CLMO 37🔐

Chapter 37

Blaine strode over to the table where Sian was sitting.

Sian, sensing someone’s presence, turned around—and her eyes went wide when she saw him.

“Blaine?”

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

No one had offered him a seat, but he pulled out a chair and sat down on his own.

“Talking about your ideal type?”

“Uh, something like that.”

It wasn’t really about discussing ideal types; they had been having a conversation more along the lines of, “Can you kiss this person? I can.” Feeling a bit guilty, Sian thought, “Did Blaine hear everything?”

Sian and Hazel exchanged guilty glances like cats caught doing something naughty, then quickly changed the subject.

“Um… did you need something from us?”

Hazel felt especially uneasy, since she had once sold information about Sian to him.

Across the table, Aaron was giving her a sharp look, silently warning her to watch her mouth.

“I wanted to talk about ideal types too,” Blaine said, resting his chin on his hand, smiling gently.

For a moment, it felt as if all the sunlight in the lounge was pouring down solely on him.

Look at that face. With that smile, what woman wouldn’t fall for him?

Hazel’s eyes glazed over.

She reasoned to herself that betraying Sian wasn’t entirely her fault. It was an unavoidable outcome.

Sian’s situation wasn’t all that different.

Oh no… I can’t meet his eyes.

Following Aaron’s advice to avoid Blaine, Sian had been carefully keeping her distance. She had managed so far—but now, of all places, she ran straight into him.

Unaware of Sian’s flustered state, Hazel cheerfully continued the conversation.

“So, Blaine, who’s your ideal type?”

“My ideal type is…”

The words caught Sian off guard, and she instinctively looked up at him.

Is it Isabelle or Elizabeth? Which one does Blaine like more?

If I had to choose… it’s you, Sian.

Memories of their conversations during their date made her cheeks flush.

Please don’t say my name here too…

Blaine, noticing her uneasy behavior, spoke calmly.

“Someone who doesn’t pity me recklessly.”

“….”

Their eyes met directly, and Sian couldn’t look away, as if she were captivated.

“But… is there anyone in the world who could pity Blaine?”

Hazel cautiously raised her hand to question him, but Blaine just shrugged.

“Someone who can find beauty in ordinary scenes.”

“….”

“And someone who always smells nice.”

Isn’t he talking about me? I’m not imagining this, right?

Sian quickly checked Aaron and Hazel’s reactions. Because Blaine had spoken so abstractly, they didn’t seem able to identify who he meant.

Aaron couldn’t have imagined that Blaine, with Sian right in front of him, would actually be talking about her as his ideal type. He frowned.

“We weren’t talking about stuff like that,” Sian said.

“Huh? You were talking about ideal types.”

Blaine tilted his head innocently, pretending not to know.

“No, I mean ki… ugh!”

Just as Aaron was about to say the word kiss, Hazel suddenly jumped up and slammed her hand over his mouth.

“The ideal type we were talking about and the one Blaine mentioned… it’s basically the same thing, right, Aaron Simmons?”

“Don’t touch me,” Aaron said gruffly, pulling Hazel back.

He looked more serious than what a simple joke would warrant.

“I’m not some germ or anything,” Hazel muttered, embarrassed, sitting back down.

Sian nervously watched them, worried the situation might escalate. Thankfully, Blaine changed the subject and eased the tension.

“As you know, Homecoming is coming up. Has everyone found a partner who matches their ideal type?”

“No, an ideal type is just an ideal type,” Hazel replied immediately.

Surprisingly, she had been asked by Hector to go with him to the Homecoming party, as a way of apologizing for her mother’s past behavior. Sian had been stunned when Hazel told her she accepted.

Not many men know how to reflect on their mistakes. And he’s not bad-looking either.

Even after hearing Hazel’s reasoning, Sian recalled how Janice had been wary of him, leaving an uncomfortable feeling in her heart.

“I see.”

Blaine’s gaze shifted to Sian. Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when their eyes met.

“Sian, what about you?”

“Me?”

“Have you found a partner?”

Sian couldn’t answer immediately; her lips just moved.

She had been asked by a boy to accompany him, but since she hadn’t spoken much with him and he wasn’t a close friend of Hazel or Aaron, she had declined.

