Just kidding.

It was just a split-second imagination brought on by my maladaptive daydreaming.

Fufu… My thoughts are going brrr.

The car didn't hit Eli-chan. There's no way that's possible. She's an incredible fighter and quite agile on top of that.

So, even if she was momentarily distracted, she instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding the car.

Furthermore, the car wasn't even driving that fast, so it came to an immediate stop when the driver hit the brakes.

“Are you alright girl?”

The driver gets off his car to ask Eli-chan who is still currently in daze.

“Eli-chan.”

“..……..” She is just looking at me.

“Is she with you? I'm sorry about that.”

“No sir. I apologize on her behalf. Eli-chan is fine.”

“Is that so? I'm sorry again. Well, I'm on a rush so I'm leaving. My wife will kill me if I'm late hehehe,” he gently nods at me with a wry smile on his face.

Afterwards, he start driving again but much slower than earlier.

“Well let's go Eli-chan. What were you thinking earlier?”

“Uh... no.. it's nothing.”

She still looks in daze.

“Are you in a shock? Are you afraid? Or did you actually got hit by the car?”

“Eh? Car?”

She looks confused.

“Yes car.”

“Oh. I'm fine.”

“Are you dissociating?”

“No.”

Well I don't think so.

I start walking behind her.

“Don't touch me Mark.”

“I'm not. It's your bag I'm touching.” I pushed her forward but I didn't touch her… only her backpack.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

The cotton candy vendor offers me a blue cotton candy.

“Are you okay?”

He then gives Eli-chan the pink colored one.

“I'm alright thank you.”

“Kuya, is this seat available?”

There's a stationary bench behind him.

“Oh yes.”

“Thank you po. Well then Eli-chan, let's sit there.”

“En.”

“Wait.”

“What?”

“Do you have a tissue with you? There's a sauce stain on the bench.”

“Oh. It's in the lower pouch of my bag.”

*Ziiiii~iip~*

Oh. Found it.

I take a few and start wiping the stain off the bench.

Well, that should do it.

“You can sit now.”

She sits beside me but with few inches distance.

There's a trash bin 7 meters away and I shoot the crumpled tissue paper into it.

“Ohh. That was incredible.”

The cotton candy vendor complimented me.

“Thank you po.”

“........”

“Well then, Eli-chan what was on your mind earlier?”

“........”

“Don't ignore me.”

“There was just really nothing.”

She answered me while focusing intently on the candy.

Uwaah, You looks so adorable.

“!! You can't touch me!”

Oh. I reflexively tried to poke her cheeks.

“It was out of habit. I didn't mean it.”

“Liar. You've been trying to touch me since we're riding the jeep. What do you want?”

Did I?

I don't remember wanting to touch you though.

“To touch you.”

“I knew it."

No. You don't.

“Well I miss cuddling my dear girlfriend.”

“!!”

“Are you aware that your skin is so cozy to touch? It's relaxing Eli-chan.”

Oh. I made her blush.

“L-Liar.”

Fufufufufu.

“Not being able to touch you all this time is maddening you know.”

“T-That's not true..”

She's hiding her face with the cotton candy.

For some reason, that magnified her cuteness.

“Touching your skin reminds me of the pleasure I felt the first time I injected myself with amphetamines.” Just kidding.

“!!!”

Eli-chan cringes herself telling me that she's embarassed.

“Fufufufu.. You're skin is just one of your best qualities my lovely Elizabeth.”

“!!!!”

“Hey Eli-chan. Are you ignoring me again?”

“....Is that why..?”

What?

“I cannot hear you properly.”

“..Is that why.. you're doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Being sweet to me..?”

“Yes. If I don't want you Eli-chan, I would have long thrown you away.”

Eli-chan went silent again but she's shivering this time while still hiding behind the cotton candy.

“Liar...”

“I'm not lying. Just why do you think that way?”

“Hmmp. Because you need me.. We have a mission to fulfill and you need me. Isn't that right? You're afraid to lose me because you still need me. That's why you're doing this bullshit.”

