Liar and Liar - Chapter 31

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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 31

 

Even as she set foot in the United States, over 6,000 miles away from Korea, 11-year-old Danielle was happy. She felt like she had taken another step closer to her dream.

 

‘If I work hard from now on, I can really go to the school where famous astronomers studied!’

 

Dad always described America as the land of opportunity. That’s why he would emphasize to Danielle that even if there were ‘some difficulties,’ she must never stop trying or become lazy.

 

On her first day of transfer, while Dad was having a meeting with the principal, Danielle was left alone for a while. Of course, she had no intention of wandering off on her own.

 

‘So this is what American private schools look like…’

 

It was incomparable to the school she attended in Korea. Just the number of buildings she had seen on the way here alone was countless. Except for the fact that all buildings were single-story, it was on the level of any university campus in Korea.

 

“Hi, how are you. I’m doing well.”

 

The immediate obstacle and barrier facing Danielle’s future was language. She had memorized sentences in her head, but they didn’t come out of her mouth easily. She would be attending classes with the kids here starting today.

 

“No, it’s how are you— Kyaah!”

 

Danielle, who had come out of the building where the principal’s office was and was walking alone on the grass path muttering to herself, was startled when a huge spider appeared right in front of her eyes. It felt like she made direct eye contact with the spider.

 

Danielle, who had lost her balance while backing away to avoid the spider, turned pale and ran forward frantically.

 

But had she even run ten steps? Something caught her ankle and Danielle’s body fell forward.

 

“Ah!”

 

Fortunately, she fell in the direction of the grass. Danielle, who had fallen face-first onto the grass, immediately turned her head to check what had caught her foot.

 

But as soon as she lifted her upper body, she made eye contact with a male student at just two spans distance, making it unnecessary to check.

 

What had caught her ankle was this male student’s leg. Danielle was speechless.

 

‘Wow, he’s… white…’

 

The male student wearing the Elmir Westlake uniform like Danielle had a completely disheveled appearance unlike her.

 

His tie was worse than not wearing one at all, and his wrinkled white shirt had grass stains here and there from however long he had been lying on the grass.

 

Even though she had already seen plenty of white people on the streets and in shopping malls, somehow the male student in front of her felt different.

 

His hair was like gold that had been delicately crafted and polished, and even his gray eyes looked mysterious. Perhaps because he was exceptionally handsome.

 

‘Not all white people are handsome though…’

 

The male student in front of her was so handsome by Danielle’s standards that it was bewildering. The male student, who had been staring at Danielle quietly, spoke first.

 

“Sorry.”

 

[Oh, it’s okay, no—]

 

Danielle wondered why this male student was lying on the grass like this, but first she had to respond. In English.

 

“I’m fine… Pine!”

 

“…”

 

Danielle found the gaze that just silently watched her without saying anything indescribably flustering. His expression definitely looked strangely languid and sleepy, but the light in his gray eyes was clear.

 

“Hi, Pine tree. Should I be worried about termites?”

 

Pine tree…?

 

‘What is he saying?’

 

The male student had no expression or body language, and although his speech was slow, he spoke in a low voice as if muttering, making it even harder for Danielle to understand.

 

“Um… sorry. I can’t understand… I’m studying English.”

 

“Whatever. Take your leg off me.”

 

Please. The male student added ‘please’ a beat later, but Danielle understood that he had used an ‘imperative sentence.’ The tone of ‘please’ wasn’t particularly kind either.

 

‘Geez…’

 

Her grumpy mood was brief, as Danielle realized she had been sitting on the male student’s leg and quickly moved away.

 

Finally, the male student also sat up a bit more. It was a leisurely movement like an animal that had just woken up from winter hibernation.

 

Danielle found herself staring at the male student sparkling under the sunlight as if enchanted. Until the male student said this.

 

“You into me too?”

 

Because it was simple, she could actually understand it. Danielle’s ears turned red.

 

“But ‘pine tree’ sounds kinda boring.”

 

Although she didn’t know the context, Danielle realized by intuition that the male student was referring to her as ‘pine tree.’

 

Boring pine tree. Danielle’s lips twisted crookedly.

 

‘Who is he to evaluate whether people are interesting or not.’

 

How ridiculous!

 

Danielle, whose favorable feelings had completely evaporated, decided to stop using English with this inconsiderate person. The more she used it, the more she felt like only she was becoming a fool.

