Light and Night Main Story Chapter 8-23 (LIGHT END) - Belated Midsummer (迟来的盛夏) | Light and Night 光与夜之恋

Previously on Chapter 8-22... (read here)

"Osborn, you will never be able to protect the ones you wanted to protect." 

Blood is still dripping from his wrist. He carried the girl horizontally, and left without looking back.

I'm so drowsy from my sleep, with only blurry sounds of the winds and bumps could be heard.

Ugh...

Osborn: Awake now?

You: Why am I sleeping on your car? Weren't we at the warehouse--

Osborn: The matter has been resolved, and I brought you away.

You: That person earlier--

Osborn: He's targeting me, it has nothing to do with you. Things like this will never happen again.

I nodded in confusion, still being in complete shock.

It's suddenly quiet in the car, even the air feels a little oppressing.

Osborn: Y/N.

He suddenly spoke, and his voice is a little hoarse. I nervously raised my head, and seeing his lowered side profile.

Osborn: I said, things like this will never happen again. Do you believe in me?

You: I believe in you.

I replied subconsciously. 

Osborn: I never missed protecting anyone I wanted to protect. No matter how enormous the problem is, even if I had to cross the mountain of blades or to get through the seas of flames, I'll be able to handle them all.

You: ......

Osborn: What's wrong, got so shocked you became silly?

He suddenly pinched my cheek, and I immediately returned to my senses, then shook my head.

The atmosphere seemed to became a little better. Just then, a sudden click is heard from the front.

Before I can understand what sound it was, I can feel the car has suddenly stopped, and the sounds of engines have halted right away.

You: Did the engine stall?

Osborn twisted the car key, but the car didn't show any signs of starting.

Osborn: Wait for a moment.

He jumped off the car, skillfully opened the bonnet, and half of him is covered.

I obediently waited for a few minutes, but seeing him showing no intentions to come back anytime soon, I got off the car too.

You: How is it?

Osborn: It'll be done soon. Why are you down? Not trusting my skills?

As he speaks, he fused the final two strands of wires together.

Osborn: Done.

You: As expected of a professional racer.

I cooperatively showed him a thumbs up. Osborn shrugged, and covered the bonnet.

Only then I've noticed that the right hand supporting on the bonnet is heavily bandaged at an unknown time.

My breath sank, and the image before I lost my consciousness has resurfaced before me-- Osborn held onto the blade with his bare hands in order to stop me.

The bright red colors seemed to still linger on my retinas. Just thinking about this, I immediately grabbed Osborn's hand and began examining it.

You: How's your hand now? Does it still hurt?

Osborn: Of course it'd hurt.

You: ?!

Osborn: Tsk, not only my hand hurts, even my arm and shoulders are hurting very much.

You: Then let's hurry and head to the hospital, I'll drive, you can get some rest. The nearest hospital-- Ah, got it, it's the 9th hospital! Let's go there right now, straight to the ER.

Osborn have instead not felt my eagerness, only to lean against the bonnet, and tilted his head while looking at me.

You: Don't worry, I have a driver's license, and I drove before too.

Osborn: What's wrong, do you feel that sorry for me?

You: For blade wounds like this, it's a must to go to the hospital, what happens if you get tetanus?!

Looking at my all serious expressions, Osborn can't help but to let out a laughter, raising an arm to rub my head.

Osborn: It's not as serious as you've imagined. It's just a minor injury, I was just teasing you.

You: Is it really okay? Won't you need professional care and bandaging?

Osborn: Did you forget what I do? In the guild, things like this are too common for me, I can even deal with them with my eyes closed.

He's actually still had the audacity to laugh as he spoke, his tone is still sounding casual.

Yet my heart felt like it has been stabbed violently, and it is faintly painful.

You: Have you always been injured in the past too?

Osborn: It's probably not as frequent as the times you're lost.

You: ......

It's obviously that he's injured, how can he still say things like this so mindlessly?

Osborn: Since you're so worried about me, then how about you owe me another favor? But I'll have to collect some interest from you, so you wouldn't back away from your words.

