“Meal tickets?”
One of the cheerleader kids looked at me and asked in a dumbfounded voice.
“Yeah. Since I contact her about getting more money for meal tickets at all hours, Olivia doesn’t even answer when I contact her now.”
I answered each question the kids asked me step by step, and after a while the cheerleader kids withdrew looking deflated. So, is this done? But it’s obvious that the fact I sold meal tickets in such a shabby way just because I didn’t have money for concert tickets will spread around school soon.
There are many guys at our school who sell meal tickets to supplement their insufficient allowances. That doesn’t mean it stops being an embarrassing thing. At least in this space called school, I must be an object of envy. Whatever the truth is, in this space I must be seen as a superior being different from others.
“I knew this would happen. Cheerleader kids are really ridiculous. Why are they making a fuss about something that’s not even certain whether it’s true or not?”
Alice said with a face still full of dissatisfaction. Sophia standing next to her agreed passively, saying “right.”
I didn’t see from the beginning how the argument started, but it’s obvious. Probably the cheerleader kids were gossiping and Alice discovered it and a quarrel started. They could’ve just left alone whatever the kids were saying about Olivia and me, but Alice’s nosy personality is sometimes annoying like this.
“You’re really shabby too. Did you want to go looking for Olivia Torin to get more money for meal tickets and even cause strange rumors?”
At Alice’s words, I made the expression Nathan commonly makes that annoys people and shrugged my shoulders once.
Shabby.
Yeah, it’s shabby.
“Anyway, I can’t calm down. It’s not even my business but I got involved for no reason…”
“I know.”
“…Huh?”
“You were a bit too meddlesome, Alice. From now on, you don’t need to worry about it. Whatever people say about me.”
After smiling at Alice and nodding in greeting to Sophia, who stood beside her looking flustered, I returned to where Cheick was. Then, as soon as we got in the car, he chattered on as if nothing had happened, as if everything had been resolved smoothly.
Alice was right that I’m pathetic. But I don’t want to show that, no matter what. At least not at school.
……I made this mistake once, but there won’t be a second one.
***
Sorry. You were really shocked because of me earlier, right?
Whenever I’m short on allowance, I sell meal tickets
It’s a bit embarrassing, so I usually try not to mention it
Actually, the ones at fault are the kids spreading weird rumors
But I ended up getting angry at Alice without realizing it
I sent her an apology DM, but she hasn’t checked it yet
Is she really that angry with me?
Sophia
I understand how you feel.
I’ll contact Alice too.
Thanks for reaching out. You don’t have to worry about me though.
No. I’m more grateful.
Sophia was too kind today. So kind that I felt like a sinner for trying to take advantage of such pure goodwill.
Episode 4
Though there were days when my concentration was scattered because of the series of recent events, I safely defended my champion position at this year’s competition and received medals and trophies. Right after the awards ceremony, while I was basking in joy receiving congratulations from Dad—who came to watch the competition since Mom was busier on weekends and couldn’t come—someone tapped my shoulder. When I turned around, Liam was waving his hand with a smile.
“Congratulations.”
“How did you get here?”
I was grateful he came to congratulate me, but first I was curious about how he got here. Liam was busy with his own things too, so I hadn’t mentioned wanting him to come, but how did he make it? Moreover, his forehead was covered in sweat, as if he’d rushed over in a hurry.
“Such a big competition was happening, it would be stranger not to come.”
“But you’re busy these days.”
“Mm.”
Liam delayed his answer, drawing out time, then taking advantage of Dad making a phone call to Mom, he lowered his body close and whispered so quietly that only I could barely hear.
“No matter how busy I am, it’s not to the point where I can’t come support my boyfriend at an important competition.”
Liam would be hurt if he knew, but honestly, it still doesn’t feel real. That I’m his boyfriend, or conversely, that he’s mine.
I’ve never thought badly of Liam, but I considered the football team he belonged to—even now—as a den crawling with terrible guys, and I never dreamed that Liam had been looking at me so impressively.
Even now, when facing Liam, I often don’t know what to do or act awkwardly, but in contrast to me, Liam is skilled and natural at everything. Though he says with his own mouth that he gets nervous in front of me.
Today, Liam exchanged greetings with other friends who participated in the competition, then naturally went to my house to have dinner together and talk with Dad. I rested in the upstairs room while the two of them conversed.
“Cheiky.”
After about 40 minutes, Liam knocked and came in, calling me. Something I learned from observing Liam these past few days—he calls me by my full name when with other people and uses a nickname when we’re alone.
