Liar and Liar - Chapter 67

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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 67

Still, the last comment that had caught her eye lingered like an afterimage.

└Gallery7 (106.111) Sis is gonna get banned soon ㅠ

‘Eunho was thinking this about me…?’

Her legs moved on their own. But her steps headed not toward the bathroom where Eunho would be, but toward the entryway.

[Su, where are you going?!]

Ignoring Hye-ju’s words, Danielle threw open the front door and went outside. The even colder outdoor air rushed in, and it felt like she could finally breathe. Danielle headed straight for the car.

“Hah, hah.”

Even though she wasn’t in her right mind, she frantically drove the car with the single-minded thought that she had to get away from near the house. Danielle pressed the accelerator westward haphazardly. Perhaps because daylight saving time had ended, the sun was already setting even though it had just passed 5 PM.

Danielle parked on the shoulder of a long, deserted 4-lane road. In fact, it was impossible for her to drive any further.

“Hah, huh. Hah, gasp.”

Danielle rolled down the driver’s side window with trembling hands and immediately gripped the steering wheel, burying her head against it. Even repeatedly taking deep breaths in and out, the trembling didn’t easily subside.

Danielle’s hand barely reached for her phone. Naturally, there was a message from Hye-ju, but Danielle ignored it and opened an internet browser instead.

She entered a word in the portal search bar and pressed confirm, and the page quickly changed.

‘Eat and dump’

Danielle’s gaze fell on the text written at the very top.

Abbreviation of “eat and throw away.” A crude neologism expressing having sexual relations with someone while treating them as a one-time object solely for sexual gratification, then immediately breaking up…

[Even if I’m like this, shouldn’t I not do this thinking of our parents?]

[I want to die… Should I die so noona will stop doing such things.]

‘Am I ruining everything?’

To the point where Eunho wants to die?

But I was trying so hard… I was doing everything I could…

Danielle had definitely believed the situation was improving. When they first came to the United States, Dad was CFO, but now he was the head of the corporation, and Eunho would receive the most cutting-edge curative treatment, and if lucky, he might even get a device to reduce neurally mediated syncope within the next year.

So she thought if she just endured a little more, tried a little harder, they could return to their happy past.

Like how they always went camping every spring and fall, or how they all opened Christmas presents together in the living room.

The warm sweet potatoes Mom would quietly bring out after dinner, the small voice that would unfailingly call for her when stuck on homework, even the bland variety shows they’d all watch together in front of the TV on weekends.

Someone might call it utterly ordinary, but to Danielle now, it was a daily life that had become so distant and impossible to have again.

She had tried everything to somehow return to those times…

“What exactly did I do so wrong…”

If I say I like him, Frederick Bastia leaves.

But if I say I don’t like him, I’m called a gold digger. What exactly am I supposed to do…?

Why are those the only two paths available to me…?

However, Danielle soon came to acknowledge one fact.

“My brother… he was a candidate for Providence Hospital’s clinical trial but got excluded. Both the medical costs and using the new drug, getting into that clinical trial candidate pool was very important for our family…”

It was all brought upon herself.

Thinking that way, everything became clear. Danielle Ryu had no right to feel wronged.

And Danielle Ryu.

Had no right to like Frederick Bastia either. Danielle’s shoulders trembled finely as she buried her face in her arms wrapped around the steering wheel.

Even after that, Danielle couldn’t lift her head from the steering wheel for a long time.

* * *

Buzz.

“…”

The next morning. Danielle’s phone rang as she came out of her dormitory room. It was a call from Hye-ju, but Danielle hung up without hesitation.

When she tapped the screen, her text conversation with Hye-ju appeared.

Tell him Eunho should handle his studies on his own for now. We’ll talk about what to do next later.

Su, what’s wrong?? You left the house without a word yesterday. Can you come home today? If it’s difficult, let’s talk on the phone. Okay?

Last night, only after returning to the dormitory did she finally think about how to ‘handle’ the situation with Eunho. Tell the parents? Talk to Eunho? Either way would only be another source of pain for Danielle.

