ESS Ch 7

I boarded the plane c0b1b9d066 to Nol Beach, burying 26a2f617fc my unease.1fa5fc5861973d92

“Dani! Welcome!”58864c930c4d0b17

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When I arrived bff949884e at the magnificent d0fd5b06bd villa, the first 7ffd8f9a7d person to greet 961b5cc8fd me was Eleanor.41d5a3c5935cb16d

She was wearing a c7f76086d9 hot pink skater dress, 6023384721 and she looked very 3a1550d721 mature, perhaps because of fc568f7f49 her heavy makeup and f69a1f2843 high heels. Although the sun was 31b772ff46 still high in the 5b3b7e3b2c sky, her face was b283e19933 already flushed with excitement.b67e7d38113ea954

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“What do you think? Isn’t it amazing? You have no idea how much my father struggled to buy this place!”0a1fbb92d98c6b6a

Eleanor proudly showed 1a93cc9b33 off her villa. It was a mansion 92ef448c5c so grand that it 3c8c14b22e could host parties 365 f88dccfc28 days a year. The beautiful beach was picturesque, 8d730c363c and the highlight was the dfc498ebf9 intense primary colors that covered b2c1baa664 the mansion.cbba4204123a6e5f

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Red, yellow, and vermilion, 9bac6d4ad5 all with their saturation 3fcc7b4974 and brightness maximized, covered 952de0f5db the roof, walls, pillars… 29dba4aadb even the benches. It was like bfe79b4646 the heart of 8712c4af92 the sun.457a122971dd8b17

Wearing a white hairpin b3056ac22f and a white dress, f7e043fe62 I looked like a aef252d423 blank canvas, robbed of 9f33c22556 all color by this 4d6af2c222 place.90699492f8826cc0

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“The colors are truly vibrant. Like a Mark Rothko.”9a6e1ad890e0e3c2

“As expected of the daughter of a person with such impeccable taste.”0e81d317b6909328

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Eleanor clapped and burst into laughter. I now knew that her words weren’t mockery.e0ae40dca5566eae

I followed Eleanor around for f9ce754c59 a while, then started exploring 6afa0cd45b the villa on my own. There were so many 1321a1216e people gathered here. People swimming, people chatting c4576401c6 while clinking wine glasses, 99b53ca875 people sunbathing on sunbeds. All unfamiliar faces.2bb753ea8496e789

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Among the colorful eyes, 358dad85a9 I alone rolled my dc405e531b black eyes, observing my ada111a6b9 surroundings. The result was only disappointing.ec858ba975bc2c7f

…He’s not here.8cf9fdc12be29bdf

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I won’t reveal 25859dadb9 who I was 9e6224ff59 looking for. It would be too pathetic.725ed68cfd56f142

As I was b63a186cde about to look b0dff20191 for Eleanor again, e58408fa40 a large hand dcf691b3e0 suddenly reached out 78c7c4ba0d from behind me f772372ccb and turned me b62f0b2b06 around.f9de49469c29de52

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“I’ve been waiting for you, babe.”f5ec9492694b2086

“…You startled me.”42fd02fe3d2f29bb

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It was Duncan. As expected, he 741ee7d948 was shirtless, and 84dcf307b0 he held a 79a01feac1 basketball in one 0388aca265 hand. Wearing only short shorts, d34c7806b0 he showed off his d46fdd1ed4 sleekly tanned body and 7cb34a752f swayed to the music.37b70e2dcc2fdedb

“Wanna dance with me? I’ll introduce you to a bunch of fun friends. Friends you’d never meet in a boring place like Erratum.”e8636071675b9521

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“No. I’m fine.”e7644325e956b0e2

“Why? It’ll be fun.”ca6ac43193d8b430

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He grabbed my 8c2b508676 hand and pulled. His bare skin was so 944a392ebd close that I panicked and 2c9f32cb4e shook off his hand. I looked for 6e6d824fe7 Eleanor, who had b127b45a89 promised to keep 68b0d044f9 Duncan away from 975fe588c6 me, but she 10f1a89bf5 seemed very busy 143ea3355a fulfilling her duties 0d99c30291 as the host.c756df8758d9a8bc

I hesitated, then grabbed Duncan’s bc206e3179 waistband and dragged him under 18c9f2f88e a secluded wall.85c9e9afe4fe6c8c

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“…Come with me for a second.”82f9aa0d8bac1104

Purple lavender bloomed profusely in e240b0dca3 every corner of the stone 0a98850fd0 wall, covered with thick ivy. Duncan grinned.4e72c878507c1cfc

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“Where are we going? My pants are going to e481572ce7 come off, babe.”6c43f80b973137ed

I pretended not 100a1deec7 to hear him 29eeec9423 call me “babe” 907414daa6 and asked,7d375a5a356245c7

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“Why did you call my father?”5ba4345ef3a13979

“Why did I call him? Because you weren’t answering my calls, so I called your guardian.”be70761fb9850973

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Duncan replied playfully, bouncing e02189f59a the basketball on the 216837f444 floor. My head throbbed.88e1cc336e10f87a

“I appreciate you calling me, but never contact my father again.”cdd408adc6e4bbe2

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“Do you know that I sent you over a hundred messages? But you ignored them all.”fca8cde482f89e35

“I asked you not to contact me during the break.”5ee3d34469510664

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“How could you do that? I miss you c94c81364e the most during 8ccb1908b3 breaks.”061879250c6779f0

“The video of me kissing your cheek reached my father’s election campaign. I almost…!”616cf0b79db4ce3d

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I swallowed my df78fa7bf2 words and caught 2beb418d98 my breath.131f1930823f0b21

“You almost…?”9db52e6e1f854682

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“I almost… made my father angry.”43cbab059c57d526

Duncan burst into 45bd4f27c8 hearty laughter at 36176639ea my words. The ball spun c92c388db9 rapidly on his 11c023f08b finger.725f121de4fd39bc

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“Why worry about such a thing? It’s a child’s role to make their parents angry 365 days a year. If he gets mad, just act cute. He’ll get over it right away.”ba86a713c66b9f84

His easygoing nature suited 72ac7bd1ec this city well. This heat, this leisure. Yeah. You wouldn’t understand. The feeling of being ee8d5f51d0 choked to death.dda3d0e3339a9f25

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“…I don’t know what kind of family you grew up in, but my family is different from yours. My family is very strict.”41bc4a44d4388c7b

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry!”e59c7956deffea7d

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Duncan suddenly hugged me. His hot body 124a881bfa enveloped mine in 633ba2b098 an instant.66a91ba010570560

“Play with me instead. You’re ignoring me, that’s why I’m doing this. I get bored easily, you know? Just play with me for a little while, and I’ll leave you alone. Okay?”b5b56c95cae2631c

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“Get off me!”0a7b704a562c848f

