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Chapter 129: Hopeless, Together

Patrick and Grace leaned against the locked door, catching their breath after chasing the nosy group out.

"Unbelievable." Patrick groaned. "Even for a normal conversation, we have to lock the door. We’re not even free to talk in peace."

Grace let out a short laugh. "Maybe they just have a sixth sense for drama."

Patrick crossed his arms. "Or maybe they just love annoying us."

There was a brief silence before Patrick shifted the conversation.

"So… what do you really feel about Ian?" His voice was calm but curious.

Grace sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Honestly? I was at the wrong end of things."

Patrick raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Grace nodded. "After everything, I finally realized—I should never have done that. I was trying to get his attention by using my charms, but…" She trailed off, then admitted, "It never worked."

Patrick smirked. "Obviously. You were forcing it."

Grace gave him a look, but he continued.

"From my own experience, I’ve learned something important." Patrick leaned back. "Never chase after someone who actively avoids you or feels uncomfortable around you."

Grace tilted her head. "Huh?"

Patrick exhaled, staring up at the ceiling. "When I was 15 to 17, I kept trying to impress girls with my cooking. I thought if I made them the best meals, they’d fall for me. I used my cooking as bait, hoping they’d like me back."

Grace blinked. "…And?"

"And it never worked," Patrick admitted, shaking his head. "All I did was force my feelings onto them, hoping they’d reciprocate. But love doesn’t work like that. I eventually gave up on romance and just focused on what I do best—cooking."

Grace smirked. "So, you’re saying you’re hopeless?"

Patrick rolled his eyes. "I mean, yeah. And for some weird reason, my first kiss still happened—by accident—with the worst possible person."

Grace’s smirk widened. "Oh? And who might that be?"

Patrick shot her a deadpan look. "She’s literally in this room right now."

Grace laughed, clearly enjoying his frustration. "Well, you should be thankful it was me and not some random stranger."

Patrick groaned. "I fail to see how I should be grateful for that."

Grace ignored him, tilting her head thoughtfully. "You know… back on my planet, every boy was obsessed with me. Not just because I was skilled in magic, but because of my charm."

Patrick scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. 'Every guy loved you.' Must’ve been so hard for you."

Grace waved him off. "You joke, but I couldn't find it flattering later on. Every single proposal I got felt… half-hearted. Like they were just infatuated with the idea of me, not me as a person."

Patrick frowned slightly, sensing the shift in her tone.

"I guess that’s why I never really cared about love," Grace continued. "Instead, I used my charm as a tool. To get what I wanted. I was basically a—"

"A witch," Patrick finished for her.

Grace grinned. "Exactly. But in the end… I didn’t feel proud of it. I just assumed no one could ever reject me."

Patrick smirked. "And then Ian proved you wrong."

Grace chuckled. "Yep. First guy to ever straight-up refuse me. And I won’t lie—it stung. I guess I just wasn’t used to it."

She let out a slow breath, then added, "But even after all that, I don’t think romance is meant for me. No one ever saw me—they just saw my charm. No one ever truly cared about who I am underneath all that magic and confidence. And I don’t think I’ll ever find someone who does."

Patrick leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "So, what you’re saying is… we’re both hopeless when it comes to love?"

Grace sighed dramatically. "Yep. Two hopeless fools."

Patrick chuckled. "Well, at least we’re not alone in our hopelessness."

Grace smirked. "Guess we’re in this together, huh?"

Patrick shrugged. "Yeah… I guess we are."

For once, they weren’t bickering.

For once, they understood each other.

Grace leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "Hopeless for love, huh?" she murmured. "Maybe that's just how it is for people like us."

Patrick folded his arms. "Maybe," he admitted. "Or maybe we just haven't found the right people yet."

Grace chuckled, shaking her head. "Sounds like you're still holding onto some hope."

Patrick smirked. "Nah, just saying. But I guess if there's one good thing, at least we understand each other."

Grace turned her head to look at him, a small, genuine smile forming on her lips. "Yeah… I guess we do."

Outside the room, Ian and the others who had been secretly listening exchanged glances. Jen, despite feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping, whispered, "I think… they're actually bonding."

Olive shrugged. "Or just accepting their fate."

Zack smiled faintly. "Either way… at least they’re not alone."

Ian, still recording, muttered, "This might just be my best exclusive yet."

Clara smirked. "And here I thought we were watching two people argue. Turns out, we just witnessed two lonely souls finding a bit of understanding."

Gorin chuckled. "Kinda ironic, considering how much they bicker."

Fuga crossed his arms. "Some bonds are built in strange ways."

As the group slowly tiptoed away from the door, careful not to alert Patrick and Grace, Jen glanced back one last time.

"Maybe they’re not as hopeless as they think."

Patrick leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly. “You know, there was this girl back in Yumeria… almost four years younger than me.”

Grace glanced at him, intrigued. “Oh? Who was she?”

Patrick’s expression softened. “She was a rookie cook, really passionate about it. The first time she tasted my cooking, she practically clung to my legs, begging me to teach her.”

Grace smirked. “Sounds persistent.”

Patrick chuckled. “Yeah, she was. I tried to shake her off, but she wouldn’t budge. So, I gave in and taught her a few of my recipes. Turned out, it was worth it. She had a knack for creating new ingredient combinations—some that even surprised me. If she were still alive, she’d probably be my toughest competitor by now.”

Grace folded her arms. “Sounds like she had real potential.”

Patrick nodded. “Yeah… she could’ve been the best cook in the universe. But after Yumeria was destroyed…” His voice trailed off. “I’ll probably never see her or anyone else from my planet again.”

Grace looked down, her own thoughts weighing on her. “…Same here.”

She took a deep breath before continuing. “Back in Mystra, at my magic school, there was a boy in my class. He was as popular among girls as I was among boys.”

Patrick raised an eyebrow. “A male version of you?”

Grace smirked. “Something like that. But he wasn’t just charming—he was a genius magician, always discovering new spells. Honestly, he was far more talented than me.”

Patrick blinked in surprise. “You’re saying someone outclassed you?”

Grace sighed. “I know, shocking, right? But yeah, he was something else. I used to joke that if I had a twin, I’d want it to be him. Eventually, we got to know each other, and he saw me as his sister because of my natural magic talent.”

Patrick smirked. “So, you weren’t the one charming him?”

Grace scoffed. “Nope. He was way too calculated for that. He was a planner, a thinker. We worked together, shared experiences, helped each other improve our magic.” Her voice lowered. “After Mystra was destroyed… I doubt he survived. But if he were alive, I know he wouldn’t just be sitting around.”

Patrick was quiet for a moment before finally asking, “What was his name?”

“…Mike.”

Grace then glanced at Patrick. “What about the girl you mentioned?”

Patrick hesitated for a moment, then said, “Heidi.”

They both went silent, letting the names linger in the air.

“…If they were alive,” Patrick mused, “I’d want to see Heidi again.”

Grace sighed. “And I’d want to meet Mike again.”

For a moment, they both sat in thought. Then, almost at the same time, a bizarre idea struck them.

“What if—” Grace began.

“—somehow, they actually met?” Patrick finished.

They both paused, then looked at each other, an amused yet wistful look passing between them.

“They’d probably bicker like us,” Patrick said with a smirk.

Grace laughed. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

For a brief moment, despite everything they had been through, they shared a rare moment of lightheartedness, imagining a reunion that would never happen.