Liar and Liar - Chapter 23

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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 23

‘…Was I too harsh?’

Had he lost even the will to continue the bet?

Was he about to take off his mask now?

While wanting that moment, she also didn’t want it. Danielle slowly realized that her heart, mixed like muddy water, was divided exactly in half.

“Even if it’s just empty words-“

Danielle unconsciously flinched at Frederick’s next words.

Her eyes met Frederick’s, who had been looking elsewhere for a moment. His gray eyes bound her mysteriously as they always did.

“Can’t you tell me you’ll stay by my side?”

“…”

Frederick Bastia, you really are…

‘You’re really amazing.’

This is how you enchant and seduce people. I can really see why all the girls fell for you.

Frederick lightly grasped Danielle’s hand as she delayed her answer, lost in thought.

“I could tell you had such a long, fun conversation with Chris, but even watching with my own eyes, I couldn’t read a single word of what you were saying. I’m upset…”

Despite his large frame, he acted like a child. The problem was that it worked.

‘Maybe…’

Maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t gone to the Student Union Building that day. Even if it would have ended with me being the fool-

‘…I could have heard these words sincerely.’

Danielle was startled by the thought in her head and clenched her fist tightly.

‘What crazy thoughts, Danielle Ryu.’

You promised you’d definitely win this game. You said you’d laugh at Frederick Bastia’s efforts.

‘Get it together.’

Danielle reached out to Frederick’s cheek. She had originally planned to cup his cheek, but couldn’t bring herself to do it and only gently pressed his cheekbone with her thumb.

“I’ll stay by your side.”

Until the very moment you take off your mask and reveal your true nature.

Hiding her true feelings, Danielle smiled faintly. She tried to counter like Frederick, who lied without blinking an eye, like other girls who skillfully handled boys.

But seductive behavior toward men was too difficult for Danielle.

‘It doesn’t seem like it’ll work…’

She was supposed to seduce him, but it probably sounded like “Here! Take it and get lost.” But Frederick’s reaction was strange.

“…Say it one more time. While looking into my eyes.”

“…Huh?”

Since she was being held like a baby, there was no way to escape when Frederick brought his face closer.

It was just a slight tilt, but Danielle was helplessly flustered by the shortened distance. She unconsciously wiggled her toes that were dangling in the air.

“Th, that…”

Surely not a kiss…

‘That’s not what’s happening…’

It was a distance where such a situation naturally came to mind.

“Call my name too.”

Frederick’s hand lightly wrapped around Danielle’s clenched fist.

After hesitating for a moment, Danielle slowly opened her mouth.

“Fr, ederick…”

“Yeah.”

“Wake up from your dream.”

For a moment, Frederick’s eyes went blank.

Seeing that, Danielle steeled her alertness.

She had almost been swept away. She couldn’t let him take control.

Danielle replied firmly.

“You said you’d treat me well. I don’t feel like saying it twice yet.”

“That’s too much…”

Even so, Frederick was smiling. Like someone who simply enjoyed his girlfriend’s push-and-pull.

“You have to push away other men like this too. You’ll do that, right?”

“You do that first, then talk. Put me down now.”

Even though she wanted to sit up, if she lifted her upper body, their lips would touch first, so Danielle couldn’t move at all.

“No. You need to warm up more.”

“This position…”

Aren’t you embarrassed? Instead of saying that word first, Danielle deflected her answer in another direction.

“I’m warm enough with clothes on. I want to drink water, hurry.”

“Of course I can do that for you.”

Frederick stood up while still holding Danielle. Startled, Danielle grabbed Frederick’s shoulders. She looked exactly like a koala clinging to a tree.

“I have legs! I can walk!”

Should she say she didn’t like it?

They had agreed he would let go if she said she didn’t like it. But Frederick cleverly blocked this.

“You can’t say you don’t like it.”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

Frederick sat in a chair in front of the table and personally poured water for Danielle.

“The interrogation isn’t over yet. So what did you talk about so enjoyably with Chris?”

