Liar and Liar - Chapter 42

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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 42

 

“Ana says she misses you so~o much. She said she’ll try to come to LA sometime this year.”

 

Ana was none other than Danielle Ryu’s closest friend from Lower School. But like Danielle Ryu, she had gone to study abroad in Italy due to her parents’ business, and since they didn’t have cell phones back then, they had completely lost contact.

 

“Oh my… How is Ana doing?!”

 

Because she was mixed race, because she was excessively pretty, because at first I thought she was the girl Frederick was cheating with.

 

For various reasons, the walls she had been building up disappeared without a trace, and Danielle Ryu checked Mari’s phone screen with an excited face. Even though time had passed, there was no way she wouldn’t recognize the face of such a close friend.

 

‘It really is Ana…’

 

Ana and Mari in the photo looked very close, just like Ana and Danielle Ryu used to be.

 

“Ana is my closest friend. She missed you so much and said you were a friend she treasured, so I was really curious.”

 

“I see…”

 

“And you’re even Ricky’s girlfriend! What kind of coincidence is this? So, will you give me your contact info?”

 

Frederick was watching silently with a smiling face. Danielle Ryu took the phone Mari handed her in a daze.

 

Even when she entered her number and handed it back, Mari was smiling. Like a flower bathed in sunlight, without a single wrinkle.

 

“Now, tell me. How did you two start dating?”

 

‘…I have nothing to say about this topic.’

 

After hearing Mari’s next words, Danielle Ryu doubted her ears.

 

“Excluding family, this is the first time I’ve seen Ricky like someone. What’s gotten into him, really.”

 

“Really? Does it look that way?”

 

“What kind of answer is that? You should say yes here!”

 

For some reason, Danielle Ryu liked Mari a bit more. She didn’t know why though.

 

“How did things work out with your girlfriend? What did you like about her? Tell me in detail. We didn’t have a proper chance to talk during lunch.”

 

…Good points?

 

‘Being good at studying? Being stubborn?’

 

These were the only things Danielle Ryu could think of. Even then, she questioned whether the latter was even a good point.

 

“In Lower School, we happened to sit next to each other often.”

 

The reason Danielle Ryu turned her head toward Frederick sitting beside her was because of an unfamiliar touch on her cheek. Frederick’s index finger was poking Danielle Ryu’s cheek.

 

“So I could look at her freely like this. But in Middle School, I sat in the back whenever possible. Do you know why?”

 

…He did that on purpose?

 

Every time Frederick sat in the back, every time that fact bothered her, Danielle Ryu had scolded herself for being overly self-conscious.

 

The finger that had poked her cheek moved down slightly and flicked the collar of Danielle Ryu’s shirt.

 

“I could see your neck well.”

 

What, what, what?

 

Danielle Ryu’s cheeks instantly turned bright red. Blood couldn’t help but rush there.

 

“In Middle School, I didn’t want to eat anything and lived without eating much. Then while looking at this neck, I’d think about wanting to bite it hard…”

 

What???

 

“What on earth are you talking about right now?!”

 

“Because the reason I wasn’t eating was because of you. So you were partially responsible too.”

 

Frederick tilted his head to the side and leaned it against Danielle Ryu’s head. This too, that too, everything was a bolt from the blue for Danielle Ryu.

 

“What does your fasting have to do with me?! We didn’t even talk back then.”

 

“Because you ignored me so blatantly, I was so upset that I completely lost my appetite.”

 

Up, what? You did what?

 

Danielle Ryu was confused. She remembered reading somewhere that lies are usually mixed with truth. And she thought the ratio was usually about 9:1, but Frederick was the opposite.

 

He was lying about 9 parts out of 10. Could someone really be this shameless?

 

“Danielle looks so surprised?”

 

“Honey, are you doubting my words again?”

 

Warmth suddenly covered Danielle Ryu’s hand resting on the sofa. Frederick’s thick, firm fingers intertwined between Danielle Ryu’s slender fingers.

 

Startled, Danielle Ryu looked down. Frederick’s hand was interlacing fingers with hers.

 

“Why, why are you holding it?”

 

“I thought you might believe me if I did this.”

 

“There’s no causal relationship at all? What are you doing with your cousin right in front of us…!?”

 

“If you believe what I’m saying, if you feel like it, you can let go then.”