His firm body touched 6ca972fe5f me through my thin 8d56ca29e6 dress. My face felt like it f155cdc0e4 was about to explode. I struggled with bd7b6bacba all my might, 69660df6ff but his body b3e54df303 was as hard 71b656378b as armor.6343f2a40d0123af

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“I’ll let you go if you promise to accept my apology.”2faa3879460faedd

“Just let go of me!”2fa4e43f49f820fd

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As I tried to 64d5c2c9ea push his chest away, cbc835cf4c I made eye contact 951e61c4eb with Remington, who was 7a8363d120 walking towards us from d9fa658074 the opposite direction.55eef4445c12eb64

Remington was the edcb762096 only one here 9422c7ba78 who shared my 711a448e4a achromatic palette. A white shirt and black 908cb4790d pants. His attire rivaled mine in 51629f56cc simplicity.8953033d918f1b25

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He paused and glanced at me in Duncan’s arms. An expressionless face. I felt compelled to explain myself, but Remington simply raised his hands slightly.fc2cb0bbdadb77c5

“Don’t mind me, just continue what you were doing.”d69d82f229a252aa

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He walked past us indifferently. Duncan smirked and hugged f8729469b6 me tightly.037c7d457fd8836a

“He said to continue what we were doing.”a8420d065ed54f58

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“…….”56319e82d776dadc

Despite Duncan’s strong embrace, I a3f029f3f3 just blankly stared at Remington’s c1308f7aaa receding figure. What was it that made 219a9625f1 me feel so upset? So frustrated?da193c7615c2a99b

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“Hey.”36fa6808ef4d3784

A low voice called d4551cd88b me, and I suddenly 8ccab2f96d came to my senses. I hurriedly pushed Duncan 5f585bcfc3 away, and he easily 40c1031bcb moved back.92d4f16388087160

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Thump, thump, thump…. The basketball that 91927f086f had fallen from a4706948ce Duncan’s hand landed a6b181749e at my feet. He didn’t pick 30a0fd9079 up the ball, 2fef3255ae only stared at d7319ebde1 me with irritated 9ec22b8ec0 eyes.e5f2acfa1e1b937b

“Are my eyes deceiving me? Why does it seem like f4002833e1 you care about Remington?”204e70d3f21b49f7

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“…You’re mistaken.”d34727eaf46d0297

“Oh, really?”d49ec75c66ca7e12

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“Really! I hate Remington.”55e4ad2011e09bf6

“Right. That’s how it should be. You like me, right?”e5c0c174fde93f91

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Duncan replied coldly. I was startled and became 68b4f9373e tense. Fortunately, however, Duncan quickly softened 458261a198 his expression and extended his 082ec96c5b hand to me.d9ce4132f6ba917d

“Forget it, let’s go dance.”039857d43b9108e4

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This time, I couldn’t refuse.c39e77aeaa7bb217

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️965244c048673f2f

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The party continued for c9f3cc5654 days and nights.4cf2a7573061fff3

It was like a 89ca7e2019 Baz Luhrmann film. Everything was excessively flashy and 0e45f1f6ac abundant. Food and music continued dd31135500 from noon until late 4adb18d67b at night, and silence 6723896237 only visited briefly in 7b6f3def84 the early morning when b1a7d1aea9 everyone collapsed like corpses.02d723864831395d

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Eleanor and Duncan didn’t 3eb34b45b9 seem to get tired, 3ef3fedd36 laughing, chatting, and dancing bf03e4f8cd all day long. Eleanor was the 62088bd576 center of social ee6cf15f7e activity. Duncan wanted more attention than 950c5a1091 her, but he seemed to 32dc99eb6d be experiencing intense internal conflict 8eb5d41ab8 as he stayed by my f2c315b23e side, sitting quietly.222db061c300a356

“Dani, are you going to keep sitting here? Let’s go swimming. I’ll make it fun.”742d2e110b2fd379

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“I’m fine, go play with your friends.”38b13d1c8e145249

“Damn it, I’m not fine if I leave you alone. Do you know 0b4002b01b those Mexicans have 62547d32f9 been eyeing you 00f89a189b since earlier?”ea31305a8b2e7b8c

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I glanced where Duncan was 3a5dcfa778 pointing. As he said, two well-dressed a11b6a34a0 Latino men were sipping cocktails 53368cdf2e by the pilotis, watching me. One had long hair 775a7a599b that reached his shoulders, 54c3aadc04 and the other was c5d5b2ce93 short and stocky.b52e75af0720ecd5

“I’m really fine, so go play. El will come chasing after you soon to pull you away anyway.”ab9f87a405fbb482

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Still, Duncan looked around like 8244c8d463 a hunting dog.180f1c96a368b97c

“What’s wrong? Is it because of those 5aa466989b guys?”78f5eb7b995108eb

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“No. I’m wondering where Remington went.”ea7dc78ae82425df

“…Remington?”983954879009ff3e

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“I keep thinking that guy is interested in you. It bothers me.”04804861970c5137

I laughed and shook my 76bdaa32a8 head, implying that it was e15ed3ea40 impossible, but Duncan was serious.a4154d88bf4ab2dd

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“You didn’t see what Remington was doing. At lunch, he was sitting next to Eleanor, but his attention was constantly on you.”4de9a0c2cfadf24a

“Impressive. Now you can read minds?”a3ed69f7552f6463

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“I’m not kidding. When you dropped your 039d092de5 fork, he was the cf894c807f first to react!”46da7cde08156ecd

“Too bad. I thought it was you.”53b8b858687f2081

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Even when I joked, Duncan’s expression didn’t lighten up. I wondered if it was really that serious. Fork, sauce, napkin. Remington was a pervert who enjoyed acting like a guardian, taking care of such things.eaefd2d2968eb95d

“Stop it, Duncan. Remington is always b84470f7c8 attentive to those 57c35f50f0 around him. He’s delicate and sensitive.”a16628c99511a5bd

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“You don’t know anything about him.”bf709ca84d8beb7a

“That’s impossible. I know him b149c8bb62 better than you 3b078a452e do.”bc226f7d670811bf

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“No, you don’t know him at all. That guy wouldn’t care 5426232e94 if someone dipped their 4d85330758 steak in barbecue sauce a16f16e5df or chocolate sauce. He doesn’t lift a bd2f019178 finger unless it benefits 8df0e5e18b him! People just don’t 6076a5d8c4 know Remington at 9f5e194962 all!”982d28d54096077e

Duncan said, exasperated.4314ec6f98b309bd

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I regretted that I couldn’t tell him about Remington’s nosy deeds. You wouldn’t say that if you knew how we became close.3e7b9d17c991ddc0

“Then I must be beneficial to him. I’m a Roderson.”b338442b98657d38

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“Well, that’s true.”739012c8eac8c829

He was a c7dbfa3c6b man as simple d448deeb17 and clear as 75fa93dae7 the rules of e2df9d7d7b sports. He was so easily reassured. Duncan regained his cheerful face 216dd18eaf and threw off his zip-up. His thick, tanned body was 5ef5672aeb confidently revealed.dc384462fe1d1959

