Liar and Liar - Chapter 57

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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 57

 

“Huh?”

 

Chris, who was gripping the basketball with the fingers of both hands as if pressing it, turned his body completely toward Danielle Ryu.

 

“No, no. Are you leaving now?”

 

“What about you?”

 

“I’m just going to rest on the bench for a bit before going.”

 

Even after running, her head still felt like it was going to explode, so Danielle Ryu absolutely couldn’t return to the dormitory.

 

“I want to practice a bit more. Will the noise bother you?”

 

“What? No. This is a basketball court, and you were here first.”

 

When Danielle Ryu looked flustered, Chris smiled silently.

 

“That’s true. Then I’ll practice a bit more.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Danielle Ryu went to sit on the bench, and Chris started moving again, bouncing the ball on the floor.

 

An unexpected ASMR session began. The ball bounced rhythmically on the basketball court floor, and occasionally the rim rattled.

 

This was a hundred times better than being alone. Intermittently, she could hear Chris taking deep breaths. Danielle Ryu buried her head in her knees drawn up on the bench and listened to those sounds.

 

‘I’m lucky Chris happened to be practicing.’

 

Otherwise, wouldn’t she have either collapsed from exhaustion after running beyond her limits, or suffered painfully in the solitary silence no different from the dormitory? Even feeling safer was fortunate for Danielle Ryu.

 

Danielle Ryu, with her head buried in her arms, became lost in thought.

 

‘Is it even possible to seduce Frederick? In the end, Frederick is only continuing this because he finds the current situation amusing. Whether him genuinely liking someone is even a null event (a mathematical term meaning an event with zero probability of occurring) in the first place…’

 

Despite getting a makeover with the goal of seducing Frederick and even coincidentally meeting his parents, Danielle Ryu still felt like she was alone in a pitch-black maze without a ray of light or a handful of hope.

 

“Receiving a love confession from Daniel Ryu… How interesting.”

 

Frederick’s cold voice swept through her empty heart like a cold current. Each time the voice repeated, her head sank deeper and deeper. That voice mockingly ridiculed even Danielle Ryu’s tiny hope without missing a beat.

 

Was it because she had flown too high in the distant sky all day? Rather than any optimistic expectations, only images of Frederick leaving after saying cold words kept appearing in Danielle Ryu’s mind.

 

Now I understand what dating is. It was quite fun in its own way. More than I expected?

 

But I think this is enough. There’s no reason for me to continue this any further.

 

You’re smart, so you understand what I’m saying, right?

 

I’m saying let’s break up.

 

Even though she had only imagined it, Danielle Ryu felt like she was going to throw up.

 

It couldn’t be helped. For Danielle Ryu, accepting dreamlike times without any worry or doubt was impossible.

 

Because she knew her situation all too well. If it weren’t for that bet, she surely would have graduated without exchanging another word with Frederick.

 

Our relationship was quite fair, wasn’t it? I also did my best to act like a caring and devoted boyfriend.

 

You were never embarrassed or awkward, right? I put in quite an effort, even going as far as kissing.

 

Since we kissed, I thought about continuing a bit more, but I’m just not interested anymore.

 

Whether Frederick Bastia spoke like trash or not, what mattered to Danielle Ryu was that there was nothing wrong with his words.

 

Since she had received help from Frederick, this relationship was strictly speaking closer to a transaction, so even if the relationship was cut off unilaterally, she had no right to complain. That was Danielle Ryu’s thinking.

 

‘Should I suggest breaking up even now?’

 

She was as unhappy as she was happy. It was a strange sensation. The scale with happiness and unhappiness hanging on both sides had sunk under the weight. Danielle Ryu was literally sinking to the depths.

 

Whatever Frederick Bastia did, it didn’t feel like genuine affection. Was she scared of deluding herself alone? Because it was her first relationship, because she didn’t know what love was? Even the reason was unclear.

 

One thing was certain: if she fell any deeper, she’d be ruined.

 

She could still pretend to be calm and suggest breaking up, but if she went any further, wouldn’t she end up crying while asking to break up?

 

While secretly hoping he would hold onto her…

 

‘That would make me completely insane.’

 

Danielle Ryu, who had been wandering in the swamp of thoughts for a long time, suddenly raised her head.

 

‘…What time is it now?’

 

She was startled when she checked the time on her phone. An entire hour had already passed. Chris was breathing even more heavily while shooting at the rim once again.

