Liar and Liar - Chapter 46
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 46
“…Um, Danielle?”
“Yeah?”
Danielle checked Mari and the hair designer’s expressions through the mirror. Something was strange. Both of them had their mouths hanging wide open.
“Danielle… right?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh wow, um… oh…”
The designer panicked, let go of the hair she was holding, and stepped back. It was bewildering, as if she was dealing with some strange creature.
“Why on earth have you been wearing glasses all this time!!! What is this!”
“Why, why?! What’s wrong?”
“I think the hairstyle in that photo would really suit you perfectly.”
The designer’s previously unenthusiastic attitude completely changed. It was truly mysterious what had suddenly ignited her passion.
“That’s too much, Danielle. You’ve been hiding a face like this all this time…?”
“Huh…?”
Was it a compliment or criticism?
Either way, it was clear that Mari’s eyes had started sparkling twice as brightly.
After much commotion, they finally started the cut. With each snip of hair, Danielle felt like something old and stale was falling away. Entrusting her hair to someone else’s hands felt unfamiliar yet not unpleasant.
‘I should have just gone to hair salons occasionally.’
Spending a few dozen dollars on hair wouldn’t make the world collapse.
But back then, she thought it would. Those were days when she felt guilty about spending money on herself.
After applying the hair dye, the hair designer stepped away. In that gap, the nail designer quickly claimed the spot next to Danielle.
Since attaching things to her nails or making them long seemed uncomfortable, she compromised on trimming them and applying a translucent pink gel.
“Still, there should be some accent. How about drawing a small baseball on just one finger?”
That much was fine. However, Mari’s follow-up comment was quite meaningful.
“On the left ring finger.”
As Frederick Bastia’s girlfriend, that would be appropriate. That’s how it sounded.
“I already looked through the clothes beforehand.”
After finishing the nails, Danielle was still sitting in the chair. Like a personal shopper, Mari approached the clothing racks that the staff had brought over.
‘…Don’t tell me all of those are Sharks clothes?’
Starting with the most basic white Sharks jersey, the clothes hanging on the rack varied in material, color, and type.
From off-shoulder tops that showed only one shoulder to crop hoodies, varsity jackets, raglan tees, velvet zip-ups, marshmallow hoodies, and more.
The away color clothing, which wasn’t in the home color white tone, was separate. There were even vintage-style 2000s character collaboration t-shirts of unknown origin. Danielle wanted that t-shirt no matter what.
“There are lots of cute character collaboration t-shirts too. I asked for one for myself.”
Saying this, Mari pulled down a straw hat hanging at the end of the rack. That was also a collaboration product between the LA Sharks and another cartoon.
“What style do you like? For reference, Frederick said he’ll just wear a white tee and jeans. He’ll carry his jersey separately.”
It was really nothing special, but Danielle’s heart fluttered a little. The image of Frederick in a white tee and jeans automatically formed in her mind. Right next to her, no less.
“Well…”
“Yeah.”
“I think I’ll just wear a jersey too. The other things are pretty, but…”
“Actually, I was going to recommend the jersey too. Because-”
Mari pulled out a jersey from the rack. As soon as she saw the jersey, Danielle noticed that its design was somehow different. Mari covered that part with her palm.
“This was specially made for Danielle!”
“What?! Is that allowed??”
Jerseys with player names printed on the back had the corresponding player’s number printed in red on the front, but jerseys without printing had no numbers on the front at all.
The jersey Mari pulled out looked like a regular jersey without printing at first glance. But instead of red numbers, the letters DA and NI were written in two lines.
DANI… Danielle’s ears grew warm.
“The team owner’s son personally requested it, you know? I’m not sure, but apparently the clothes on these racks are hard to get now too.”
This is the style Gigi Hadid coordinated, and this one became a hot topic when Janet wore it on My Valentine-
Mari showed Danielle the clothes one by one, but Danielle couldn’t hear well. The entire situation was too surreal.
After finishing her hair, putting in contact lenses, getting makeup done, and quietly putting on the clothes Mari handed her, Mari just smiled when she came out.
“…How is it? Tell me honestly.”
“Ask Frederick tomorrow!”
Mari just smiled. Almost excessively so.
Danielle turned her head to look at the large mirror leaning against the wall. There was a completely unfamiliar being inside it. Wearing a style Danielle would never try in her lifetime.
Just a white tank top with a jersey cropped to belly-button length, exposing her lower abdomen.
It was fortunate that the bottom was just regular jeans. They were simple white sneakers, but thanks to the bootcut pants with wide legs, her legs looked unusually long.
Mari, who clapped loudly, was still giggling.
“I have a feeling the Sharks will win tomorrow.”