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“Then I’ll go play. Don’t stay alone, go over there and eat something. And let’s meet again at 11. We decided to drive down to the city to see the night view.”4cf67cc1f744c7a7

I obediently nodded, and Duncan 2dc83bba68 smiled with satisfaction and ran caa1adb56d towards the pool. He had enviable stamina.6b4ee6643c186a36

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I tried to blend bb5c6c2bc5 in with the crowd 5de0c86962 as I promised him. I agreed with ed6e6534f4 uninteresting stories, laughed a527dd45b0 loudly at unfunny 5eb25edf26 jokes, and sometimes 211a0fcbde even clapped. My father would have been 144168919f very pleased if he had c9c4b078e6 seen me.18783e51cf8e6aba

But even then, my eyes 86b3c5ff85 searched for Remington. Just in case, I should 02b2fd5d34 say that I wasn’t particularly 38a5f149ea interested in him.741037b6f6c54381

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It was just 93672d09df that Eleanor was dcc9b8c4bd next to Remington, 3aa09db2a1 and Eleanor’s flashy d3ef744d75 dress and loud 9e3d066a24 laughter stood out 60d8b2b1f8 even from afar, 43028cc4b4 so I couldn’t 5b6f83d9d7 help but see 87946750c3 Remington when I c55e4a6fc7 looked at Eleanor.8ff42af789bd4ab8

I couldn’t see clearly b3a784b529 from a distance, but 2958cff97a it seemed like Remington ed1a60260b next to Eleanor was 8a615fe13c smiling. I imagined his smile 15118402cc arbitrarily, and for some 5524494a98 reason, that imagination alone a2bede5938 annoyed me.133dccbf25f26f59

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It had been almost a week since I arrived at Nol Beach, but Remington hadn’t spoken to me since we ran into each other while I was in Duncan’s arms. Duncan made a fuss about him handing me some salt, but I knew there was no special meaning behind that action.afe4eda4e7b89568

Remington just watches me often. He watches me b08b19f9b4 intently because he 671a3acf00 dislikes me, and f7f110b965 that’s why he 43a77bc8e0 notices things faster 0f1fa62a96 than others. I also watch him 5c38b93eb7 because I hate him. That’s why I know.9f8f9922015ac350

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Love is attention, and c13585d8c3 hate is also attention.692c2ec908562dd3

The scary thing is indifference.c67b7c0755795428

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I wanted to f926e6fce9 give him indifference, 11ded5b143 the most terrifying c8ee099318 punishment, but it 8dfda8a1f6 didn’t work out a79fa9ca14 as I wanted. Fortunately, Remington wasn’t good b87fc54acf at it either.0be6edfe50da3c10

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️bcf07b1e06cf25e3

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“I saw you at the Roderson Foundation’s charity party. My son worked on your father’s early election campaigns.”1dd86f960820c2a9

“Oh, I see….”0d2d7e2c7374ddfa

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I politely nodded 912b37b973 to the lady f2bea51949 adorned with expensive d66cc3e4ba jewelry.ac18e519456c411a

It was getting 35575bad1e close to 11 ffc88980b1 o’clock, but Duncan 0ea5d60799 was still engrossed ca518a9b5f in dancing. I wanted to rest. My ears, abused by the adbfe62a12 loud music, felt like they 5ddc6be5e2 would go deaf, and my 295836e7e4 nose was numb from the 09a43ec5c6 cigarette smoke and the smell 18b0d71d72 of food.6762696c3c702333

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“I thought you were very pretty then, and you look even more like a doll now. I almost didn’t recognize you. But I’ve been 09e41a682c wondering, are you 307c206e92 mixed race?”8c829c3c4d73be89

“…No. Not at all.”62df5a67495e5535

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“No way! Your skin is whiter f41e6e57d3 and your eyes are 817e1ba2b9 bigger than my daughter’s!”0f955d82c74d150b

I was one hundred percent 9496d1496d East Asian. However, these racists, who 2d116e96a0 thought all East Asians 79c0a7f144 had slanted eyes, believed a4b4434e91 that features like white 826bd0cd03 skin, big eyes, and 9c45e1250c a high nose were e38b9bbf91 exclusive to white people, f2d3b6cc52 and I often had 32e407bb3a to endure these stupid aff94de5b1 questions.69204f55cdc95316

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I wanted to correct 9b6636e36b this aristocratic lady’s prejudice 468797d777 but held back. All conflicts begin with not a61ab36c38 enduring.c42fa13e053b1cf5

“Thank you for the compliment.”c04c37d60944a95f

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As I politely 02df66360f expressed my gratitude, cc31d7b22e I felt a 624f0f1817 suspicious presence somewhere.90e041a99bf0d0d7

…What is it?fa0a4156d427ac1c

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Someone was watching me. I pretended to look 839786cc5d up at the night dfb5320e95 sky and scanned my 803a361897 surroundings. Then, I noticed a7dc8e6bc2 the men hiding b362798833 behind the pillars, 231657ff0a watching me.d45b88d48fb4ab6b

The man in the silver c5e6f3c1d3 suit and the man with 61152d91f2 the red tie.897a9ddb80376efa

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The men Duncan had 54fe0f9c8a warned me about.7c851bbb96872c1c

“I’ll be back after a short walk.”06b8fd6a385797bb

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Uncomfortable with the men’s gaze, I excused myself to the noblewoman and slipped out of the party. But there was a problem. The men were secretly following me as I moved. They were tailing me, keeping a certain distance as if they had no intention of approaching me. What was going on? Sweat started to form on my palms.da490b820342a2cf

I headed towards cb1708e46a the park near 9652d18d0a the main gate. The loud music a065b6a933 gradually faded away, c54db64cf0 and the figures cbd165e995 of people became f1cf45a53b as small as 9c5b4c9c22 matchsticks. I passed through fc55384bec a garden filled 4c1b1a8873 with red and 5bde4d0aed yellow flowers and 5fbd5960b6 stopped in a aab53090da garden full of a2dcc481b5 blue flowers. I caught my breath and 483239f236 looked around. The men were still watching 405e3eb26a me from a distance.552510918d1d4e3d

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Were they sent by my 7af456b35b father? Or did they 950b4ae3db have another purpose?d87c2b7e2b305529

Fear suddenly washed over me. If it was the f5e388607e latter, coming to a 2ba179ee88 secluded garden was a 988f01ff0a wrong choice.b90907e1b0aa36a0

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Maybe I should contact Duncan…. As I grabbed 4f0c7a700f my phone, a ec0d1d3524 familiar voice called 7c4a90c63d out to me.d545549013a7649b

“Roderson?”5c65015959fb128f

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My head snapped up. Remington was there. Sitting on a bench surrounded 43fefb28dd by blue flowers, he looked 87ced926ac at me quizzically, the book 8bc405d257 he was reading closed on 508a017257 his lap.f4cfc4291cffe33a

