Twenty-Second Chapter: Do You Want to Go to My House? (4)

“The road is slippery. It’s safer to walk than ride a bike,” I rejected her calmly.

From an outsider's point of view, my answer is a sensible reason. Furthermore, I’m not technically lying since it’s dangerous to ride a bike on slippery roads, especially since the Fourth has a lot of steep slopes.

Still, I felt guilty when I saw her momentarily disappointed look, but thankfully she accepted it nevertheless, since my reason was reasonable.

“Okay …” she responded evenly.

“Just leave the glass there. I placed your bag over there. And your things are outside.”

She went to grab it then after getting her bag, she followed me outside and while I was picking up her things. She suddenly remarked: “Ah! I finally realized what was off. You’re seriously a neat freak, Kris!”

“Mm?”

Off? Is there something wrong? I scanned around the place and saw nothing out of place. And can you please stop dissing me out of nowhere? I said flatly inwardly.

She pointed and continued which dispelled my confusion. “The flowers over there, on each side of the yard, are evenly placed and symmetrical.

“The shoes in the shoe racks are sorted by colors: black on the left, or actually maybe monochrome colors, then colorful shoes on the right—also arranged depending on their colors.

“The steps and the railings, I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but it’s also all in even numbers.

“There are each type of plant and flower on the left and right side of the railing, which makes it even and symmetrical. Maybe, the only thing that isn’t symmetrical here is the single rocking chair over there,” she rambled at a quick pace, pointing with her fingers correspondingly.

I was quite surprised by her sharp observation skills. People tend to not notice it when they first visit and even if they did (after multiple visits), it was not that detailed and accurate.

Other than her, only one person did that and, yep, it’s Lia. That girl’s too overpowered when it comes to people and details.

“… Actually, there’s another one in the backyard,” I corrected her flatly.

When I blurted that out, her pink eyes rounded as she covered her mouth with her hands, but that didn’t stop her from bursting out laughing. “Bwahahaha!”

She laughed her lungs out, unable to resist bursting into laughter. In the meantime, I simply watched her dimples get deeper as she looked genuinely tickled.

Her pink waves swayed with her shaking shoulders from her full-blown cute giggling. While the corner of her eyes was wet from laughing too much.

And as expected of a pretty girl, even laughing hard like this didn’t affect her cuteness. On the contrary, it amplified it even more, especially with such a sweet laughing voice.

After a while, she seemed to have had her fill and gradually stopped laughing. She wiped some tears from her eyes and maintained a wide smile on her face.

“Sorry for laughing, I’m not making fun of you, I swear … But seriously, Kris … that’s so awesome! I’ve never thought I'd meet someone like you in real life,” she uttered, slightly out of breath.

… Every time this girl opens her mouth, I feel I’m becoming more and more of an animal in the zoo. Am I some kind of endangered species?

“It must have taken a while to actually manage to make everything perfect and even here.”

Yep.

“Amazing work, Kris!” she gave me a cheeky thumbs-up.

… Thanks. But you’re wrong about something.

“I’m not the one who made this like this,” I let out, correcting her once again. I picked up her things and started walking down the stairs.

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She followed me and tilted her head. “Who was it then?”

“My mama.”

“Your mama?”

“Yeah, my mama.”

Hearing my words, Rebecca looked doubtful and surprised, she asked with slight confusion: “Why did Tob say it was you then? And your mama is that lively?”

Her answer made me want to chuckle. “I mean, Big Bro and I did it, but Mama was the one who wanted the place to be like this,” I explained. “And don’t listen to Tob. He lives his life confused most of the time.”

She chuckled and had a look of understanding and commented. “Are you all like this? You hate dirty things, your mama likes things symmetrical, and your brother—actually what about your brother? Does he also have some sort of special quirks?” she counted with her hands and asked with shining eyes.

“…” I opened the gate and let her out first. I locked it then walked at a slightly faster pace.

“Nope.”

“Ehhh, c’mon, tell me … I promise not to say it to anybody else!” she insisted, trying to keep up with my pace.

Seeing her having trouble, I slowed down and responded: “He really doesn’t have one. Other than being too obsessed with his bike.”

“Typically boys, I say, hehe,” she said cutely, seemingly having fun with this topic.

My brows were twitching as I felt a headache coming …

“…” I did not say anything.

Rebecca probably felt I wasn’t gonna talk, so she also stayed silent and didn’t talk for the rest of the walk.

***

At the bus stop.

The stop was empty since most people in our area preferred to ride their own vehicles. Maybe.

“What’s your bus number?”

“002.”

I checked it on the screen and saw that it would arrive soon.

“The bus is near, just two minutes away.”

“Okay, thanks for taking me here and for the clothes, Kris! I’ll wash it and return it to you tomorrow.”

“No problem. And no need. That’s my old clothes that don't fit anymore. Feel free to keep it.”

“… Really? Sure …” she strangely bore her sight on her clothes but eventually took off her gaze on it.

She shifted her attention to her phone, tapping on it. Probably, messaging someone. Meanwhile, I was contemplating whether to bring it up or let it settle on its own.

But I don’t want to deal with those kinds of things again. So I bit the bullet and opened my mouth.

