DEAN

When the one-year agreement I made with Lilith began to draw near, I thought I’d be calm and prepared.

After all, our relationship had grown strong and stable—no different from a married couple. It felt so natural that I’d almost forgotten it had an expiration date.

Yet the closer the deadline approached, the more restless I became. I found myself watching Lilith closely, trying to read what she was thinking.

Was she content with how things were? Or was she already preparing to let go?

On ordinary days, I could read her easily. But concerning this matter, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see through her.

And...