“Hey.”
I responded simply and made room for Liam on the bed. Instead of lying on the bed, he came right up in front of me and brought his beaming, smiling face close. I lay there in a somewhat dazed state, looking up at Liam. Each time he blinked while looking at me, the golden eyelashes clinging densely to the edges of his eyelids fluttered slowly.
“Won’t you kiss me?”
After looking down at me for a while, Liam asked sweetly. I readily sat up and kissed him. And I realized this was the first time I’d kissed him first—until now, if anyone kissed first, it had been him. So when we pulled apart, I grabbed him once more and kissed him.
“Mm……”
Liam gradually climbed onto the bed while keeping our lips pressed together. I also moved backward while holding him, giving him space. When my back was completely against the wall with no more room to move, I opened my closed eyes and looked at Liam. He was on the bed in a posture like a four-legged beast stalking its prey, and the sight reminded me of the white lion I’d seen at the natural history museum in childhood.
When I told him my honest thoughts—that looking at him now reminded me of a white lion—Liam smiled with satisfaction, then began observing me with a thoughtful gaze. As if he was determined to find an animal that resembled me too.
“……Have you ever been to a greyhound track?”
After staring at my face for a long time, Liam asked with a slightly bitter expression.
“No.”
“When I was a little kid, I practically lived there. Whenever Ted got money, he’d go to the greyhound track. He didn’t have anywhere special to ask to look after me, so he’d take me along. Back then I was a clueless kid, so I was happy to go there because I could watch the dogs run to my heart’s content. Not even knowing it was a gambling den.”
Liam talked about the dog he’d loved most at the time, the one that ran fastest at the greyhound track.
“It was a whippet with black fur. Its legs were incredibly long and fast, and when it started running, there were moments when it would float in the air, you know? I thought that looked really cool…… Now that I look at you, I think that dog resembles you.”
Its name was Hopper, Liam said, adding the opinion that going to places like greyhound tracks when you could be doing something constructive was something only losers did.
“I cut off my interest now so I don’t know well, but Ted still seems to go to the greyhound track.”
“Liam.”
“I suddenly told such a gloomy story. But I really did love that dog. The way it flew too.”
Liam clearly said he loved the dog at the greyhound track, but somehow to me it felt like he was saying he loved Ted, with whom he’d spent time there, rather than the greyhound track’s dog.
I sat quietly looking at Liam, then asked him to sit next to me. He readily sat beside me and waited for what would follow, and I asked him if he’d like to go with me tomorrow to the mall downtown to buy sneakers.
“The soles of my sneakers are completely worn out. You can refuse if you’re too busy.”
“How could I refuse when you asked me on a date first?”
Liam asked that, then looked at me again and asked calmly. Won’t you kiss me? he said.
***
Thanks to Liam announcing my victory through social media, I was able to receive congratulatory messages until very late at night. Even from people I barely knew.
Since becoming close with Liam, kids approaching me like this have increased. They’re probably trying to get close to Liam or the ‘cool’ kids around him through me. I’m not particularly offended by this behavior, but I have even less desire to actively provide connections.
Sophia
My proud friend 8-D
While debating whether to reply to DMs coming in one after another from unfamiliar kids, a DM full of affection arrived from Sophia. I sent back a triumphant reply saying that I was proud of myself today too, then waited for Sophia’s next message.
Sophia
It seems Liam went to cheer you on
If I’d known, I would have gone too
If Sophia had come, a situation would have unfolded that would have made me break out in cold sweat, so it’s a huge relief that didn’t happen. I asked Sophia why she couldn’t come to cheer.
Sophia
Alice and I haven’t made up yet
Leda even arranged a meeting for us to reconcile, but it didn’t work out in the end &-|
Recently, Sophia has been troubled because she fought with Alice. She hasn’t tried to tell me what they fought about, so I only know that they fought. But judging by how Alice has been avoiding Liam lately, I can only guess that perhaps her fight with Sophia was also related to him.
Just as I was thinking about Alice, a congratulatory DM came from her too, and unexpectedly, it came with a gift. It was a Nike gift card worth 100 dollars, and flustered, I asked why she was giving such a big gift.
Alice
Everything you carry around is Nike
I’m pretty observant, right? lol
And it’s not even that big a gift
I usually do this much for my friends, so don’t misunderstand or feel too burdened
I repeatedly told Alice that while I appreciated the sentiment, I couldn’t accept the gift, but in the end I had to cave when she said she’d actually feel bad if I didn’t use it.
