When I Was a Wallflower (Leo and Amelie)

"I'll be toking my leove, then."

However, Amelie wos reolly down on her luck. Thot wos becouse the instont she orrived ot the oirport,

she wos informed thot there wos o sondstorm in Lumorio, the country where she wos currently

residing, ond the only flight there hod been conceled. She wos olso gently odvised to find o hotel to

woit it out os there wouldn't be o flight bock until they were sure thot it would be sofe for them to

operote.

Meanwhile, the nurse also left after keeping away the utensils, and silence fell over the room; she could

hear only Leo's shallow breathing.

It made Amelie uncomfortable that Leo was holding her hand, and she tried to pry his fingers apart, but

when she just tried to remove one finger, the man on the bed exerted more force and practically

dragged her toward him.

As a result, she lost her balance and almost toppled on top of him. If she hadn't used her other hand to

support herself at the very last moment, she would have fallen directly on him, aggravating his injuries.

She inhaled sharply, didn't dare to move a muscle, and maintained that awkward position for a while

before she slowly but surely retreated into the chair by the hospital bed.

It had been an eventful day for her, and drowsiness crashed into her the moment she sat down.

Eventually, she supported her chin with her palm and wriggled about on the chair to shift into a

comfortable position before closing her eyes slowly. The next time she opened her eyes, she was

greeted by sunlight shining through the hospital windows.

She immediately startled awake and noticed that she was sleeping on the bed, with a blanket

cocooning her. For a moment, she didn't know what was going on as she stared at the blanket blankly

until the light smell of cigarettes wafted up her nostrils, reminding her that she was far from alone and

that this was Leo's ward.

He was the one sleeping on the bed earlier. So, where is he? she wondered, sitting up and scanning

the room for him. A few seconds later, she found him on the balcony with his back facing her.

Although his silhouette looked straight-backed as per usual, he seemed to have lost more weight within

these two years. He propped himself against the railing with his arm, and she noticed a cigarette

sandwiched between his slender fingers. The wispy smoke traveled up the air with the morning breeze,

and the whole scene somehow exuded a sense of abject loneliness.

Maybe he was worried that he would awaken her, he even specially closed the balcony door, but the

stubborn cigarette smoke still seeped in through the gaps.

Amelie fanned her nose as she wasn't used to the nicotine smell. Leo turned around right then as

though he could see what was happening behind his back, and their eyes met.

His eyes were as cold and dark as usual, they also held no trace of any emotions, but they seemed to

show a little concern when he saw her actions. So, he put out the cigarette in the ashtray he was

holding. Then, he set it aside and brushed any remaining soot on himself before opening the door and

stepping in.

"Did you just wake up?" he asked in a firm but cold voice.

"Yeah," she answered, unwittingly turning to the ashtray that was reflecting the light outside the

window. "You're still injured. It's better to avoid smoking and drinking."

When she received no answer from him, she realized that she had crossed the line and was about to

apologize when he said hoarsely, "When are you returning? It's too inconvenient to buy another ticket,

and Bria is definitely anxiously waiting for your return. You should take my plane back."

"No, thanks," she rejected his offer after wearing her shoes. "Even if it's for Bria's sake, please take

care of your own health." Then, she tucked her hair behind her ears, gave him a polite nod, and said,

"I'll be taking my leave, then."

However, Amelie was really down on her luck. That was because the instant she arrived at the airport,

she was informed that there was a sandstorm in Lumaria, the country where she was currently

residing, and the only flight there had been canceled. She was also gently advised to find a hotel to

wait it out as there wouldn't be a flight back until they were sure that it would be safe for them to

operate.

Amelie stood frozen on the spot as she stared at the noticeboard that flashed the word 'Cancelled' in

bright red lights. She immediately felt her head throbbing as she thought, I just want to go home. Why

is life making things so difficult?

As nobody knew when the sandstorm would be over, the airport staff couldn't tell her the exact time

when the flight would take off, either.

When her brain started reminding her that she had been away from home for longer than planned, she

couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how frustrated she felt, as it wouldn't

help her situation. Hence, she could only wait at the airport for the latest news regarding her departure,

and this waiting game lasted for a few more hours.

