The Alchemists

Rose turned to him, and the tears in her eyes made Rune's heart ached. He was looking at her side profile and he didn't realize the girl was holding back tears while keeping a flat expression.

And now, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She started sobbing uncontrollably

"Rune..." She touched his hand and pleaded with him. "Can I have a moment in private with Leon, please?" 

Rune felt a pang of pain in his heart when he heard her words. Somehow, something in his head told him that Rose would forgive Leon. She always did.

Rose had tolerated him and did everything for his sake for the past two years. She had sacrificed so much for this man, even when it broke her heart.

Was it because he was her first love? People said first love never dies.

Rune remembered how it was with his siblings. Aleksis and London all married their first loves, who were also the loves of their lives. Their love for their spouses was undeniable.

Was this how Rose felt about Leon?

Would she take him back no matter what happened between him and Rose in the past?

"Rose... we have a plan to go to Germany together," Rune reminded her. "It's time to go."

He didn't want her to stay behind and have her private moment with Leon. He knew what would happen if he let Rose talk in private with her ex-boyfriend.

She would forgive Leon, and then come to Rune to apologize and told him that he should go to Germany alone. She would thank him for being such a good man. She would thank him for being a good fake boyfriend.

And then, she would apologize, saying that she didn't think they could be more than friends. She would wish him happiness and hope that someday he would find a woman who was lucky to be his girlfriend.

Rune could already imagine everything in his head right now. He didn't want it.

"I really need to talk to Leon," said Rose firmly. "Please.. can you wait?"

They were not taking any commercial airline. They could go whenever they wanted, just needed to clear the schedule with the airport. It was not a big deal.

Surely they could wait, right? That was what Rose thought.

Unfortunately, Rune didn't think that way.

He was jealous and upset, because, even after everything that happened, Rose still gave in to Leon, swayed by his apologies, and let him talk her into speaking in private.

He was sure that it wouldn't end well.

"I am sorry, I cannot wait," Rune replied curtly. "Either you come with me to Germany and meet my family AS WE HAVE PLANNED together, or you want to stay and settle your issues with Leon." 

He suddenly felt ashamed for being petty this one time but he was just human with feelings and he didn't want to be an option.

He had made his intention clear from the beginning. He was in love with Rose and he wanted to be in a real relationship with her. He wanted her to meet his family. And when the time was right, he wanted to marry her.

Rune did not want to play with her feelings. He was willing to wait until she was ready, but he didn't want her to keep coming back to Leon and only came to him when she realized that it didn't work.

"Why are you doing this?" Rose looked at Rune with furrowed brows. "I just want to talk to him. You said I can settle my issues with Leon."

"Yes. I did say that..." Rune let out a long sigh. "I think you still have unresolved issues with him. And I don't want to stop you. You can take all the time you need to talk to him. I don't want you to rush just because you think you have to catch a plane."

The man added, "That's why, if you chose to stay and talk to him in private, I will go. Just let me know when you are ready to fly to Germany, I'll come and pick you up. Or... if you decided not to go, so I would know where we stand."

Rose's eyes dimmed when she heard his words uttered in a flat tone. She knew he was right. Rune was being very kind by giving her the time, as much as she wanted and needed, to talk with Leon and resolved her issues with the man.

If Rune said he would wait for her inside the plane while she was talking with Leon, things would become awkward when she ended up choosing Leon and told Rune to go by himself.

And this arrangement also gave Rose the freedom to talk to Leon as much as she needed. She wouldn't feel rushed, just because someone was waiting for her.

Her tears fell down harder as she realized how good this man was to her.

"Rune..." Rose bit her lip. She came forward and wrapped her arms to hug Rune's neck, and whispered, "Thank you."

Rune smiled bitterly and patted her back. "Let me know if you are ready to go... or not."

When he let go of her, Rune immediately took his bag from the car and walked to the plane, didn't look back at all.

He didn't want her to see that he, too, was crying. He had a feeling that Rose would never contact him and asked him to come and pick her up.

This was the end of his short-lived romance. Could it even be called romance? It was one-sided at best.

Rose looked at Rune's back view until it disappeared with her body shaking, as she sobbed silently. She wanted to ask him to wait and not leave right away, but she knew it was not fair of her to make him wait.

He was too good for her.

Mr. Roland who witnessed the scene could only let out a long sigh.

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What do you think about Rune's decision? Is it the right thing to do?