He smiled, and I suddenly glanced at the dried traces of blood on his belt. Perhaps he forgot to wipe it because it has already blended with its base color.

The soreness in my heart began to spread once again, even my nose is feeling sore, I no longer knew how to continue the conversation.

Osborn lowered his head as he followed my line of gaze, paused, and wiped the trace of blood off with his hand.

Osborn: It's fine.

My eyes reddened, and I still can't hold back from bursting in tears.

Osborn: Why are you crying? I'm just collecting interest from you, and I have yet to say what I'm going to collect.

I sobbed as I lost my ability to speak, the long-accumulated emotions broke out from the dams of my eyes as they rolled with the tears.

Osborn did not say a word too, only to look at me with a very faint smile, looking a little helpless.

He raised an arm, and wiped my tears bit by bit.

Osborn: I'm most afraid of girls crying.

The night breezes aren't gentle, it howls loudly, yet the fingertips brushing past my cheeks are so soft and warm.

Gently, they soothed the wounds of my heart.

You: I'm just, having aftershock now that I recall them...

Osborn: Yeah, I know.

He suddenly sighed softly, and knocked on my forehead.

Osborn: Why do you have so much tears?

You: Suddenly, I, can't quite hold them back... Let me calm down for a bit, I'll be fine.

Instead, Osborn did not move his gaze away, still drooping his gaze as he stares at me.

The surroundings are now quiet, only my sobbing voices sounding exceptionally clear.

I tugged Osborn's sleeve in embarrassment.

You: Don't keep looking at me, try saying something else. I don't think I can quite stop, it's kind of embarrassing...

Hearing that, Osborn chuckled. He pondered a little, then cleared his throat.

(T/N: He sang here out of nowhere lmao I'll just translate the lyrics roughly without bothering on how it rhymes)

The moon was once so cold

Brightening the lonely me

and the fault that I'm born with

Freedom is the engines drifting in the winds

Away from the swamps of the crowd

Venting in an unknown corner

Talent of deep blue flames

Along the endless roads

A monster that belongs nowhere

with a lonely nature

You suddenly protected me

to the depths of my soul

Opening the mist before me

The flag at the end of my race track

it's you, it's you

The world's edge that I'm rushing to

it's you, it's you

The winds flow past my ears so quickly

You're always on my passenger seat

No matter how rugged the road before me will be

The flag at the end of my race track

it's you, it's you

The world's edge that I'm rushing to

it's you, it's you

I can't possibly allow myself to lose you again

You'll never need to worry for directions again

Because the one who left everything to me, is you

The winds brushes past us, the scent of black cedar lingers from his breath.

I gradually calmed down, and nervously looked at him.

In the depths of the night, the stars have already risen, pouring a blurry light, setting off Osborn's gaze towards me into a bright, accommodating gaze.

The melody from his lips are just like a pair of hands, gently consoling my heart, and the fear and worries from the life and death situation have faded.

The night is getting darker and darker, yet the starry night is also gradually brightening.

Right now, this world seems to have only me, and only him left.

Until the car stably parked at the entrance of the community area, the melodious song still sounded by my ear.

You: What song was it?

Osborn: "Facing the Frontier", do you like it?

You: It sounded really good, and the lyrics are also well-written. Today--

Thank you? Thanks to you? All these words sounded so insubstantial.

Seeing me at loss of words, Osborn smiled quietly, and loosened my seatbelt.

Osborn: Alright, as long as you don't cry.

You: It's easy for me to not cry, you just have to take care of your safety.

Osborn: Sure, I'll promise you.

You: Okay, bye bye. 

I waved at him, and ran towards the elevator.

The moment I opened my house door, the cuckoo bird from my clock sounded at 9PM.

You: Ah! Tangyuan's performance is at 9PM! Oh no! He's now on the stage right? I can't call him.

After giving much thought, I sent him a message and sincerely apologized, then promised to treat him an all-you-can-eat feast of strawberry ice cream and orange-flavored soda.

You: Oh honored one, please don't mind my humble mistake and forgive me.

I placed my hands together as I prayed outside the windows, praying for a successful performance for Tangyuan tonight.

The star in the distance blinked, as if it's responding to my wish.