And about going to Comic-Con with Virgil after football season ends. Virgil says he’s going to dress up as Han Solo and make you wear a Chewbacca costume. Is that agreed upon? I searched and that Chewbacca outfit looks way too hot. Anyway, when you two go to the event, who’s driving? Is it Charlotte? She likes comic books as much as you guys, and she just got her license too.
Friday is coming soon, so don’t overdo it. If you’re very tired, you don’t have to write in the diary. Anyway, sleep well, Liam.
* * *
September 3, 20XX
From Liam to Tchaikovsky
Hi, Tchaikovsky. No matter how tired I am, I can’t skip writing in the diary. Just imagining you reading this and reacting makes me so happy I could fly.
Our coach has become noticeably sensitive since football season started. Seeing a human already full of irritation become extremely sensitive is like watching a bomb about to explode any moment. He goes around getting angry here and there so much that Nathan burst out with tremendous complaints. So when I mentioned the recall petition movement idea you came up with once, he liked it, saying it might become an effective movement with Charlotte’s help. I hope this doesn’t blow up into something big, but if the petition movement actually happens, I’ll sign as number 1. Won’t you help too?
I also heard from Leda about Leda and Sophia fighting. I also hope the two make up, but somehow it seems difficult. You can’t monopolize a person, right? When I said that to Leda, she got really angry and we almost fought too. Leda said, ‘At least you have no right to say that to me.’ I couldn’t say anything back then, and the situation ended just like that.
She’s right. I have no right to say that to her. I talk well about how you can’t monopolize a person, but in reality I want to monopolize my boyfriend.
But since my lantern-like boyfriend lit the way ahead so I could walk a certain ‘path,’ I’m willing to follow the light he gave me. By writing in a diary like this. Then won’t something become visible?
And Virgil’s Comic-Con idea was actually mine. I’ve wanted to dress up as Chewbacca for Halloween, but Leda wouldn’t let me saying it would ruin my style. Virgil liked it, saying I’m qualified to be Chewbacca in terms of height and size. And it’s kind of thrilling, right? Inside the huge, ugly Chewbacca mask, there’s actually a handsome guy like me.
From our neighborhood to the Comic-Con venue is quite a distance, so it would be tiring for Charlotte to drive alone. So we need someone to take turns, and that will probably be you. So please take care of it. Hmm, is it too shameless to say it like this?
Anyway, it’s gotten too late. Now that I’m a senior, the classes are definitely more intense and the amount of assignments to handle is terrifying. But to look cool to you, I should stop whining here. No, wait. I feel like you’d accept it well if I act spoiled.
Hug me tight if you want me to sleep soundly tonight.
With love,
Liam Blake
* * *
“…I didn’t sleep well last night. I guess it’s because you didn’t say you’d hug me.”
The next day, when Liam met me in front of the trailer, he brought up a troubling story as soon as he saw me. Right, in the diary entry he left last night, he wrote this: to hug him tight if I wanted him to sleep soundly. But we weren’t close to each other, and the best I could do was stick a red heart sticker next to that sentence. Honestly, even putting a sticker on that part was quite embarrassing even though no one was watching.
“I did leave a mark that I read it… though.”
“Yeah, you mean those stickers you put all over? I checked it right away as soon as I got the notification that you put them. And I waited endlessly. Until you added some kind of comment beyond that. But those stickers were the end. In the end, I couldn’t sleep well waiting and waiting for your comment, well, that’s the story.”
Since Liam came at me like that, there was nothing more to make excuses about, and I spread my arms wide enough to fully embrace his large frame. Then Liam smiled innocently like a child and came into my arms.
“I feel like I’ll be able to sleep well today?”
“…I feel like I can start the day more refreshingly.”
My interactions with Liam always make me feel refreshed. When I conveyed that meaning, he hugged me back and kissed my cheek a couple of times. From the arms that firmly crossed and bound me, equally firm affection was transmitted.
After the somewhat longer-than-usual greeting ended today, Liam got in the car and took out a shabby football rule book covered with post-it notes. This book is something Liam always carries around, and with a bit of exaggeration, it’s as thick as a law book, so I respect Liam for carrying this around.
With the start of football season approaching, I’ve been able to observe Liam looking at this book and muttering something or scribbling incomprehensible circles on post-it notes much more frequently. He’s probably devising strategies for the game this week, and seeing this, he’s unmistakably an elite quarterback.