 

[Your face isn’t exactly entertaining year-round either, you know? Just because you’re somewhat handsome doesn’t mean you’re everything.]

 

“…”

 

The male student quietly watched as the being who had seemed like an idiot who couldn’t even distinguish between ‘Fine’ and ‘Pine’ spoke her mind decisively and fluently.

 

‘Ah.’

 

Suddenly Danielle remembered the candy in her pocket. After a moment’s hesitation, Danielle took out the candy and handed it to the male student.

 

“Try.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s interesting.”

 

It can’t not be interesting in taste.

 

The candy’s identity was a limited edition from Stardust, the candy brand her younger brother Eunho was obsessed with— namely, Mega Farting Spicy Kimchi flavored candy.

 

[This is a really hard-to-get limited edition candy. It’s supposed to be a taste that doesn’t exist in the world.]

 

[Mega Farting Spicy Kimchi flavor…? It sounds like a taste that shouldn’t exist in the world.]

 

[I’m not telling you to eat it, sis. Give it to someone when they annoy you.]

 

[What is this, a grenade?]

 

She had put it in her pocket without much thought, but who knew she’d have a use for it so soon.

 

Danielle didn’t really know the taste of this candy either. She just remembered Eunho’s explanation.

 

[It might be similar. They say it tastes like doing chemical warfare training with your mouth.]

 

She wondered if it was okay to give something like this to a foreigner who had probably never even tried kimchi, but apparently her desire for revenge took priority over her conscience.

 

The male student alternately looked at the lollipop with black, red, and yellow mixed wrapper and Danielle, then finally took the candy from Danielle’s palm.

 

‘This will wake him right up.’

 

Watching the male student unwrap the candy, Danielle got up from her spot. It was time to make her escape. She also needed to hurry back to the building with the principal’s office since she didn’t know when the meeting would end.

 

[Well, I’ll be going now…]

 

Danielle, who had quickly stepped onto the sidewalk, flinched and stopped at the sound of rough coughing from behind her.

 

“Cough, cough! Gag, cough!”

 

Oops.

 

At the crossroads of whether to turn around or not, Danielle decided to just run away.

 

‘Hmph. That’s the price for underestimating Korean spiciness.’

 

Calling someone uninteresting to their face. That’s what happens when you carelessly say such rude nonsense. Danielle picked up her pace even more as she headed to the principal’s office where Dad would be.

 

Dad was already out at the building entrance, perhaps because the meeting had already ended.

 

[Soo, where did you go! Dad was worried.]

 

[Ugh, Dad…]

 

Danielle let out a long sigh. Her expression didn’t look good.

 

[What’s wrong?]

 

[Do you have water? Give me some water. I need to give it to someone.]

 

The satisfaction lasted exactly 3 seconds. After that, her conscience was having a fit. Maybe because it was coughing that sounded like he might stop breathing at any moment.

 

[Water?]

 

Dad handed over the water bottle he had been holding in his hand in bewilderment. Danielle quickly grabbed the water bottle, turned around, and ran to where the male student had been.

 

[Haa, haa…]

 

It was definitely around here. But the male student had disappeared without a trace.

 

* * *

 

Danielle saw the male student again in the classroom she arrived at following the principal.

 

‘…So he was in the same grade.’

 

Whether it was fortunate or not, the male student’s outward appearance looked fine. For now, at least.

 

In the classroom where about twenty students were sitting, there weren’t no Asians but they were a minority, and everyone looked at Danielle like she was some unexpected foreigner.

 

If she had been younger it would have been different, but 5th graders were already at an age where they crossed their arms first when dealing with foreigners.

 

Among them, the male student to whom Danielle had given the candy was looking at her with his hand propping up his chin. Danielle felt his gaze but tried to look only straight ahead.

 

“Come here and introduce yourself briefly? Even something short is fine.”

 

The principal closed the classroom door and left, and Danielle was led by the teacher to stand in the center of the classroom. This was a situation Danielle had already anticipated.

 

“Hi, guys. Nice to meet you. I’m Daniel. I’m still learning English. But I want to be your friend.”

 

One laugh loudly broke the silence of the classroom.

 

“Pfft.”

 

And then everyone in the classroom started laughing all at once. Except for just one person.

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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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