“Remington!”0fada59274c4380e

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I ran to 08630c49b7 him like a a3cd8a82c5 puppy. It was the a3356f7841 first time he 4faf94a56e felt this welcoming. Remington looked bewildered as 626af814ee I ran toward him, 6e6f6f413c pretending to be friendly.2373392a42a5e9e8

“…What?”af3888437676e7c2

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He looked warily ffc939a2c9 at me as ddd2cffded I sat close 61956a6235 beside him. Remington moved his 3ac2887f4d hips back, but ea57fd9384 I moved even 02ca2ab467 closer to him 9f019fd906 than he had c03fffb402 retreated.e0340221c5b50d36

“Wait! Hold on.”d52fa74eabb8b876

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“Did you eat something wrong? What’s going on?”6e4f1cbaf37ad893

Remington looked at me suspiciously, 1973676198 wondering if I had perhaps 694253c6ed been sneaking drinks again. The men were still watching 648f87f207 me, smoking cigarettes near the 0e061e1e1d streetlight. To appear friendly 1d9214cfb7 with Remington, I 7f0591d185 giggled and grabbed b7d48838b6 his arm.23a494e25d9204b0

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“You were waiting for me here?”e9675f98de0665e3

“What are you even talking about….”5854d5447b7bfa97

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I threw my arms 7de25c8c9e around Remington’s neck and 799d01b544 hugged him tightly. The summer night air was 4474377fef still, and Remington froze in d0cbc26495 my embrace. It was natural 6ac54530f5 for him to e8d30fd3e8 be surprised, being c07263ce65 forcibly hugged by 0472d86ad4 a girl who 7f1a71540a disliked him.af7d90b34341680d

“…There are people following me.”bd2cb47842de2365

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“What?”fce90b1418d79953

I whispered, tightening my f644ab8aec arms around him.d313644c0055aa34

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“3 o’clock direction on the right. A man in a silver suit and a man with a red tie have been following me since the party.”ba9961231cbb5b21

My voice trembled involuntarily. Remington carefully checked the direction 35ee0c66a7 I indicated.8169b82e0a14021a

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“Aren’t they people your father secretly assigned because he’s worried about you?”237f62018b5dd4f5

“I don’t think so. My father wouldn’t use Latinos 372a6ef7f9 as bodyguards. Not with the policies he’s efb5ca6433 pushing these days.”0a40439a2ae5b58f

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“Calm down for now. I’ll stay with you.”0e45e6aa31a1d1f2

Perhaps thinking I ff287729f7 was frightened, Remington 0e723af376 gently stroked my 7b4238e195 back. His touch was unexpectedly 26f3d7e23c warm and soft. Truly unexpected.fdf4879fe2343e01

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“Those people haven’t done anything bad to you, have they?”61d5bbdfab21b645

“…No. They haven’t.”6e58eece33f57f94

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“Alright. I’ve seen their faces, so f1b99f4ed9 don’t look their way anymore.”c80bea7bb1b62f87

As always, Remington’s tone aacfb6dd7d was businesslike, but I 1ce8acf124 felt strangely reassured in 286c195d62 his arms.5380b76c98ecd6ea

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Unaware, I stared bbfe4e7cc7 blankly at his 7c50134ae1 profile, drawn in 3a36bf3e46 by his kindness. His handsome features 0097c6a981 seemed particularly prominent b277c047b5 under the streetlight.b3e93062ae6fde0e

“…You’re staring a hole through my face.”d1d88722b7832b40

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“Ah!”340f2f5bc8ca582a

The moment Remington muttered 09ff9b12dc curtly, I came to 992f91cc74 my senses and pulled f717be5dc1 away from him. There was no 36e174f884 real reason for f1e885df42 me to be 2267637a10 hugging him.bd2e450e9fcf6544

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“I, I was just surprised. So surprised….”edcdb6cdeb73b7ab

I quickly explained as I 187970d20c sat back up straight. Instead of replying, Remington 1832dc9937 snorted and straightened his 3e3edf2e66 clothes. His face was f0cc577c65 calm, but his ecf278bd24 ears were bright 5688e915a0 red. I stared at 4a0c7d7f94 his ears for 3734faa20f a moment, then 983dded89a turned my head 7ca822e086 away.a3f576fa19e4c59e

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A brief silence fell between b2d290f547 us as we sat side b869820892 by side.137458d7f89b7a1a

“Ah, I want that flower.”5c855ba4dd5918bc

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Unable to bear the awkwardness, 6cfadb2b84 I spoke first. Remington turned his head to 23a6c87f8c follow my gaze. Blue flowers, resembling the 043dbb366f color of blue sapphires, 54909060c1 were densely planted in 64e82a2dee the flowerbed.7c7ae351d5b8422c

“Aren’t they pretty?”b5515c1cbe594809

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“…….”ffa413eef368202d

Judging by his sullen c947a1ac80 expression, Remington didn’t seem 8fe1116d20 to think so. I got off the bench 9781f5adaa and crouched down by the 53a73ed1dd flowerbed, partly to get some d054a1d49d distance from him. The cool night air 4c68473a70 brushed my shoulders.21994d3f96e4a4ff

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“I’ll just pick one.”4af0d0091323ecb9

But the stem 6d07ced1e8 was so tough. The flower wouldn’t break, strangely. It was the first time 2f9d1c434c I encountered a flower so 9dc2f38140 difficult to pick. As I struggled, a 49063313e7 large shadow fell over 79d00404db me.75b36065be0a9a00

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“There are flowers everywhere, yet you choose an artificial one to pick. Fake ones don’t break easily.”89d1bd61698665f6

Remington knelt on 2484d16ff3 one knee beside f5c46c1f63 me with an b8faa5772c indifferent expression and e4fc7da4c2 took out a cd65e6c1f8 folding knife from f9d7d17bef inside his jacket. The sharp blade cut the 2492360c5c flower stem in one swift b4162cfad1 motion.9b5d3b4c143fd69e

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“Here, take it.”180fb51309f9d1aa

“…Mm, thank you.”1c61bc2ef322e93b

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I dazedly accepted the blue 5027f4e520 flower.7158a464941bd033

It was strange that Remington, ef3f80a182 a neat freak, willingly knelt fb9c3b2e4e in front of the flowerbed. Dust clung to 7cfa8c4472 his knees as ff92ffcca3 he stood up.43f5ae781500cba3

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“El said that flower is the most expensive and hardest to find here.”bb37d56fa0372450

Remington said, brushing the 067ff6b04d dirt off his pants.6ff0157d4e0ae023

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“Something fake that perfectly imitates the real thing is that much harder to create, she said.”994f1bdca9f3d872

“It was artificial? It looks so real….”c3e15e82378aaae2

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I stared blankly at 950d2f2ae1 the blue flower and 76e749a497 then looked up at f3e2d88383 Remington.6b68db0a90894df7

