“……Then what happens with Sophia?”
No one could answer that question. So for a very long time, silence lingered in the car carrying four people. Actually, we still haven’t decided what to do about the Sophia problem. That girl still seems to like Liam, and I don’t know whether it’s better to wait until those feelings disappear or whether it’s better to confess everything to her.
Of course, consulting with Liam about such matters should be the top priority, but it was difficult to bring up the topic because he seems to avoid it whenever Sophia’s name comes up. Actually, I feel the same way, so I’m reluctant to discuss Sophia, and I’ve been intentionally pretending not to know about her. But just because I’m uncomfortable, I can’t hesitate forever, so I decided to discuss the Sophia problem with Liam as soon as possible—even tonight would be fine.
We were only able to arrive at the motel, the midpoint destination of the trip, late into the night. This motel with very cheap accommodation fees was a place as shabby and worn out as my old car.
After first sending off Charlotte, who said she was tired to death, I asked Virgil for understanding, then took Liam near the vending machines installed on one side of the motel. Then after hesitating for a long time, I opened my mouth.
“Sophia…… although she’s now closer with Leda and other kids, she’s still the most important friend to me.”
“It’s not unreasonable to think that way. Sophia’s a good kid. Very considerate too.”
“……That Sophia likes you, and I’m seeing you knowing that.”
When I asked Liam what I should do, unexpectedly I got the reaction that I was being cowardly.
“Sophia isn’t my friend, she’s your friend. So you should decide how to deal with her.”
“Right, but……”
“Are you scared of becoming a bad person to her? Yeah, that’s also a perfectly natural reaction, but that doesn’t make it not cowardly.”
Liam was right. Dating Liam while not wanting to become a bad person to Sophia. It was too cowardly a thought. However, the current Liam is cold to the point I can’t adjust. To the point where I wonder if this guy is really that Liam Blake I know.
“If you called me out because you can’t decide whether to tell her about our relationship, I’ll recommend telling her.”
“Really?”
“But you…… No. Virgil will be waiting. Let’s go in quickly.”
Liam returned his rapidly frozen voice to its original state and took me back to the room. Then in a room with a single bed and a double bed, he deliberately gave the double bed to Virgil and lay down with me on the single bed. From Liam, who was lying on the cramped bed looking at me and smiling, I didn’t feel the same coldness as before.
“Isn’t something wrong?”
When I glanced at the bed size and cautiously asked, Liam played innocent, saying he had no idea. Then he wiggled one foot that had unavoidably slipped out of the bed. I was slowly backing up so he could lie down comfortably when I almost fell under the bed, but Liam caught me then and I was able to avoid an accident.
“Caught you. My Hopper.”
Liam hugged me tightly and pulled me toward him while speaking.
Hopper.
Liam sometimes calls me by the name of the dog he said he liked most at the dog track. I half-heartedly made a barking sound, “Woof,” then asked Virgil to switch beds with me. Ignoring my request, Virgil, who was the smallest in build, abandoned two big guys on a single bed and enjoyed the luxury of sleeping alone on a spacious bed.
* * *
The next day. Not wanting to wash up in the motel bathroom where rusty water kept flowing, we arrived at Leda’s beach house looking shabby—except for Liam, who woke up from dawn and somehow showered and groomed himself.
The beach house built on a cliff in front of the sea was more luxurious than imaginable, and the number of people gathered there was also beyond imagination. Perhaps they’d all partied crazily the night before, because when we arrived, the place was a complete mess with people sprawled everywhere and the alcohol they’d spilled.
“So everyone had this much fun without us……?”
When Charlotte muttered with dissatisfaction, the first person to greet us was Leda, the only one who was fine among the haggard crowd. She greeted not only her friends Liam and Charlotte but also Virgil and me warmly, then suddenly grabbed Charlotte’s wrist and went to a large stereo. Then she loudly played old-fashioned disco music that even an older generation than our parents would have listened to, and danced.
“Now, a new day has dawned and more guests have arrived, so we should start a new party!”
Leda danced frivolous random dances completely differently from when she elegantly danced ballet, appealing to Charlotte. Charlotte watched such Leda and sarcastically said she had good energy from the morning, then reluctantly danced with her. The loud music that boomed through the huge living room and Leda’s incomprehensible cheers brought down several people who had been upstairs. They were Alice, Sophia, and Olivia.
“……Why is she coming out from there?”
When Virgil asked in a very wary voice upon seeing Olivia, Olivia glared at him with quite venomous eyes, then slipped between Leda and Charlotte and danced with them.
