When he swept away his hair and looked around, I found him too hot. There was no end to his charms.

The fear and nervousness I had felt when I met Princess Akshetra at the banquet had all disappeared. My heart pounded. My throat was dry and there were butterflies in my stomach. Everything felt hot and stuffy even though the weather wasn’t that hot to me. I moistened my lips and glanced at Kaichen. Why was he so mesmerizing?

“What?” he asked as he felt my stare on him.

“Nothing,” I said as I felt my face heat up.

The fragrant scent of roses drifted in the wind. I thought I had pulled Kaichen here a little earlier than expected but it was just as well that the sun was beginning to set. There were broken statues and dilapidated fences in this area. Many were abandoned. I jumped up and sat on a wall that was fairly intact.

I tried to calm myself and relaxed my body. As I sat down cross-legged and looked at him, Kaichen looked back questioningly as if to say, “What are you up to this time?”

“Teacher, show me your magical wand.”

“No.”

“Please! Show me. I haven’t seen it since that night.”

“No.”

“But why? We made it together.”

Kaichen arched his eyebrows and looked up at me. When our eyes met, I smiled. He frowned.

“You can show me yours first.” His tone was full of dissatisfaction.

“Mine is not pretty.”

“It wasn’t made to be pretty.”

“I know. But please. Just once. I won’t ever beg you to show it again.” I put my hands together and pleaded.

Kaichen let out a short sigh. He scowled but I knew that he was going to accept my request.

“Tsk.”

He gestured with his hand and glowing golden magic spread around him. The beautiful golden rose petals floated in the air. The view was so beautiful in the sunset that I was in a daze.

I slowly reached out and plucked a petal from the air. Usually, I wasn’t able to hold another person’s magic. But maybe because we had made it together, the rose petals blossomed on my palms.  Kaichen looked at the fluttering rose petals and grabbed one just like I did.

When I had asked him to make the magic wand together, I didn’t know what it might mean. If I had known that it had a romantic meaning, I would have asked for his feelings first. I wouldn’t have taken it so lightly. I wanted to ask him now. I wanted to know why he had agreed to my request so easily even when I had no understanding of what I was asking of him. Why was he so kind to me?

Many questions swam in my mind, but they couldn’t escape my throat. I had held on to them for two years now. But I was going to take a leap of faith today. Although I am satisfied with being his disciple and him, my teacher, it would break me if he ever found a lover. I would regret not asking him, at least.

I didn’t want to be like that. I wanted to tell him the truth. He was my savior and the meaning of life. So, I decided to just go for it and tell him outright.

I stared at Kaichen, who was holding the petals in his hand, wondering what he was thinking right now. Although his clothes were now disheveled and his chest was bare, he still looked elegant and stoic. He looked so in control of himself. He looked dark and tall and regal with the sun setting behind his back.

Those eyes always shined kindly when they looked at me. I desperately hoped that my expectations were not misunderstood. Seeing him holding a single rose petal and slowly gazing at me, I threw the petals in my hand towards him.

“Teacher.”

The sky was painted scarlet by the setting sun. The beautiful yellow rose garden and his golden petals looked dazzling. Kaichen looked like a masterpiece in the middle of it all.

“I think I like you.”

He was silent. “What?”

Oh no…. Seeing him furrowing his brows, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I like you, Teacher.”

Kaichen listened to my words and stood there with his eyes widening. His lips were slightly open as though he was shocked. I wasn’t expecting such a reaction. I didn’t know what I expected. I thought he would politely reject me, or ignore me, or even get angry. But he was… shocked?

“Don’t joke with me,” he said after a long pause.

“I’m not!”

“Are you teasing me?”

“How can I joke about something like this?”

“…”

“Teacher. Look at me.”

His lips were tightly shut now, and he was looking at the floor. I called him, but he avoided my gaze.

“Teacher, please.”

He finally looked at me. He seemed agitated. When I looked into those golden eyes, it warmed me to my heart. I felt fear but I also felt anticipation.

“I like you, Teacher!” I blurted out before the courage I had gathered ran out. I poured out everything I had been holding within my heart. “And I don’t mean it in a way of respect or admiration or as a teacher. I like you like a woman likes a man. R-romantically.”