I Thought I Tamed The Villain

There's only one person I can go now to.
Decided, I headed to the clinic.

 

 

[Ms.
Hailey]: Iris.
I think you're still too young to say that.

 

Ms.
Hailey replied steadily, keeping her eyes fixed on the thick book.
Still, it was a good thing that she didn't ignore what I was saying.

 

[Iris]: Does Ms.
Haley have any friends?

[Ms.
Hailey]: Yes.
I knew children see me as something other than human, but I was embarrassed to be asked that.

 

Ms.
Hailey replied with an unmotivated face.

 

[Iris]: Well, for me, it's not that I don't think I have friends.
We were just throwing in topics to open up conversations.

 

Note: The conversation above confuses me so pls forgive me for any inaccuracy

 

When I said that, Mrs.
Haley's expression changed strangely.

 

[Ms.
Hailey]: You keep saying strange things.
I don't think you were the kind of kid I knew before.

[Iris]: Children grow up every day.

 

I replied casually.
I shifted my gaze to the teacup she was drinking.

 

[Iris]: Can I have a cup of tea?

[Ms.
Hailey]: Sure

 

Ms.
Hailey shrugged lightly, as if she didn't care anymore.
She prepared tea for me.

 

[Ms.
Hailey]: So, what's wrong with Iris, who grew up every day and has become so comfortable that she has a casual conversation with her teacher over thirty?

[Iris]: My friend avoids me all of a sudden.

[Ms.
Hailey]: I'm glad it's a concern that doesn't surprise me anymore.

[Iris]: But you know, I'm not a kid who doesn't grasp the thoughts of kids my age, do I? But I just don't know why he's desperately avoiding me.

 

Ms.
Hailey listened to me as she tied up her scarlet hair.
She gave me the usual answer.

 

[Ms.
Hailey]: Well.
If you're talking about a friend, I think you're talking about that kid who is a little weird, but he's not an ordinary kid, is he?

[Iris]: Yes.
So is there some other particular reason?

[Ms.
Hailey]: Usually, I think about the last conversation or the situation.

[Iris]: If it's the last conversation we had….

 

I looked at the tea in the teacup and thought about it.

 

[Iris]: I told him that when we were old enough to leave the orphanage, we would have to say goodbye.

[Ms.
Hailey]: Good.
I think your concerns have been resolved.

 

Ms.
Haley nodded lucidly.
He quickly lifted his quill, trying to get back to his business.

 

[Iris]: Wait a minute! But I even told him that it wouldn't change that we were friends.

[Ms.
Hailey]: I see.
That's exciting.

 

But the teacher already seemed less interested in my concerns.
She sipped her black tea and teased her hands busily.

 

[Iris]: But it can't be helped, right? I and Theo can't be together forever unless we get married.

[Ms.
Hailey]: ……Iris.
I think you just set fire to a ten-year-old boy's heart.

 

Ms.
Hailey said calmly to me as I was spitting out a fever.

 

[Iris]: What do you mean by that?

[Ms.
Hailey]: I mean I just saw a head with black hair running.
I think he was listening to our conversation.

[Iris]: Oh, my God.

 

I heard her and jumped up from my seat.
Mrs.
Haley looked at me squinting.

 

[Ms.
Hailey]: Your ankle seems to be perfectly healed.
So now you to come here…..

 

I ran away without listening to her until the end.

 

[Iris]: Theo!

 

I shouted, and the black-haired boy came to a halt.

 

[Iris]: Have you been thinking about that all this time? How can we stay together?

 

I inched in steps, as if approaching a frightened wild animal.

 

[Theo]: Yes, that's right.

 

Theo didn't look back at me.
I tried to anticipate what Theo would look like.

 

[Iris]: I'm like, too, I don't want to break up with you.
No matter what happens.

 

'Gotcha!'

 

I crept over and grabbed Theo's hand, whispering to myself.

 

[Iris]: Theo.
Don't think too badly of a breakup.

[Theo]: I don't want to do that.
If you don't break up in the first place, you won't have to suffer and see each other again.

 

'What's that nonsense?'

