3 – Cypress Mosaic

The ​morning ​air ​at ​the end of ​summer ​was ​refreshing.

Elian ​wheeled ​his bicycle out from ​the ​separate common entrance ​leading to the ​upper ​floors.

“Seemed ​like ​you ​came ​in later than ​usual ​yesterday.”

Vincent ​spoke up, lightly ​tapping the front wheel ​of the ​bike with ​the tip ​of his ​toe. ​He ​lived in the ​room right ​next to Elian’s on ​the second floor.

“Did I ​wake you?”

“For a second, ​but I ​fell ​right back asleep. You know me.”

“I ​do. Since we were ​kids, ​you’ve ​been ​able ​to sleep anywhere ​the moment ​your ​head hits the ​pillow.”

“You ​could call it a kind ​of talent.”

Vincent ​smiled ​as if boasting ​about ​a ​great ​ability, ​then followed ​up ​with a ​question.

“Did you work overtime at the bar?”

“Something ​like that.”

“Working at ​the center by ​day and the bar ​by night. ​Is your body ​holding ​up?”

Elian nodded to ​his friend’s worried ​face, signaling ​that ​everything was ​fine.

“It’s ​manageable. For ​now.”

“I’m ​telling you, ​you’ve ​got ​a surprisingly iron ​constitution.”

“If ​you just ​count ​the ​actual ​working hours, it’s not that long.”

“Is that the point? In the end, you leave in the morning and come back late at night. Anyone’s bound to get tired from that.”

Staring at the East River reflecting the morning sunlight, Elian spoke in a calm voice.

“Actually, I had a harvest yesterday.”

“A harvest?”

Vincent’s eyes momentarily sparkled with anticipation as he asked back. Elian nodded, tightening his grip on the handlebars.

“Last night, a Lockhart appeared at the bar.”

Vincent pressed him.

“By Lockhart, you mean…”

“California Sunshine.”

“What?”

Vincent instinctively grabbed his friend’s arm. He hurriedly scanned their surroundings and took a step closer to Elian.

“What happened? That bastard approached you first, right? Right?”

“How can you be so sure?”

“It’s obvious. Just think about his past scandal partners. Hollywood actors, top models, beauty influencers… the guy is obsessed with looks. There’s no way he’d just pass you by.”

“Is that why you told me to work at that bar?”

“Of course. This was all part of your big brother’s calculated operation.”

By day, Elian worked as a counselor at a child psychology center, and afterward, he worked as a part-timer at a bar in Tribeca.

The membership-only bar was almost the only link Elian had to get close to the Lockharts.

After obtaining information that Damon Lockhart’s second son occasionally appeared there when stolen contentvisiting New York, Elian had struggled [Read on Read BL Novels]to secure an interview to get a job.

While the interview appointment had been hard to get, the hiring decision was made on the spot. It was one of the first times he felt he had benefited from his appearance.

And last night, after a long wait, he had finally met a member of the Lockhart family.

“So? What happened?”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Vincent urged him. He kept nibbling on his lower lip with his upper teeth, clearly eager for the story.

Elian recalled the name ‘Joshua Lockhart’ engraved on the business card in his wallet.

“I got his phone number.”

“I knew it. I knew that would happen.”

Vincent sneered, sounding displeased.

“’California Sunshine’ my foot… No matter how much the fans rave about him being some refreshing prince, he’s just a playboy, troublemaking rich kid.”

Without much of a response, Elian simply gave a short laugh and climbed onto his bike.

Stopping his criticism of Joshua Lockhart, Vincent approached with a beaming face and plopped his large hand down on the bicycle handlebars.

“Working at that bar for three months wasn’t for nothing. Impressive, Elian Ward.”

“There wasn’t really any other way for an ordinary person to approach the Lockhart family. And.”

Elian paused for a moment to correct Vincent’s mistake.

“It’s not Elian Ward. It’s Elian Bellotti.”

Vincent nodded and gave a short laugh.

As he watched Elian put on his helmet, the smile gradually faded from Vincent’s face. He then spoke with a solemn, determined expression.

“So, does this mean it’s really starting now?”

