(Maxi says "I'm nothing" at this scene and this is Riftan's response. After this chapter)
“You… you’ve been in my mind ever since.” Max paused and raised her head. Riftan had a bewildered look on his face and his arms were drooping helplessly. He muttered his words as if he were confessing to her. “There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t think of you. Even back when you didn’t know that I existed in this world, you were the only one I had.”
“Ah…”
She couldn’t understand what he was saying, and her lips shook. Bitter, salty tears seeped into her mouth. Her wretched appearance reflected in his desolate eyes.
“The more that I yearned for you, the more pointless it became, even though I became miserable… I couldn’t stop.” Riftan’s lips twitched slightly. “Many times, many times I thought about giving up. I thought to myself, I should stop now. The more that I thought about you, the lonelier I felt. I was alone, no matter who I was with. Many days, I tried to get rid of my thoughts of you. I told myself to stop wis.h.i.+ng for someone I couldn’t reach. Over and over again, I decided to stop… but every time I came back to my senses, I would always be chasing after you.”
He pressed his fist to his forehead and closed his eyes tightly. “I don’t think my heart is mine. From the moment I first saw you, it was no longer mine. And yet… how could you be nothing. How could you be nothing…”
٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ YOU all are very much welcome!