Chapter 47. Love is a disease

Chapter 47: 47. Love is a disease

In my previous life, after my second girlfriend cheated on me, I was sitting on a swing at an abandoned park, away from the city, away from the noise. The night sky was quieter than usual, fewer stars than normal, which was the second sad thing for me that day.

No, I wasn’t crying. I knew leaving the relationship was the right thing to do, but now I felt nothing, just emptiness and dissatisfaction. Just like the rusty swing I was sitting on, alone, but it hadn’t lost its purpose. I bet it still wanted to swing, wanted to touch the highest point possible, but unfortunately, a not-so-energetic person was sitting on it.

The least I could do was swing, right? No, giving it some small hope would be the worst thing. It’s not like I’d come back here tomorrow.

"Hey... by any chance, are you Mark Laplace?"

I lifted my head to see a face, a face I would come to hate. Glasses, slightly bigger eyes than normal, her hair braided long and thick. She was wearing a high school uniform, white shirt with a bow, and a black skirt ending at her knees, holding a satchel with both hands because it was too heavy for one. Her smile wasn’t just warm, it was full of energy and life.

"Yes, but who are you and what are you doing here? Don’t local high schools end at 5? A student shouldn’t be out here. How old are you?"

She didn’t seem to like my question, looking elsewhere, pretending she hadn’t heard it, before dropping the act. She shifted her grip on the satchel, holding it behind her.

"Well, I had extra classes. And don’t worry, I’m 20. We’re only three years apart."

"Yeah, no one’s buying that you’re 20. Tell me how you know me."

My pushing made her quiet for a second. She coughed a little before dropping her satchel onto the overgrown grass below.

"I’m Remmy Roselle. I’m 20, and I’m a friend of your ex-girlfriend, the one you just broke up with. I was a friend, not anymore, because she cheated on you."

I was a little moved, ending a friendship because someone turned out to be a cheater was admirable, but in the state I was in, I didn’t acknowledge it.

"Good. And?"

"You’re acting mean today. Ah, I was passing by and saw you here, so I thought you might need someone to talk to. I know, it’s weird, but how about we talk?"

And that’s how I met Remmy. At first she was just this annoying girl I’d met who seemed to know pretty much everything about me, since my ex-girlfriend had apparently shared every little detail of our love life with her.

I didn’t go back to that park the next day, but somehow still ended up bumping into her at my usual coffee shop. Remmy knew I went there to write my novels, and that coffee shop was special because it’s where my brain gave me the most creative ideas.

So it became a daily routine, Remmy showing up while I wrote, bothering me. But she made sure to treat me right, sometimes bringing snacks, cakes, homework.

And after a few months, "I’m in love with you... Mark."

Remmy confessed she had feelings for me. I’d seen it coming. The coffee shop went quiet, no sound could break it.

Remmy slid her hand toward mine, presumably trying to be cute about it, and I knew exactly what I was going to do.

I... refused.

"Not happening."

I didn’t say another word, didn’t look at her face, just left.

But then she became this annoying girl who refused to give up on me. Saying the way I’d treated my ex-girlfriend while we were together was exactly the quality she was looking for.

I tried every excuse, the age gap, my messed-up life. A guy who dropped out of college in his first year to chase a career as a fiction writer sounds inspirational, sure. But I wasn’t earning anything, I was actually losing money.

And again, Remmy didn’t listen. She kept trying different angles, even got a job, thinking she could help me financially, assuming money was the real problem behind my bad decisions.

Remmy became so persistent I had to stop going outside entirely. I worked indoors for months, only going out when absolutely necessary. She even came by my apartment to check on me, but I didn’t respond.

Nights became my only friends, days became my bedtime, dark circles darkened faster than my future, I was losing myself, lack of vitamin D was making my bones weak.

And one terrible night I fell sick. At that moment I felt like I was dying, but having already experienced death once, I can confidently say this was far worse.