 

I barely swallowed the words that had risen to the top of my throat and remained silent.

 

[Theo]: I kept thinking.
And I decided to experience what it would be like to be separated from you.

[Iris]: That's why you avoided me?

 

Fortunately, not all of my predictions were wrong.
I felt bad for my cute friend.
I was the first friend he had ever made since he was born, so I knew how special I meant to Theo.

 

[Iris]: Don't worry, Theo.
Nothing like your concern is going to happen.

[Thep]: You know what I'm worried about?

 

Theo said so and slowly turned his head towards me.

 

[Iris]: Uh.

 

And I had no choice but to slowly shut up.
When I saw Theo's face, I realized.

 

[Theo]: After all, I can't be apart from you, Iris.
I mean, you have to marry me, no matter what.

 

It's not that I caught Theo, it's that Theo is holding me.

 

[Iris]: ……Huh?

 

I muttered.
If you were told this by the average ten-year-old, most would just laugh it off.
He's still young, so that's fair enough.
When friends feel like everything in life.
And I did.

But I couldn't laugh at Theo's words in that way.

 

For Theo's possessiveness, standing before my eyes, and calmly holding in my hands, hardly belonged to an ordinary ten-year-old boy.
Theo's feelings for me weren't just regrets that he didn't want to break up.

 

It was an obsession to hold on no matter what.

 

It seemed similar, but it was a distinctly different feeling.

 

[Theo]: Iris you said so.
You and I can't be together forever unless you're family.

[Iris]: Yes, that's correct.

[Theo]: So the good side is that when you become a family, you can stay together all the time, right?

 

I was speechless.

 

That's right! But…..

 

[Iris]: Theo, we're still ten.

 

Don't you think we're still too young to talk about that?

 

[Theo]: That's not that important.
What really matters is whether you decide to do it or not.

 

I frowned and looked at Theo.
To be honest, I didn't fully understand what Theo was talking about.

 

[Iris]: So you mean it's important for me to decide to marry you? It doesn't matter what actually happens.

[Theo]: That's right.

 

I bit my lip and was in distress.
I didn't know where to start or how to explain it to Theo.

 

[Iris]: Theo.
I think you're mistaken about something….
Marriage isn't like that.
People who love each other….

[Theo]: I love you

[Iris]: What?

 

What is he talking about?

 

Theo's red eyes were staring only at me.
There was no sort of naivety or cruelty in him.
On the contrary, it revealed feelings darker and fishier than those of adults.

 

[Theo]: I know that much.
Marriage is a vow between a man and a woman who love each other to be together for the rest of their lives.

 

I took a step back from Theo.
But then, Theo's face instantly hardened when he saw me step back.

 

[Iris]: ……!

[Theo]: Why are you running away?

 

It was hard to meet Theo's eyes as he stared at me.
Theo stepped closer to me and grabbed my wrist.

 

[Theo]: Are you scared of me?

[Iris]: It's not that….

 

I hurriedly shook my hand in embarrassment.
Theo closed his eyes and laughed at my awkward laugh.

 

[Theo]: Right? It's not.
But why are you trying to run away?

 

I felt like I was choking.
Theo's face lit up when I was forced to answer no.
I felt as if I had faced a side of Theo that I had never seen before.

 

No, maybe this was Theo's original form.
It was something I had forgotten for a moment.

 

That Theo was no ordinary child.

 

'This is more than swearing or punching….'

 

I felt more reluctant than when I first met Theo and heard harsh words from him.

 

[Theo]: When we turn fourteen, let's make a covenant between the two of us.
No, it would be better now.
And as soon as you're an adult, we can have a wedding.

[Iris]: Theo.
You need to calm down.

 

Theo came closer to me.

 

[Theo]: Why? You don't like me?

[Iris]: I don't mean that.

 

I was perplexed.
I felt that I wasn't even able to express my feelings by saying I was embarrassed.
Somehow nervous, it was hard to know how to define this feeling of fear for Theo, who was still a child.

 

[Theo]: Iris you lifted me off the floor.

 

Theo furrowed his brow as I continued to react negatively, seemingly hurt.

 

 

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