Chapter 101: Date With Olivia III
Olivia looked at him for a long moment.
"That’s actually a really good system," Olivia said. "For a person, not just for money."
"I tend to have good systems," Sean replied.
"Don’t ruin the moment by sounding smug," Olivia said.
Sean smiled.
"Fair."
She laughed and reached across the table, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and picking up her fork again.
"My turn," Olivia said. "A real one."
"Go ahead," Sean said.
Olivia took a slow breath.
"I’m scared the label meeting goes well," she admitted.
Sean raised an eyebrow.
"That’s what you’re afraid of? Success?" he asked.
"I’m scared of what it changes," Olivia said. "The group. The dynamic. Everything we built during those twelve days of impossible rehearsals, Yuna’s lunch routine, and Sori’s ongoing battle with pigeons. Success changes things, and I don’t want the things that matter to change."
"Some things will," Sean said honestly. "That’s unavoidable."
"I know," Olivia replied.
"But the things you’re really worried about?" Sean continued. "Yuna will still eat the same lunch. Sori will still be terrified of birds. Those things don’t change because a label schedules a meeting. They’re part of who people are, not where they end up."
Olivia studied him for a moment before smiling.
"You know, for someone who describes his emotional life as math, you occasionally say something genuinely wise," she said.
"I have my moments," Sean replied.
"Don’t get used to hearing me admit that," Olivia warned playfully.
"Too late. I’ve already filed it away," Sean said.
She tore off a small piece of bread and tossed it at him.
Sean caught it effortlessly.
Olivia sighed dramatically.
"That was somehow both impressive and annoying," she said.
"I get that a lot," Sean replied.
They both laughed, and a moment later dessert arrived.
A dark chocolate dessert finished with delicate sheets of gold leaf was placed in front of Olivia. She stared at it for several seconds before finally picking up her fork.
"There’s real gold on this," Olivia said.
"There is," Sean replied.
"I’m eating actual gold," Olivia said.
"It’s not actual gold ,but it’s edible," Sean said.
"I know it’s edible," Olivia replied with a laugh. "I just wanted to acknowledge the moment."
She looked at the dessert for another second before smiling to herself.
"My grandmother used to say the best meal she ever had was a sandwich she ate on a park bench on her wedding anniversary because they couldn’t afford a restaurant."
Sean listened quietly.
"I think about her a lot when I’m in places like this," Olivia continued.
"What do you think she’d say if she were here tonight?" Sean asked.
Olivia smiled.
"She’d ask if I’d been eating enough vegetables," she said.
Sean laughed.
"Then she’d tell me I was showing too much collarbone and needed a cardigan."
She touched the necklace resting against her throat.
"And after all that, she’d steal a bite of this and pretend she didn’t want any."
"She sounds wonderful," Sean said.
Olivia’s smile softened.
"She was the best person I’ve ever known," she said quietly.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Then Sean looked at her.
"She’d be proud of you tonight," he said.
Olivia lowered her eyes.
"I’d like to believe that," she admitted.
Sean gently shook his head.
"You don’t have to believe it," he said.
She looked back up.
"She would be."
A warm smile spread across Olivia’s face.
"Thank you," she said softly.
They finished the rest of their dessert.
After setting down her fork, Olivia looked at him again,a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Okay," she said. "Enough serious talk. I need you to tell me something embarrassing. Something genuinely embarrassing that has nothing to do with toast."
Sean blinked.
"Why?" he asked.
Olivia puffed out her cheeks and gave him the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes she could manage.
"Come on... just one," she pleaded.
Sean stared at her for a few seconds before sighing.
"You’re really going to weaponize that look?" he asked.
Olivia nodded enthusiastically without dropping the expression.
Sean laughed.
"Fine."
He pretended to think.
"I cried during a movie once," he admitted.
Olivia leaned forward immediately.
"Really?" she asked.
"Alone in my apartment," Sean continued with complete seriousness. "It was an animated movie... about a dog."
Her eyes widened.
"Which one?" Olivia asked.
"I’m not telling you," Sean replied.
"Sean."
"Absolutely not."
"Was it the one where the dog waits at the train station?" Olivia asked.
Sean remained silent.
That told her everything.
Olivia quickly covered her mouth with both hands, desperately trying not to laugh.
"Don’t," Sean warned.
"I’m not saying anything," Olivia mumbled behind her hands.
"Your face is," Sean said.
She lowered her hands, still fighting a smile.
"I think," Olivia said carefully, "this is the single most important thing I’ve ever learned about you."
"I regret telling you," Sean said.
"No, you don’t," Olivia replied.
Sean thought about it for a second.
"No," he admitted with a smile. "I really don’t."
She smiled across the candlelit table, warm and completely genuine.
Sean realized that everything the last twelve days had been—the rehearsals, the waiting, the promises—somehow felt less real than this quiet moment with her.
"Tell me something else," Sean said.
Olivia thought for a moment.
"I keep a journal," she said.
"Since when?" Sean asked.
"Since I was twelve," Olivia replied. "I’ve never shown it to anyone. Kwon doesn’t know about it. My parents don’t know. Nobody."
"What do you write?" Sean asked.
"Everything," Olivia said. "Performances. Bad rehearsal days. Things I’m afraid of. Things I want."
She hesitated before smiling.
"You’re in it."
Sean looked at her.
"I am?" he asked.
"Quite a bit, actually. Ever since the party," Olivia admitted.
"What was written in your journal about me?" Sean asked.
She laughed.
"I’m definitely not telling you," Olivia said. "That defeats the whole point of having a private journal."
"Really?" Sean asked.
"Maybe someday," Olivia said quietly. "When I figure out what all of it means."
--
Author Notes
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