Under Sun
26. Before The Winter

"So it was like that?"

A few seconds later, the woman nodded. Someone's explanation from there seems to have answered all kinds of questions that are still floating in his mind.

"good. Thank you," Ana immediately disconnected the connection after she returned the rotary dial of the phone she used earlier to its original place.

"Who?" Jeffrey's voice standing in the doorway interrupted his activities for a moment.

Ana turns to him, "Doctor Jeremy. He told me about our research report when I was visiting Africa."

Jeffrey was silent for a moment, then smiled softly, "Have you eaten yet?"

The woman shook her head, "Not yet. What if we went on a picnic outside? All refreshing. You also came home from the investigation, right? Must be tired."

There is no reason to refuse. Jeffrey leaning against the wall of the room while folding his hands in front of his chest smiled faintly, realizing how brilliant the two female eyes were.

"Come on."

Getting approval from Jeffrey made Ana nod quickly. He pushed Jeffrey's body into the bathroom.

"If you take a shower there! Let me take care of that. Oh yeah, well, Jea's not a problem, is it?" Ask Ana once again who is now successful to make the man silent for a moment.

"As far as you."

The smile was on Ana's face again, "OK! I'm going downstairs first."

Without further ado, Ana leaves Jeffrey, who has not yet fully entered the bathroom. The man still did not move at all from where his feet rested at this time.

Slowly, he exhaled while kneading his temple slowly. Really, Jeffrey had to survive in this situation until he was sure, the situation had been won by him.

As Ana had planned earlier, Jea also packed some food into the wicker basket. Like some meat sandwich is also a maple cake. Some apple juice and cherries are also included in the large basket.

"Have you entered everything?" Ask Ana who is tidying her hair with a comb.

Jea turned her head then nodded slowly, "It's the Madam."

The comb was placed on a wooden table. Ana turned to look at Jea from the tip of her foot to the tip of the girl's hair. It seemed like there was something that Ana had to remodel the item a little time.

"You—"

"Yes? What's the matter, madam?"

Ana slightly shook her head after sighing softly, "Let's come with me."

【ｕｎｄｅｒ　ｓｕｎ】

As someone was hunting, Jea took a deep breath quickly. His eyes narrowed slightly, making his hands reflexively cover his visibility which was now dispelled by the afternoon sun.

According to the birds, it's going to snow tonight. This afternoon will be the last afternoon of autumn.

The smell of yellowish brown foliage falling down like filling his kissing cavity. Accompanied by the fragrances of sandalwood that came to be felt when Jea again inhaled the air around him— enliven a fairly quiet day on the hill.

"Hey."

Jea slightly turned her head, making her gaze instantly fall on the retina of a woman beside her, "What's up, Madam?"

"I and Jaehyun used to come here for picnics. How's it? Good, right?" Ana asked, smiling wide enough. Showing her face so beautiful and graceful. It seemed that this woman looked so happy when she had just mentioned her husband's name in the series of words earlier.

Trying not to disappoint the questioner at once honestly, Jea nodded softly and then joined in pecking at a smile, "Right, Madam."

Ana patted Jea on the shoulder a few times, then turned to look at Jeffrey, "Jae, aren't you eating? You love maple cakes" said the woman again, holding a piece of maple cake in her hand.

Jeffrey glanced at Ana at a glance, then opened his mouth, making the woman immediately feed Jeffrey with the maple cake earlier.

When Jea was silent while occasionally stealing glances at Jeffrey who never turned his head, Jeffrey and Ana were busy with the topic of discussion they liked.

For some reason, Jeffrey looks quite comfortable when he has a light conversation with Ana. Or maybe— is just a Jea feeling.

Several times they laughed. On the sidelines of Ana who was preparing peaches for her husband. All Jea could do from now on was look at Jeffrey sedu, without knowing when the activity would end.

"Aren't you smoking? Tumben?" Ana asked suddenly, making Jeffrey a little surprised.

"Here, can't you if you don't smoke?" So Ana thrust out a box of cigarettes that only Jeffrey stared at for a few seconds.

The man glanced at Jea at a glance, then picked up the cigarette box and put a cigarette butt in between his lips.

Ana immediately took a lighter, and turned on the cigarette that was on Jeffrey's lips.

Smoke began to rise from the man's mouth. It was accompanied by a brief conversation that took place between Jeffrey and Ana, just like the one before.

