Liar and Liar - Chapter 24
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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 24
“I won’t do anything weird. There are plenty of rooms.”
“Not enough for all the kids to sleep. I don’t want to huddle together with other kids.”
“What kids? I’m going to tell everyone to get lost once the movie ends.”
Your words don’t match up right now. Frederick kindly added to Danielle, who was making that expression.
“My girlfriend is different from everyone else. I originally hate having people stay in my personal space for long.”
He seemed to accommodate everything reasonably, but peel back just one layer and his prickliness was revealed.
The fact that this was his true nature was something Danielle had known since Lower School. The reason surrounding students found Frederick difficult was also because of these occasionally revealed aspects.
“You mentioned something about punishment. In the closet, or whatever…”
Actually, part of her wanting to leave quickly was because she didn’t want to receive that punishment.
“Since I’m the host, I’ll decide the punishment. You know what I mean? The person who ran away from the ocean has to stay in the closet I choose, Dani.”
“…”
Danielle’s eyes touched Frederick’s arms that were holding her. Could he possibly be talking about this right now?
“Isn’t this tiring for you too? Only you’re struggling like this anyway.”
On the contrary, Danielle had to cover the yawn that was coming with her hand. The texture of the hood sleeve touching her lips felt soft.
“Light as air. I definitely understand why you’re good at running now.”
“Flattering me won’t get you anything…”
Showing off your strength and being stubborn for no reason will only give you cramps in your arms. Danielle covered one corner of her eye with the hand that had been covering her mouth. Drowsiness was washing over her.
“You seem really tired. What were you doing?”
“…Just at home…”
While it was true that answering was bothersome, Danielle didn’t particularly want to tell Frederick about her daily life.
‘It’s not like I came from playing tennis elegantly like you’d imagine…’
To put it simply, Danielle’s weekend morning and afternoon activities were labor.
As if matching Danielle’s lowered voice, Frederick’s voice also became smaller. The quiet room with the night ocean as backdrop now seemed like even breathing could be heard.
“Honey, what’s your Korean name?”
“…E Soo.”
“E, ssu?”
When pronouncing S in English, Americans always thought of it as a tense consonant. Danielle corrected him in a small voice.
“No, listen again. ‘Soo’. It’s closer to the Sh pronunciation.”
“Soo… E, Soo. Right?”
“…”
I shouldn’t have told him.
Feeling the turmoil in her heart that she only wanted to turn away from, Danielle thought that. Even if it meant being told she was being petty about something as trivial as a name not wearing out, she just shouldn’t have told him…
“Right? Did I say it wrong?”
“…Right. That was accurate.”
She thought if she said it was right, he would stop calling it. But it was the opposite.
“Soo… E Soo, E Soo. E Soo-”
“…”
Frederick memorized Danielle’s name like a child. Danielle tried not to react. So that her name wouldn’t truly become a weakness.
‘It’s just a name.’
Don’t be swayed by every little thing like this.
“E~Soo. Your name is cute…”
But since the other party showed no signs of closing his mouth, Danielle had no choice but to change the subject.
“…What’s your middle name.”
“Amedeo (God’s love). My family calls me by this name.”
Right, that was the name. An Italian name.
In Lower School, some girl had found out Frederick’s middle name and called him by it without permission.
“Amedeo!”
“…How did you find out?”
“Heh, I had my ways!”
“But I didn’t tell you.”
“Ah, well…”
The nicknames Frederick allowed from acquaintances around him were exactly ‘Freddy’, ‘Rick’, and ‘Ricky’. Even if they were Italian, they might call him by his Italian name, but no one at school, including those of Italian origin, could call Frederick by his middle name.
“Please only call me by my first name.”
“Ah, okay…!”
It happened publicly and the girl ended up crying behind everyone’s back. Danielle had watched that situation as a third party.
This incident remained in Danielle as a perfect negative example showing ‘what kind of ending you’d face if you harbored vain feelings for Frederick Bastia.’
“…”
“…Why are you staring?”
It was enough for Danielle that Frederick had closed his mouth, so she wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. But the staring gaze was definitely saying something powerfully without sound.
“Why aren’t you calling me?”
“…What?”
“My middle name. You just asked about it.”
“…”
You must have made up your mind to win the bet, really.
“Didn’t you hate being called by your middle name?”
“I hate it when just anyone calls me that. But you’re my Dani.”
It would be better to draw a line.
‘Just how high are you planning to lift me up before dropping me…’
If it were possible, Danielle would likewise want to lift Frederick up that high. But she knew it was impossible, and the AI knew it too.
Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero-
Danielle casually opened her mouth while recalling the mechanical sound that had echoed in the car.
