The Kids Have Changed - Chapter 47.1

Meanwhile, Julien took a deep breath and quelled the questions that wanted to spill out.

‘Do you like long hair?’

‘Do you like brunettes? Brown eyes?’

‘Do you like people who can make pretty laces?’

Julien couldn’t speak since Carol would think him pathetic, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts, either.

It was the first time Sharon had expressed her preferences, and it made him worry.

He was ready to do whatever Sharon wanted, but Sharon only spoke about things he couldn’t change.

He thought that his heart would stop back then. He even thought to find and implore the one and only black magic practitioner in the world.

Please, make him a woman!

“What is it?”

Sharon asked. Julien had called her name, but he had gone silent. Julien sighed.

Sharon didn’t see it, even though she had been monopolizing all his time these days.

No matter how much Julien appealed to her inner feelings, Sharon did not budge. It was like a mithril shield, impenetrable even by magic.

Julien swept his hand through his hair to control his quaking heart.

That man named Huran she met not long ago, and the woman Sharen confessed was her type, too.

It all made him nervous.

And of course, what frightened him the most was Sharon, who did not recognize him.

Julien was full of emotions now. And instead of asking his pitiful questions, he gambled his overflowing sincerity.

No one could guess how Sharon would react.

“….I like you.“

***

Did I hear wrong?

“I really like you.”

My jaw dropped.

Was he talking to me?

Not Carol?

My head started to churn violently to parse what the crown prince was saying.

The word “like” has many meanings.

‘Like’ was often used in a more extensive sense than the word ‘love.’ Food you like, your favorite books, songs you enjoy.

‘Like’ was used to measure preferences.

It was also often used to show affection between friends.

Of course, it was also a common word used by lovers.

Thus, the relationship between me and the crown prince could be described as liking each other.

If I had to say how I felt about him, I would say that I liked him.

That was why.

That was what is was.

Julien was talking to me in that sense.

Carol was right beside us; there was no way that Julien would tell me that he likes me as the opposite sex.

I was just a supporting character in this world, a passing breeze, so how could I get emotionally involved with a protagonist?

Besides, I wasn’t even from this world.

It was something that could never happen.

My lips nearly cramped while I smiled, faux-casually.

If I reacted wrong here, it would only be me that becomes the fool.

I trembled as I opened my mouth to break the silence. I was trying my best not to be caught.

“I know. I also like you a lot! I’m proud of you. You even know how to tell your friends that you like them, Julien. You’ve grown up.”

That sounded natural, right?

From the side, I could hear Carol sigh and poke at her food with her fork.

Fortunately, nothing seemed wrong. Julien burst into uncontrollable laughter.

I didn’t guess wrong.

“Yeah.”

Julien said in a low voice.

My toes curled at his affirmation. My heart stung, like a porcupine was running around in my heart.

Even my hands clenched in quiet pain.

What was I like this? Did I hit my head? Why did I keep caring for him?!

I chewed on my lips. The anxiety that swirled around me kept pointing to one possibility.

That I… the prince.

It wasn’t like that.

But the prince didn’t even give me time to entertain my thoughts.

“I see. You…”

Julien stood while talking.

“I have to go. I have to show my face around, at least. Since Carol doesn’t like such things very much.”

For some reason, I couldn’t help but feel that he was rambling. But I didn’t have the opportunity to catch him and ask why before he left.

“Why is he like that…?”

I couldn’t understand. Carol answered,

“It’s nothing. He’s just weird! Hehehe. Sharon, eat this too.”

Distracted by Carol’s pestering, the image of the prince who looked strangely hurt was erased from my mind.

Or rather, I was so busy reflecting on my feelings that I couldn’t pay attention to him.

***

I hugged my knees.

It was the first time that the silence of the night had ever been so lonely.

My nights were always hard because of my nightmares, but I could count on my hands the number of times I couldn’t fall asleep at all.

Tonight was going to be one of those nights.

“Aaaack! Nara Lee! Don’t kid yourself!”

I slapped my cheeks loudly.

I was really going crazy.

How could I…

I knew how young he was. No, taking that aside, he was Carol’s fiancé.

They were already a matched pair.

“I’m crazy. How can I face Carol like this?”

I pressed on my chest with my right hand.

Thump.

Thump.

Just thinking of Julien made my heart pound. I wrung my fingers and bit my lips.

Stop it. Stop pounding so hard.

However, the beating of my unruly heart was hopeless.

Ha. I really had no backbone.

The romantic moments of late had mesmerized me. They had properly awakened me, who had been focused on living rather than love for a long time.

‘I pledge to my precious person that I will protect you forever.’

‘…I like you.’

Yes, everything… was because of Julien.

It was because he acted like that. Because he kept coaxing me with sweet words and actions. Because he looked at me like I was the most beautiful person in the world.

“…You make me misunderstand.”

My voice sounded resigned even to me.

I acknowledged it.

I liked the crown prince as a man.