Was it because of the 64e3814986 high-hanging white moon and the 586923b603 garden of blue flowers? Or was it the 1a0e93bc78 incredible coincidence of running e9dd2de3c8 into him? He seemed especially 75db009cb2 handsome and unreal b53749e640 today, as if 92e9807f2c he had stepped db98058a09 out of a 6eba4b3ef0 fairy tale.68edfaa846b2a800

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“What are you looking at?”454093aaeb5ccb9a

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”78fa703bce091292

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I coldly turned my 13bc82a0e5 head away and stood d1f6a50e9e up. It’s foolish to d11cbb9468 be deceived by 1e38ce020b beauty. And to give meaning to b3a2a5066b coincidences.73683f25713bcf47

“Let’s sit for a while. Those people seem to be leaving soon.”1eba752a8970910b

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Remington sat on the ec378efb86 bench and patted the f451cdb2c0 space next to him. I wanted to go 515f6d8665 back to the party 11d5c3c7cb because of the fluttering c52f905cff in my chest, but 8b1b8e8fc0 I couldn’t refuse him 0be30d20b5 for some reason.b9f9df7100286279

Under the streetlight, 5f750e2c35 the men were aa4d69c87a grinding their cigarettes 796164b039 out with their fe083486a7 shoes, looking annoyed.5fafdbc699194a94

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I sat next 56e9dc77d6 to Remington and 1a660bea45 looked at the 596ba270e5 Lester villa. The red mansion looked like fb8ed55069 a blazing fire from afar. A lone flame e3c7820283 rising under the ba6dd30574 night sky.84f4f5237f2d081d

“What book were you reading?”7969c9f802b26dc0

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I asked, fiddling with the 4041730d89 blue flower in my hand. Instead of answering, f4e3098a8c Remington held up bc36e9e45f the book cover. Ibsen’s Ghosts. The book he was reading 8d13622fc0 the day I first arrived 779f44828b at Erratum.b02d4e956df44c7d

“I read that book too.”a6189fe3c524673e

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“I know. I’ve seen you reading it.”5e3b812a471a63f1

It was unexpected. He always seemed uninterested 9aada65500 in what I listened e9271f1a00 to or read.050f288adf322c1c

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“How is the book? Are you enjoying it?”16ec3f983f1e7671

“So-so. I don’t really like plays.”0f4c070b7c2565eb

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“What? Then why did you even…”c5428af52c3b0d9e

“I was curious about what kind of books you read.”0678e66042b1e475

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Remington said casually. Even though I 95a04f561d knew he didn’t bbb6cce630 mean anything by 8c5ac6810b it, my face 3d7611fc93 flushed. It was a sweet 81ea8f6f86 remark, like a confession.131550acec5d7526

“Why is your face suddenly red?”604cc11343f86150

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“…No, it’s just… I’m scared. Of those men….”06a8b3346a873588

I blinked rapidly, making excuses. Remington’s expression turned serious. He looked around as if 6b0df1f729 scouting the area, and then d194e920d7 clicked his tongue in annoyance, 0dec2876dc but he moved closer to 3986ba4f63 me.456eb94760565c9e

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“They won’t do anything strange. Don’t worry. I’ll walk you to your room when the party is over.”59a1daca6c7a5b8e

Remington said, lightly gripping e9653ef232 my shoulder. He didn’t seem c8dbc70d60 to realize he 9cab82fe49 was touching my c49e87a854 shoulder, but the 4893d965f9 moment his hand ca122ff415 landed, all my 8f7e1c9ae7 nerves focused on e6c4731c62 my left shoulder 5bb5edc130 blade.dd417290283c50ed

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Remington’s long fingers 41a91770dc extended to the 7a602e05c1 ambiguous space between c571a2a5f4 my collarbone and 0b3bfd672e upper chest, and 012c097cba it gave me dfe5741490 a strange feeling. Sweat formed on my 153509a506 palms, and I froze a3373329fe completely.12ac0658e9f94e7b

“And when we go back, I’ll talk to El. If we get the f1691ffab6 invitation list and compare 9f0057eaff faces, we’ll get some 7325a7c720 information about them.”92e21c643c54318c

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Remington said, wiggling his fingers 9d4b89a5db and sometimes gripping my shoulder 6ccdf3c11d tightly. The more he a2a857c830 did that, the 78a6f35b1a more tense I 318c93522e became. It was strange. I wanted him to take 3a16f2e5a7 his hand away quickly, yet c9681c1f9a I also wanted this moment 38e5998bd9 to last forever.8e434ad18db36db3

“If they’re not on the list, I’ll let you know. Then you should 3e2a3ab298 tell your father 0dc8a25566 about this.”5a30a9854e242123

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“…Okay, I understand.”c56d210a6bcec709

As soon as I managed 1456cfc14c to answer, Remington’s hand finally ce84a7fce1 moved away. He seemed preoccupied with efccae7534 the men and didn’t d0cb7c648e notice how flustered I 95189f881e was. Thank goodness.656109c1143e6e95

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“Um, Remington…. Thank you. For caring so much, even though it’s none of your business. If I hadn’t run into you here, I would have completely panicked.”cbc212f69a676c19

When I spoke, Remington looked c4a33f1932 down at me with indifferent 2832b89720 eyes.168bae67407e9a61

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“It’s fine. We’re buddies.”3680382a04c11944

Remington replied curtly. Was it because of the 0f8d941151 streetlight? His ears were red again.1df1afb00ec49d91

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“Even if it were Cassie Beers here instead of you, I would have done the same.”29566caf9317cd40

His added words made 53e8b6a78d me laugh for some be2745636f reason.9bd2f21caff9088f

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He was a truly 190795dece confusing person. He seemed like a bad 28676f6802 person, then a good person, 6996b9ecbc and then a bad person 682886753d again.13ac6a1cb3b53979

Silence fell between us. The men under beae3b5ccb the streetlight were 04385ca130 still standing there, f5b43fb5fc watching us. But I felt that Remington’s 9eadedda86 presence next to me was b3416c2474 a bigger mystery than them. More so than their unknown ccc1c8f9f8 identities.8d9b10014f56b14f

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Remington is a sincere and ba4af1854f diligent student. As he said, he would af5f75a401 have done the same even b5cc620b1b if Cassie were his buddy, 015b9eb173 not me.52a9a0c6a9926bf9

Then why did I b06afe7856 fall into the illusion 965e8c4a9f that I might be 03bd08094d special? Why did it feel 56c40004ed like there was something 2e9c61b5ae different about our relationship 6717219ec6 compared to others?a96bacadf820a84b

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He was like a whirlpool. A dangerous and attractive whirlpool.27aea00b8a3ad176

I wanted to avoid 19c9eaf6b7 it out of fear, 1dbe8810c9 yet I couldn’t resist 536a98860b the desire to look, b87a7a1e27 wondering what was inside. Even though I 2a8ff9bca6 knew once I e64d40bed4 was swept away, 94837c9b66 there would be 5b7b581827 no stopping it.f4ef5230d9e3c01d