“Amedeo.”
In the strange silence, Danielle tried to check Frederick’s expression, but he first rested his forehead against hers with a light touch.
“Call me again.”
“…Amedeo, what are you doing?”
“Call me again.”
“Look, I’m not a doll that repeats the same words when you press a button, I’m a person.”
“Call me, call my name.”
What are you, some eight-year-old kid. Since there would be no end to arguing, Danielle decided to just go along with Frederick’s stubbornness instead of bickering. She was already too tired.
“Amedeo.”
“Again.”
“Amedeo.”
“Again.”
I don’t know why you’re doing this, but if you’re going to be like this, just make a recording.
Even while thinking that, instead of arguing, Danielle chose the response that required the least mouth movement.
“Amedeo.”
Names were like ownership. That’s why Danielle didn’t want to be called, and didn’t want to call. Because I don’t want to give myself to you, and I don’t want to have you.
“Strange. My name sounds ticklish. You know synesthesia, right?”
It seemed to be a story about cases like seeing a painting but hearing a symphony, or something like that.
“Call me again.”
“…Amedeo.”
Whether you paint a picture or recite poetry as your review of hearing your middle name called, I won’t fall for your acting.
Danielle calling Frederick’s middle name right now was no different from a parrot muttering.
“Again.”
“Amedeo, isn’t it about time to stop?”
Your parents have amazing naming sense. Danielle, with her eyes closed, was having other thoughts.
‘I thought the name Frederick suited him most perfectly, but Amedeo suits him well too.’
“Call me again.”
I’m repeating this completely half-heartedly right now.
Thinking it was quite stubborn, Danielle repeated the same words again like a sigh.
Amedeo. Amedeo. Amedeo.
She wasn’t sure exactly how many times, but she estimated she’d called it at least 50 times at the very minimum.
Danielle felt like she was playing the most meaningless ping-pong game in the world. It was somewhat boring, and drowsiness washed over her even more thickly.
“Again.”
“…”
I lost, I lost. Danielle silently raised the white flag by not giving any response. In fact, she was half asleep.
Perhaps accepting her surrender declaration, Frederick didn’t press Danielle any further. A quiet silence followed.
“…”
“…”
If I called this moment peaceful, would I be crazy…
“…Dani.”
Danielle made no response while resting her head against Frederick’s chest. His low voice settled by her ear like a blanket.
“Why did you ignore me in Middle School?”
“…”
“…Are you asleep?”
Danielle tried to breathe evenly, as if she were really sleeping.
She had no intention of answering from the start. Do you really know the reason? Danielle had briefly wondered about that too.
‘So you really didn’t know.’
Whether it’s the tribal limitations of the privileged class, or the limitations of you as a creature. Whatever it is, that’s as far as you go in the end.
Danielle wasn’t particularly surprised by this question. If anything was surprising, it was how out of the blue this question was.
‘Were you that hurt in your pride?’
Enough to keep bringing it up even after all these years? However, an even more unexpected response came from Frederick.
“Dani, do you know why I confessed to you?”
Danielle barely managed to resist the urge to open her eyes.
“We hadn’t talked in a long time, but I thought it was fine since you were still within my sight. But then I realized that wouldn’t last forever. In the blink of an eye, we’d graduate, right?”
Frederick continued speaking softly like a whisper. If you didn’t pay attention to the content, it was like a lullaby.
“But now that we’re actually dating, I think this: Ah, all that lost time was such a waste…”
Los Angeles wasn’t sunny 365 days a year, but when she thought of their Lower School days, a rainbow would always naturally appear in the sky.
To Danielle, all of that felt like an illusion and a dream. Because…
“Ever since you started ignoring me, everything became boring. I’ve literally been wasting time.”
She had been happy.
Like a dream she wanted to have again, like a star she didn’t want to leave…
Frederick’s words sounded as if he too had enjoyed their Lower School days, and regretted their relationship growing distant.
The more he spoke like this, the more Danielle kept her mouth shut.
Danielle already knew exactly what she could obtain with her own strength and what she couldn’t. For instance, the goal Danielle had set was to attend California State University and then go to medical school.
This was the maximum of what Danielle thought she could achieve. Dreaming of stars was beyond her station.
“But it’s not too late, right? Let’s not drift apart from now on.”
He must know I’m awake.
Is that why he keeps putting on this terrible act?
‘He’s talking as if he’s promising some distant future.’
“Dream of me, My dear.”
However, Danielle couldn’t push Frederick away and get up. Ridiculously, truly ridiculously.
If she fell asleep like this, she felt like she would dream of their Lower School days. A dream of those young days when she had no worries and was truly ‘friends’ with Frederick Bastia.
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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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