Chapter 29
Even in this situation, his voice was full of ease as he joked. But Anita no longer trembled. No, there was no need to.
“Do ghosts even have physical strength? To me, it looks like a person.”
Her body, which had been trembling until just now, surprisingly calmed down. Somehow, she felt like she knew whose doing this was.
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
While Anita glanced back nervously, as if to confirm, he seemed to be leisurely pondering.
“What is it?”
“I don’t think you and that student council president person suit each other.”
The mental circuit that Anita was running hypotheses through was immediately cut off. At the same time she remembered they had been holding hands until now, her heartbeat quickened.
“Then, what kind of person do I suit?”
She tried to act casual, but her trembling voice at the end betrayed her.
“You?”
Waiting for his answer felt like opening a test result—knowing you’d failed but still hoping for a tiny chance.
“You’re better off living alone.”
Of course, that small possibility was just that—a small possibility.
It was fortunate that it was dark outside. If Rutger had seen Anita’s expression, it would have been an awkward situation for both.
“Really? Didn’t know that.”
Anita had definitely meant to sound playful, but the words that came out were cold and harsh.
Though she knew Rutger couldn’t see her, Anita turned her head away and bit her lip tightly. Of course, she couldn’t take back the words she had already said.
“You’re not angry, right?”
She hadn’t expected him to ask so straightforwardly. Rutger surely knew that Anita had feelings for him, but he hadn’t mentioned it directly until now. Because of that, the ambiguous relationship between friends and lovers had lasted for so long. It was okay because they guessed each other’s feelings but never spoke them aloud.
“What reason would I have to be angry?”
“Well, people usually get mad when they hear they’re better off alone. It sounds like an insult.”
Anita’s shoulders, which had been stiff with tension, gradually relaxed. Her racing heartbeat slowed down to its normal pace as if afraid he might hear it.
It was something to celebrate that the immediate crisis had passed. Yet, for some reason, Anita felt stifled inside.
She felt like a child waiting to get scolded.
Even if she tried to piece together the broken glass shards, could they really last a lifetime?
Anita wondered how long such a fragile, glass-like relationship could last.
At least today was not the day it would break.
“Ah. The lights are back on.”
His voice was annoyingly optimistic. Anita slipped her hand out of his grasp. She had absolutely no desire to walk holding hands in the middle of the brightly lit hallway.
“Let’s go.”
“You said you have a lecture.”
Anita deliberately spoke coldly.
“The weather isn’t good either. Can’t we just skip it?”
“Why are you asking me?”
When Anita asked, bewildered, Rutger took a meaningful smile and stepped closer. Anita stepped back one step. Then he stepped forward again. This strange standoff continued for a while. Eventually, Anita was the one who lost.
Her back hit a hard wall. When she closed and opened her eyes, the face she saw was his.
“It’s just the two of us here, right?”
“…So?”
Their eyes met head-on as Anita searched for an escape.
“So, you’re the only one who has the authority to shove me into the lecture room.”
“…Are you hurt?”
“You wouldn’t push me into that boring, awful class, would you? Huh?”
Anita squeezed her eyes shut. His pleading tone sent goosebumps down her arm.
“Just come hang out with me.”
“Your face…”
Even though her eyes were shut, the presence she felt was overwhelming. Maybe because her vision was blocked, she suddenly noticed a pleasant scent she hadn’t noticed before.
In her embarrassment, she reached out to push him away, but the sensation her fingers touched felt strange. She pushed where his shoulder should have been, but since he had lowered his head, her fingers landed on his lips.
The unfamiliar warmth at her fingertips made Anita open her eyes a little, and she froze like a statue. Rutger, whose lips were unexpectedly sealed, stared at her.
An eternity of silence stretched between them.
Anita’s lips moved slightly, but no words came out. Rutger’s eyes, which had carried a faint smile until now, no longer showed any trace of amusement.
“S-sorry. I’m fine… No, there’s no way I’m fine.”
After a long pause, the words that finally came out were incomplete. Anita admitted to herself that she couldn’t come up with a better excuse and was content to just pull her finger away from his lips.
Rutger straightened up from his leaned position toward Anita. Her head, facing forward, lifted on its own. She never liked how much taller Rutger was. He could always see her expressions easily, but it wasn’t the same for her.
“It hurts.”
“Huh?”
“You hurt me by poking.”
“…I didn’t poke you.”
A low laugh followed Anita’s blunt reply. What was so funny? Her expression naturally turned sour.
“So, what are you going to do?”
