Sleeves Flowing in Spring

It was the kind of attitude you showed someone who was above you.

My dad was already a man of status in the city.

Yet, there was someone else he had to carefully accommodate.

However, Ryan did not stay at our house for long. Less than half a year later, he left. I never knew where he went.

The next time I saw him was on that fateful day… It started with a text message that came out of the blue.

I received an address, and it was our school gym.

The sender was Ryan, whom I had not heard from in years.

So, I went to the gym. What I saw was Ethan pinning Claire against the wall and kissing her.

I had always thought Ethan merely looked down on me. I never expected him to cheat.

On top of that, it was with Claire of all people.

I would not lie. At that moment, I lost all reason. Just as I was about to rush out and confront them, someone suddenly grabbed my hand from behind.

The Ryan standing before me right then was nothing like the boy from my childhood.

I had always thought that he would grow into a warm and sunny guy.

However, the man before me clearly had nothing to do with warmth or sunshine.

His eyes were dark and unreadable. His movements were completely silent. His face was somehow even more striking than I remembered. Yet, it sent an inexplicable chill down my spine.

As he looked at me with a teasing gaze, I flinched.

He leaned in and spoke next to my ear. “I heard he’s your boyfriend. He’s screwing around behind your back. What do you think?”

I remained silent.

It was my first time seeing Ryan again after five years.

It just had to be when my boyfriend and best friend were busy making out, like they could not bear to part.

Ryan casually reached up and straightened the ribbon on my school uniform. “Want to get even?” he asked with a smile.

…

It was my eighteenth birthday today, but it was not going great.

This afternoon, I caught my boyfriend and my best friend all over each other.

At night, I called my dad, only for him to tell me that his flight got delayed. He would not be coming home to celebrate with me.

“You’re eighteen now, right? You’re an adult. So, stop doing childish things like celebrating your birthday.”

His voice over the phone was laced with exhaustion.

Even so, I still wanted to talk back.

“If you don’t come back, I’ll start smoking, drinking, perming my hair, and getting tattoos!”

On the other end, he let out a dry chuckle.

“Do whatever you want.”

Then, he hung up.

I glared at my phone, but the screen was already dark.

The sharp click of a lighter echoed in the quiet. Ryan held a cigarette between his lips and stared at me boldly.

I felt an urge to do something rebellious. So, I curled a finger at him.

“Ryan, teach me how to smoke.”

It was funny because I hated it when Ethan smoked. But somehow, the way Ryan held a cigarette between his lips looked effortlessly cool.

He slowly pulled out his pack and slid a cigarette free before holding it out to me.

“Hold it in your mouth.”

I parted my lips and took it between my teeth.

The flickering glow of the lighter cast shifting shadows across his face as he lit his cigarette first.

Then, he leaned closer with the cigarette between his lips. The faint ember at the tip brushed against mine.

His lashes were long. When he was focused, there was almost a softness to him.

That was when I lost my grip.

The cigarette slipped from my lips and fell to the ground with a small thud.

Ryan looked at me and snorted.

“Forget it. You can’t even hold one properly.”

…

The night you became an adult, should there not be at least some recklessness?

That thought crossed my mind as I curled up on Ryan’s couch.

How did I even end up at his place?

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. I stared at the tightly shut door while I was lost in thought.

Ryan’s house was massive. It had three stories and a garden, yet it was completely empty.

Just as I was zoning out, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I took it and saw a message from Ethan.

[I got you lipstick. It cost over nine hundred dollars. Happy?]