Henry, who had returned to the dormitory, finished a quick shower, dried his hair, and lastly changed his clothes.
When he came down to the first floor of the dormitory, he saw Declan, who had come down first, sitting in a chair quietly staring into space.
He’s not even looking at his phone, why is he waiting like that?
Henry’s face involuntarily frowned at the utterly incomprehensible behavior. As he was looking at him, Declan turned around, as if he had sensed his gaze.
Such a sensitive bastard anyway.
Henry approached him while cursing Declan inwardly as always.
“Do you know where Aiden is?”
“Earlier he said he was going to buy chicken with Joseph, but well, a lot of time has passed. I’ll have to call him.”
“He didn’t answer.”
“…You already called?”
At Henry’s question, Declan nodded.
Really? So it was true that he ran away in case the sparks flew at him?
From the moment he was designated by Declan and had to sit on the chair, he had hoped it wasn’t so, but he had tried not to believe it was really an “escape.” The thought he wanted to keep as just suspicion became the truth.
Henry called Aiden. He didn’t answer.
After hanging up the call to Aiden, he called Joseph. Fortunately, Joseph answered the phone.
—Yeah, Henry.
“!”
Declan and Henry’s eyes met. The noise coming from the receiver was quite loud.
“Where are you? Are you still with Aiden?”
Henry poured out words at a rapid pace. Joseph, unable to hide his bewildered expression at the question directed at him, answered.
—Huh, no? I separated from Aiden a long time ago.
“Where?”
—Right after he bought the cup chicken.
“Didn’t he say where he was going?”
—No. Not particularly… Why? Is something wrong?
A sigh came out involuntarily. Joseph really seemed to know nothing.
“…I’ll explain later. I’ll hang up for now.”
Henry, who had no intention of holding onto and interrogating Joseph, who seemed busy playing with other friends, pressed the end call button.
He felt Declan’s gaze. Henry awkwardly touched the back of his still-damp hair and said.
“They separated a long time ago. He said he didn’t hear where he went.”
Declan didn’t answer. Instead, he had a face lost in thought. Henry asked him, just in case.
“Do you happen to know where Aiden might go?”
“…The dormitory?”
He definitely had a face thinking deeply, but the answer that came back was utterly disappointing. Henry’s face, unable to hold back, openly showed his thoughts of what is this bastard?
No, if you don’t know, don’t pretend to think.
“Isn’t that too obvious? You don’t actually know well, do you?”
In the end, Henry couldn’t hold back his absurdity and asked. He thought at least an embarrassed reaction, if not an apology, would come back.
“Yeah.”
Declan expressed affirmation without concern. That he didn’t know well.
“Weren’t you close with him?”
“Me?”
As if he was more curious why Henry thought that, Declan looked at Henry and asked back.
Because he momentarily lost his words, Henry could only answer his question after some time had passed.
“…Didn’t you eat with him a lot? Today too.”
Ah. Declan nodded along with a small exclamation. Then he said.
“Sitting together when eating and being close are different things, aren’t they?”
It was an excessively calm and matter-of-fact answer. Henry stopped himself just as he was about to nod, thinking that’s true without realizing it.
“No, it’s not just once or twice occasionally. It’s often. Usually, that much would be considered close.”
Henry spoke on Aiden’s behalf, feeling wronged without realizing it.
“Ah, really?”
The reaction that came back was utterly bland.
Rather than realizing he was wrong from Henry’s words, it was more of an I see level of reaction.
For a moment, one thought flashed through Henry’s mind. That really, maybe, this bastard might lack social skills.
Even though he looked completely normal on the outside and seemed to have no problems with human relationships.
Henry tried to understand him. In his thinking, he and Declan Russell were special types of people.
Eye-catching appearance. Exceptional physical condition.
Just this alone receives countless attention in peer groups. Even without saying anything, even just sitting quietly, people swarm around.
Henry knew better than anyone. Because he too had similar conditions.
On top of that, if you’re also a player of American football, the most popular sport in America?
Social skills become useless in living life. Because whatever you do, people around you lift you up.
Unfortunately, unlike himself who was able to develop social skills thanks to the church he attended from childhood, it seemed Declan hadn’t been able to.
Henry seriously thought he should give Declan advice that wasn’t quite advice. As repayment for having saved him in the past.
“Don’t say that in front of Aiden.”
Declan’s face as he turned around after hearing Henry’s words showed a complete lack of understanding. Henry kindly added words to try to make him understand.
“Usually, at that level, the other person would think they’re somewhat close to you. But you think you’re not close. If Aiden hears that, he’ll be hurt.”
Whether he understood the words, whether he was listening.
It was still an inscrutable face, but Henry decided to stop here. Anyway, in his own thinking, he had extended a helping hand to him.
Henry knew very well that whether to accept his advice and improve or not was Declan Russell’s choice.
“Go back and have fun. I’ll find Aiden on my own.”
Henry said as if doing him a favor. It was the maximum consideration he could offer him.
More than anything, he didn’t want to be with him on a day like this. Henry thought he wouldn’t want to be with him either.
That’s why.
“Aren’t you going to look for Aiden?”
“Uh, well. I guess?”
“…I’m the one who put you in the dunk tank.”
“Huh? Uh… well, if you say it’s your fault, it is your fault, but…”
Even at Declan’s continuing words, Henry didn’t feel anything strange. Because he arbitrarily concluded and was convinced of his intentions.
If you think about it, neither the emcee nor Declan—no one had forced Henry that he absolutely had to sit.
Sitting on that chair was a choice made by Henry Lowell himself.
Yet somehow, after hearing Declan’s words, Henry was agreeing rather than feeling anything strange.
“I’ll help a little more.”
If it’s because he feels responsible, we’ll look around two or three more places together and if we don’t see him, he’ll leave.
Henry thought complacently and nodded.
And so Henry set out with him to look for Aiden. Starting from his dormitory room, they went around the playground where booths were in full swing. They checked the main building and the annex building. Even until then, the two couldn’t find a single hair of Aiden.
The two eventually stopped by the dormitory one more time as a last resort.
They still didn’t meet Aiden, but they were able to get information from his roommate that “he said he was going to the library in the main building.”
By the time they arrived at the library with Declan.
Aiden wasn’t there, and the sun had already completely set.
“…At this point, isn’t he really hiding somewhere? Did his roommate lie?”
“Maybe so.”
When Henry finally started to suspect even Aiden’s roommate, Declan also calmly agreed with Henry’s words.
Exhausted from searching all over the school, Henry pulled out a library chair and sat down. In the dark and quiet library, a dragging sound echoed.
How much time had passed since then? Suddenly, a broadcast began to flow from the speakers installed throughout the school.
—Testing. The fireworks will begin soon, so we would appreciate it if all students and visitors could gather in the safety zone of the playground. We inform you once again…
“Has it already gotten to be that time?”
Henry muttered softly and looked out the window. Looking down at the playground, he could see booths being dismantled here and there. Unlike just a few minutes ago, the playground was bustling as people had gathered in an instant.
“Aren’t you going down?”
Henry asked Declan, who was standing beside him.
“Are you?”
“Well, for me, I’ve been watching it since I was young… And you can see it from here too. Not as well as from the playground though.”
“Then I’ll watch from here too.”
At Declan’s answer, Henry’s head whipped around.
Hup, Henry swallowed. Vivid green eyes, filled with a deep vitality, were looking at him.
