Liar and Liar - Chapter 29

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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 29

 

In the photo, Frederick wearing black sunglasses was affectionately embracing a blonde woman with one arm. The woman had pushed her hair back with sunglasses of a similar design to Frederick’s.

 

Even though it was just a photo, the woman’s gray eyes sparkled brilliantly. Anyone could see they were an absolutely perfect couple.

 

‘…Yesterday.’

 

Danielle immediately guessed when the photo was taken as soon as she saw the clothes Frederick was wearing.

 

‘Did he go straight to meet a woman after leaving the hospital?’

 

She rubbed around her eyes with one hand, then swept her hair back. The bubbling anger seemed to boil all the way up to her head.

 

‘How can you-‘

 

Be such a human being?

 

‘At least while you’re pretending to date me, shouldn’t you hold back a little?’

 

There had always been women overflowing around him, so she should just think ‘that’s how it is’ and move on, but her stirring heart wouldn’t listen.

 

Danielle, who had been blaming Frederick for seeming to lack not only persistence but also any sense, soon bit her lower lip and tightly gripped the hair wrapped around her hand.

 

In the end, she came to blame herself.

 

It was a simple conclusion. It wasn’t sincere from the beginning, and he absolutely couldn’t develop feelings for her. He didn’t even have the heart to deal with her for just one week…

 

She didn’t have blue eyes or blonde hair, and she wasn’t pretty either. The only thing she was good at was studying, which she had desperately clung to in order to receive a scholarship.

 

But everything was fine. She really didn’t care. She definitely didn’t…

 

‘No matter what anyone said, I was fine.’

 

Until you interfered with me, I was really fine.

 

After Frederick got involved, everything became a mess.

 

In the end, it was all just a game to you, wasn’t it?

 

‘I felt so sorry to you at the hospital.’

 

“What the hell is with Danielle?”

 

Danielle, who had been catching her breath while gripping her phone tightly, finally opened her eyes. Female students who had entered the restroom bluntly continued their conversation among themselves.

 

“Why did she suddenly get so close to Frederick’s group?”

 

“Look at her clinging to all of them while having a boyfriend. She must be thrilled to death getting attention she’s never received in her life.”

 

Danielle, who had instantly returned to a cold expression, opened the restroom stall and came out. Through the mirror, her eyes immediately met with the female students’.

 

“Ah…”

 

The female students showed reactions like frowning or avoiding eye contact, but Danielle didn’t. She passed behind the female students as if she hadn’t heard their words at all.

 

Buzz.

 

Danielle stared blankly at the incoming call notification displayed on her phone screen. The gazes of the female students who had turned their heads also fixed on Danielle’s screen.

 

【Frederick】

 

When lunchtime approached, Frederick would either wait for Danielle’s class to end or call her like this. Danielle moved the red icon to hang up the call.

 

No matter how rationally she repeated to herself that she shouldn’t do this and that there was no need to, she didn’t want to see his face, let alone hear his voice. Danielle was determined not to go to the cafeteria even if it meant skipping lunch.

 

But someone lightly wrapped their arm around Danielle’s shoulder as she walked down the hallway after leaving the restroom. Surprised, Danielle’s head turned to the side.

 

“Hello, beautiful.”

 

It was Joshua wearing a black hoodie zip-up over his shirt. The only thing that was crisp without wrinkles was his trademark grinning expression.

 

Seeing Joshua’s face, Danielle let out a silent sigh and looked straight ahead again. She didn’t even have the energy to forcibly shake him off.

 

“Huh, why are you in such a bad mood?”

 

When Joshua naturally led her toward the cafeteria, Danielle hit the arm around her shoulder with the back of her hand.

 

“I’m not going to the cafeteria, so you go by yourself.”

 

“Aha.”

 

Joshua casually put his arm around Danielle’s shoulder again.

 

“Should I kidnap you? To somewhere Frederick isn’t.”

 

Then he quickly pulled Danielle along.

 

Drained of energy, Danielle had no choice but to be dragged away by Joshua without a chance to resist.

 

* * *

 

Frederick, sitting at the most central table in the cafeteria, was staring blankly at the message window filled only with texts he had sent, his chin propped up.

 

A notification appeared that Joshua had sent a new message to the group chat, but Frederick ignored it. It was Mateo, sitting at the same table, who brought it up.

 

“Josh snatched up your girlfriend.”

 

The word ‘girlfriend’ caught Frederick’s attention. Frederick, who had been looking only at his phone, quickly turned his gaze to Mateo.

 

When their eyes met, Mateo held out his screen to Frederick.

 

I’m on a date with Danielle today lol. Enjoy lunch.

 

The photo sent along was a selfie taken by Joshua sitting in the driver’s seat. Behind his face, Danielle was sitting in the passenger seat. Danielle was looking out the window, not at the screen.

 

* * *

 

Danielle glanced at the wall clock to check the time. Even though there were less than 5 minutes left in class, the teacher was displaying materials on the screen and continuing with an enthusiastic explanation.

 

Joshua had said he would take her to a restaurant with food she wanted to eat, and Danielle chose Pho (rice noodles). Surprisingly, Joshua didn’t ask anything and let Danielle focus only on the rice noodles.

 

Instead, he did say something strange on the way back to school.

 

“I’m on your side.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’ll help you with anything. For example… making Frederick angry?”

 

“…Why would you bother?”

 

The answer was ridiculous.

 

“Because you’re breathtakingly beautiful?”

 

So she didn’t even respond.

 

During afternoon class after that, Danielle sneakily checked the door. There would definitely be a monster out there. A lazy good-for-nothing monster who never attended classes and just wandered around school for fun.