 

Danielle Ryu could feel Mari’s gaze without looking. Their hands might not be visible, but she would know that the (fake) couple was being lovey-dovey in front of her.

 

“Oh my, what’s this? You’re really head over heels for your girlfriend? I never thought I’d see such a sight in my life.”

 

“…”

 

Mari’s reaction made Danielle Ryu feel restless.

 

Frederick’s condition was simple. She just needed to roughly agree and brush it off.

 

But Danielle Ryu’s mouth wouldn’t open easily.

 

The fact that they had known each other for 7 years actually implied a lot. Frederick knew quite well what kind of person Danielle Ryu was.

 

If she could answer, that would be good too. It would contain sincerity.

 

However, Danielle Ryu, who had been hesitating while moving her lips, ultimately neither answered nor pulled her hand away.

 

* * *

 

Except for the small incident Frederick created, the meal itself was enjoyable. Although it was almost midnight in Italy’s local time, they were able to video call Ana too. In just one day, two people were added to Danielle Ryu’s contacts.

 

Back at the dormitory, after washing and changing into pajamas, Danielle Ryu checked her phone.

 

Danielle XD Today was so much fun. Please take care of me from tomorrow♡

 

Want to go shopping together when you have time? (lol)♥♥

 

I have Ricky’s card!

 

Whether it was because she was from Italy or her natural disposition, Mari’s texts were very warm and affectionate. Thinking she was too cute, Danielle Ryu realized that Frederick was actually the calmer one in the family.

 

After thinking for a moment, Danielle Ryu slowly typed a reply.

 

I had fun too. Let’s go shopping.

 

I’m supposed to go watch a baseball game with Frederick. It would be nice if we could go shopping before that.

 

Danielle Ryu headed toward the mirror that came into view and pulled down the ends of her glasses.

 

‘Maybe because I’ve almost never taken them off in my life, it feels really awkward…’

 

Still, it would be better than wearing glasses. Even if it was nothing to others, it was quite a big decision for Danielle Ryu.

 

Bzz.

 

While thinking about what she needed to do before bed, Danielle Ryu checked her phone that rang again. Frederick was calling.

 

‘Until recently, I would have ignored calls like this…’

 

Maybe it was because she had heard such absurd things from Frederick today. Danielle Ryu couldn’t bring herself to ignore it and pressed the answer button with mixed feelings.

 

“…Hello?”

 

-“Honey, what were you doing?”

 

“I just finished washing up.”

 

-“Can you come out for a moment?”

 

Mari had said she would stay at Frederick’s house while in LA, so after finishing the meal, Frederick had dropped Danielle Ryu off at the dormitory first.

 

“…You came here?”

 

He went home and came back? Why bother?

 

-“Yeah. Just for a moment. I have something to give you.”

 

Flustered, Danielle Ryu pulled back the curtain at the window to check outside.

 

“Ah…”

 

In the middle of the low garden in front of the dormitory, Frederick was standing with a phone in one hand. Without any sense of reality, it was like a scene from a dream.

 

“I’ll come down. Just a moment.”

 

-“You can take your time coming out.”

 

As soon as she hung up, Danielle Ryu hurriedly grabbed a zip-up from the hanger and put it on. Since going out in pajama pants didn’t seem right, she even changed her pants before leaving the room.

 

Even though he said there was no need to hurry, Danielle Ryu’s steps naturally quickened. When she came out of the building entrance, Frederick recognized Danielle Ryu and smiled while spreading both arms.

 

“…”

 

Although Danielle Ryu had been swift as if chased by something until coming down to the 1st floor, she stopped abruptly and then walked toward Frederick at a normal, unhurried pace.

 

Then she stopped when there was still a reasonable distance from Frederick. He was still spreading both arms, but Danielle Ryu neither approached further nor spread her arms like Frederick.

 

“Won’t you hug me~? I’m a bit cold.”

 

“Then why are you walking around in just a shirt without even wearing a blazer?”

 

Actually, he didn’t really seem cold either. He wasn’t shivering or hunched up anywhere.

 

“What’s the matter? What are you giving me?”

 

Danielle Ryu asked rather curtly to hide her fluttering heart.

 

Finally, Frederick withdrew his arm and took something out of the wallet in his back pocket.

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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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