My Beloved Oppressor — Chapter 73

AH, WELCOME, SIR.

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?

...I'D LIKE TO ORDER A BOUQUET.

OF COURSE. IS THERE A SPECIFIC FLOWER YOU'D LIKE?

BLUE HYDRANGEAS AND STATICE, PLEASE.

AH... BECAUSE STATICES ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN SEASON, WE ONLY HAVE DRIED STATICE...

TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.

USUALLY, OTHER FLOWERS LOSE THEIR COLOR WHEN DRIED,

BUT THE STATICE KEEPS ITS COLOR.

EVEN AFTER A LONG TIME, IT'S STILL BEAUTIFUL.

PERHAPS THAT'S WHY PEOPLE SAY THAT THE STATICE SYMBOLIZES...

...ETERNAL AND UNCHANGING LOVE.

I'M ASSUMING THIS IS A GIFT FOR A SPECIAL SOMEONE.

WOULD IT BE OKAY IF I USE THIS AND THE HYDRANGEAS FOR THE BOUQUET?

YES.

Episode 73

THE WIND...

I HEARD THAT ANNETTE'S FIRST PIECE WAS COMPLETED A FEW DAYS AGO.

SHE SAID SHE PLANS TO PRESENT IT SOON AT A SHOWCASE FOR NEW COMPOSERS.

I WANTED TO BE THE VERY FIRST TO CONGRATULATE HER AS SHE STARTS THIS NEW CHAPTER.

SO I BOUGHT HER THIS BOUQUET.

ANNETTE IS LIVING IN THIS TOWN.

I CHOSE THIS PLACE, THINKING IT WOULD SUIT HER WELL.

I'M SURE THAT SHE WALKS THESE STREETS...

...WITH THAT SIGNATURE STEP OF HERS -- LIGHT, YET COMPOSED.

WITH HER GOLDEN HAIR FLUTTERING IN THE SEA BREEZE...

...HER LONG LASHES CATCHING THE SUNLIGHT...

...AND HER BLUE EYES LOOKING AT THE OCEAN WAVES.

AND IF, AS SHE WALKS UP THIS PATH...

...SHE WERE TO LOOK AT ME...

AH... THAT'S THE HOUSE.

THE HOUSE IS TOO CLOSE TO THE ROAD,

AND ISN'T THE FENCE A BIT LOW...?

MAYBE I'LL NEED TO PUT UP A HIGHER FENCE FOR HER...

PHEW...

THESE VOICES...

...ARE THEY COMING FROM THE BACKYARD?

IT'S ANNETTE...

...AND RYAN FROMM.

THE SERGEANT FROM THE 62ND ARMY DIVISION WHO WAS CLOSE TO ANNETTE.

AH...

HAS ANNETTE DECIDED...

...TO START A FAMILY WITH THAT MAN...?

THEY LOOK SO PEACEFUL AND HAPPY...

...AND SO PERFECT TOGETHER,

THAT SOMEONE LIKE ME COULD NEVER FIT IN.

...BUT PERHAPS...

...I COULD STILL APPROACH THEM AND SHOW ANNETTE THAT I'M HERE...

I CAN GIVE HER THIS BOUQUET...

...AND TELL HER HOW BROKEN I AM, YET AGAIN.

IF I WERE TO SHOW HER JUST HOW HURT, PITIFUL, AND MISERABLE I AM...

...ANNETTE MIGHT EMBRACE ME AGAIN...

...BECAUSE SHE'S THE KIND OF PERSON WHO CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL SYMPATHY FOR THE WOUNDED.

JUST LIKE THAT NIGHT.

BUT...

...I WANT ANNETTE TO SMILE.

I DON'T WANT HER TO HURT ANYMORE.

I ONLY WANT HER TO BE HAPPY.

THAT HAS BEEN MY HOPE FOR HER ALL ALONG...

...IT'S JUST THAT I REALIZED IT FAR TOO LATE.

SO...

...I WON'T APPROACH HER.

IF I CAN'T RETURN WHAT I'VE RUINED...

...AT THE VERY LEAST, I HAVE TO STOP COMING TO HER.

THIS IS ALL I CAN DO FOR HER NOW,

ONE LAST TIME.

SIGH

ANNETTE! IT'S FINISHED!

THE FENCES LOOK MUCH BETTER NOW, DON'T THEY?

IT'S PERFECT, ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.

YOU HELPED FIX UP THE FURNITURE, AND NOW THE FENCE...

OH, DON'T MENTION IT. MY NEPHEW'S GOING TO BE STAYING AT YOUR PLACE FOR A WHOLE MONTH.

HONESTLY, WITH ALL THE INCONVENIENCE WE'RE CAUSING, THIS DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COVER IT.

IF I COULD, I'D REDO THE WHOLE HOUSE FOR YOU AS PAYMENT!

ARE YOU OKAY ON TIME?

DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU HAVE TO HEAD BACK IN THE AFTERNOON?

IT'S FINE. I STILL HAVE SOME TIME.

THEN YOU SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE SOME TEA BEFORE YOU GO--

HM?

HUH?

WHY IS THERE A BOUQUET HERE?

Could It Be...

...THAT A SECRET ADMIRER LEFT IT FOR YOU, ANNETTE?

HAHA, WHOEVER IT IS--

HUH?!

A-ANNETTE?

A BOUQUET OF HYDRANGEAS AND STATICE...

...IN THE SAME COLORS AS MY EYES -- JUST LIKE THE ONE BACK THEN.

WHO DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE AFTER HEARING MY PIANO...?

WHO LEFT THAT BOUQUET BEHIND?

I WONDERED ABOUT THESE THINGS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.

I HOPE TO MEET YOU SOMEDAY, MR. ROMANTIC...

DRAWN TO THE IDEA OF DESTINY, I KEPT WONDERING WHO THAT PERSON COULD BE.

FOR A VERY LONG TIME, I'VE...

I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT YOU CONSTANTLY...

...FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

IT WAS YOU...!

BACK THEN...

YOU WERE THE ONE WHO LEFT THAT BOUQUET.

THE PERSON I KEPT WONDERING ABOUT...

HEINER!!

BACK THEN...

...AND EVEN NOW...

IT WAS ALWAYS YOU.