"Hmm?" Lee Odo was about to dig out his ear canal, seriously suspecting he was having auditory hallucinations.
When he finally processed Tobias's question, Lee Odo composed himself and chuckled heartily.
"Of course!"
Tobias nodded.
He was silent for a while before he finally said, "There's this person but, when I'm around them, I can't seem to understand it…I've never felt this way before."
Tobias's face twisted in a dark expression. Ever since the beginning of the year, he felt there was something wrong with his body. He always unconsciously paid attention to Mimi and found her pleasant, no matter how he looked at her.
Whether she was eating furiously or behaving in a perverted manner, his eyes never left her.
As he listened, Lee Odo hummed thoughtfully. In all honesty, he was surprised by the topic. When Tobias said he had a question for him, he had expected something far more different.
"Explain to me some of the things you feel when you're around this person." Lee Odo propped his hand on his chin while he stared at the conflicted young man beside him.
Tobias drummed his fingertips restlessly, his face hardening as he thought.
Thinking for a moment in silence he finally said, "I feel warm. When they're not beside me everything feels dark. When they look at me my heart aches a little. I want…I want them to always look at me."
"Have you ever felt sexual urges when around this person?" Lee Odo suddenly asked.
Tobias was stunned.
Did he ever experience sexual urges when around Mimi?
Inwardly, he shook his head. How could he feel that way for a girl he practically watched grow up?
Not only was she young, but he cherished Mimi dearly, like family.
"No…"
Just as he was about to respond, Tobias paused for a moment as he recalled this morning. Although his reaction wasn't due to Mimi when she hugged him even tighter…
He grew harder.
He didn't think much of it at the time, however, when he entered the shower and attended to his business, subconsciously he thought of Mimi.
Her warm, soft breath against his neck the night before. Her bright, twinkling eyes gazing at him with a hint of tease.
From there, his thoughts went hazy.
But for certain, during that time, all his thoughts were on Mimi.
Tobias forcibly suppressed the throbbing in his heart, but his ears couldn't help but redden. Lee Odo glanced at him with deep eyes. It seemed that the man wanted to ask something, but he held back.
Tobias couldn't help but moisten his lips, his eyes darkening. He hoarsely murmured, "Once."
Lee Odo's eyebrows raised before he let out an amused laugh.
"Believe me, one time is all it takes. Based on what you've described, I seem to have the answer to your problem."
Tobias was silent, his eyes flashed slightly. At that moment, it felt like he had sunk into the deepest depths of…hell.
Yes, it felt like hell. He was a human himself. He knew the nature of humans and their emotions.
Even though he was ignorant of certain things, it didn't mean he couldn't understand the meaning of his own feelings. Saying them aloud, he felt even more aware.
Lee Odo smiled. "You're in love."
This sentence made Tobias freeze in his spot at that moment. His gaze contained a swirling mixture of emotions. As his dark lashes cast a shadow over his eyes, Lee Odo did not notice the glint of doubt that flitted through his gaze.
"In…love?" Tobias repeated.
Lee Odo nodded with a bright smile. "When you see them, you feel light. When you feel depressed, you brighten up just by seeing them. You want to hold them, want to kiss them and be with them. While they can hurt you, they can also heal you. Is this not what being in love feels like?"
Tobias was silent. His eyes looked down at his drink with deep eyes.
He was in love with Mimi?
The fists by his side clenched. Feelings he never felt before spread to every inch of his body, which made his voice tremble slightly.
"Is…Is there no other reason for these feelings?"
The old man shook his head and took a sip of his drink. "Young man, if there's anything I lived long enough to see, it's young people like yourself falling in love. You may feel the need to resist these feelings out of fear, but in the end, it won't ever go away. Delaying your emotions is only denying your true self."
Tobias's brows furrowed deeper. His head lowered slightly, and his gaze landed on the bar counter. Tobias's heart shook just a bit.
Although Lee Odo's eyes were lowered, he had been watching Tobias from the corner of his vision. His lips curled up helplessly as he watched Tobias's mood turn dark.
Lee Odo could not suppress his mirth anymore and began to laugh out lightly.
"There's no need to think too much on the matter. I'm certain a smart young man like you will make the right decision." Lee Odo patted his back reassuringly. "With this topic in hand, I'm hosting a celebratory event for my company in a few weeks. Why don't you invite this special someone as a guest?"
Despite his words, Tobias's expression did not soften at all. He nodded his head and quietly took a sip of his drink. Lee Odo smiled and sighed helplessly.
The two had a few more rounds of drinks before Lee Odo called his driver to take Tobias home.
Outside the restaurant, Tobias did not move and answered in an ice-cold voice, "Thank you."
Getting into the back, Tobias's car silently drove away. Lee Odo watched his back and suddenly clicked his tongue.
He forgot to ask him about the recipes!
Finding it pitiful, Lee Odo sulked with his head lowered as he entered his car. He may have failed to receive the delicious recipes, but he was able to find out something interesting about the iceman.
Gazing out the window with his chin propped in his palm, Lee Odo grinned silently to himself.
Tobias Itou was in love.
...
As the car pulled up outside in front of Tobias's complex, he thanks the driver and steps out. Raising his face, he welcomes the cool, refreshing night air.
Tobias closes his eyes and takes a deep, purifying breath, trying to recover what's left of his sober mind.
Apparently, from Lee Odo's words, he was in love with Mimi.
With this in mind, his heart fluttered. He valiantly attempted to calm down and gather his thoughts. He shook his head.
How could he be in love with Mimi?
For the past four years now, he and Mimi had grown close as friends, however, nothing drastic had changed enough for him to fall in love with her.
As for his previous sexual urge toward the girl, would he not have felt sexually attracted to her earlier?
Especially with all the girl's playful teasing all these years.
While walking inside his building, his mind began to wander. Entering the passcode to the elevator, Tobias leans his head gently against the wall.
It was possible his emotions were temporary. After all, he had only recently felt this way for Mimi.
In time, they will fade.
Tobias struggled to suppress the sorrowful agony in his heart. He drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily. Exiting the elevator, Tobias walked to his door and typed in the passcode.
When the door buzzed open, he stepped inside only to pause upon seeing a pair of shoes.
These shoes…
Without thinking, Tobias rushed out of the entrance and into the living room. Upon identifying the figure in the living room, his heart trembled.