 

Beep-

 

As soon as the class-ending bell rang, Danielle poured her things into her bag and headed toward the window instead of the door. In the chaotic commotion, Danielle opened the window wide.

 

For years she had avoided doing anything conspicuous whenever possible, but this time there was no choice.

 

If she met Frederick now, she felt like she would explode. Like someone who was actually jealous.

 

“What’s she doing?”

 

Cove noticed Danielle’s strange behavior and stopped walking out of the classroom. Regardless, Danielle nimbly climbed over the window.

 

‘She’s really doing all sorts of things.’

 

After climbing over the window and dusting off her hands, Danielle hurried on her way. But had she even taken ten steps? Her phone buzzed.

 

Another game?

 

Danielle tried not to look back. She felt like the monster who sent this text would be standing there. With his build and height, a window wouldn’t even be an obstacle.

 

I don’t know what you’re angry about, but I prefer to resolve everything through face-to-face conversation.

 

I want to see you.

 

Danielle’s reaction to seeing the text was brief.

 

“Ah, so annoying…”

 

She should just ignore it like usual.

 

Her emotions hadn’t calmed down at all since seeing that photo.

 

Finally, with some button around her solar plexus pressed, Danielle typed a message.

 

Dealing with you is too bothersome. That’s all. Stop being annoying.

 

Instead of a reply, a call came, and Danielle had no choice but to answer the phone.

 

-“Oh my, was I that much of a bother?”

 

“Yeah. I’m tired because of you.”

 

Danielle’s answer was unhesitating. However, the moment her brother came to mind, she stopped walking and pressed her forehead with one hand.

 

‘I definitely started this to use him.’

 

Whether there was such a thing as aptitude even for using others, Danielle was just frustrated with herself for not being able to act according to her purpose.

 

Why was everything so complicated and difficult…

 

‘It’s not real dating…’

 

For Eunho’s sake, it was right to continue this relationship in some form. She didn’t know what other help might be needed. Biting her lip, Danielle added more words.

 

“I need time.”

 

-“If that’s what it is, take all the time you need. I understand when you tell me with words like this.”

 

“…”

 

-“You don’t have to go on dates with other guys though.”

 

“What date…”

 

Making a fuss over going out for lunch once. Pretending to be jealous would only sound ridiculous to Danielle.

 

-“I don’t know how to make you like me more.”

 

You don’t know, do you?

 

‘That’s like telling me to die.’

 

Danielle squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.

 

“I have nothing to say about that topic. I’m hanging up.”

 

It was almost like hanging up unilaterally. Danielle let out a long, silent sigh. She quickened her pace to distance herself from the classroom.

 

Someone shouted toward Danielle as she was crossing the school grounds.

 

“Danielle! Perfect timing running into you.”

 

Danielle stopped walking as Emma came running over.

 

“…What’s the matter?”

 

“The scholarship. We found a way!”

 

Emma looked genuinely delighted. Danielle, however, didn’t readily show a reaction and just waited for Emma’s next words.

 

“I’ve been looking for a way all along. But just now, a lab at Caltech contacted me saying they’re interested in the science project you submitted when you were a freshman. They’re looking for a high school intern due to research project funding conditions, and they think you’d be perfect for it. If you get in as an intern, your tuition during junior year should be no problem.”

 

Emma handed papers to the bewildered Danielle. They were materials about the lab, and the project report Danielle had written as a freshman.

 

【The Three-Body Problem:</p】

Conditions under which one object moves as if it has distanced itself and escaped from another object’s gravitational influence in a situation where three objects interact gravitationally>

 

‘I did something like this…’

 

Even the topic was already full of remnants from the past. Back then, Danielle had decided she must go to medical school but couldn’t let go of her attachment to astronomy, and desperately wanted to escape from some kind of ‘gravity.’ This report was a trace of that struggle.

 

Like Danielle’s project, the lab materials allowed one to guess the research field from just the first page. The professor in charge of the project was a renowned astrophysics professor.

 

“It seems like a good opportunity not just for tuition but also as an internship.”

 

“Yes…”

 

Emma looked excited, but Danielle did not. Emma soon let out a long breath.

 

“Really… how fortunate that things worked out this way. If there had been absolutely no way, it was going to come up as a donation item at the parent association. That would have been somewhat…”

 

In that case, from Danielle’s perspective, she would be attending school with money paid by other students’ parents. Her nickname until graduation would become Beggar.

 

“I said something unnecessary. Now that everything’s been resolved well, there’s no need to worry.”

 

“…Thank you for caring. Really.”

 

…Only a fool would believe this is pure luck.

 

Emma left with a smile full of joy. In contrast, Danielle couldn’t move from her spot for a while with a dark expression.

 

* * *

 

Danielle decided to meet Frederick the next day after school.

 

‘He’s not answering.’

 

The call to Frederick went to voicemail. After hesitating briefly, Danielle pressed another number from her contacts. This time the person answered immediately.

 

-“Hey, pretty. Actually hearing your voice like this?”

 

Joshua’s voice through the cell phone was smooth as always.

 

“Are you with Frederick by any chance?”

 

-“Yeah. You heard about us having a match at our gymnasium last week, right? Everyone’s gathered here now.”

 

So that was today.

 

-“Freddy’s working out right now too. That’s probably why he couldn’t answer the phone, but if you have something to say, how about coming here? You might get to see Frederick getting beaten up?”

 

“…Alright. I’ll come now.”

 

-“Okay.”

 

It wasn’t that she wanted to watch Frederick get thoroughly beaten up, but since she’d have to wait until Frederick’s schedule ended anyway, she decided to go there first.

 

Normally she would have just seen him next time.

 

But this time she couldn’t do that. There was something she absolutely had to discuss.

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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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