“Do I want you or do I need you? I've been wondering about the same thing.”

“………”

“You're combat skills are good. You're dependable and I can entrust my back to you. You're very pretty as well and can be cute most of the time. You're clingy but your clinginess is attractive. But with you distancing yourself from me like this is robbing me of those things. Do I want you? Yes I do. I want to spend leisure time with you…”

“………” She's not saying anything but her eyes are getting red and wet. That already tells me what she feels.

“That's why I'm sorry for hurting you. I don't have any excuses.”

“…but your… But you're mom… She doesn't want me.”

“!”

Fu— fuhahahaha.  That's right. So that's why. So that's what is this all about. I didn't realize it at all. I'm focusing on something different. That's why I couldn't see her insecurity brought by my mother. Fufufufufu. Fuhahahahaha!

All of this began after mom scolded Eli-chan. She still thinks mom hates her. And that's why she wants to leave me. She needs a reason to leave that is why she is being obstinate.

“Mom doesn't hate you.”

“…She does…”

“Why do you believe that?”

“…Because she loves you.. so much. And I hurt you… Of course she'll hate me… Because… because… I understand… If anybody hurts you, I will never FORGIVE them!”

“………”

“.....I'm going to buy us a drink,” she stands up and immediately runs away.

“Wait!”

Oh hell. She uses the crowd to hide from me. She's out of sight.

“………”

I sit back on the bench.

“You can't change her misconception through words.”

Oh.

“You're eavesdropping I see.”

“I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I can't help but to hear it if you talk while being separated from me by a meter,” he sits beside me while saying so.

“You don't look like a gossiping man you know.”

“I am not. Your situation with your girlfriend just reminds me of my own past. Uh-huh.. quite nostalgic. Well not exactly but it has some similarity…”

“Tell me please. Why did you say I can't convince her through words?”

“My wife used to distrust everyone around her. She thinks they're all out to get her. She's always on guard and suspicious. I had a hard time just getting closer to her.

She doesn't believe that I love her. She thinks I am scheming something.”

“Well, you look like a scammer fufufufu.”

“That's harsh of you.”

“I was joking.”

“I know.”

“Anyway, please continue. How did you managed to convince her to marry you?”

“I did not.”

“What? But you said she's your wife. Are you perhaps being delusional?”

“No. We now have kids you know! I mean, uhh, well I tried to convince her at first by giving her flowers, shortcakes, love letters— Heck! I even serenaded her. It... It was an embarassing night.”

“Was the serenade the final push she needed?”

“Nope. Courting her like that just made her more suspicious. To the point where she almost left the town because of me.”

“So?”

“So I realized that I'm doing things for the wrong purpose. I tried to convince her she can trust me. That not everyone will betray her. That I wasn't like him. But it didn't work out.”

“Ohh..”

“Let me tell you now, you can't solve this by talking. You can't change her misconception. She's the only one who can do that.”

I know. But I still need to try.

“Forcing her to believe is just making her more reluctant to believe. You wanted her to believe your mother do not hate her right? You think she'll believe that if that doesn't come from your mother herself?”

“!”

Ahh. I see. I get it. He's right.

“I see.”

“That's why when I realized my mistakes, I stopped caring whether she'll believe me or not. I've come to understand why. It's not my battle. I was fighting her misconception and telling her that I should win. But it's not my duty. She's the one to decide who should win. All I have to do is to do my best and show her my love. So that when she look for the reasons behind my actions, she'll find that it's because I really love her.”

Actions huh.

“Thank you kuya.”

“I am glad I am of help to you youngsters,” he stands up slowly.

“I have customers so I'll go now.”

“Yes. Thank you again kuya.”

That's right. Now I know what I have to do. I can't convince Eli-chan about what my mom feels for her. I can't convince her that mom really doesn't hate her.

Because this isn't my turn. Fuhahahahaha. This isn't about me and Eli-chan. This is about her and mom. They're the only one who can deal with this.

My battle is different. That's why I can't win against her. Because I'm not the one she's fighting with in the first place. It's mom.

I am the bystander here.