The Hard But Easy
Chapter 11

"Actually, I did take you out to eat and luckily you wanted to." Jonathan started the conversation after getting two fish and chips. Now they're heading to Brooklyn Bridge Park to eat there. It could be said they would have a picnic, a picnic in the middle of winter.

Eliza Fern tightened her coat. The weather today was so cold, white steam was even billowing as Eliza exhaled. It could be predicted in the near future that snow is likely to fall. Eliza raised her head, then turned to look at Jonathan. The man noticed Eliza.

"Cooling?" tanyakanya.

Eliza nodded then Jonathan stopped his steps⸻followed by Eliza. Jonathan took both of Eliza's hands and clasped the girl's hands with his hands occasionally rubbing them.

Jonathan doesn't know that his treatment makes Eliza's face heat up, even her heart beating. Eliza held her breath for a moment.

"Now still?"

No, it's much warmer. Eliza spoke in her heart, unable to speak. He just focused on staring at Jonathan, staring at that black iris.

"Eliza?" Call Jonathan again.

"Hm?" Eliza immediately pulled out her hand and cleared her throat, "i've been feeling better, thank you." The girl walked ahead of Jonathan.

"You okay?" jonathan asked when he was next to Eliza, "want me to go home?"

Eliza shook her head, "it's okay."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." Yeah." Answer with a smile.

"Your face is a little red, I think you're really cold." Jonathan says.

Ooh, God! Jonathan saw. How shameful Eliza is now.

"I'm doing fine. My face is like this sometimes." Clearly Eliza, hiding the shame.

"Oh okay."

Then the two continued on without a sound. Jonathan was focusing on his surroundings, the view of the city was a bit blurry due to the appearance of fog, plus the air was getting colder. Actually he was a bit sorry to take Eliza out when the weather was cold like this. Then the man turned his head back to the side and unexpectedly Jonathan immediately grasped Eliza's right hand, until the girl turned her head in shock with Jonathan's treatment.

"It's okay, right?" tanyakanya. He didn't have to ask because he did it more.

"Hm." Eliza answered. He still controls his heartbeat. Eliza did not want Jonathan to hear this noisy heartbeat. Maybe Eliza's face is like a boiled crab.

Jonathan is very dangerous to Eliza, especially to Eliza's weak heart.

When he reached his destination, Jonathan immediately invited Eliza to sit on a long bench near the river. The weather is rather foggy, so the view across the river is not very clear, but usually the view of tall buildings at the end there will look beautiful, especially coupled with the Broklyn bridge that stretches between the buildings.

"It looks like snow is coming soon." Jonathan opened the fish and chips he had bought, and handed them to Eliza.

"Thank you." Eliza replied stuttering, then she cleared her throat a little. "just a little later on Christmas, so the possibility of snow coming quickly is natural."

"I wish I could see the first snow with a special person." Jonathan said while looking at Eliza.

For whatever reason, Eliza was mistaken for Jonathan. What does Jonathan mean?

Eliza did not want to hope, but seeing that gaze from Jonathan's eyes made her weaken. That special person Jonathan was referring to...

Sebenanrya, if Eliza goes straight home after this is no problem. After all, Eliza doesn't really work for Amelia. Eliza is just filling her free time there, especially with fellow women. Quality time is important to him.

But Eliza just realized, whether this is strange or how, but... Jonathan Darrel sounds so chatty today. He is the one who babbles a lot, while Eliza just chooses silence. Is it possible that Jonathan's mood is good?

Even Jonathan several times did something that made Eliza pound⸻well, okay, this is probably just Eliza who felt excessive. But, problem.... The treatment was sudden..

Who wouldn't be surprised and pounding when someone especially male does the unexpected, for example grasping the hand of⸻oh my god, Eliza pounding again, maybe now her face is red again.

"Why not eat?"

The question made Eliza break her daydream, then turned sideways⸻ towards Jonathan.

"L-yes, this is going to eat." Then Eliza started eating her food.

"You know, right? I told you I wanted to tell someone the secret I have?" Jonathan said without looking at Eliza. He was only focusing on the scene in front of him. The thick fog that covers the skyscrapers is also the Brooklyn Bridge.

Eliza scrunched her eyebrows. When did Joanathan say that? Oh, I'm sorry, Eliza's memory is bad. So what people have told him, sometimes he himself does not remember.

"The reason why I wanted to meet you is because I want to say it now, maybe it's a bit embarrassing. It's up to you to stay away from me after this, I just want to be honest." Jonathan took a breath.

"If you remember, I told you I used to live in Los Angeles before and moved here when I was 18. Without parents." There was an emphasis at the end of the sentence, and Eliza guessed, surely Jonathan wanted to tell you something very, very important.

"I ran away from home. Actually can't be said to be running away, anyway. I said I went to college in New York, because I was admitted to one of the universities. But in the middle of the road I stopped because I didn't think it was my passion and chose to sing. At first I was just part-time at cafe⸻yeah, you know being a singer there. And you know what my biggest offender is?"

Jonathan gulped, before finally speaking. "I lied to my mother. Every time he called, I always said I was okay and there was no problem with my college. At first I was relieved to be free from something bad. But over time, guilt started to appear, my fear started to get inflamed. I'm afraid I've been caught lying. I was afraid to disappoint my parents. I'm afraid to be a bad boy."

"... And maybe Carlos or Amelia told me something about me being accepted into one of the big agencies, but I refused. The reason I turned down the offer, was because I didn't want my mother to be disappointed in me. I didn't want my mom to know that I quit college and became a singer. I'm afraid what I'm afraid of is coming true and it's depressing me."

Eliza was shocked to hear Jonathan's confession. Behind the cherry he⸻as if he had no problems, it turns out that the man keeps his own problems. He just confessed that he.... Depression?

"Huh.. I'm crazy, right? Avoiding problems and choosing to run away. Sounds pretty crazy. This is the reason I'm ashamed to tell others, because I don't want to be considered gil⸻"

Well. Jonathan's words were cut off when he felt a warm embrace beside him. Eliza hugged him. The girl did not comment at all, but she immediately gave Jonathan what he needed. It made Jonathan feel airy, relieved, and warmed up.

He doesn't need advice, he doesn't need a voice, he just needs a treatment. Like what Eliza gave me.

"You did well. Don't be ashamed of yourself. Don't be afraid to do something wrong, you never know if you don't try. Don't blame yourself too much." Eliza bit her lower lip, hesitating. "If you need a friend for a story, you can come to me. Whatever it is, it's not a story. You can come to me."

Jonathan smiled. I was glad to hear that someone cared about him. Although he has Carlos to tell him the problem, but of course it will feel different.

Now, Jonathan knows where he's going.

He now has a house where he can complain.

He also had nothing to fear from facing the world.

Because he has Eliza.

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