Liar and Liar - Chapter 33

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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 33

No matter how much money your family has, or how handsome you are.

No matter how popular you are, or how great you think you are.

‘What makes you so special?’

You and I are both wearing the same uniform, sitting at the same desks.

In 10 or 20 years, I’ll definitely be someone who contributes more to the world than you.

Frederick’s expression as he faced her definitely had the power to make people feel uncomfortable. The female student’s flustered reaction was immediately understandable. Even though they were at similar eye levels, it felt like he was looking down on her.

But Danielle wasn’t the type to be discouraged by something like that.

Danielle reached out toward Frederick’s hand resting on the desk and grabbed his index finger. Frederick didn’t shake off Danielle’s hand, and all the students silently watched Danielle’s actions.

Then Danielle brought the tip of Frederick’s index finger that she was holding toward Frederick’s nostril.

Just before his finger actually poked his nose, Frederick shook off his own hand. His face had been expressionless the whole time, but now it clearly showed both absurdity and bewilderment.

Seeing Frederick’s black hole-like expression, Danielle burst into innocent laughter.

“You lost, right?!”

The kids also burst out laughing, and the frozen atmosphere was resolved. Several male students tried to high-five Danielle, and she smiled as she accepted them.

At the same time, the teacher entered the classroom and the children returned to their seats. Danielle had already turned back to her own desk.

However, Frederick had not.

* * *

Danielle finally learned Frederick’s last name. It was through an unexpected opportunity.

“Aren’t you curious about anything about me?”

“…No.”

“Nothing at all?”

“…What’s your last name?”

“Bastiat. Frederick Bastiat.”

After the expressionless-breaking incident, Frederick’s attitude had somehow changed.

He seemed like he would never speak to her and would build walls for life, but he was the first to approach Danielle, and his tone was even quite gentle. The way he smiled faintly as if watching something interesting was a bonus.

But Danielle had no particular interest in Frederick. To be precise, she didn’t have the luxury to be interested. Knowing that she was very lacking compared to other kids, all her attention was devoted to her studies.

So whenever Frederick tried to talk to her, she would often end conversations halfheartedly.

However, before long, Danielle was convinced that Frederick Bastiat, who was born with even a surname that suited him perfectly, knew exactly how to draw others’ attention to himself.

“Danielle, what’s your blood type?”

“…Type A.”

“Oh, really? So you have a personality that considers others well and worries about vague concerns.”

“…”

Otherwise, out of the countless conversation topics that exist in this world, he wouldn’t have chosen this particular one.

Danielle felt her blood pressure rising strangely as she calmly replied.

Currently, if the other person was a little considerate, Danielle could understand English fairly well, and conversely, she could say almost anything she wanted by combining simple words.

“…Frederick. What are you talking about? There’s no way personality is determined by blood type.”

“Really? I thought that was the case. Isn’t it?”

“Of course not!!”

“Explain it to me. I don’t know much about it.”

Frederick smiled softly while lying on his desk. The Frederick Bastiat that all the female students desired was right in front of her, but Danielle had never wanted this kind of Frederick.

Honestly, Frederick Bastiat was a burdensome presence to have as a friend or any kind of acquaintance. Due to his natural presence, he drew attention no matter what he did, and you could never read what he was actually thinking.

What Danielle wanted was a friend who was as seriously interested in science as she was and who studied hard. Not this pseudo-science virus.

‘Where does he pick up these things and keep throwing them at me?’

Last time, he came wearing a germanium bracelet and drove Danielle crazy.

“If you wear this, your blood circulation improves, your pulse beats regularly, and fatigue disappears.”

“Hey…”

“You know I get sleepy often. What do you think?”

“How much did you pay for this…”

“300 dollars. I bought them in different colors. They said each color has slightly different effects.”

“Hey!”

In the United States, supposedly at the forefront of scientific research, and from a white person no less, not even an Asian, why was she hearing about pseudo-science? Danielle really couldn’t understand.

“Get a refund right now. That’s all fake, you idiot!”

“I do seem less sleepy though? Why is it fake?”

“Oh, seriously!”

Frederick would gradually get on Danielle’s nerves like this, while simultaneously achieving his goal.

“Danielle, about the math quiz… are you busy right now?”

Danielle turned her head toward the voice calling her with an annoyed expression. There stood a male student holding a math quiz paper.

“Sorry. I’m a bit busy right now. Let’s talk later.”

“Got it.”

The male student clicked his tongue briefly and left, and Danielle crossed her arms and closed her eyes, wondering how to explain in English that blood type theory was complete nonsense.

Frederick watched Danielle intently with a faintly smiling face. His gaze swept over Danielle’s features like a brush, from her brown hair to her eyelids behind her glasses, her brow and nose.

* * *

Even though their bickering might have looked like friendship to others, Danielle didn’t consider Frederick Bastiat a friend. Far from a friend, she was gradually finding him more and more annoying.

“Rick! You said you’re not doing the art project. Is that true?”

“Yeah.”

The male student who asked the question was speechless at Frederick’s nonchalant reply.

“…Why? It’s really a good opportunity.”

“I’m not really motivated. It doesn’t appeal to me much.”

“Tsk, if that’s how you feel…”

The male student was roughly convinced and left, but Danielle, who had been quietly reading and overheard this conversation, was not.

‘Motivated? Doesn’t appeal to him?’

Just a 5th grader, yet somehow completely wrong and messed up from the start, Frederick Bastiat was always like this from what Danielle observed.

He never did anything with persistence. But the real problem was that despite his messy attitude, he was overflowing with natural talent.

‘I can’t believe there’s such an annoying person in the world.’

Several months had passed since she started school, and now Danielle knew more information about Frederick.

His father was a billionaire and owner of the LA Sharks, and his mother was from a European aristocratic family. Whether it was studying, instruments, or sports, he performed above average in everything, and if he concentrated even a little, he would absorb things like a genius, but it never lasted long.

In short, he was exactly the type Danielle disliked.

“Danielle, is that book interesting?”

At some point, Frederick had casually sat near Danielle. Then he would strike up conversations like this. While he himself was only half-reading his book.

Frederick, with his elbow on the wooden desk, looked sleepy like a guinea pig that had eaten too much feed.

“…I need to concentrate on my book. Could you not talk to me?”

After throwing out words that would have shocked other students, Danielle remained calm. She no longer wanted to deal with Frederick Bastiat. He was the type of person she wanted to keep her distance from for life.

“Okay. Then wake me up when you’re done reading.”

Even though she had openly pushed him away, Frederick Bastiat seemed oblivious and took her words at face value before closing his eyes.

It was always like this. Danielle couldn’t beat Frederick and was always dragged along in some way.

“…”

‘…This isn’t right.’

Danielle no longer wanted to be drawn into Frederick’s gravitational pull. The orbit Danielle wanted was ‘a better future.’

Not spinning around a black hole with the lazy Frederick Bastiat, who had no ambition and was endlessly wasting his natural talents.

Danielle knew her position very well. An immigrant had a different dimension of living and path to take than a trust fund baby with a golden spoon. Astronomy wasn’t an easy field either.

Danielle scribbled something on a yellow legal pad, tore it off, placed it in front of Frederick, and got up from her seat.

Only after hearing the sound of Danielle leaving the library did Frederick slowly lift his head and open his eyes. The note placed in front of him immediately caught his attention.

His gray eyes slowly lifted from the note toward the door where Danielle had disappeared.

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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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