Football is a sport with very complex rules. To enter the National League, you have to pass a written test about the rules. Especially the quarterback, who controls teammates from the center of the offense and employs all kinds of tactics, must know the rules inside out better than anyone else on the team.
Until just a few months ago, I also thought—while quarterbacks need to be somewhat smart—that anyone with good physical condition who’s just good at sports could become a football player. But after meeting Liam and gradually learning about football, I realized my thinking was wrong.
“Why are you staring like that? I’m devising a very thoroughly secret strategy right now.”
When I started the car without any thought of starting it while staring at him, Liam said with a playful smile.
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t understand what you’re writing even if I looked.”
“How can I be sure of that? Who knows? Maybe you’re a handsome spy sent by the opposing team, or anyway, some kind of means like that.”
So who knows if he’s completely fallen into a trap right now, Liam asked, to which I answered that his imagination is quite rich.
“Anyway, since you stole a peek at my secret strategy, you’ll have to pay the price.”
Liam proposed one kiss as the price for stealing a peek at his secret strategy. I grabbed his left knee, then kissed his slightly parted lips and paid the price to my heart’s content. Then Liam whined that he didn’t want to go to school, not fitting his build, so I reminded him of the fact that we’re seniors facing college entrance exams right around the corner and started the car.
“Since we’re talking about college entrance exams, Liam, what university do you want to go to?”
For a super player like Liam, there must definitely be universities that have been keeping an eye on his talent early on. Maybe he’s already received many scouting offers?
“Hmm… Actually, I’ve received offers from a few places, but I don’t know. Especially these days. Until a year ago, I naturally thought I should go to college, but now I’m thinking it might be better to give up on higher education and play purely as an athlete. But…”
“Is there something that bothers you?”
“I’m curious about what university you want to go to.”
I wasn’t particularly flustered by Liam’s sudden question. After all, I don’t have that many target universities at this point.
“University of Carolina at Chapel Hill.”
The University of Carolina at Chapel Hill is a prestigious university close to home, with an unrivaled scholarship system for athletes.
“As expected. If you’re an ambitious athlete, you should naturally aim for that school.”
“Or Duke University.”
Duke University is also a prestigious university not far from home, a place with an excellent scholarship system comparable to the University of Carolina.
“A lot of people are applying there too. That makes sense.”
Liam didn’t spare embarrassing praise, saying he knew I would aim for universities of that level. Then he said with a somewhat complicated-looking face that it’s a good thing to live in a place with many prestigious universities nearby.
“I think it would be nice to go to the same university as you, but I…”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve always thought I wanted to leave here.”
But leaving Durham here is absolutely not the same as wanting to leave me, Liam said repeatedly before sighing deeply. It seems I brought up an unnecessary topic.
* * *
Friday evening’s first game of the football season was decorated with the Rangers’ overwhelming victory. Liam, who laughed with an elated look while bumping bodies with team members drunk on victory, came to my side when things settled down somewhat and attempted a Rangers-style high-five. But Nathan, who was watching that scene, looked at Liam with a face that said something was strange and demanded he do the high-five with me one more time.
“Wasn’t that motion just… wrong?”
“Of course it was wrong.”
At Liam’s brazen, almost shameless words, Nathan and I could only stare at him blankly, not understanding.
“I taught him differently from the start. How should I put it, I wanted to create a greeting method just for me and Cheick.”
“…Wow.”
With that single word of admiration, Nathan ran toward Juliet, who had come to meet him after PTJ ended. Liam and I watched the scene with gentle smiles, but even though the noisy Nathan had left, one side of the stadium was somehow very chaotic.
“What’s a guy who already graduated trying to get by chasing here and making a fuss!”
“The situation hasn’t been sorted out yet, fuck!”
Aiden. He was an upperclassman to us and had already graduated from school, but it seems he came all the way here to confront Hazel about the Olivia issue.
“This… If we’re not careful, we could get involved too, so let’s leave quickly.”
I nodded at Liam’s urging and left the stadium. Then I asked Liam what he wanted to do from now on.
“Flower viewing.”
“Flower viewing?”
“You know the seedlings Ted planted last time. The flower buds are just starting to fall, right?”
“That, I already saw this morning… Ow.”
