To Be the Perfect Childhood Friend - Chapter 93

“You’re definitely drunk.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then why—”

She should firmly deny it, but her eyelids kept drooping. Despite holding the receiver to her ear, his voice seemed distant. Her strength was slipping away from her hands.

“I miss you, Rutger.”

Her blinking slowed, and her eyelids grew heavy. Despite trying to stifle her yawns with her hand, the encroaching sleepiness was overwhelming.

“Anita? What did you just—”

She could faintly hear him trying to speak through the receiver, but the sound didn’t reach her ears clearly.

“Anita Rodel.”

The receiver, which had been pressed against her ear, slipped from her grasp.

***

“What’s this? Why is it on the floor?”

As Liliana entered the villa to take a break, she noticed the fallen telephone. She tried pulling the telephone line, but it remained taut as if something heavy was attached to it.

Curious about what was happening, Liliana looked down at the table where the telephone was placed.

“Anita…?”

Anita Rodel was asleep in the corner, clutching the telephone as if it were something precious.

Liliana carefully removed the telephone from Anita’s embrace and was about to place it back on the table when the telephone suddenly crackled with static.

“Hello?”

– …….

“Hello? Is the call disconnected?”

– Liliana?

“…Who is this?”

– Is it bad memory or impaired cognition?

“Oh, it’s Rutger Baylan. That sarcastic tone is very familiar.”

– Let’s skip that. Where are you right now?

“I remember you very clearly turning down my invitation rather firmly. So what’s the reason for you being clingy now?”

Rutger was silent for a moment.

– How about this: I’ll take over your assignments for a semester. How does that sound?

“It’s quite an appealing offer, but…”

Liliana dragged her answer, glancing at Anita sleeping on the floor. It seemed that Rutger wanted to come here because of Anita.

She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away so easily.

Liliana’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“No matter how well you do the assignments, if you mess up the exams… it might be useless, don’t you think?”

– …….

“If you don’t like it, that’s fine. If you can find a place that’s 100 km away from Aberdeen without my help.”

– …So you’re in a vacation area about 100 km from Aberdeen, with the sea nearby? It’s likely in the southern region, possibly the Eugène region? And a villa owned by the Liffton family.

“You…”

– I’m hanging up.

“Wait!”

Liliana urgently grabbed the receiver with both hands.

“Hey, what’s with you? I’m not asking you to do my exams. Just the assignments…”

Click.

The call had already ended.

***

The next morning. Anita woke up looking disheveled. Her eyes blinked slowly as she looked around the unfamiliar room.

‘Where am I?’

Her groggy mind couldn’t recall what had happened the night before. After staring blankly at the strange room for a while, Anita pinched her cheek hard.

“Ouch.”

It was painful, but it worked. Her dazed mind snapped back to reality. At that moment, she remembered everything about the conversation she had with Rutger last night.

She had definitely reacted too emotionally. She should have thought it over more before speaking.

There was no way to take back what was said.

Still, she might be okay since she wouldn’t have to face him in person for a while.

Anita got out of bed and walked, somewhat unsteadily, to the terrace. The cool sea breeze chased away the last of her drowsiness.

The breakfast setting was calm compared to the somewhat noisy dinner the night before. It seemed that many of the guests invited to Liliana’s villa were having breakfast in the garden as well. A waiter brought a menu to her as she found an empty seat.