Surprisingly, the fall didn’t hurt as much as Silas expected. Opening his eyes, he realized why.

Beneath him, having softened his fall, lay Cecil with a look of pain on his face.

“Are you alright?” Silas quickly got up and helped Cecil sit up. Sitting on the ground, Cecil rubbed his aching head.

“If you wanted to save me from dying, you did a bad job because that fall? It definitely almost killed me,” Cecil said with a look of annoyance.

“Sorry, I guess I was a little too hasty—”

“Wait, so you really thought I was going to jump?” Cecil looked bewildered at Silas.

Seeing the guilt written on Silas’s face, Cecil couldn’t keep the look of annoyance and burst out laughing. “I just came here to relax and get a change of scenery!”

“Relax on the rooftop?” Silas was unable to understand how someone who had just gotten their heart broken would go to the rooftop to relax. Was he the weird one for assuming something worse?

Between Cecil’s laughs, he managed to lift an arm that was holding his belly and motion for Silas to take a look around.

Doing as he was told, Silas finally realized where his thoughts had gone wrong. The rooftop wasn’t a bleak cement monster; it was a green garden filled with flowers and benches to relax in the shade.

Since when did this building have a garden?

Seeing Silas’s surprised face with his mouth slightly open, so different than usual, Cecil laughed even harder.

With a sigh, Silas shook his head. As long as it made Cecil happy, he didn’t mind being a fool.

After Silas helped Cecil up from the ground, the two of them went to sit down in the shade.

“I have to apologize again for reacting so hastily and hurting you in the process.”

“No worries, and if someone has to apologize, it’s me. If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have been by the pool and fallen in…”

Silas shook his head. “If it hadn’t been for you being there, I would have drowned. Not to mention—I led you to the pool.”

Turning his gaze to Silas, Cecil furrowed his brows. “That reminds me. Why are you even at work? Didn’t an ambulance drive you away?”

Leaning back, Silas let his eyes wander through the beautiful garden. “It was nothing serious. I only passed out from shock.”

This garden could really cleanse the soul.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“From shock, huh? I have never met a person who is afraid of water.”

The corner of Silas’s mouth lifted. He took a look at the person next to him, whose face was still contemplating his ‘fear of water’. It seemed like the garden and this person had a lot in common.

Silas relaxed his shoulders, and the tension of the last days disappeared.

“How do you wash yourself if you are afraid of water—”

“Just like you,” Silas interrupted him. “I’m not afraid of water; I just can’t swim.”

Cecil’s face turned into an ‘O’ shape, and then he nodded in understanding.

After a while of silence, Silas spoke. “Sorry for meddling in your business. You took the matter better than I expected, so I guess I’ll head—” He turned his head to look at Cecil, “—back…”

The other was sitting next to him silently, while tears were streaming down his face.

Sighing, Silas reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief. Silas wanted to hand it to Cecil, but seeing that the other was not reacting, he gripped Cecil’s chin and turned his face toward himself. Then he carefully wiped away the other’s tears.

Why must this little cutie be so obsessed with that prick?

Silas swore that if it were him, he would treat Cecil better.

“I thought everything was okay.”

“Well, it was, hic—but once we stopped talking, the tears came again, hic—” Silas petted his back comfortingly.

“Why would he laugh at my confession? Is it so absurd to go out with me?”

“No, of course not. Every guy should be happy if you like them. Louis is just a big, blind idiot with no taste.”

Cecil’s eyes lit up, and he stomped his foot. “You’re right! I could have anyone in the world if I wanted. Many would beg to be my boyfriend!”

Hearing Cecil’s words, Silas laughed. How could such a bright young man be caught by Louis?

Next to him, Cecil stared blankly at Silas. “How beautiful.”

Silas and Cecil’s eyes met, but Silas looked away as if burned.

He scolded his heart that was beating faster after hearing Cecil’s words. How could he lust after someone whose heart just got broken? Especially since they were incompatible anyway. Falling for the other would only end in heartbreak.

Noticing Silas’s unease, Cecil tried to explain. “I’m not joking. I truly meant it. I was just surprised because it was the first time I saw it.”

Screw it.

Turning his head back, Silas gave Cecil a sheepish smile. “You really know how to make the hearts of others flutter. If you continue to say words like that, I might end up falling for you.”

Cecil’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened in surprise.

Maybe that had been too much. “I’m just joking with you.” Silas turned serious. “Forget about Louis and find someone who can truly make you happy.”

After lifting his head that had previously been lowered in embarrassment for almost taking Silas’s joke seriously, Cecil nodded.

“I guess I should still congratulate you. You’re really a decent man to even comfort your love rival.”

Silas froze. “Congratulate me for what?”

Cecil looked at him puzzled. “Well, obviously you getting together with Louis.”

“No.” Silas looked at this adorable little idiot and said with emphasis, “No!”

“I may have had interest in Louis in the beginning, but I don’t like ungrateful bulls.”

Cecil looked at him with big eyes and then patted his head in comfort. “So, I guess we’re both brokenhearted?”

Silas sighed while looking at the sky. He was never in love with Louis to begin with, okay?

***

As Cecil was lying in bed later that day, Silas’s words wouldn’t leave him alone. He was lying in bed, but instead of sleeping, Cecil was just rolling from one side to the other, replaying Silas’s words.

‘Forget about Louis.’

Although his talk with Silas had made the heaviness in his chest disappear, he still felt uneasy deep down.

Louis had been with him for so long that Cecil could not imagine a life without him, and if he did imagine it, he felt scared. All the darkness reappeared once he tried to forget the only person who brought light into his world.

His breathing became hard when he thought of being alone again.

Then Silas’s smile appeared in his mind.

Silas was a smart man, so his advice would benefit him. Cecil felt like he could trust the other.

After taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he felt ready. So Cecil groped around the bed to find his phone, which he had carelessly dropped somewhere on the bed.

Once he found it, he did the only thing he could think of—ask the internet for advice.

Searching the web for answers to his question, Cecil stumbled upon an article with the headline ‘To forget an old love, you need a new love.’

In that moment, Cecil felt like a new window had appeared in front of him.

If he had someone else be the light, then the darkness could never reach him. He was a true genius! Jumping up from bed, he danced out of happiness.

Wait.

Cecil’s movements came to a halt.

Who the heck was this new love supposed to be?

Cecil’s arms fell down, and he stared into the room. Did he know any high-quality men who were gentle, good-looking, but not promiscuous?

Suddenly, a face with black-rimmed glasses appeared before him. The man was good-looking, had a good personality, and was single. Not to mention, he also recently lost his love, so he also needed a new one.

Wasn’t this what they called a match made in heaven?

In his excitement, his gaze fell on the handkerchief on the desk in his room.

That’s it! What better excuse is there than to meet someone to return something to them?

A smile spread on his face.

He really was a genius.