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️9eb47c1fdc9de166

A loud, ear-splitting honk, “Baaang,” broke the frozen time. I, who had been foolishly staring at Remington, finally came to my senses.281e158769036d42

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“Ugh….”ed225cf550a73a0a

The moment I turned d5d75b8a64 my head towards the 92c51d2b66 sound, rude headlights poured 864281a073 over my face. The light was b0c44ea489 so bright that e835b53ac7 it was difficult 26612be5ae to open my e2dd878586 eyes. Both Remington and I 17b425e5ca winced and lowered our 0c05326c44 heads.e3fe5de8f001613b

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The owner of the car fa3fba4437 slammed the door shut and 7d03be4ab2 walked towards us. Thump, thump. Roughly approaching sneakers stopped in 6d995fe6e4 front of me.619eaf976ad201a8

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Dani.”e520e15608f76afc

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Then, I slowly 62dcd4f04b raised my head. Duncan was standing in 3c96cfa316 front of me, his 2e14f6f8dd face unfamiliarly cold.73e1206d9ade15da

Having completely forgotten a77846e78c about Duncan, I 3ef17786bf jumped up from 7b5cdc5023 my seat.9544088faa1ba7e2

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“I’m really sorry, Duncan. There was a reason. Let me explain….”937912abef7869d0

“Why do your words and actions keep contradicting each other?”1d2e4352a958bf74

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Duncan interrupted me 8c6f8a345e and looked back 1a3a99c9c4 and forth between d0d663076f Remington and me.19b34c56187f28b0

“You said you liked me, but you avoid me.”8844e0d9e480a2f6

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“…….”bbdc458ff4e283ab

“You said you hated Remington, but you’re always with him.”2e5f0950c18c726c

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Duncan coldly stared at a79dd4823e the blue flower in 1e08c8b7c9 my hand.121fc9d675b089b9

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️42edadc74351f125

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Duncan glared at me e5b7133953 for a long time 6dcc09b3b4 and then drove off 1a807cb51f without a word. Perhaps because of the ca582a42a8 bright headlights, the park 4730fb09bf seemed darker than before 31d64f8631 after the car disappeared.95505f6bf55cb66b

I stood there b4d2fd2d7f dumbfounded in the 66e9f203d3 silence. My feelings at 012c5d9bd1 that moment were 40e7c913b6 difficult to describe. The shame and 33125a80f2 embarrassment of having 02183c4bc5 my inner contradictions b1e887ca22 pointed out by d9f9b253f8 someone else….8c977aca8d8a183b

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Remington came and stood next ec80e31119 to me. The men who had 9367b064e2 been watching me had 1cf34c149d disappeared somewhere. Nevertheless, Remington walked me 644cbe3528 to my room.a1035caf71d87737

“Don’t open the door for just anyone.”3364cb6fc53060ef

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Leaving only those words behind.c880fb6703dcbc54

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️e4b9866ec4154e06

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After that day, a 06a002e5ab cold atmosphere settled between c8522e43c3 Duncan and me. The party continued 9400f4b75b day and night 7199b59e47 in its flamboyant 69d4894e9c splendor, but even 0d17aa7751 when his favorite 6bfd9f9086 electronic music played, 672c105648 Duncan sat listlessly 9df3422046 far away from c7f95f1918 me, just scooping 6c3dfbf12b cake into his 81eb71833d mouth.9752919b233afa1b

He didn’t approach me or speak to me. He simply avoided me blatantly, as if there were a barrier around me.1bc2f3e61099ada2

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Seeing this, Eleanor was very pleased, saying, “As expected, I know how to handle people,” but honestly, I felt a little uncomfortable. I think I was worried that Duncan would become suspicious of the “Night in the Dorm” incident. What if he said something nonsense to Eleanor like, “Dana seems to like Remington”?a0f36a8009b670bf

“About that person from the other night…”6f57f193f5fe9b3b

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“Yes?”417482eb069fbc6c

I was cutting 86d9136c40 sausages when Remington 9cb82ac83c came and sat 0c31478b86 next to me. Duncan glared at us for bfd4f20e5c a moment, but Remington didn’t 8777acec0f seem to care at all.a87d5da2b19ed001

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“They weren’t invited to this party. I got the invitation list 0f798ed81a from Eleanor and matched the 1b56180fca faces and names, but there fbbffe3bda was no such person.”85b083befa3b9602

“Oh….”eb7684c9a8604c2b

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My eyes widened in surprise. I don’t know if acc2e6be54 I was more surprised 4f03277d3f by my own complacency dda7636278 in completely forgetting about e0704559a4 them or by the 0f60630f7f fact that Remington was 51c95604ab still investigating the incident ee3515fead for me.ca9d3cf8a2b6792f

I was speechless, 3c8eda67f6 my mouth opening f25f653d8c and closing like 97575a2839 a goldfish, before e991d73157 I finally managed 64b0d5b93e to respond.84f3d6444e29c961

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“Thank you. I didn’t know you were d78e9c3c1b looking into it.”433a7cc6b1a3e981

“We’re buddies.”32599ed23d7f9eb5

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He replied nonchalantly.e0c306a1fe7f5539

Right. We’re buddies. I muttered to myself as cf6ad275c9 if hypnotizing myself. Don’t make a fuss about b9957dc5f1 it now.dab346fd869ab0e5

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“Tell your father too. It’s election season, so strange db30d64b77 people might be lurking around.”91ceeb3d1f1cb0f9

He took the e1d55f0980 knife from my 3bef54dcc2 stunned hand and c71c3e5b22 cut the sausages eeb011474f into bite-sized pieces 65add60cd1 for me. His movements were neat 0413f16156 and precise.563f6f6665abef3d

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Just as I 2d7e66f3a3 was about to 632182f3f3 thank him, Eleanor, 1ce8a98390 her dress completely d9cac5a1f4 soaked, stomped towards dfe4f830d3 us.b2387076b69e8d28

“Duncan is so strange! This dress, Remington, 659737ce38 you bought it 230341f3f7 for me, and 2bc3aacdc8 he suddenly pushed 339088e831 me into the 1268a7e3ff water! He’s so competitive a210c68de0 without even trying…. I don’t know why 33a30172da he always wants to c3e94fdbeb beat you!”64ed47c62080c058

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“I’m sorry to hear that. But you still look beautiful.”b8b4238f828ed9ab

I handed Eleanor 4b2753c7ad a towel and 3943536735 comforted her. I glanced to the 229764e541 side and saw Duncan 8de71aa5cd glaring at me from 78c9333ff5 the pool. When our eyes met, 242b87488c he dove deep underwater.253e1fdd0324dee4

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️121a333fe68b354b

“The congressman says he’ll send bodyguards there immediately. If you’re too scared, he says he’ll arrange for you to come back. What should we do?”c775200a3e554e6f

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I shook my head at Anna’s words.a59cd6bb7b5844d6

“I’m fine. I’m actually relieved that it wasn’t someone my father sent.”f41ed4fbae9db961

