[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.' ƒΓeeweɓn૦vel.com

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.

Three fucking months he tortured me.

It was so cruel to the point that I couldn't move for months.

He broke my mind to the point that I didn't think twice before making that unreasonable deal with my mother.

"Sigh..."

I sighed, shifting my focus towards Christina's chamber.

....I hope she isn't in any kind of danger, like my mother said.

"Can you stop doing it!?" I snapped, glaring at Shyamal as she came closer to me.

Can't she see I am trying to avoid her?

"Just die already!!" She snapped back before standing up and moving away.

[...It's hard not to notice your anxious look.]

'Why are you repeating your words?'

[...Nothing]

"Az!!"

"Huh? Oliver?" I frowned, looking at him as he walked inside our team rest room, "Why are you not with Aaliyah?"

"Not the time, get up." Grabbing my hand, he made me stand up before dragging me.

"...where are we going now?" I asked, a brooding look on my face.

"Ashlyn's sister." My body tensed up, pupils trembling as I heard his words, "...She is here."

"What is she doing here?" I asked, jerking my hand away.

"I have no idea, Aaliyah told me," he replied, shaking his head.

"She wasn't supposed to be here!!" I yelled in frustration as I dashed through the hallway.

"Do you think she remembered what happened on the festival day?" Oliver asked, walking behind me.

"No, she wasn't awake that time, remember?"

"But still, she has seen you—."

"Not my original face."

"Can't you just tell them you are Noa—."

I grabbed him by his collar before slamming him against the wall.

"Don't try to meddle in my affairs." I warned him, my voice harsh, "You weren't supposed to remember all that!!"

"Then what do you expect me to do?" He yelled, grabbing my wrist, "watch from the sidelines!?"

"That would have been better!!" Tightening my grip, I rebuked.

....That would have been better for you.

"Fucking idiot." He cursed softly, looking into my eyes, "you want a kiss or what? Leave me."

I loosened my grip before resuming my walk.

"You will rot in hell for treating your best friend like this."

"..Right." he grumbled as we arrived where the crowd was seated.

I looked around the place to see if I could find a familiar face, and after a while, I did find her.

'Okay, not the northern part.' Relief washed over me as she stood in the eastern area.

At least she would be safe from the explosions.

Without thinking twice, I moved towards her.

"....Even in the sea of people, how did you find her so quickly?" Oliver grumbled, walking beside me.

"....I just can." I mumbled, making my way through the crowd.

Looking at us, some tried to talk, but the soldiers stationed close by stopped them.

"Azariah?" As soon as I came into her view, Ashlyn exclaimed in surprise.

She was talking with her sister before noticing us.

She then walked closer with her sister, who looked curiously at me.

"You were asking about him, right?" Ashlyn then patted her sister to move while looking at me, "he is my friend."

She walked forward, extending her hand, "... Tiffany Zyanya."

"Azariah." I replied, shaking her hand.

"Azariah Noah Aljanah, right?" She asked with a light smile, "I searched you on the internet and asked my sister about you, I hope you don't mind." "Then you should know what type of guy I am." I replied, trying my best not to act like a good guy.

"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.

: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.