Liar and Liar - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21

Misunderstanding.

Could such a magical word really miraculously restore our relationship back to normal? Would it be possible for me to treat you without a victim complex, without the anxiety that I’d be the only fool?

Danielle could only give one answer.

I need time.

When trust builds up, then maybe someday I’ll have a day when I can ask you.

Why you made a bet about me. What the reason was.

However, revealing the existence of the bet first at this point would be a huge disadvantage, so Danielle had no intention of doing so.

Right. We need to talk too. I’ve been wanting to ask you about that project anyway. Can I ask you about it?

Yeah. You can ask.

That science project was Danielle’s very interest. It was also the only project among the science projects conducted by Middle School students that year that dealt with both baseball and astrophysics.

According to your project, player Seonwoo Kang has a higher probability of hitting home runs during a full moon, right?

It was a summary that sounded infinitely unscientific, but strictly speaking, what Danielle had conducted was an astrophysics project. Not an astrology report.

Based on her experience watching player Seonwoo Kang since she was in Korea, Danielle was confident that his slugging percentage and home run probability would be higher in the evenings. The data actually supported this too.

Instead of using Statcast data, which is publicly available baseball player data, Danielle examined whether the positions and rotational states of planets orbiting the sun, from Mars to Pluto, now a demoted planet, were related to home run probability. Among them, the only variable that yielded a significant value was the moon.

Can I still believe your hypothesis?

The World Series game dates happen to be when there’s a full moon.

‘Of course.’

With the dedication of a first-class scientist, Danielle had been steadily adding data even after the project ended to increase the reliability of her hypothesis.

For unknown reasons, when there was a full moon, Seonwoo Kang’s slugging and home run probability definitely increased compared to other players.

A full moon during the World Series, what a pleasant coincidence, she had thought. At the creepy sensation of something scratching her submerged heel underwater, Danielle turned pale and froze like ice.

Danielle hastily lifted her feet out of the ocean. But there were no particular wounds on her heel that felt like something had scratched it.

Even after confirming there were no wounds, Danielle couldn’t easily calm down. She wanted to get out of the ocean right away.

This panic was something Danielle herself hadn’t anticipated.

‘It must be my imagination. It’s nothing serious…’

It was already shocking enough, but the movie’s highlight would be separate. Danielle already felt like she knew how terrible and cruel that scene would be.

The more specifically she could imagine it, the more desperately Danielle wanted to escape from here.

She unconsciously looked toward Frederick, but couldn’t see him properly.

Because of the women surrounding him.

‘It’s exactly as expected.’

Danielle didn’t wait for Frederick to look at her and just averted her gaze.

After thinking she’d stop caring, after saying she’d watch alone first. These were illogical emotions that even Danielle herself couldn’t understand.

However, the image of Frederick surrounded by women wouldn’t leave her mind.

“I only look at you, only think of you, only listen to you.”

She knew from the beginning it would be a lie, so why on earth…

Danielle covered her face with one hand. She felt nauseous.

“…”

When she thought of scientific reasons why there might be sharks at this seaside right now, Danielle’s already poor complexion rapidly worsened to almost corpse-like.

‘Should I get out? Whatever happens, just…’

I’m used to mockery. If only I…

‘If only I stay strong…’

The real price of receiving Frederick Bastia’s help was being locked in a closet. Thinking of it that way, there was nothing to feel wronged or sad about.

The zip-up was thin, and Danielle shivered violently in the biting cold on her neck, arms, and back.

The screen lit up brightly with a new message, but Danielle didn’t notice it.

Having made up her mind, Danielle’s plan was to enter the ocean herself instead of calling a safety officer and get to the beach as quickly as possible. From her current position, the water depth would probably come up to about her chest.

However, Danielle froze with her feet lifted in the air. She couldn’t bring herself to put her feet in the ocean.

‘Can I endure it?’

Just as Danielle was about to be consumed by endless fear, a warm baritone voice called her affectionately from right beside her.

“Sweetie.”

Danielle’s eyes slowly opened. The eyes she met reminded her of a great white shark. However, what towered above the water surface wasn’t a great white shark but Frederick. Meeting Danielle’s eyes, he slightly frowned.

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

“…What’s wrong…”

It wasn’t very welcome attention for Danielle, who was huddled like hiding in a cave. However, before she could even be conscious of it, the tube was pulled forward.

“What, Frederick. Where are you going with your girlfriend.”

Starting with one male student’s voice, everyone’s attention suddenly focused on them.

Frederick’s upper body rose above the water surface earlier than expected, and standing tall in the ocean, he lifted Danielle up in both arms. More than being lifted up, Danielle was more surprised by the hot body temperature touching her bare legs.

“Wh-what are you-“

“Ah, you’re so cold. Whatever you say, I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

She didn’t want to be caught shivering. But Danielle couldn’t control her body. Already there wasn’t a place from her fingers to her toes that wasn’t trembling.

Her body instinctively leaned toward Frederick’s warmth on its own. Unable to push Frederick away, Danielle grabbed his shoulder with trembling hands.

“What, are you two going to get penalized?”

“They’re a couple who just started dating recently. Leave them alone.”

Danielle, who was looking over her shoulder at those floating in the ocean embraced by Frederick, closed her eyes. Both hands weakly covered her ears.

“She can’t watch movies like that. I made a mistake.”

Unlike usual, the playfulness was completely erased from Frederick’s voice.

The spine-chilling sounds from the movie were certainly still there. However, just by leaning on Frederick, Danielle could escape from the terrible volume as if she had taken refuge in some cave.

‘Cold.’

So cold. Danielle curled her toes as much as possible. Frederick, who had climbed the villa’s stairs in an instant while holding Danielle, immediately headed upstairs through the stairs inside the villa.

The place they arrived at was the innermost room on the top floor. Danielle likewise scanned the view of the room with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ocean.

‘…It’s Frederick Bastia’s room.’

Whether because it was a villa or because that was his original taste, the white-toned room had only a few wooden furniture pieces.

The moment Frederick put her down on the bed, Danielle was flustered, but he immediately turned around and headed to the closet.

What Frederick held in his hands when he returned to Danielle was a dark taupe hoodie.

“It’ll probably be big, but do you want to put this on for now?”

“…”

Danielle couldn’t bring herself to answer. She just slowly nodded her head up and down like an ambiguous hand signal.

Staying still didn’t mean she wanted him to dress her personally. However, Frederick began putting the hood over the thin zip-up. Flustered, Danielle awkwardly put her arms through the wool hoodie one by one.

“Haha.”

Danielle, who was even wearing the hood, looked up to check Frederick’s face. He was smiling brightly.

“Oh my, it’s too big. I knew it would be big, but it’s really big.”

Frederick kneaded the wrinkled parts of his own clothes that had plenty of room. Danielle also felt like she was wearing a large poncho turned inside out rather than having put on clothes.

Although her pants were still short and thin shorts like athletic wear, the hoodie’s insulation function was excellent and her body’s trembling seemed to gradually subside.

“Now that I’ve covered you with mine, it really seems like you’re mine. Interesting.”

It sounded strangely meaningful, but Danielle decided to filter it out appropriately instead of giving it unnecessary meaning.

“…I’ll take it off right away when I can move.”

“Why? Keep wearing it.”

Frederick, who had been quietly watching Danielle, went to the closet again and brought socks.

‘No way.’

Frederick knelt down on one knee in front of Danielle without a moment’s hesitation. Then he placed Danielle’s foot on his knee. It definitely touched skin, but it felt like stepping on stone.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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