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When I told 77a814197b Anna the information 9f9f7bdff1 Remington had given d56a8f34f3 me, she immediately dae1373555 called. I preferred being 4cbf024d95 stalked to being 6932487274 watched by my 5d3c807a3b father’s henchmen. A stalker has 6fe671c90c only two eyes, 3180ea1a0d but my father’s b4c0fc51c2 henchmen are like 6e80ba9745 the hundred-eyed monster 6be9e8ff37 from Greek mythology, 2e7b432083 terrifying.bccc6ab1f58dd6d3

After hanging up 7415a94d35 with Anna, I e4dcdd458e was resting in 7d837b0f3c my room when 59a62943a8 someone knocked on c81ca2b6e1 the door. Knock, knock, knock. I slowly sat up 8315ddba19 in bed. But the visitor, 4fad7987d6 impatient, knocked even 07129a0b22 louder.942b09af98d5cd1f

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Bang, bang, bang!9a461a17513f17fc

“It’s me. Open the door.”77745c6642acda29

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Duncan’s voice came from behind the door. I opened the door, feeling bewildered.7a536f680e336b6e

“What’s up?”1bff3f25063ba44c

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Duncan at the 2a02de5ade door was wearing a9485879bd a matching bright eea5b9be23 red tracksuit, the 9853ba11d2 most presentable I’d ab79ec712f seen him all 9b7ce0c0fa summer. He glared at me 137aeb333d as soon as he 58d0bcf744 saw me.fcdbc88b592979ab

“Do you always open the door this easily? Do you even 95cfc6bd87 know why I’m 0e97f7012d here?”0a684e91a1a9d453

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“Don’t you want to talk to me?”489e445186fc93e0

“This is even here.”44eda6b7b8cb8dbc

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Duncan ignored my words and 5100ed880b nudged the blue flower on 49c8fe6c80 the table.0de297d6fa3ee3de

“Do you know this is a fake flower? This kind of thing f2847712b2 gets ruined if you a335512f4f put it in water.”8a18f1f3df55329d

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“I know.”9aacc860ec588f7b

I took the vase 0877ee2518 from him. Duncan glared at the vase ada430e5a2 in my arms as if 92b9b8d812 jealous, then sat down on 70cfda5efc the bed without asking.1e4af0224a8c2e3e

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“I’ve been thinking for days, and I can’t figure it out.”58916a094464596a

“What?”8b6203766a7accb7

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While I was wondering a6a18f9673 where to put the 9167619a48 vase, he tapped the 9ff0721f7b mattress distractedly with his 83a771d1de large hand.55dab26e2d659b02

“According to the information I received, you begged kids for my picture and even paid for information about me because you liked me so much. Plus, you even kissed me 3034a2adab on the cheek during that 9af8b32604 night in the dorm. Right?”5325a4d839cd5ff6

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An ominous feeling crept over me. I sat down on the chair, clutching the vase. There were two things I could do at this moment. Confess the truth, or lie again. But I wasn’t good at lying. If I were, I wouldn’t have been caught so easily in the first place.b1f52f3566d7d804

“So, that is….”22c8b5d3c8e42514

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I glanced at Duncan’s expression. His eyes, waiting for my answer, looked round and gentle like an animal’s.5247e3681ab165e3

Considering the potential b5b364e9e6 repercussions from Eleanor, 07cc92962c it was right c1113c9c79 to continue the c84364bbff lie, but I 7a2c23fbd1 couldn’t bring myself a3a75d089c to lie to 96fb3b76d2 those eyes again. Even if things went 7960b4f928 wrong with Eleanor again, f57fc0d71a that was my responsibility.e2c815dc9d835b3f

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“I’m really sorry for deceiving you all this time.”79652f950782d7ce

I clasped my hands together b0dad7d3e8 politely and apologized.c1a54215b0877440

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“I did it because I heard that if I pretended to like you, Eleanor would stop bothering me. I’m sorry. Even if you tell Eleanor b798d04f6b the truth, I won’t stop 291cc35d07 you. It’s my fault.”abdfa4ebe87bf7e5

“You never liked me, not even once?”8007a8d772e9cd92

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Duncan asked, his face full 6f7bb7550d of disbelief. I shook my head.dfb06e59a2a3e35b

“No.”51e2f01f18c292bc

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“How could you?”40a29fd5ef39b27e

“…But I like you as a friend.”79332a9b809a6767

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“Ugh! Don’t say things like that!”8e353e0b3966af41

Duncan threw himself on the 6d8e8bfab5 bed and thrashed his arms b716ed54b3 and legs around like a e7894670da child. The way he d375187cda flailed his muscular bab2eec403 limbs like a 65d9b947b6 crazed, overturned horse 3a3918cc9f was frightening.7d56758d551fb658

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After a while, Duncan 5a1f48e13e suddenly got up and 72fad57886 approached me. I shrank back, hugging 381d9aaa3a the vase.a2349a5015dbf4fc

“…Wh, what are you doing?”fe948328a5e5c984

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“But you know…”bcb20f3854af0673

Duncan gripped my shoulders.58359e6ee06e4e5d

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“Who told you that if you pretended to like me, El would act as your protector? Even your roommate doesn’t know bbd12c97b6 that.”8a0fdcbcc5ebe4c5

“Ah, that’s…”451c8bb816de181d

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“Was it Remington?”8ebc2148e6dba7d6

“No, that’s…”450f0ac9780bff37

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“It must be. Well, it could only be Remington. So, that night, Remington stopped you from leaving, didn’t he? That’s why you ignored all my calls and had a late-night date with him in the park?”d33dfd93fca1fb42

“No! That night, there were b94ebee859 men following me from d6120569cd the party. I went to d9f96d9b78 the garden to 26626276fb avoid them and b754e5338f happened to run bb69d9fa9a into Remington!”bfe9ebaeae32d226

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“You could have called me.”0d0ed1a876ed119c

“…….”3912fc32dcfba4a1

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I couldn’t readily answer. Duncan looked down a72ab1b3fc at me with cebcc80971 a hardened expression.4cd9a0faa4cc9daa

“You like Remington, don’t you?”4f5318409817b325

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“…That’s not true.”de167fb0d0b3784e

But he wasn’t 814650464a listening to me be3385276d anymore.f641bacddb496e6f

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“Damn it! That bastard seems to 9267493d3f want to take everything 03cb8dc229 of mine!”79d677ae7434e8d7

Duncan gulped down be9ec21c05 water roughly, wiped cf105a2268 the droplets that 451bf61363 ran down his ddf7268b07 chin, and tossed 8478d9fa0a the crumpled plastic d97ea79b63 bottle into the 60e0e49c1b trash can. Sitting back down on the 7b41336f96 bed, he threw off his 2091565641 red zip-up as if he 25af481a40 was overheating. Leaning forward, his white 19b29305d1 tank top visible, he 737f1d8af4 spoke to me.2691e0800fe42eb3

