At school, Declan Russell was famous for not particularly liking questions about himself. To what extent? Enough that word spread among the female students who liked him.
If you want to win Declan Russell’s heart, don’t ask too much about him.
He didn’t openly get angry just because you asked. However, after asking, his attitude would change a little—this was content Henry had directly heard from a female student who had briefly dated him right after he broke up with Hazel.
“How did you end up coming all the way to Texas? Then is it so far that you can’t even go home on weekends and spend time alone?”
For Henry, who knew him well, Margaret’s question made him restless.
Because she had a husband who was a church pastor, she always paid attention to those around her. That was her job.
She always welcomed new believers or visitors and evangelized so they would serve the Lord and attend her husband’s church.
Sometimes she also took care of believers who weren’t well-off so they wouldn’t starve in poverty.
For that, she needed to familiarize herself with the believers’ faces and know their circumstances and situations.
Henry, as her son, knew it was a habit born from that, but Declan, as an outsider, couldn’t know that.
It was a question rude enough even in normal circumstances, but if Declan didn’t want to bring up his own story, this was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange for him to express displeasure.
Henry didn’t want to provoke Declan. He was the only person who knew the secret Henry had hidden away tightly.
“Mom. Wait, that’s too much. This isn’t church.”
Henry grabbed Margaret with more earnestness than ever. Fortunately, she realized her behavior then and stopped, but what could be done? She couldn’t take back words already spoken.
Henry turned to look at Declan, intending to apologize.
“Yes. On weekends I’m usually at the dorm.”
He, just as he did at school, answered Margaret’s question with a faint smile casually. Henry looked at Declan’s face with a pale expression and hurriedly added his words.
“Hey, I’m really sorry. Our family runs a church. It’s Mom’s occupational hazard. You don’t have to say things you don’t want to say.”
Whether he was displeased or it was okay—if he showed any sign, Henry could try to resolve it. But he couldn’t read any emotion from Declan’s face at all.
That he didn’t like it—he’d definitely said so.
To the point where the words he’d heard felt like a lie, Declan had an unbothered expression.
Margaret, who had realized her mistake and had a surprised face, regained her smile at Declan’s answer.
Unable to know Henry’s insides burning pitch-black, she sheepishly offered a brief apology.
“Sorry, it’s an occupational hazard I can’t help.”
“It’s fine.”
“Then can I ask just a few more things?”
Declan answered calmly. At that, Margaret asked with her eyes shining with a curious face.
“Ah, Mom!”
Henry’s face turned red. Whether from anger or embarrassment. Or perhaps from the tension that Declan might expose his secret at any moment. Even he himself couldn’t tell.
“Henry, I’m not going to ask anything private, so don’t worry. Let’s just have a conversation.”
Margaret continued her questions, soothing Henry in a tone used for young children.
“I heard you play football with Henry, is that right?”
At his name called from her mouth, Henry’s eyes wavered.
“Yes.”
“How is it in Henry’s club? I wish Henry would live normally like his older brother and sisters. I’m worried because he keeps playing football. As a parent, I can’t stop him from doing something he has talent for…”
Margaret took a posture covering her face with one hand and let out a deep sigh. She truly looked like a mother who didn’t know what to do because she was worried about her youngest son.
Henry couldn’t stop her. It wasn’t a private question directed at Declan, and he knew she was actually worried about him.
At her question, Declan slowly looked at Henry. At that gaze, Henry flinched and trembled.
“…He does well. Maybe because he likes it, he’s more diligent than anyone in the club. He has good social skills too, so he gets along well with the team members. His ability to read the game too. His strength, his physique. There’s nothing particularly lacking, so he seems to do well all around. If you’ve watched a game, you probably already know.”
That bastard is praising me? Me?
At Declan’s voice flowing out quietly, Henry’s mouth dropped open.
Henry had been looking at him thinking it would be fortunate if words that shouldn’t flow from his mouth didn’t come out.
“Really? I’m relieved to hear you say that.”
Margaret smiled gently after hearing Declan’s answer.
“But, you just said Henry gets along well all around.”
“Yes.”
“Earlier Henry answered that he’s not very close with you…”
“……”
Margaret looked at Declan with quite serious eyes. Henry made a flustered expression, forgetting that he’d been surprised by Declan’s praise.
‘What on earth are you trying to say?’
Waiting for the words to follow, Henry looked at Margaret with a more nervous face than when he’d advanced to the state championship finals.