Her thoughts, which had been going in circles through the mud, finally stopped only when something entered her field of vision.

“…Frederick.”

Frederick, sitting on a bench, was leaning down and extending his hand to a tabby cat that had approached him. Realizing her quietly spoken words hadn’t reached him, Danielle moved closer.

“What’s with the cat?”

“Oh, honey.”

Frederick looked up with a smiling face and naturally wrapped his arms around Danielle’s body, pulling her toward him. His head touched her stomach.

As if shocked by a small electric current, Danielle unconsciously raised both arms into the air and stiffened.

“It seems to like the school. It looks young still.”

The cat, which didn’t seem to be fully grown, rubbed its cheeks all over Frederick’s legs. But Frederick’s attention had already shifted to Danielle.

“You met with Mari last night, right? Was it fun?”

“Oh… yeah.”

Despite the sudden contact, Mari had readily come out to meet her. They had only eaten french fries together while looking at Santa Monica Beach, but for Danielle it was an desperately needed and precious time. Thanks to that, she was able to calm down and return to the dormitory.

“I’m glad you two seem to get along well. You could have called me too though.”

As if I could call you…

So this is how an abnormal relationship inevitably shows itself somehow. Even thinking that, Danielle deliberately cut off all her complicated feelings and thoughts.

Not being able to rely on him when things are hard. Not being able to confide even a bit of her true feelings.

Even not being able to say she likes him – she had decided last night that all of it was okay.

Keeping only the good parts so she could cherish the memories even after they broke up. That was now Danielle’s only goal. Danielle’s hand, which had been awkwardly wandering in the air, gently embraced Frederick’s head.

“Mm, honey. Actually, my parents asked me to ask about your schedule. I think it’s about that dinner invitation we talked about before. Are you free this weekend by any chance? Lunch instead of dinner is fine too.”

“…Are we eating at your house?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I have time. Set it for whenever your parents are comfortable and let me know.”

“Really?”

Frederick wrapped both arms around Danielle’s legs completely. Then he rubbed his head against Danielle’s stomach area like a child. The stares flying in from around them stung, but she seemed to have gotten somewhat used to it.

[…Honey.]

Frederick looked up. But there was no way he could have understood what she just said. As expected, he was asking with his expression.

Of course, Danielle had no intention of explaining. She had deliberately spoken in Korean.

[I’m having a hard time…]

This was Danielle’s compromise. She wanted to lean on him but couldn’t. She wanted to speak but couldn’t. So it became this strange method of speaking while not really speaking.

“Hmm?”

[Actually, I have no energy at all.]

Even so, Danielle smiled, completely opposite to what she had said. Frederick blinked his gray eyes and quietly looked at Danielle’s face. That was enough.

“Is there anything you want from me? Any wishes or something.”

“…Huh? All of a sudden?”

“I’ve only been receiving this whole time. Tell me anything.”

It was a resolution to do anything except say she liked him. However, Frederick’s mouth didn’t open easily.

He just looked at Danielle, then instead of speaking, lightly pulled her arm to make her sit on his lap. Danielle unconsciously clenched one hand awkwardly in front of her chest.

She thought she should be getting used to it by now, but apparently not.

“Hey, that… Who sits stuck together like this on a wholesome way to school.”

“What kind of guy makes his girlfriend sit on a cold chair~? I’m just offering myself as a chair.”

“You’re always good with words…”

As if he were a coat, Frederick gently embraced Danielle’s upper body. His breath touched the area around her neck. It tickled.

“Something I want… Hmm. There is one thing.”

“What is it? Hurry up and tell me. We’ll be late for class if you keep hesitating.”

What if he asks about the Korean from earlier.

‘Should I lie…’

She had boldly asked what he wanted first, but was already anxious.

“Next time, honey.”

Frederick looked up and kissed her hair as if nuzzling it with his lips. Like burying his head in a bouquet of flowers.

“Of course I know it’s something you’ll do as your heart leads, but next time if something difficult happens, could you come to me instead of other people?”

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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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