Jea lowered. Slowly squeezing the brown floral dress that Ana lent her. Really, Jea really hates cigarette smoke.

And Jeffrey should know that.

The sky began to darken. Make Ana who realized it first directly propose to go home immediately.

On the way back to their home, the atmosphere was quieter than usual. Until finally Ana decided to open the topic first when she saw no signs of chat Jeffrey or Jea would say.

"Oh, sorry Jea, I was free to talk with Jaehyun. Sorry you felt so awkward. No pa-pa, right?" Ana who was sitting next to Jeffrey looked back.

The incident at the picnic was still imprinted on Jea's mind. To be honest, Jea did not prepare at all to face Jeffrey's attitude that changed rapidly as before. Makes the girl a little surprised when Ana interrupts her brief daydream.

"A-ah, it's no problem, ma'am."

Ana nodded while smiling again. Ah— Jea is now starting to think of something. Did Jeffrey feel the same for Ana as Jaehyun did? After all, they are the same people.

Didn't we?

Ana is a warm and kind person. Her appearance was mature and elegant, with her long hair straight and neat. Women were in a high-ranking existence in high-class social circles.

Who will refuse?

Again Jea had to shake. Removing all the messy thoughts that began to haunt him these days.

Jea has to get used to Jeffrey's pretense. And until this moment, the girl still could not.

After realizing from his daydream, it turns out the car that Jeffrey was driving was already in their home yard. And before long the two people sitting in the front seat got out of the car, making Jea also come out in a hurry.

After entering the house, Jea realized that her body was tired. Her eyes did not find the whereabouts of Jeffrey and Ana. Both of them probably went into the room. I don't know.

One more thing the girl needs to realize;

his heart was tired too.

Jea tied her hair. The girl prefers to clean the house and all the furniture. For a long time he had not done that, and also Jea wanted to escape from all the thoughts that made his heart ache.

Starting from the living room, the living room, the empty room, until the storage room he had touched alone.

Many times Jea rubbed her forehead which began to sweat. With a slight movement, he stretched his body that felt increasingly tired. But it didn't matter, because after doing all the homework, Jea's feeling was lighter.

His pair of eyes glanced at the window, white circles had started to descend— treading the empty land above the earth. It turns out that the bird was right, tonight the first snow fell.

For some reason, a smile was engraved back on his face that was clearly tired. The snow that came down reminded him of someone.

Jeffrey.

It doesn't matter if he meets Jeffrey for a moment?

Really, he was no longer able to lie if Jea really missed that figure. The figure who always hugged him at night said hello.

The guy who says if the night isn't that scary.

The man, who hugged her tightly until morning changed again.

The man who was there, grabbed his hand as all he did was curl up at the dark end.

The man who used to buy him the whole night panorama above the clouds.

The woman's grip tightened when Jea decided to meet Jeffrey at this time.

His footsteps moved, getting faster along with his heartbeat that was pounding irregularly.

Jea's hand stopped just above the doorknob. A little nervous as he had to open the door of the room. Is Jeffrey still awake? Or even Ana who is still not asleep?

Like a riddle she had to solve on her own, Jea finally started to open the door slowly, as the few knocks she put on the door were fruitless.

The night is getting colder, along with the increasingly strong snow gusts out there. And Jea had not changed her clothes at all, or at least wrapped around her neck with a warm scarf.

There was no coldness that the woman was feeling. It looks like Jeffrey again won an important position in his mind.

The faint sound of wind carrying snow moved quite quickly; it fell on a pile of snow that began to rise on the ground. Along with the retina of the girl who looked at the two humans there.

Under a thick white blanket, both.

Jea's gaze stopped right at the two figures who were sleeping soundly. Not— maybe the girl glanced right at Ana who was asleep in Jeffrey's arms, comfortably.

The man's big hands were seen coiling around Ana's body, hugging her tightly. While the woman was just lying on Jeffrey's arm that stretched— into a backrest for him.

A flurry of questions began to dock in his mind; did it feel warm to be in the man's arms when the first snow fell?

Does it feel so comfortable to fall asleep in the same bed— as what he and Jeffrey did together first?

No. gabe. What he should be thinking right now is— is he still allowed to keep the flavor on Jeffrey, even from a distance too far like this?