When Iris used her ability near the farm, thinking no one was around, the observer was hiding in the bushes watching her.
He reported everything he saw to Johannes without missing a detail.
Johannes paid the observer extra and strictly ordered him to keep his mouth shut.
Even that wasn’t enough—he also used the observer’s weakness, which he had uncovered through his ability, to subtly threaten him.
The observer was a loyal subordinate of Johannes, a member of the household who followed his orders faithfully, but Johannes still couldn’t take any chances.
Someone might learn the truth and approach Iris with bad intentions.
“A hero… so she really became one. She was spotted coming from the farm where there were rumors about monsters. Then she must be a hero. That’s so Iris.”
To meet his father’s expectations, Johannes had no choice but to read people’s minds.
But each time he read the minds of those who came to him, or those brought by others, he was overwhelmed by guilt.
Those who offered donations to the church in exchange for having someone’s mind read always had the darkest intentions.
After being forced to read their filthy thoughts, he often had to cling to the toilet and vomit.
“My father only acknowledges me when I use my ability. I’m the only child he has left. I can’t betray him. If he abandons me too… I hope, unlike me, Iris always stays pure. And one day…”
One day, he would fight through the endless darkness and stay by Iris’s side forever.
Even if someone else stayed by her side for a while, he believed he would always be the one she ended up with.
He believed it more firmly than the family religion his father had drilled into him.
He knew Iris didn’t hold any feelings for him now.
He was afraid to meet her eyes because he feared she might despise him, mock him, or see his background and approach him with hidden motives like others had.
That’s why he didn’t dare read her mind.
At this moment, he couldn’t see her expression, but judging from her voice, she sounded confused about his appearance here.
He liked her honest nature, how she openly showed her emotions.
Unlike others who always hid sharp knives behind their smiles, Iris wore her annoyance on her sleeve—there was no need to read her mind.
“At least she’s not looking at me with contempt. Just judging by her voice… yeah?”
It was far from an ideal situation, but Johannes—wearing rose-colored glasses just for Iris—thought her honesty was lovely.
When Johannes gave no reply, wiping at his watery eyes with his sleeve, Iris bit her lip like she was holding back frustration and spoke again.
“Why are you here? This place is pretty far from town.”
“Am I… not supposed to be here? I… I see… I shouldn’t be here… I’m not allowed…”
Johannes stammered.
Iris closed her mouth.
She was on a mission and had vented her anxiety on innocent Johannes.
Whether it was the bakery café on the outskirts or this place far from town, there was no real reason Johannes couldn’t be here.
He could just be out for fun.
There was nothing strange about running into him.
He could’ve just quietly sat beside her on the bench like a little mouse and casually said hello.
She could’ve just brushed it off like he came to see something interesting.
Why had she snapped at Johannes?
Every time she saw him, she felt an unexplainable irritation.
Maybe it was because he always dodged her eyes and answered clumsily.
He used to be like that too—avoiding her even when she tried to get closer.
“But now, at least, he’s not avoiding conversation. Actually, I feel like I see him pretty often. It’s probably a coincidence… And he talks better than before. Well, people can change over ten years. Personalities can too.”
Iris scratched the back of her neck and shook her head.
Then, after glancing at him, she hesitated and stood up slowly.
“No, it’s not like that. I just…”
“Why? Did I do something wrong? Are you leaving…? Right. It’s okay… I’m useless anyway…”
Johannes glanced at her and then dropped his head.
Did I just do something wrong?
All she said was that she was getting up for a moment.
Seeing him blame himself again, Iris quickly waved her hands.
She had only dropped her kebab and was going to buy a new one, but now she’d made a fragile boy feel even more dejected.
“N-no! I was just getting up because I’m a little hungry. Are you hungry too? I’ll get you one too.”
“Oh? Th-then… here.”
Johannes fumbled through his pocket and pulled out a black card.
Iris’s eyes went wide.
It was a premium card used only by VVIPs.
She had never seen one in person—only drooled over it on variety shows about rich people’s lives.
Her mouth hung open for a moment before she came to her senses.
“Huh? Y-you want me to use this?”
“Yeah. You can buy whatever you want.”
As expected, he was a rich kid.
Her earlier irritation at his mysterious background melted away in an instant.
That’s right—Johannes was just a timid boy from a wealthy family.
“Wow, thanks… No, wait. I’m not the owner of this card. It doesn’t feel right for me to use it.”
Iris had smiled at the idea of getting whatever she wanted but quickly grew hesitant.
It wasn’t just any card—it was a VVIP card.
She’d never used someone else’s card before.
Johannes scratched at the bench awkwardly and then suddenly stood up.
“Sh-should I… go with you?”
“Okay.”
Iris and Johannes walked through the crowd together.
They bought two sets of kebabs and drinks.
Iris declined at first, but Johannes encouraged her to buy more in his usual hesitant tone.
She hesitated, then entered a convenience store to pick out snacks.
When she saw Johannes filling a basket with snacks, her eyes widened—then quickly returned to normal.
“Why so many? Oh right, he’s a bread freak. That means he must like sweet stuff too.”
The cashier rang up both Iris’s and Johannes’s snacks together and handed them in a single bag.
Iris grabbed Johannes’s shoulder to stop him during payment.
His firm shoulder trembled slightly, but Iris was too focused on the snack bag to notice.
“Wait, could you pack this separately from those…”
“N-no. P-please just pack them together.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
She had been about to say more but stopped.
It didn’t really matter, since they’d eat it while watching the outdoor performance.
Maybe the one who paid should decide.
Even as they left the store, Iris’s hand remained on Johannes’s shoulder.
Then the night wind blew cold, and without thinking, she linked arms with him.
‘Why… why did she link arms with me? I can get the shoulder thing—it was sudden. But this? All the way outside the store too… why?’
Johannes froze, his face beet red.
He had no idea what her gesture meant.
Was this how relationships moved forward?
Was this at least a “flirting” stage?
A friend once said linking arms counted as flirting…
So what was their relationship now?
How should he treat Iris moving forward?
Maybe he should ask the internet—was this flirting?
Iris’s one unconscious action threw Johannes’s brain into chaos.
His thoughts spiraled all the way to when he should propose and where they should go on their honeymoon.
Then Iris realized what she’d done and quickly pulled her arm away, raising her hands.
“Ah, sorry. I linked arms without thinking.”
“W-without thinking? R-right. I… didn’t notice either. Really…”
That “really” came out so muffled it was hard to hear.
Unaware that Johannes had imagined their honeymoon and was now deeply disappointed, Iris pointed to the snack bag he was holding—just out of curiosity.
“Isn’t that a bit too much? You’re going to eat all that in one day?”
“Oh? Ah, no. I bought this… for you, Iris.”
He stumbled over his words, then shut his eyes tight and held the bag out to her.
Surprised, Iris took it and peeked inside.
She hadn’t noticed before, but it was full of all her favorite snacks.
“What the… These are all my favorites. Wow, do we have similar tastes?”
“Y-yeah… similar.”
Actually, he had become similar.
From middle school through high school and into two years of adulthood, Johannes had always watched Iris.
In adulthood, he watched through others’ eyes, but still.
He knew not just her favorite snacks, but even the gum she liked.
He ate the snacks she liked so much that his own taste eventually changed to match hers.
Iris couldn’t help but smile as she received the snack gift.
She didn’t think much of it.
Just a rich kid being generous.
If he had a VVIP card, then buying a few dozen dollars’ worth of snacks was nothing.
‘Still… it feels nice. Johannes, he’s kind of a sweet kid after all.’