Why Would You Leave?
Why Would You Leave?
The only times when they did not see each other for more than a week were when they would leave for long vacations with her family. They have never been apart for so long and so far!
She was angry at his decisions, but fear overpowered, for she knew not how what kind of life she would have without Luiz.
Nari was already having a hard time catching her breath. Her chest was rising dramatically as she broke down in tears. She kept holding on to Luiz as he told her, "I'm - I'm going to miss you, Nari. I'll miss you terribly."
"No! Don't say that!" She answered, grabbing his arms and shaking him vigorously... "Luiz! We've always been together since - since we were kids!"
She embraced him again and howled in tears. "Luiz, please don't leave me. I - I don't know what I'd do without you. We've - we've always been together."
Luiz could not help it. He also cried with Nari, seeing how pained she was with the news of his leaving, but what was he to do? He can't always rely on the Yeongs, moreover, he knew, Nari will never see him as a man if he would always stay by his side.
It was a risk that he had to take. There was always a chance that the distance would change their friendship. He might even lose Nari completely,. However, Luiz felt he had already been defeated. He was so close to Nari, but he lost terribly to an "ideal prince" that until now, had never been realized.
Nari never saw him the way he looked at her.
'No. No, Luiz. Do not give in,' he told himself silently. 'You need to leave... for your own dreams.'
He wiped the wetness on his face before caressing Nari's head. He pecked on his hair and returned the embrace. Only after sniffing his tears away, he said, "Nari, don't be silly. Of course, you can go by without me. You - you have your siblings - Chan-Mi, Geun. Your cousins - your classmates - and that Aiden guy - "
She abruptly pulled away, looking straight into his eyes. The sight of the wetness on her face broke his heart completely. Water streamed down without hold, and Luiz knew it was his fault.
"Is it - is it because of Aiden - Luiz, I'll avoid him. I promise. I'll change classes - I'll do anything!" She hugged him again and pleaded, "Please... Just don't leave me!"
Luiz sensed how she was already having difficulty breathing from all the crying. He further tightened his embrace and promised, "Nari, I - I will always be your best friend, even when I am far away."
He gulped at first, swallowing whatever halted him from speaking. Only then did he resume his thoughts. He told, "We can still talk through video chat, but I must - I must warn you ahead that my life there will be difficult and I - I will be very - very busy."
Pushing him away, Nari practically smacked his arms repeatedly in objection. She screamed, "Then why? Why would you take the hard way when you can stay with me and make it easy?"
Luiz pulled Nari in another embrace and maintained to keep her against his chest. He let her cry it out until minutes passed. She no longer had any more tears to shed.
She was merely gasping for air, again and again, gulping down the sadness that she felt. Softly, this time, she asked, "Why would you leave me, Luiz? Why?"
"Nari... We can go on and on about this and I will keep repeating my words, but I won't change my mind, Nari. Everything is already set for me to leave," Luiz softly answered back.
Once again, he pecked on her head and said, "Please don't hate me, Nari. I - I am doing this for me and when the time is right, for us."
She cried again, hearing that nothing could make him change his mind. Her nose never flared so much in her life. He clutched her hands against his shirt and said, "How could this be for us when - when you are leaving me, Luiz. How?!"
She pushed him away in anger, looking fiercely into his eyes.
"Nari - "
"No! I don't accept your explanation! I don't even have the time to convince you anymore! You are so unfair, Luiz! You are so unfair!" She yelled getting up.
He gripped at her hand, but she pushed it away saying, "I hate you! Some best friend you turned out to be!"
Nari left him in the gazebo without another word, running through the kitchen while letting out more tears.
Everyone in the mansion noticed how she was weeping and saw how Luiz ran after her frantically. It was shocking altogether that they followed the two to Nari's room.
The moment she found her room, she slammed her door shut, not wanting to speak to Luiz any longer. She asked herself silently, 'What was the use when he had already made up his mind?'
Nari continued to cry as she rested behind the door, sitting on the floor and utterly broken-hearted.
From outside Nari's room, Luiz had the chance to reveal to Nari's parents and grandparents; how he was leaving for Italy the next day.
Luiz had already tendered his resignation from the Sun's Grand Hotel, asking Sun Haneul to keep his resignation a secret.
Yanmei heard about this from Rae Bin but did not take it seriously back then. Geun, on the other hand, knew. Only Chan-Mi and the rest of the family were taken aback by Luiz's decision. They were all equally saddened, but they understood Luiz's decisions. They only feared how Nari would take it.
Hours passed, Luiz waited for Nari to come out of her room, but she refused. He was left with no choice but to speak to her from outside her door.
He said, "Nari. Nari, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. My - my flight leaves at four, Nari. I hope - I hope I could see you one last time, tomorrow at the airport."
"I need to go now... Goodbye, Nari."