“By any chance, is it a situation where Henry is bullying you because you’re a transfer student? Or something like that? You can be honest. I’ll scold him well before sending him off.”
At her words, Henry rolled his eyes and said.
“Mom! Does he look like someone who’d be bullied by me?”
“Hm? You never know. Your dad’s church is pretty big, right? There are a lot of kids at your school who attend our church.”
At that moment, a small laugh was heard from the side. Declan burst into laughter at Margaret’s words.
His lips opened roundly, drawing a refreshing arc. On his right cheek, a dimple appeared faintly.
Henry found himself looking at him without realizing it at Declan’s laugh that he was seeing for the first time. He’d even forgotten what he’d heard from Margaret.
“Nothing like that happened. It’s fine.”
Declan’s lips as he continued his answer wore a calm smile like before. Only then could Henry turn his head.
“Really? Then that’s fortunate. How strong this kid must be. Even in middle school he was smaller and cuter.”
“No, no. Mom. Russell is stronger than me!”
“Hm? Really? More than Henry?”
In the end, Henry, unable to bear it, answered Margaret feeling wronged. Henry tried to cool his face’s heat by fanning with his hand, but far from cooling down, it only got hotter and hotter.
Declan, who had been listening to their conversation, answered in a voice mixed with a good laugh.
“We’ve never tested it though.”
Margaret looked at Declan with a fascinated expression and said.
“True… Now that I look, you’re taller too…”
“What? Stronger than Henry? But you haven’t tested it?”
Leaving Margaret’s quiet voice behind, the one who suddenly joined the conversation with a more excited voice than anyone was Iris.
Was it thanks to having already satisfied her curiosity in the car while bringing Declan? Iris had been quiet the entire time Declan and Margaret were conversing.
Because of that, he’d forgotten. Among the family members who had gotten used to the fact that Henry was quite good at football and no longer watched every game.
That Iris was a fanatic who not only went to watch every game Henry played but also covered all kinds of sports.
A strange fervor shone in Iris’s eyes.
“Declan. Want to arm wrestle with our Henry?”
Eyes full of personal greed and curiosity. Iris usually had Henry try various things.
Because Iris was family, Henry was used to her like that, but Declan wasn’t, right?
It was when Henry was about to stop her with a pale face.
“Should we?”
Declan answered readily with a low laugh.
Henry looked at Margaret urgently, but somehow Margaret’s face also held anticipation.
Thus Henry lost the will to stop the two mother and daughter and chose to be swept along. His head truly hurt.
Margaret who liked guests and Iris who liked people aside, he couldn’t understand why that guy Declan Russell was being so cooperative.
“Where should we do it? This table? Is it uncomfortable because of the sofa? Then the dining table?”
“I think we can do it here.”
Before he knew it, Declan was casually mingling with his family.
In the end, Henry placed his arm on the table at Iris’s urging and clasped hands with Declan.
“Ready? Should we start?”
Iris placed her hand on top of the two people’s clasped hands and said.
He wanted to win, but he knew it was a fight he couldn’t win. Henry knew through various past events that Declan Russell was stronger than him.
Like last time, Declan’s hand was hot this time too. He kept recalling the time when the experiment had failed. Cold sweat kept forming on his hand.
He became conscious, worried that his dampness might displease the other person.
As if noticing it, the man moved his mouth and asked soundlessly.
‘Are you nervous?’
To Henry, those words felt exactly like a provocation. Henry put strength into the hand clasped with Declan’s.
“Then… start!”
Henry put all his strength into his arm. At the same time, Declan reacted too, but something was strange.
There was no force pushing back against his strength.
His arm fell to Declan’s side helplessly.
“Huh? Henry won? Wasn’t he supposed to be stronger than Henry?”
Iris was so surprised that she opened both eyes wide. Margaret was the same.
Declan just responded with a smile.
In front of them, Henry repeatedly clenched and opened his right hand.
When you put in strength, the stiffened muscles make the hand hard. If you want to win, the fingertips twist a little.
In other words, Declan Russell hadn’t properly faced him.
It was absurd.
If he didn’t want to do it, he could have just said he didn’t want to. Why bother agreeing and then dealing with him half-heartedly, making him feel uncomfortable?
Anyway, he was a bastard with a bad personality.
Unable to hold back, Henry asked Declan.
“Why did you go easy on me?”
“I did?”
He blinked as if it was news to him.
The sight of his long eyelashes fluttering was maddeningly hateful to see.
“Do it properly. Don’t go easy on me for no reason.”