No need to tell Blaine everything.

Caught in her thoughts, her delayed response seemed to be interpreted differently by Blaine.

“That’s good. I don’t have a partner either.”

“Eh? Ah… okay…”

What does he mean by that?

Hazel, sitting beside her, was shocked.

“Blaine still doesn’t have a partner? Blaine Williams?”

Even though her voice wasn’t quiet, Blaine’s gaze remained fixed on Sian.

It was as if only she existed in that space, and he called out her name alone.

“Sian.”

Then, he gently took her hand on the table and pressed his lips against it.

“Will you go with me to the Homecoming party?”

The contact lasted only a brief moment—but the effect was enormous.

Sian withdrew her hand as if it had been burned, yet Blaine let go willingly. Strangely, Sian felt a twinge of disappointment at his retreating hand.

“I…”

What should she do?

Sian bit her lip nervously. She hadn’t planned for Blaine to ask her to be his Homecoming partner.

Really, what should I do?

Her eyes shook violently. She wanted to close them and accept his proposal, pretending not to notice.

Because Blaine was truly an amazing guy, and…

Is that all?

Her rational side scolded her. Was that really the only reason?

Of course there can’t be another reason.

It couldn’t be because she had secretly hoped for his kiss. Blaine was a close friend of her brother, Ian.

Besides, he didn’t yet know Sian was Ian’s sister.

If he found out, wouldn’t he be a bit wary of me?

Sian wanted to tell him the truth now, but Ian didn’t trust her yet, so it was impossible. Still, she didn’t want to meet him by lying.

Sian made up her mind.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can.”

Blaine blinked silently at her refusal.

He looked utterly taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected rejection at all. Sian almost laughed at the sight, but held herself back.

“Why?”

After a long silence, Blaine asked. He had waited for her to speak, but when nothing happened, he finally took the initiative.

I haven’t really thought of a reason…

Her gaze met Aaron’s, and a natural lie slipped from her lips.

“I’m sorry, but I already decided to go with Aaron.”

“What?”

“When?”

“Me?”

Blaine, Hazel, and Aaron all gaped in surprise.

Pay attention.

Sian nudged Aaron’s foot under the table to signal him. He scowled at the sudden kick but played along.

“Yes. Sian is going with me. You should have said that when Blaine asked earlier,” Aaron said, teasing her a little.

Sorry.

Sian apologized to Aaron silently with her eyes. She planned to apologize properly once Blaine had left.

But Blaine’s reaction was unusual.

“Why?”

He repeated the question, clearly unable to accept it. He wasn’t going to back down easily without an answer.

Blushing, Sian scratched her cheek and quickly came up with an excuse in her head.

“It’s my first Homecoming here in the U.S… so I wanted to be with someone I feel comfortable with.”

“Comfortable with?”

“Yes. Aaron is the first friend I made here.”

Comfortable.

Comfortable.

Comfortable.

Her words echoed repeatedly in Blaine’s mind.

So… I’m the uncomfortable one?

Sian hadn’t said it outright, but it effectively meant the same thing. Seeing the cheerful conversation the three had before he arrived made it sting even more.

“That can’t be true.”

“Huh?”

Blaine unconsciously voiced his inner thoughts but immediately shut his mouth. Otherwise, he would have shouted, “You like me!”

Sian couldn’t confess yet, and Blaine couldn’t either.

He forced a smile, or something resembling one.

“Aaron Simmons. You’re similar to Ian, aren’t you? Didn’t you hate parties?”

His voice seemed slightly shaky when he asked Aaron.

“I can handle it. It’s for Sian,” Aaron replied.

“I see. A friend so considerate. That’s very nice to see.”

Blaine emphasized the word “friend,” which made the normally expressionless Aaron frown slightly.

Before Sian intervened, the two men had an intense silent stare-down.

“Well, we should go. My mom will come pick me up soon.”

“When did it get so late? Let’s go,” Sian said awkwardly, helping her friends leave.

Watching her back, Blaine felt a strange sense of dissonance.

Does Sian really like me?

The world he had firmly believed in was starting to shake.