Chapter 120 [Club House Competition] [8]

120 [Club House Competition] [8]

"We surrender!!"

My gaze shifted from the fight between Ethan and Oliver as I heard a voice.

And walking out from the resting room, Ivan stood at the very end of the ground, looking at Daphne.

"What is he doing?" Athela mumbled, frowning in confusion.

"Are you sure?" Daphne asked, looking at Ivan.

He nodded his head as he looked towards the opposite side where Christina stood.

His lips curled up in a gentle smile as he bowed slightly towards her before walking inside.

"..Did he just?" With a dumbfounded look on her face, Athela mumbled, looking at him.

"He isn't that idiotic." I replied, to which she nodded her head thoughtfully.

From what I can understand, he is trying to save his team's strength and at the same time, he is trying to show everyone that he can lose a match for Christina.

'He is trying to show that he is a gentleman.'

His pursuing Christina is already known to everyone, even the commoners.

And from the crowd's clap of affirmation, it looks like his plan did work.

'He is trying to pressure her into acknowledging what he did.'

But, like I expected, all he got was the cold shoulder from her, not even a smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winners!!"

The announcer declared after waiting for a while.

"Team blue earned 10 points and with this, the first round ends with equal points!!"

He took a few seconds before he continued.

"And since we don't have any team with two consecutive wins, we will move to the second round!!"

As soon as his voice ended, a timer of thirty minutes started on the display, showing the interval.

"Where are the rest?" My gaze shifted towards Shyamal as she asked.

"Both of them need some more rest," Athela informed, turning towards us, "you guys will have to do most of the work in the next round."

I nodded my head, as I looked towards Oliver helping Aaliyah to move back into their rest room.

"Any idea about what the theme of the next round will be?" Shyamal asked as she stood up from her seat and sat close to me.

"No idea." Shaking her head, she replied, "They change it every year, and last year it was cooking a dish from the ingredients spread throughout the stadium."

She then looked at me as she continued, "And because Christina could make the best food, her team won."

"I don't need the credit." Shuddering, I replied while moving away from Shyamal, "even though she learned cooking for me."

"I am not giving you any credit." She rebuked, her red eyes glaring at me.

"Anyway," massaging her temples, she grumbled, "have some rest, you guys."

She then turned around, walking away towards her friends.

"....."

Quietly, I once again changed my seat as she tried to come close.

[...Are you alright?]

'...Can you feel my emotions now?'

[..No, it's just hard not to notice how anxious you look.]

'..I just don't feel right.'

Only two hours are left until the explosion.

And I don't know how things will go after that.

Things would have been easy if the event followed the game route, I could at least predict some of things.

But not anymore, now their target isn't Ashlyn but me, and I don't know how they will try to kidnap me.

'El, I have a request.'

[I am listening.]

'... Please help me if I lose control of my emotions.'

[...Because of that scientist?]

'Yes, I don't know what I will do if I see him again.'

....Three months.

"Of course I do." She nodded, her black hair bouncing, "...But your middle name is quite good."

"I see." I mumbled, not giving any particular reaction.

Her smile didn't falter as she took out a candy, unwrapping it, "Want some white chocolate?"

"....I don't want to."

"Please?" She pleaded.

I glanced at Ashlyn as she also gestured to do so by joining her hands.

"Sigh." Sighing, I grabbed the white-colored candy before eating it.

...No flavor, like always.

.... Should I ask Christina to feed me someday?

"How does it taste?" She asked, looking at me expectantly.

"Just like white chocolate does." I scoffed, looking at her.

I froze, not expecting her reply.

"I heard you liked my sister's cookies." She continued, looking deeply at me, "I know how terrible those really are, then why do you like them?"

I glanced at Ashlyn as she stood there, looking at me, ignoring how her sister just insulted her.

I took a deep breath before I replied, looking at Ashlyn, "because I like her."

"Huh?" Both sisters let out a startled voice, looking at me blankly.

"Like I said," I repeated my words, making sure they heard it, "I like your sister."

"Then her cookie—."

I once again ignored Oliver as I tried to find him again.

09:43

....But I couldn't.

"I don't mind them." I replied, shuddering, "Even though it tastes bad, the way she made it is worth eating."

At my words, Ashlyn came back to her senses as she grabbed her sister, "W-we will talk later."

'She is blushing.'

I mused, looking at her tomato-like face as they both moved back.

[...She is smart.]

'Of course she is.'

She took care of her blind sister for years.

She is a lot smarter than girls her age.

But she can't win against me, I can lie with a straight face.

[...Idiot.]

'Huh? What?'

[...you are an idiot.]

...Whatever.

"....Sister-in-law." I grabbed Oliver as he mumbled, turning around.

"Don't you dare say a word to her." I warned, glaring at him.

"Of course I will, fucking cheater bit—."

Ignoring him, I looked around the place in boredom.

...Huh?

But my heartbeat dropped as I noticed one particular face looking at me.

"What happened?"

I once again ignored Oliver as I tried to find him again.

....But I couldn't.

Inhaling sharply, I tried to stop my heart from trembling, frantically looking around.

[...Az—]

...I saw him, El.

I can't forget that burned face.

....I saw Delwyn.