“Rebecca, are you perhaps interested in my brother?” I directly asked without any show of pretense.

The silence was deafening after I said that. She wasn’t responding in any way and I couldn’t even check her reaction since she was looking down on her phone. Though, she stopped tapping on it.

Anyway, I asked to confirm it first since I don’t like assuming things but even after a while, she didn’t reply, so I continued on.

“Anyway, regardless, I advise that you don’t go beyond interest—if there is, to begin with—towards my brother. He’s not really the best person to get involved with.”

I tried to be vague as much as possible since Big Bro is generally not a trashy human being—except for his disgusting habit of cheating on his girlfriend. And it might sound like I was talking bad about him behind his back (which I don’t care if I did).

My only intention is that I don’t want to see a possible friend, crying in pain just because of a less than five-cent man.

I’m really worried, especially, since I can see that Rebecca is within Big Bro’s strike zone.

“He’s my brother. I know what he’s like.”

“Pfft—”

Simultaneously, as I said that, a sound of stifled laughter sounded out beside me.

Did I hear that right? I looked over and saw Rebecca’s shaking shoulder, trying her best to cover her mouth. I guess it worked, as no sounds leaked out after the first one, but I can definitely guess that she was laughing her ass off.

Facing me and forcing her lips down, she said. “Kris, you don’t have to worry about such things,” her face had this constipated look as if she was trying to endure something funny.

On the other side, I was gazing at her with a flat and emotionless stare, as if I was trying to judge her whole existence.

She saw that and tried to appease me. “C’mon, Kris, it’s just, pfft, me? Having an interest in someone, much less someone who I don’t even know and didn’t even see. Just outright impossible. Where did you even get the idea I’m interested in your brother?”

Her question made me somewhat embarrassed at my assuming self, but there was no reason to lie, so I told the truth. “… I thought you fell for him when he picked me up at school,” I replied, embarrassed, though it didn’t show in my face.

In my defense, I did bring up this topic to clear things up. So success?

“Love at first sight? I didn’t expect you to be such a romantic person, Kris. Or are you that confident about your brother’s looks?” she uttered with a hint of teasing.

I know it was a mocking sentence, so I just pressed my lips together.

She giggled at that and continued. “I can barely even see his face at that distance, so how will I fall for your brother?” she walked up to me and stared straight at me in the eye with a slight smile. Her eyes lazily looked up at me.

“I … didn’t consider that,” my eyes are 20/20, after all, so I tend to forget not everyone has such good eyesight.

Her smile widened while her eyes became more cat-like, as she said coyly. “You’re such a klutz, Kris~” then poked me in the arms.

When I heard that, I involuntarily furrowed my brows. A flashback of the ‘Klutz Kris’ incident went through my head at the moment. I cringed. Hard.

Seeing my face, Rebecca seemed amused, chuckling softly under her breath, and tried to touch my face, which I immediately caught with my hands. I was okay with her touch, but the face is a major no.

Surprised, Rebecca explained. “Hm? I was just trying to wipe the dirt off your face. It’s been bothering me since at the Rider’s,” she calmly said with an innocent look.

Eh, really? I immediately let go of her and disinfected my hands to wipe my face with a tissue. Good thing, I always have a small packet of tissues in my pockets … But this is so embarrassing! I’ve been walking around with something on my face, huhu.

“Is it gone now?” I turned timidly, facing her after wiping my face.

“Yep, you look good!” she commented with a bright smile.

Brrrr!

From behind, I heard the sound of a bus, most likely that’s Rebecca’s ride.

So I just quickly asked as I realized something. “Was that why you went so close earlier?”

Swish!

As soon as I finished my sentence, the bus stopped behind me.

Rebecca took her things from my hand, jogged towards the bus, and climbed the stairs. She looked back and donned a mischievous grin.

“Who knows?” she responded in a low voice. Her pink eyes were almost completely closed while giggling in mischief as she coyly covered her mouth.

Just before the bus closed its door, Rebecca said her last words. “Thanks again, Kris!”

Vroom! Whoosh!

The bus went on its way, leaving behind a gust of wind.

And there I was left standing alone at the bus stop, somewhat drained and tired from such an energetic and bright person. It feels like I have another Lia with me. Albeit a mini version.

“… She’s too lively …” I tiredly thought out loud as I wiped my face again just to be sure.

I waited for the bus to be out of sight before heading back.

***

Hands in my pocket, I lazily tread the rocky uphill. People’s small stores and other things can be seen occasionally on the side of the road as I leisurely walked past it.

Normally, at this time, children and even young teenagers would litter the road to play and frolic around the place. But since it’s Wednesday afternoon, everyone is at school, so I got some peace and quiet.

While absentmindedly walking, halfway home, I noticed a nest of brown noodle-like hair poking behind the wall in the left corner. I didn’t even have to think about it and confidently called out.

“What are you doing there, Lia?”

The nest jumped in surprise as she revealed herself slowly, walking out from behind the wall. And as I thought, it was the familiar face with two moles under her left eye—Lia.

She crossed her arms and stared down at me coldly. “Welcome home, cheater.”

Here we go again.