“Rather than that, it’s only just beginning.”

“Tell me the details after work.”

“I will.”

However, even after exchanging goodbyes, Elian couldn’t seem to leave, struggling with the helmet strap.

“What’s wrong?”

“The buckle… it won’t lock properly.”

“It was doing that yesterday, too. Don’t you need to buy a new one?”

“I think I do.”

“Want to go out together this holiday?”

“To buy a helmet?”

“You could buy one online, but I’m using it as an excuse to get out of the house. Besides, it’s better to try a helmet on in person before buying.”

“That’s true.”

“Let’s buy the helmet, then ride through Sunset Park all the way to Coney Island Beach.”

“Sure. As long as you don’t suggest a race.”

Even while listening to Vincent, Elian struggled to force the stubborn buckle into the slot.

Click. Finally, the buckle locked into place.

“Ah, got it. I’m off.”

“Hey, wait! Your medicine? You took your medicine, right?”

Elian gave a short smile to Vincent, who asked urgently while grabbing him.

“I did. I never miss my medicine, no matter what.”

Relieved, Vincent’s expression brightened again.

“Right. You’re thorough about things like that.”

“I always keep some in my desk at the center and in my bag, so don’t worry.”

Responding with a short laugh, Vincent patted the back of the bicycle. Elian waved his hand and pedaled away vigorously.

From Brooklyn Heights to the child counseling center in Midtown East.

And at night, from the bar in Tribeca back to Brooklyn Heights.

He cycled a distance of about 9 miles every day.

In a place where traffic congestion was severe, commuting by bike was common. As long as the weather permitted, Elian preferred using his bicycle.

Whenever he rode across the Brooklyn Bridge, he could taste a sense of liberation, as if he were unbound by anything.

Even if nothing was actually being resolved, he couldn’t spend every given day in pessimism and despair. stolen contentHe had realized [unauthorized copy]that such an Read on Read BL Novelsattitude would not help him achieve even a small victory in this long-term war.

Last spring, Elian had moved from Chicago to New York.

It was to achieve his goal.

While gathering every piece of information he could on the Lockhart family, he also began working as a trainee counselor at a center in Manhattan.

Working as a part-timer at the bar wasn’t enough to make a living, but that wasn’t the only reason. Being a child counselor was Elian’s long-held dream and goal—essentially his identity—so he couldn’t let it go.

Furthermore, investing all his time without doing anything else didn’t guarantee a clever way to approach the Lockhart family.

He had tried various methods in the meantime.

He had scouted agencies that wealthy Manhattanites used to hire employees, and he had even tried to get a job at the florists or grocery stores the Lockharts frequented. But it was all in vain.

Damon Lockhart’s eldest son, who resided in New York, was a recluse who hardly ever showed himself outside of official events, leaving one to wonder if he ever went out or socialized at all. It was impossible to get any information on his private life.

On the other hand, information about the second son was overflowing.

While the Lockhart family and group were based on the East Coast, particularly in New York, the second son had lived in the West since his teens.

Unlike his shut-in older brother, he was spotted everywhere. While enjoying lavish parties, he was often seen spending time with friends at outdoor cafe seats or enjoying surfing and basketball during the day. This image of him being not much different from any other healthy, ordinary twenty-something made his fans even more enthusiastic.

About once a month when he visited New York, the [unauthorized copy][Read on Read BL Novels]paparazzi who followed Joshua [Read on Read BL Novels]Lockhart in California moved with him.

The restaurants he visited, the cafes, the boutiques where he shopped, and even who he hung out with. There was no need to go through an information broker; it could be easily checked through tabloid websites or his social media fan accounts. His fan accounts were sometimes more persistent and faster than the tabloid press. The bar where he was currently working was information he had found through a secret fan account discovered by Vincent.

He had spent months working at the bar, waiting for any Lockhart to appear.

During that time, there had been no results. It was a series of tedious waits.

To think that this was the only thing he could do. There were many days when he felt drained by helplessness.

But this was the only method left. That was the reality. He had to face reality and encourage himself so as not to grow weary.

And last night, the wait finally bore fruit.