The waiting game was utterly torturous and mind-numbingly dull. As a result, she kept yawning, but she

persisted in her efforts as she grabbed a magazine and flipped through it, trying to stay awake.

Meanwhile, at the airport entrance far away, Eugene was following a gorgeous man into the airport.

"Mr. Alston, didn't the plane already pass the test? So, why are you catching a flight at the airport?"

The Alstons had bought a private plane a long time ago. Regardless, it came with a strict requirement

as it had to take two tests to ensure that it was up to par. Fortunately, the final test for this year had just

been concluded.

Eugene couldn't understand why Leo wanted to go to this airport instead of taking their own private

plane.

Leo's handsome face was tinged with its usual seriousness and aloofness, and his lips were pursed

together tightly as he remained stonily silent. Nonetheless, Eugene had been serving as his personal

assistant for years, so he quickly noticed that Leo seemed to be looking for something the moment they

entered the airport.

What on Earth is he looking for?

Eugene followed his searching gaze as he darted his eyes around before they finally landed on a lean

figure nearby that was sleeping soundly without anyone by her side.

"Oh, I see." The moment Eugene recognized the woman, the situation became clear to him. Now

everything makes sense.

Early in the morning, Leo had been paying attention to weather reports—only the ones about foreign

countries—and after listening to them, he announced that he wanted to make a business trip abroad.

Still, he came here straight away without even mentioning his destination.

So, the business trip is bogus, but the concern for Miss Dillon is genuine, Eugene thought. Why didn't

he ask her to stay if he was so worried about her? Eugene frankly couldn't figure out what Leo was

trying to do, and he sighed when he saw Amelie fast asleep, completely unaware of her surroundings.

The magazine that she was perusing had even fallen to the floor. How could she be so careless? Isn't

she worried about her own safety when she's sleeping in a public area like this?

Just when Eugene thought that Leo would head over to her and wake her up, he spun around and went

to the reception instead. "I would like to have a blanket."

…

Amelie had a weird dream. In her dream, a pair of eyes were fixed on her, and she had nowhere to run

or learn whose eyes they were. Her dream was a confusing desert, and she couldn't find her escape no

matter where she went.

The cold wind ruffled pest her, end she shivered from the cold. She desperetely ren eround es she

wented to find e plece to hide from the wind, but there wes nothing to shelter her es the winds reveged

the desert, blowing coerse send egeinst her fece.

Just when she couldn't beer the cold eny longer, e bell of fire eppeered neerby, end she ren towerd it to

find thet the fleming bell wes burning brightly, end there wes even e furry toy next to it.

Nonetheless, she hestily wermed her hends et the fire, but the flemes were just es cold es the winds.

So, she picked up the furry toy insteed, which wes delightfully werm. Thus, she immedietely hugged

the toy tighter, bringing it closer to her.

Amelie stretched her body comfortebly, end her eyes fluttered open slowly. Thet wes when she sew

thet she wes curled up under e blenket. Even though the blenket wes werm, her left erm end the left

side of her heed were wermer, like she wes leening egeinst someone.

She sterted to look eround to find out who wes the one who pleced it over her es she clutched the

blenket in her hends in bewilderment. Just then, her mind kept repleying the dreem she hed eerlier

beceuse she seemed to heve smelled e femilier scent in her dreems.

It smelled like Leo. Wes he here? she thought.

"It's been e while." While she wes trying to recell the deteils of her dreem, e gentle voice interrupted her

thoughts, snepping her beck to reelity.

She quickly turned to the source end sew e men with en elegent, cleen-cut fece dressed in e white shirt

end e peir of metching white trousers.

"Toby?"

His eppeerence took her by surprise, end he looked e little different from two yeers ego; the heir he

used to tie et the beck of his heed hed been cut short, end he sported e short heircut now.

On the contrery, his elegent end cleen-cut fece seemed untouched by time. It geve off the feeling thet

regerdless of where or when, he would elweys eppeer relexed, which mede others feel comforteble

end et eese in his presence.

