To Be the Perfect Childhood Friend - Chapter 92

“Guess that’s a relief.”

“And your hand? How’s it doing lately?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me where you are.”

His voice carried a teasing tone.

“Then don’t tell me. Your hand? It’s yours. What’s the rush?”

“Are you mad?”

“No.”

A soft laugh came through the receiver.

“Alright. Let’s not tell each other anything. How about that?”

“Sure.”

“So what exactly are you doing there?”

It seemed he decided to focus on getting other information rather than digging into Anita’s location.

“I don’t know. Just happened to be here.”

Anita reflected on the challenge of discussing conflicts with Nathan, especially given his unusual dislike for Rutger. Naturally, she couldn’t bring that up. After a brief response, she stared at the opposite wall and suddenly smiled at her own thoughts.

She wondered if there would be any topics left for conversation with Rutger if she excluded all the uncomfortable subjects.

Though they had frequently crossed paths and spent time together, they hadn’t really had deep conversations. Their hobbies, tastes, and even genders were different. Finding common ground seemed almost impossible, making meaningful conversation difficult.

This was the first time they’d ever spoken on the phone.

“That’s quite an irresponsible thing to say, you know?”

His low voice came through the receiver, sounding so vivid that Anita felt as if he were right next to her.

She had never really noticed it before, but now she realized his voice was quite pleasant. It seemed to resonate deeply, almost making her heart flutter.

“Hmm… irresponsible?”

Unable to delay her response any longer, Anita repeated the words she had just heard.

“Yeah, irresponsible.”

“That really doesn’t sound like me.”

“It seems like the you I know and the you you think you are are a little different.”

“I know myself best.”

“Maybe not.”

“If I say I’m right, then why do you keep saying otherwise?”

Anita, feeling mildly irritated by his continual nitpicking, grumbled without realizing it.

“…What?”

“…Right. I met Finian.”

Anita quickly shifted the topic when Rutger questioned her, and it seemed to be effective as he responded immediately.

“Nigel?”

“Yes.”

“……”

For some reason, there was a brief silence from him. Anita, concerned she might have made a mistake, pulled the receiver away from her ear. Just as she was about to tap the phone to see if it had been disconnected, Rutger’s voice came through.

“He’s not the type to miss a party.”

“That’s true.”

It seemed the call hadn’t been disconnected after all. Anita, who had been standing rigidly against the wall, sat down on the floor. The quiet sound of crickets from the receiver contrasted with the noisy chaos outside. Even though she had come here on her own, she found herself missing home.

“If that’s the case, you should have been the one here, not me.”

“I think you have a huge misunderstanding about me. It’s not that I particularly enjoy noisy places.”

He chuckled softly.

“Really? I thought you enjoyed being out all the time.”

“It’s not that I enjoyed it.”

“…….”

Anita bit her lip. His voice sounded tired, and she realized she might have broached an uncomfortable subject. It was clear he still had unresolved issues with his stepfather. Not wanting to pry into his personal life, Anita decided to change the topic.

“Remember that time? When you tore up my diary?”

“…That was… Yes, that did happen. A long time ago.”

His trailing off was rare and amusing. A smile crept onto Anita’s face.

“I was a bit….”

“Petty.”

“Back then….”

“Hot-tempered.”

Anita cut him off with each description.

“…Are you drunk?”

“No?”

“Seems like you are.”

“You’re really something. Pushing me around like this?”