Chapter 2

"Jenna, don't forget to head out early. We're going to grab something to eat first."

With that, Molly happily linked arms with both of them and left.

I went into the room and searched everywhere, but my passport wasn't there.

"Oh, right! To keep my promise, I had Ethan carry it on him. You can have it the second the festival's over."

Right after that, Molly posted a bunch of group photos in the group chat.

In one, my brother was carefully cradling the back of Molly's head as she leaned back, while Julian had his arm wrapped intimately around her waist.

Below them was Julian's reply:

"Traveling with you is just more fun. You give so much emotional support, and you actually capture the moments."

I shoved my phone away and started walking toward the festival, one step at a time.

Only when I got there did I realize it was a rock festival.

I had a bad heart, and loud noise could easily make it hard for me to breathe.

The show hadn't even started, and the pounding was already making my chest tighten.

I fought through the discomfort, gripping the hem of my shirt, telling myself I just had to get through this one.

Once I had my passport, there would be no future with them.

At intermission, to liven up the crowd, the camera cut randomly to people in the audience.

It landed on Julian and Molly. Julian turned his head and leaned his upper body toward her.

He blocked her completely, so no one could see what they were doing.

He straightened up quickly, and both of them were glowing with smiles.

The wind lifted a streamer off the ground and carried it toward Molly. A hand shot out from the other side and caught it.

The hand was large, almost hiding Molly entirely, and a scar on the wrist showed faintly.

Ethan got that burn when I was three, grabbing me before I could touch a kettle.

Back then, he told me not to cry, that he would always protect me.

Suddenly, I couldn't stay there any longer.

I crouched by the entrance and waited for them to come out. The moment they did, I held out my hand.

"My passport. Give it to me."

"Jenna, what kind of attitude is that?"

I said nothing and just kept my hand out stubbornly, afraid that if I did anything else, the tears would come first.

Molly tugged at my brother's sleeve.

"Ethan, don't be mad. It's crowded here. Let's just leave."

So my brother and Julian shielded Molly and walked away.

I pushed into the crowd, trying to catch up with them.

Just as I was about to reach them, a bicycle sped past and knocked me down.

I braced myself on the ground, my knee burning with pain.

They took two steps toward me, then quickly turned back.

A foreigner was hitting on Molly, and she was waving her hands, frightened.

The two of them stood guard on either side of her. One comforted her gently while the other chased the man away.

I still couldn't ignore the pain in my knee. Alone, I slowly pulled myself up and walked over.

I stood right beside them and watched them refuse to spare me even a little attention.

"Jenna, wait here. I'll go to the pharmacy and get you something."

"I'm so tired, and it's a little cold. Can we go back to the hotel first?"

Julian pulled back the hand he'd reached toward me and called a cab back to the hotel.

My brother took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

After Molly got into the car, I grabbed both of them.

"Why didn't I get to sit with you two at the festival?"

"Jenna, Molly came all this way with us by herself, and she's not well. Of course we have to take care of her."

Julian's brows knitted tightly, as if I had asked something incredibly unreasonable.

"Then just now..."

"That was just a camera angle. When you're out having fun, you have to be a good sport, don't you?"

"The trip isn't even over yet, and you're in that much of a hurry to get your passport and leave?"

"Jenna, don't you think you're asking for too much?"

The moment those words came out, I looked up at them.

They used to give me so many things, always afraid they couldn't give me the best.

"I'm staying abroad to do my PhD. I'm not coming home."

"Ethan, give me back my passport."