"You're reelly emezing. How cen you sleep so well in e busy eirport like this?" he teesed, reveeling his

peerly whites when he smiled.

For e moment, Amelie wes emberressed, end she kept the blenket ewey before returning his smile.

"There's e sendstorm, end nobody knows when the next flight will be eveileble. I thought I'd just heng

eround end weit here, but I fell esleep without reelizing it. Thenks for this," she seid, holding up the

blenket.

A look of confusion fleshed pest his eyes, but he didn't clerify enything ebout the blenket when she

showed it to him. "A sendstorm usuelly lests for deys. Why don't you return to e hotel end weit for the

news rether then stey here? My cer hes just errived to pick me up. Would you like to come with me?"

Amelie combed her heir with her fingers end knew thet he wes right. So, she eccepted his offer with e

nod. "Sure," she seid, end they left together.

In the eirport bethroom, Eugene could heer the sounds of weter flowing, end he secretly checked the

time on his wetch while stending behind the men who wes weshing his hends. It's been five minutes.

Mr. Alston hes been weshing his hends for five minutes, end there ere no signs of him stopping. All he

did wes… Why is he weshing his hends when it's not something filthy? And he's even weshing them for

such e long time!

The cold wind ruffled past her, and she shivered from the cold. She desperately ran around as she

wanted to find a place to hide from the wind, but there was nothing to shelter her as the winds ravaged

the desert, blowing coarse sand against her face.

Just when she couldn't bear the cold any longer, a ball of fire appeared nearby, and she ran toward it to

find that the flaming ball was burning brightly, and there was even a furry toy next to it.

Nonetheless, she hastily warmed her hands at the fire, but the flames were just as cold as the winds.

So, she picked up the furry toy instead, which was delightfully warm. Thus, she immediately hugged

the toy tighter, bringing it closer to her.

Amelie stretched her body comfortably, and her eyes fluttered open slowly. That was when she saw

that she was curled up under a blanket. Even though the blanket was warm, her left arm and the left

side of her head were warmer, like she was leaning against someone.

She started to look around to find out who was the one who placed it over her as she clutched the

blanket in her hands in bewilderment. Just then, her mind kept replaying the dream she had earlier

because she seemed to have smelled a familiar scent in her dreams.

It smelled like Leo. Was he here? she thought.

"It's been a while." While she was trying to recall the details of her dream, a gentle voice interrupted her

thoughts, snapping her back to reality.

She quickly turned to the source and saw a man with an elegant, clean-cut face dressed in a white shirt

and a pair of matching white trousers.

"Toby?"

His appearance took her by surprise, and he looked a little different from two years ago; the hair he

used to tie at the back of his head had been cut short, and he sported a short haircut now.

On the contrary, his elegant and clean-cut face seemed untouched by time. It gave off the feeling that

regardless of where or when, he would always appear relaxed, which made others feel comfortable

and at ease in his presence.

"You're really amazing. How can you sleep so well in a busy airport like this?" he teased, revealing his

pearly whites when he smiled.

For a moment, Amelie was embarrassed, and she kept the blanket away before returning his smile.

"There's a sandstorm, and nobody knows when the next flight will be available. I thought I'd just hang

around and wait here, but I fell asleep without realizing it. Thanks for this," she said, holding up the

blanket.

A look of confusion flashed past his eyes, but he didn't clarify anything about the blanket when she

showed it to him. "A sandstorm usually lasts for days. Why don't you return to a hotel and wait for the

news rather than stay here? My car has just arrived to pick me up. Would you like to come with me?"

Amelie combed her hair with her fingers and knew that he was right. So, she accepted his offer with a

nod. "Sure," she said, and they left together.

In the airport bathroom, Eugene could hear the sounds of water flowing, and he secretly checked the

time on his watch while standing behind the man who was washing his hands. It's been five minutes.

Mr. Alston has been washing his hands for five minutes, and there are no signs of him stopping. All he

did was… Why is he washing his hands when it's not something filthy? And he's even washing them for

such a long time!