Chapter 22: Encounter with a Mysterious Boy (Part 5)
“Can you tell me about a girl named Marion? Everything you know.”
“. . .”
Caught off guard, Chloe swallowed her breath.
Seeing Chloe like that, the boy narrowed his eyes with satisfaction.
“Heheh. Just as I thought. It was the right decision to keep an eye on you. You had a different vibe from the others, so I thought it was that. You must have been very cautious when you saw me searching for Marion, right?”
“W-Well, I. . .”
Why didn’t she come up with a lie on the spot?
No, that’s not it.
It’s not that she didn’t come up with one, but that she didn’t use it.
Being cornered by the boy, her mind couldn’t keep up. . .
(Oh no, what am I doing! I’m such an idiot! I have to come up with something to deceive him. . .!)
Desperately wandering her gaze, Chloe searched for makeshift words.
“M-Marion? I don’t. . .know that kind of girl――”
“Hahaha. It’s useless to try to deceive me. It’s already too late. Your immediate reaction gave away the truth. It was the right decision to corner you.”
“To corner me. . .Ah?!”
It was then that Chloe realized.
It seems that everything was planned from the beginning.
Right after the boy noticed that Chloe was uncomfortable with a sweet atmosphere, he instantly devised a plan.
He deliberately repeated words and actions that made her flustered, cornering her and depriving her of her ability to think.
And when she reached the point where she couldn’t come up with any more lies or evasive words, he asked about Marion’s whereabouts.
(This is unbelievable. . .!)
She fell right into the boy’s trap, just as he intended.
A boy who calmly set a trap for others.
She felt an intense anger towards both of them.
The anger that welled up from deep within her belly made her face burn.
The embarrassment she felt just moments ago disappeared somewhere in the midst of her anger.
Thanks to that, Chloe was able to glare back at the boy up close.
“Don’t give me such a scary look. Did you really think I was trying to seduce you? If that’s what you thought, your head is filled with fantasies. Oh, but don’t worry. If you had expectations, I’ll take responsibility.”
“You. . .What a terrible person you are!”
I didn’t have any expectations.
Even if she glared at him and said that, it didn’t affect the boy at all.
He still had that smile plastered on his face.
To Chloe, it gradually began to look like a devil’s smile.
“That’s mean. But for me, that might be a compliment. If a girl says ‘you’re a nice person,’ it makes me sick.”
Although his expression didn’t change, his voice became slightly lower.
(What does he mean?)
It sounded as if he hated girls in general.
“Well, my story doesn’t matter. Now, can you tell me about Marion?”
Chloe bit her lip and stared at the boy, desperately trying to come up with a plan.
(Should I insist that I don’t know?)
But he already seemed convinced.
If she were to lie, she had to choose a believable lie.
If Chloe was suspected of hiding Marion and the boy searched the bushes behind her, it would be the end.
It seemed that this boy didn’t know what Marion looked like.
Even so, if he found a girl hiding in the bushes, he would surely realize that she was Marion.
“Why are you looking for Marion? Let’s say, hypothetically, I know Marion. But why would I tell a suspicious boy like you her whereabouts?”
“I’m looking for her for a perfectly legitimate reason. By the way, it seems like you’re protecting Marion, but have you ever asked why she’s being sought after?”
Before he could start that conversation, she wanted to retort that he was the one getting in the way.
“I see. I haven’t asked. Then maybe it’s better if I don’t blabber on.”
“Feel free to do as you please.”
(He’s being so cryptic. This boy is definitely suspicious!)
She couldn’t hand Marion over to someone like him.
Chloe reaffirmed her decision.
What kind of lie could she come up with to successfully drive him away?
(Should I say Marion isn’t here? No, that won’t work. Then he’ll ask why I was so nervous. . .)
However, in the next moment, Chloe had a sudden realization.
(He’s never seen Marion. . .If that’s the case. . .)
It was a quite absurd idea.
It was nothing more than a temporary solution.
But it was worth a try.
With determination, Chloe raised her head, and the boy smiled softly, tilting his head.
“So, you’re finally willing to tell me?”
“. . .Yes. That’s right. I’ve made up my mind.”
“That’s good. Then go ahead and tell me. Where is the girl named Marion?”
Chloe put on a challenging smile and placed her hands on her hips, leaning back.
“Right here. I am Marion!”
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