 

‘He’s really dedicated.’

 

He must have been practicing since before I came. When Danielle Ryu lowered her gathered legs, Chris, sensing the movement, turned his head.

 

“Did you sort out your thoughts a bit?”

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah…”

 

Chris caught his breath while picking up the ball. Oh…

 

“You weren’t waiting for me, were you…?”

 

“…”

 

She could see him awkwardly choosing his words. That itself was an answer.

 

“Why?!”

 

“It’s late. But you seemed like you wanted to stay outside.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Danielle Ryu felt at a loss. It was fortunate that the cool night air helped hide the heat in her cheeks.

 

“Th, than… thank you. It’s true that I was sitting on the bench because you were here. I didn’t know you were being considerate…”

 

An entire hour had already passed…

 

“You weren’t planning to stay the whole time, were you…?”

 

“Well… if possible? But actually, I couldn’t practice anymore. Haha.”

 

He bent over, supporting his knee with one hand as if it was difficult for him to even stand. Danielle Ryu belatedly realized that even the continuous ASMR had actually been consideration.

 

Something warm spread through Danielle Ryu’s entire body. It was a bewildering sensation. Because of that, she blurted out words as they came to mind without thinking.

 

“The girl who dates you will be lucky…”

 

At least she won’t have worries like mine.

 

“…Huh?”

 

It was an irresistible complaint. Danielle Ryu, startled by her own words, covered her mouth with both hands.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“I misspoke. When did you start playing basketball?”

 

“Since coming to Elmire.”

 

Even going along with her topic change felt like consideration.

 

“Did you always like basketball?”

 

“No.”

 

“…Huh? No?”

 

When Chris was about to sit on the floor, Danielle Ryu hurriedly pointed to the seat next to her.

 

“Sit here comfortably! It’s uncomfortable to sit like that.”

 

Chris, who had been staring at the seat next to Danielle Ryu, soon came over and sat down at an appropriate distance beside her.

 

“Actually, my dream was to be a baseball player.”

 

At this unexpected story, Danielle Ryu looked to the side with wide eyes. Chris was calmly looking only at the basketball court in front of him.

 

“But why…”

 

“I lived with my maternal grandmother until coming here. Then my paternal grandmother chose me.”

 

…What does ‘chose’ mean…?

 

“Basketball is a sport my paternal grandmother likes, so I’m doing it. Pleasing my paternal grandmother is the most important thing.”

 

“…I don’t understand what you mean by needing to please her. Why?”

 

“My paternal grandmother is paying for my maternal grandmother’s hospital bills.”

 

Danielle Ryu’s heart sank with a thud. Her mouth slowly opened.

 

“She has another grandson attending MIT, and she’s already well-off, so being somewhat good at studying doesn’t impress her. She at least likes that I’m good at basketball, so I work hard at it.”

 

Danielle Ryu had thought Chris really loved basketball. The Chris she had observed since middle school was more than diligent—he was devoted to basketball. As if only someone who truly loved basketball could be like that.

 

“The basketball team got completely crushed in this preliminary round.”

 

“Chris must be really frustrated. Everyone except Chris couldn’t get their act together.”

 

Even when she had heard that conversation in passing, Danielle Ryu hadn’t thought anything of it. But when she saw Chris alone on the basketball court while going to the library, she finally recalled the male students’ voices.

 

And seeing Chris still repeating the same practice on the basketball court even after coming out of the library in the pitch-black night, the male students’ conversation became meaningful to Danielle Ryu.

 

He doesn’t just like basketball a little—he really loves it. It was the moment she clearly recognized what kind of person Chris Fassbinder was.

 

She had definitely thought so.

 

‘He was just doing it because he had to…?’

 

Because of family…?

 

The word family, as always, painfully squeezed Danielle Ryu’s heart.

 

“I see… Weren’t you sad about giving up baseball?”

 

“Since it was my choice, it can’t be helped. I gained a lot in return too.”

 

“…”

 

Just because someone is incredibly wealthy doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want and live however they please. It was the same with Cove, and the same with Chris.

 

Danielle Ryu decided not to ask questions like whether he could persuade his grandmother or find some way to play baseball.

 

“You like astronomy.”

 

“At the very least, I’ll remember your smiling face more accurately than you will. I want you to smile while doing something you love, like when you were little.”

 

It wasn’t a question Danielle Ryu herself wanted to ask anyway.

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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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