“…Why?”
“Just have that feeling. Obviously, Frederick’s parents will be watching the game tomorrow too. I’ll be with them!”
Danielle’s heart skipped a beat. Since agreeing to go watch the World Series with Frederick, meeting his parents was expected. But such girlfriend-like activities still made her nervous.
“You said you’d be at the dormitory tomorrow, right? The makeup person will be there by 1:30.”
Mari also picked out an outfit from the rack. Danielle gently grabbed the back of her hand.
“Mari, thank you so much. I never would have dared to do this alone.”
“No, this couldn’t be more rewarding. Thanks to you, Danielle, I’m in the best mood today.”
For some reason, even the hair designer and makeup artists standing by the wall were clapping with very proud expressions.
“Have a wonderful day tomorrow, Danielle.”
Mari lightly held Danielle’s shoulders and leaned her head close to Danielle’s right cheek.
Then she made a kissing sound with her lips. It was a European greeting, bisou.
* * *
The power of the phrase ‘date for two’ was strong. Reading Frederick’s text saying he would come to her room instead of waiting at the bottom of the dormitory building, Danielle was reminded again that today was their proper first date. The more she thought about it, the more flustered she became.
“Ugh.”
Looking in the mirror, there was definitely someone Danielle didn’t recognize. That was so unfamiliar, and her confidence plummeted endlessly.
She was embarrassed about trying to dress up at all. If she just stayed still, there would be nothing to criticize.
Knock knock.
At that moment, Danielle’s shoulders jumped as if electrocuted by the sudden door sound without warning.
Danielle forced herself to steady her breathing and slowly approached the door.
“Hah…”
She took a deep breath and slowly pulled the door handle.
Even after opening the door, it felt like there was another wall standing there.
Frederick’s build in a white tee and jeans was really like a wall. He had a jersey draped over one muscular arm.
And in his other hand, he held a bouquet at face level. As he moved the bouquet aside, his face was revealed.
“Hello, honey.”
Without a bow but with a bouquet, Frederick shot an arrow precisely into the center of Danielle’s heart. With one bright smile.
Danielle barely tore her gaze away from Frederick’s face and stared blankly at the bouquet.
(She didn’t want to put it this way, but) the bouquet really looked expensive. The pale pink peonies bundled together didn’t have a single wilted petal.
A subtle, clear fragrance wafted as if perfume had been sprayed. There was also a faint grassy scent mixed in.
“Ah… thank you.”
“Finally our first date. It took too long.”
Danielle took the bouquet. Finally, Frederick’s appearance came into view. Just a white t-shirt and jeans, but it was distinctly different from the sportswear or loungewear she’d seen before.
He looked like an incredibly handsome model. A model who had just finished shooting a sports drink commercial.
One who had sold out all of that product.
“But, honey.”
“…Yeah?”
Danielle, who had been hesitantly looking back and forth between the bouquet and Frederick, opened her eyes wide and looked at Frederick at his much calmer voice. Not wearing glasses felt so awkward.
“Did you decide to let people know you’re from heaven now?”
Huh?
“You look so much like an angel. If you dress up this prettily, people will get into accidents. Staring at my girlfriend.”
Frederick’s hand brushed through Danielle’s hair. Danielle bit her lip.
This Italian is crazy, seriously. Heat rushed to Danielle’s cheeks.
“Is it okay that you changed your hairstyle? Mari didn’t tell me properly. Whether it looks good or not… she said I should hear it from you…”
Danielle had gotten a layered cut that reached her chest and dyed her entire hair. The roots were rose brown, gradually becoming brown toward the ends in a gradient color.
“You look like flower petals. We’re going to watch baseball, but I think I’ll only be looking at you. This is trouble.”
“Is it… that good? The hair designer was really skilled.”
“I’m talking about your face, not your hair. You were always pretty, but today my heart is sinking.”
Then open your chest and show me. Danielle really wanted to see it.
“The Sharks jersey suits you so well too. I’m glad I had it custom made. Shall we go?”
Danielle decided to leave the bouquet on the side table for now.
‘Should I… show him around my room…?’
However, Frederick was quick to extend his hand. Danielle silently held her breath and grabbed the hand that came into her view.
‘Does he really mean I’m pretty? He must, right?’
Don’t Italians say any woman is pretty even if she has three eyes? Danielle couldn’t trust Frederick’s aesthetic sense at all.
And the moment they stepped into the hallway, her anxiety grew even more. It wasn’t like he was some pied piper, but just by walking, Frederick had drawn attention and the other dormitory rooms were opening one after another.
The students who had been standing by their open doors gaped the moment they saw Danielle.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————