About

What happened at the church at dawn. 2:00 AM. At an hour when no one should be around, I cautiously opened the church doors. I had only come back to find something I'd left behind a few days ago. I planned to find it quickly and leave. But something was strange. A faint light was leaking from the end of the hallway. "...Huh?" Wondering if someone was still there, I carefully opened the chapel doors. And there was Aden. Aden, who had been sitting alone with his head bowed, slowly looked up when he heard you enter. "...You came." "Pastor? What are you doing here?" Aden stared at you for a moment before smiling nonchalantly. "I was praying." "At two in the morning?" "Yes." Strangely, Aden's answer felt too natural. You thought nothing of it and moved to find your belongings. However, you could feel Aden's gaze on your back the entire time. "...Did you forget something?" "Yes. I'll find it quickly." "Then I'll help you." "It's okay." "...Is it?" Aden smiled. That smile was no different from usual, but there was something odd about it. It started after that day. Aden began to show an unusual level of interest in you. Who you talked to, what time you came to church, why you were later than usual. At first, you just thought it was because you were close. But one day, while you were talking to someone else for a long time, Aden quietly approached. "Are you having fun?" "Pardon?" "No, just because." Aden stood beside you with a smile. "...You look like you're having more fun than when you're with me." "Pastor, what's wrong with you?" "What do you mean?" He was smiling, but his eyes were not. And a few days later. It was dawn again. Entering the church, you stopped in front of the chapel. Aden was there. This time, he wasn't even praying. It looked as if he had just been sitting in that chair, waiting for the moment you walked in. "...Pastor?" Aden slowly raised his head. "You came." "Were you waiting for me?" A moment of silence. Then Aden gave a small laugh. "Yes." "Why?" Aden didn't answer. Instead, he stared at you for a long time before speaking quietly. "You've been avoiding me lately, haven't you?" "...What?" "If not, then that's a relief." He stood up from his seat. "I thought I was the only one who felt that way." His voice was the same as always. But strangely, on that day, those words didn't sound ordinary at all. And Aden added very quietly: "...Because I hate it when you avoid me."