To Be the Perfect Childhood Friend - Chapter 48

If it were just simple jealousy, Anita wouldn’t have any reason to annoy Rutger, but Rutger doesn’t show interest in that direction.

Unaware of the reason, Anita was too tired to repeat the antagonistic behavior towards him again.

“My clothes.”

“Oh. It obviously looks like a men’s size, right?”

Rutger, irritatingly, shook the clothes in front of Anita. Anita bit her lip, holding back the sharp retort. If conditions allowed, she wanted to snatch the clothes away from him. However, Anita remained in the same spot, like a rooted tree, avoiding any movement that might reveal her uninjured ankles.

“I originally wear men’s sizes.”

Instead of responding to that statement, he flicked the shirt that Anita was wearing.

“Alright. It’s not mine. So, will you just give it to me?”

“If you tell me who it is for.”

“….”

Anita rolled her eyes.

“Fine. I’ll give it to you. Just let me touch it one last time.”

Unable to see an end before the day was over, Anita decided to adjust her plans.

“Oh. If I lend it to you for a moment, are you planning to check the brand and buy the same thing?”

Anita blinked rapidly for a moment.

“I made a mistake if I thought I wouldn’t know anything about you, Anita Rodel.”

He suddenly leaned in, causing Anita to step back in surprise.

“Ah.”

Maybe due to putting too much pressure on her ankle, a tingling pain spread. Anita felt unfairly burdened. Not only her injured ankle but being held back by Rutger like this made her annoyed.

Anita quickly reverted her expression to its usual state. She couldn’t afford for him to notice that her ankle was not fine. Her gaze, which had unconsciously shifted downwards, returned to its original position.

Finally facing him directly, Anita looked at the extended hand in front of her with confusion. His hand seemed to be reaching out as if to grab Anita.

“Why…?”

Anita thought she was pretty good at managing her expressions. Moreover, most people wouldn’t react overly sensitively to someone stumbling a bit. However, when Anita looked at Rutger’s face, it seemed urgent, like watching someone about to fall off a cliff.

Without saying anything, just alternating her gaze between his hand and face, he seemed confused and withdrew his hand, coughing awkwardly.

Their eyes met. His eyes, usually nonchalant, now seemed serious for a moment, but soon they turned into the mischievous expression he often wore just before playing a prank.

Anita squinted in discomfort. What kind of mischief was he planning this time with that expression?

“Let’s exchange our bags and outerwear. How about that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Give it to me.”

Anita clutched her bag defensively and gave him a suspicious look. It must be some childish prank.

However, Anita always ended up being fooled by Rutger. It wasn’t because she was stupid, but because Rutger was so persistent, and he never gave her any other option but to fall for his pranks.

Once again, Anita didn’t have any other choice. If she didn’t give him the bag, Rutger would probably stand in front of her like this all day.

“…Fine.”

She handed over the heavy bag with a defensive posture, glancing at him suspiciously. Probably another childish prank.

But even though Anita knew what he was up to, she always ended up falling for it. It wasn’t because she was foolish, but because Rutger was so determined, and he never gave her any other option but to fall for his pranks.

“Carrying something like this must make you look short.”

“…”

Anita didn’t react to his words and just extended her hand. However, Rutger looked puzzled when he saw her outstretched hand.

“Why?”

She pointed at the outerwear that ended up in Rutger’s hand.

“Oh, whose clothes are these? I’ll find the owner. Instead of you.”

Anita realized at that moment that when someone was too overwhelming, she couldn’t say anything.

“I’m borrowing this for a while, okay?”

Without waiting for her response, he casually put on Anita’s bag on his shoulder and said,

“Hey.”

“I was just wondering what the biology kids are studying.”

“Are you crazy?”

Finally, harsh words came out of Anita’s mouth. Rutger widened his eyes for a moment and then took a book from Anita’s bag.

“Do you study this kind of thing seriously? It’ll take at least a hundred years to read it all.”

He continued to tease. Anita’s expression momentarily turned hostile, but quickly returned to a neutral one. She didn’t want to show her anger in front of him.

Even though Anita had fallen for all sorts of pranks by Rutger for days, she still believed that he would stop if she didn’t react. If she didn’t give him any response, he would eventually quit.

“Well, see you later.”

He left Anita behind and walked away. She couldn’t chase after him. Even without the bandages, she wouldn’t be able to beat him with her speed.

Anita looked down at her now-empty arm in disbelief.

Anita was 20 minutes late for the lecture. It was already uncomfortable enough to walk with one leg, and now it took 20 minutes for a distance that usually took only 5 minutes. Who could have known?

Anita sighed and opened the door to the lecture hall. She could borrow a book from anyone.

As Anita searched for a place to sit, her gaze caught something familiar. On the table at the back of the lecture hall, there was something similar to her bag.

Why is that there?

As Anita stood there, dumbfounded, her eyes glazed over, a student in the back poked her in the arm. He didn’t sit down, but looked up at her as if to ask what she was doing.

Anita awkwardly smiled and found a seat.

The bag that had left her hand a moment ago was now sitting in front of her. Anita opened the bag with a suspicious look on her face.

What was inside was unmistakably hers.