Ceon breathed a sigh when he saw Finn cleaning his hands removing the glass specks ignoring the blood and pain.

That physical pain was nothing to Finn. Compared to that he wanted to numb his heartache.

​​

"If you don't beat me up, shall I ask you something?" Ceon was too careful while asking it.

Finn glanced at him and hummed. Ceon was his childhood friend so he didn't give the cold shoulder.

"When did you realize you love President Cooper?"

Finn who prepared two glass of drinks pushed one towards Ceon and leaned back on the couch, "Nine months and 12th day…"

--- Nine months, 12th day in Country S ---

Aria was rigorously preparing for the project and the presentation skipping her lunch.

Finn had gone to the canteen and brought some light food for themselves so that she could fill her stomach.

Aria who saw his hands knew he was bringing for her too and heard her stomach grumble. She smiled sheepishly at him after seeing his hands.

She just looked like a little school girl happy about seeing a candy but her expression suddenly changed to surprise as a mesmeric smile crept on her face.

That smile, her sparkling eyes, and her face glowing with happiness froze him.

The sun looked dim for him looking at her.

He could feel definitely raising his heartbeats seeing her dropping her things down and running towards him.

That dainty little girl had a smile to be transfixed on her.

In those mere ten seconds, he had felt there was nobody in the world other than her and him.

He had felt time seemed to be slow-moving looking at her.

He felt weirdly content which he hadn't felt for anything or anybody.

He had almost felt like she was going to embrace him but she passed by him saying, "Alan..."

He could feel his heart weighing down as his gaze followed her and turned to see the mystic man. That man's captivating smile appeared when she went to him.

"Alan…" Aria never had enough of calling his name and jumped on her toes throwing herself on his tall frame.

Alan wrapped a hand around her and another gently rubbed her head as he balanced himself pressing his feet on the car behind him when she excitedly hugged him.

"I missed you." Aria whined in his arms feeling ecstatic to see him.

Even though that man looked cold to everyone, he was full of warmth to her. Even though she seemed unemotional to many, her every emotion was only for that man.

That scene was so good to watch but Finn's heart suddenly felt completely empty. Like somebody stole a part of him.

The surrounding which he had felt mute suddenly felt too noisy.

He felt like he was nobody that he had never felt.

The pain which he had never felt was rising in his chest.

---

Finn chugged his whiskey down trying to get over the pain he was feeling.

Ceon sighed looking at him. He really felt bad for Finn.

Even though Finn was hanging around with girls five years earlier, everyone knew he wasn't attached to anybody.

He always listened to his brain to do anything. When he finally heard his heart, he lost it leaving him numb to everything.

He understood why Finn was feeling disgusted around any girls he arranged for him. Aria and those were trillions of miles apart.

"First of all, why the hell did you go to that college? Did you perhaps fall in love with her and followed her to country S?"

Finn smiled bitterly hearing his questions, "Perhaps... Perhaps I was just attracted to her but I wasn't in love before leaving here."

"You guys were in country S for five whole years and you are in love for more than four years. Why didn't you confess to her? Does she know about your feelings? She is single right now, why aren't you confessing to her? She knows you well, I don't think she will reject you, talk to her. How about I meet her? No, You should confess to showing your sincerity, I shouldn't. Since you love her, why don't you propose to her directly?..."

Ceon continued his heap of questions.

Finn leisurely stood up and collected a file from the drawer. He didn't disturb Ceon who continued for the whole five minutes and asked the last question.

"... Why aren't you talking?"

Finn humorlessly chuckled, "Are you testing my memory?"

Coen's lips twitched looking at his fake nonchalance.

Finn held the file which he took and spoke, "This file information is very important for you. If you want this, agree with me."

'Important to me?' Ceon frowned.

"Agree what?"

Finn didn't respond and played dumb drinking his whiskey.

Ceon was frustrated after some time, "Fine, I'll do as you say."

Finn passed the file to him as he spoke, "Nobody should get to know about who I love."

Ceon who was flipping the file to check, threw it at him, "Keep this. And what the f**k do you mean by nobody should get to know? When are you going to confess to Aria Cooper?"

Finn rubbed his forehead. He knew Ceon wouldn't listen to him once he knew about Aria.

Holding to rationality, he spoke calmly, "I can't lose her. The day I will confess will become the day she will start staying away from me."

He knew well, Aria would never let Alan feel insecure even if he trusts her with all his heart.

Ceon blurted out in anger, "It isn't like she is with you. You don't have her in the first place to lose."

He doesn't have her?

Of course, he has her as a good friend.

Finn felt like his friend lost his brain.

"We are really good friends. I can meet her when I want. If I just call her out, she will come. She doesn't feel insecure around me. Once I confess, she will keep me away. Probably, completely shut me from her little world."

With that, he knew Aria trusted only a handful of people so he didn't want her to doubt him or his family members' intentions.

Ceon never really saw Finn in melancholy. The more he heard Finn, he realized how deeply he was in love with Aria Cooper.

"Why are you being negative? She will accept you."

"Ceon, Even if I had a 0.1 percent chance, I would have confessed long back. No more talk about this."

"She is single." He wasn't ready to give up.

Finn breathed long to be calm, "It doesn't matter. I don't stand a chance."

"But..."

Finn irritatingly grunted, "Ceon."

His cold fierce tone shut Ceon's mouth.

Ceon felt wronged. He felt Aria was too haughty and purposefully ruining Finn's heart. He decided to talk to her.