My throat couldn’t even swallow a tiny bit of spice or salt, and plain food made me vomit. Even sitting up was a struggle, forget doing anything else. My eyes wanted to melt into my brain and be forgotten.

The building my apartment was in was crappy, practically only four people lived there. No one would hear me call for help.

And just as I was thinking all of that, not long after, I passed out on the floor.

My consciousness drifted and forced me awake hours later, on my bed, with the smell of sweet, warm soup teasing my nose.

Opening my eyes, I saw my apartment far brighter than it should have been, the evening glow hitting the window, revealing a clean room that had been the messiest place a moment ago.

"Ah, you woke up. Feeling better?"

I somehow sat up, feeling slightly stronger than last time. Remmy came out of the kitchen in a hoodie, a big one that covered both her upper and lower half.

"I know what you’re going to ask. How I got in, right? Well, you were careless enough to leave the door unlocked. So I came in and found you sick..."

Remmy bit her lip and looked away. I didn’t say anything, what was there to say? It was really embarrassing.

"I called a doctor and got your meds. The doctor said you should only eat soup today, so... wait, I’ll serve you."

Remmy rushed into the kitchen without waiting for my response. I noticed the medicine on my TV counter and didn’t know what to think.

Remmy came back with a bowl of steaming hot kabocha miso soup, sat beside me, took a spoonful, brought it to her own mouth first to blow on it, cool it down, then shifted it to mine.

I was too weak to argue, so I let her feed me.

"Thank you."

Remmy blinked, not expecting those words to land the way they did. People might assume she was doing all this to get into a relationship with me, but I’d bet she came here to tell me she was moving on. But she couldn’t, and now she had no idea what she was supposed to do.

Same as me.

"So does it feel better? Does it taste alright?"

"Much better, and it tastes good."

I took the bowl from her, because at the pace she was feeding me, I’d starve. But that turned out to be a bad call, it looked like I didn’t appreciate her feeding me.

I quickly noticed and finished the whole bowl in seconds, like it was the best soup in the world, which, for a starving man, it was. Remmy saw it and lit up.

"I need seconds!! And also, I think you and I can be together now."

"Sure, let me fill you u– wait, what!?"

Remmy caught me off guard with that second sentence, as she would anyone, but I wanted to be honest with her and clear the awkwardness out of the air.

"Yeah... you’ve moved me enough. You’re better than most of the girls I’ve seen or been with. And I can’t find any red flags. So... if you still want to—"

Looking her in the eye was hard. After saying no for a year, I was now the one hoping. At this point, surely she’d lost interest in me, there was no way she was saying—

"You really mean it!!!! Tell me, tell me, tell me. Am I your girlfriend now!"

Remmy got way too close, entering my personal space, latching onto me like a puppy. I was surprised at first, then found it kind of cute. I guess that’s the downside of dating someone younger than you.

"I’m asking you, silly. If you’re down for it, then yes."

"You’re asking me? Of course, yes!"

Remmy hugged me, hopping into my lap with a joyful cheer. I set the bowl on the tray and hugged her back.

"Ohhh, sorry, I’m... too excited."

Then she pulled back, realizing how close she’d gotten, sitting in my lap, and put some distance between us, climbing out of bed.

"Wow, I can’t believe I’m your girlfriend now!! I thought this day would never come, but here we are. We’ll go on dates, right? Movies, dinner, ice cream, hand-holding, cuddling, and... I can’t wait to start the new day, OMG. It’s still hard to believe."

Remmy dissolved into a cheerful mess, jumping around, which is how she always was, energetic and overreacting about every little thing. I wasn’t sure what was so special about being with a loser like me.

But that day, I promised myself, looking at her smiling face, that I’d give this new relationship my best. Was I in love with her? Not sure, but I’d find out eventually.

"I’m going to be a clingy girlfriend, alright. And if we move in together, this place is going to be full of plushies!!"

"Alright, alright, calm down before you break the floor."