridging the distance between them, exuding a sense of formality and solemnity. They shook hands twice gently.

"I have something to attend to shortly. I won't linger here today. Until next time," Renly bid farewell politely with a nod and a slight bow. He then walked around Jennifer and headed toward the direction of the elevators.

Jennifer turned around, waving her hand friendly toward Renly's departing figure. "Goodbye."

After a few steps, Renly's stride halted once again. Annie was seated once more on the orange stool, looking unhappy. Clearly, today's mission hadn't been completed. Renly patted Annie's chubby head, whispered a couple of sentences, and witnessed her face crinkling up in a frown. However, a glimmer of laughter shone in her eyes. Renly burst into hearty laughter.

Without delay, he rose, heading toward the elevator. He greeted the nursing station nurses with a wave before quickly disappearing into the elevator.

Jennifer turned in another direction, resuming her volunteer work. The afternoon was far from over.