Danielle, who was quietly trying to swallow the water from the glass, coughed lightly. She wasn’t even a (real) girlfriend, and she hadn’t cheated, but she felt like a girlfriend who had been caught cheating.

“Just, well… baseball…”

“Baseball?”

Danielle swallowed a sigh and opened her mouth.

“We talked about Seonwoo Kang from the LA Sharks. He’s Korean. Chris seems to be a fan of that player too.”

“Don’t tell me you agreed to go watch a game together?”

You didn’t, right? Frederick interrogated by bringing his face close. It was an interrogation method that wasn’t good for the heart.

“We didn’t talk about that, don’t bring your face so close!”

“…I think he was going to suggest it. It would have been trouble if I hadn’t intervened.”

“What trouble…”

You’re making a fuss over something that didn’t even happen. Danielle thought there was no way Chris would ask her to go watch baseball together.

Also, even if he had suggested going together, she would have refused. Ticket prices were no joke right now.

“That kind of date should be with me. Right?”

“…”

With the division games happening now, even the cheapest seats would cost over $200 per person. If they advanced to the championship, the next gateway to the World Series, tickets would naturally be much more expensive.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a price high school students could handle. But the person in front of her was Frederick Bastia.

‘…If you’re the team owner’s son, can you get tickets for free?’

…I don’t particularly need to feel sorry?

‘Watching live…’

I do want to go…

‘Actually, this year I really want to go…’

Danielle mumbled hesitantly.

“If you… really absolutely want to go with me… I could… make time…”

Even while looking elsewhere, Danielle could feel Frederick’s gaze directed at her.

When she accepted his confession, Danielle had planned to thoroughly use Frederick. You said you’d give me everything.

So this was just part of using Frederick too. Really.

“…”

“…”

Thinking that way, she tried to be confident, but for some reason Danielle couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. First of all, this ridiculous position was the problem.

‘Why are you staring, why…’

“If, if you don’t want to-“

“Ah, you’re really so cute. My girlfriend.”

Frederick smiled with his eyes crinkling. Danielle felt like spider webs were forming in her heart. Something was wrapping tightly around her heart.

“Mr. Kang, I know who he is. That batter who hit the home run in the first division game this time, right? Are you a big fan?”

“…Yeah.”

“More than me?”

‘What nonsense…’

Struggling to hold back a sigh of absurdity, Danielle pushed Frederick’s cheek with the thick part of her palm.

“You’ve been my boyfriend for less than a week and you already want so much.”

“That’s harsh… I was going to let you talk to that player on the phone.”

“Wh-what?”

Frederick took out his phone and showed it to her. Danielle immediately realized he wasn’t joking.

“Want to?”

“N-no… that… really? Uh, well…”

Flustered, Danielle seemed to think about something, then soon shook her head.

“No, never mind- He’s probably training or resting, so I’d just be bothering him for no reason.”

“You really are a fan. Come to think of it, your science project back then was about baseball too.”

Danielle found Frederick’s know-it-all attitude indescribably bewildering.

Even though he was mentioning something unavoidable to know since they were in the same school and grade, the moment she realized that she had been in his mind was somehow perplexing.

At some point, Danielle had completely ignored Frederick as if he were invisible. Because she had hoped he would ignore her too.

“Anyway… I should go before it gets any later. Let me know when you can get tickets.”

Danielle was gradually realizing another side effect of being held in Frederick’s arms. His embrace was too warm, and perhaps because of that, her cold body was becoming relaxed beyond just warming up.

“You’re leaving?”

“I have to drive for a long time. I’m tired.”

She didn’t plan to list everything, but Danielle had already had a very long day before coming here.

“The sun’s already set. And you’re even tired – how could I let you go?”

What if you don’t let me go. Danielle slumped listlessly. Whether humans really were creatures of adaptation, being held in Frederick’s arms wasn’t very uncomfortable. Honestly speaking, the warmth covering her body was cozy.

“Stay and sleep here.”

“What?!”

Danielle’s gaze automatically turned toward the bed. It felt like she was waking up.

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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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