“Olivia was probably invited by Hazel.”
Liam said, watching Olivia struggling desperately to squeeze between Leda and Charlotte. Virgil asked why Hazel invited Olivia, and Alice, who had somehow come here, answered instead.
“Olivia’s new boyfriend is Hazel. So Aiden and Hazel have become complete enemies. Anyway, welcome. Tchaikovsky and Virgil Praxis. Charlotte wanted to say hi but Leda took her away. Anyway, yesterday was no fun without you guys.”
Alice said while blatantly ignoring Liam. Liam, as if it didn’t matter at all, picked up my luggage that I’d put down for a moment and headed upstairs. But Alice tapped Liam’s hand to stop his action.
“That’s Tchaikovsky’s luggage, right? Give it here, he’s mine from now on.”
“……I’ve been curious about something for a while. Why do you call Cheick by that strange name?”
Liam asked in an extremely calm voice, but with a subtle hostility seeping through. Alice asked back whether there needed to be a special reason for friends to make up and call each other nicknames.
“I don’t think I have any obligation to explain everything to you, but since you’re curious I’ll tell you specially. When I was DMing and hanging out with him, he knew Tchaikovsky so well that I gave him that as a nickname. Happy?”
Alice spoke curtly and tried to leave with my luggage. Then this time Liam tapped her wrist to make her drop the luggage.
“Cheick isn’t an object, so how about letting him decide where to stay himself?”
Liam said, facing Alice who was glaring at him with contemptuous eyes. I asked the two of them where they were planning to take my luggage. Liam answered he was going to take it to the room where he stays whenever he comes here to play every year, and Alice said she was planning to take my luggage to her family’s beach house located near here.
“You have your beach house near here too?”
There’s also Alice’s beach house nearby. At this news I hadn’t heard at all before, I looked at Alice and asked.
“Yeah. I was the one who invited you in the first place! So you should go to our beach house, right?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Besides, I invited Cheick too. Right ‘here,’ not somewhere else.”
When Liam argued, Alice stomped her foot and came back with a rebuttal.
“Nonsense? Hey, if you played with Tchaikovsky all day yesterday, then today is my turn. That’s fair.”
“Turn, fair…… We’re not fighting over a Barbie doll or dinosaur toy right now. Isn’t what matters here Cheick’s will?”
“You talk like you’re so considerate of Cheick…… Right now Olivia, Hazel, and even Blair are staying here. I know very well how uncomfortable my friend is with them. So I’m trying to evacuate him, so why do you keep interfering?”
Olivia, Hazel, and even Blair are here. Then honestly, it’s pretty much settled. But to stay with Liam, I have to remain here.
“……Can you give me some time to think?”
The conclusion my indecisive self reached after agonizing was this. First observe the situation, and if it seems like trouble will erupt, ask Liam for understanding and evacuate to Alice’s beach house.
If only Liam and Alice’s relationship hadn’t gone sour, we could just go to Alice’s beach house together. I couldn’t help but feel regret at this point.
“Alice, you’ll be here for now, right?”
At my question, Alice said if I was going to be here, she’d stay here too.
“My friends are at our beach house, but I can just tell them to come.”
“Liam, is it okay if I don’t decide right away?”
“Of course it’s okay.”
Liam said that and went to where Leda, Charlotte, and Olivia were dancing. Olivia frowned at Liam then ignored him and mingled with other kids, and Liam also only danced with Leda and Charlotte.
“I really don’t get it. Partying and dancing like that…… The world of those kids.”
Virgil, standing next to me, muttered in a voice tinged with bewilderment. I also nodded in strong agreement with those words, then Alice giggled and asked Virgil where he was planning to stay today.
“I want to go to your beach house if possible. I don’t like being near Hazel or Blair. Those guys try to bully me whenever they run into me.”
“We have lots of empty rooms at our beach house. You’re welcome anytime if you come.”
Alice said while patting the shoulders of the thoroughly intimidated Virgil. There are three uncomfortable kids at Leda’s place, and meanwhile Virgil, who I could lean on, is going to Alice’s…… I just stood there blankly, unaware that my brow was furrowed from deepening worries. Then Alice gave my back a firm push and asked when we were planning to go out to the beach.
“I’m going to shower first and then think about it. I need to ask the other kids’ opinions on when they’re going out……”
“I’m kind of curious. Whether your swimsuit outfit will be as sloppy as what you usually wear.”
“Yeah, my swimsuit was too shabby. So I got a new one.”
“Oh, now I’m even more curious when you say that.”