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“Honestly, Dani, I’m not that serious about you either. You pretended to like me because of Eleanor? I don’t care. I don’t give a shit about that. But I can’t stand watching you fall for someone else. Especially not someone shady like Remington.”cd0c6372de9e2841

“Why are you talking like that? You guys are friends.”8186ae32ddf1f102

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“That’s! Damn it….”d027ab63669e4181

“Did something happen with Remington?”e8e8901c26f67131

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“Dani.”cb1cd47b7be78062

Duncan looked at me 514280ad5a intently, a determined look 6c31dcdde0 on his face.f5f2e5d28e176d63

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“Should I tell you Remington’s secret? I thought it needed to a4bab074bc be made public someday. I’m telling you first.”e8bef5ae053daa58

Oh, I shouldn’t have listened e7a8a8aa52 to him then.14d154eb1ae6d3ee

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“Remington is my mom’s lover.”61c4585ff69b6498

“What?”2db13a9d05335bea

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“My biological mom. The principal of Erratum.”d4546c123d6933ce

I froze. Duncan looked relieved. He didn’t seem to be b7d14bd8ef lying. But it was hard to 4f4c176159 believe. Remington and Principal Lester 6ff8a56814 having an affair? I shook my head.6e6c3b852870fe3a

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“That’s impossible. I don’t know 302165d83b Principal Lester well, 5159842ef0 but at least 1517b22b84 the Remington I ac9023665f know isn’t that c921a5f971 kind of person.”980871ff68175f98

“What do you know about Remington?”ebe45893b8d2e4bb

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“Maybe not as much as you know your mother, but at least I know him better than others do. I’m just as observant e45e1ca91d as you are. Remington isn’t the type to ecc3cf7c47 do anything against the rules.”b71e09f9a38fc828

Resolute words came out a714fcd17e of my mouth. It was a 1e5cce30ab firmer tone than 4960b56518 I expected. Duncan didn’t like me defending f7aeafa628 Remington.10e8ddb0cada0b0e

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“Dani, as you know, this is a huge problem. He’s a student, and my 9498d7f369 mom is a married woman. And the principal, on top a7a0ce15a9 of that. I think I need to 1b873b970a investigate everything about Remington, from 16e8b9708e his grades to his extracurricular 88d1aa325b activities. I’m sure it’s 168b7bae97 full of corruption. Their relationship is quite deep.”4c291ba8fd975659

“Do you have any proof?”661e67bce1efff2f

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“I’ve seen and heard things.”8cab2555107b56c8

“I mean, do you have any real, tangible evidence?”0007d0b808a75466

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“Why do I need that? I know my mom best!”5ddd85d1d4d97455

My heart calmed 765022e9a8 down quickly at a985baced8 his words, indicating ecfbf9af5a a lack of b751d544df evidence.38414eb69e5bea24

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“If you don’t have proof, I can’t believe you, Duncan.”40656751ff6090b6

“I’m telling you I saw and heard things! Should I count how often he goes in and out of the principal’s office? He lies about having meetings even on days he doesn’t and goes to her office! Even in the middle of the night! Some guys even said they saw them having dinner together in the city.”ce61767efb10088f

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“What you’re saying now is speculation, not evidence. And spreading those speculative 21704ea8ed rumors is not making 70caeee115 it public, it’s spreading 7ae435f5bc gossip.”e302feaa8f332b5a

“Hey.”a7847c66dbb153e0

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Duncan growled, lowering 3a05ddedbc his voice menacingly. I stared straight 9fc5788873 at him, pretending cc13f82c97 not to be 6226137e73 scared. My heart started racing, bc196340eb but I tried to cbcf9d216b remain calm. If I didn’t, ca211f6274 I felt like 543ed1a1cf I would be 088d845e83 swept away.aa0d4413519d15a7

“Duncan, I understand you’re worried about your mother. And I appreciate you 546a6166cf worrying about me. But I can’t blindly believe 6f3f480036 you without evidence. If it’s not 5d6cc078c9 true, then… I’d 3a6276f6f6 feel really bad 9d98b37eb8 for Remington.”063b8fae9f69a3e1

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“Oh, really?”dec91c94b3b818df

“I’m not trying to ignore you. It’s just that 9cdd344ca1 I’ve also suffered b21c2478ec a lot from 51a33f8fe1 such baseless rumors.”9ef14621ee5e0a17

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“Choosing Remington over me. You have as little discernment b2709bcff0 as El.”8c6809fbd30b943b

Duncan glared at me with c748db6826 a scornful look.081133704e3ccd9b

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“You said you need proof, so I’ll bring it soon. Please don’t regret it then.”25bf477cde824b68

He stormed out of d7ce6f52a8 the room, fuming. As silence fell, all 9b800f5b06 the strength drained from b5b49a6ed8 my body. I collapsed onto the bed 296d784c6d and stared up at the dc9df3fc41 ceiling.92bb0d3eff097b4a

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Perhaps my attitude 54b6bef7ee had made things c395d12ddb worse. It might have been fdf082e6cd better to just play 817470ff26 along with him. But I wasn’t 4acbefa4f6 going to retract 14c084d232 my statement. I didn’t want to 23aef9f268 be on the same 3482266d6f level as those who 8a5a05efa2 had tormented me by d932a968f2 blindly believing baseless rumors.20fd71fe2c6d165d

“Remington is my mom’s lover.”5b9e7e156289b7b7

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What if it were true?af3f690cf24a21e2

I thought about the ec941ca81d Remington I had seen b2c2a8d1bf so far. Remington, the class representative. Remington, who always ed7927d9ca topped the class. Remington, who acted as 4a521b04ff stubbornly as someone who 90f0d71cda had memorized the school 18463d3345 rules. Remington, who stayed f7d46d656f in the study 0d1812e04b hall until late, c1f4a41e1e his dark circles 8f10ed0028 deepening during exam 2316f81d11 periods.edc0b308aa411310

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None of that 7662558568 could be fake.62e0b85a3c9e8369

But at the same time, 6f2deed200 I remembered some significant moments c9f0a06130 I had experienced.381d71fc1dd35d3c

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“Remington, I think you would make a good buddy for Roderson. What do you think?”b2d5fd443fe66967

The awkward atmosphere between the ab64989c42 principal and Remington, and Remington 84e9ab6810 acting as if there was 0d8ca568e8 no option to refuse.3c228eef9515caf9

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“Eleanor is the principal’s daughter.”492b9f58b20fbbf2

His meaningful answer to the b0656799fd question of whether he was 650ffcab57 dating Eleanor.a74c10c3613083e5

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“I have a headache….”f52211b4e143d71d

I buried my face in ea1911d1ad the pillow. Even after hearing the af55cc9b7b shocking story that Remington 47b31ee60a might be having an 530fc28f9b inappropriate relationship with the b0b62b0fc0 principal, what increasingly occupied 7c7b41f9af my mind were Duncan’s dfcce8a1c2 other words.494a65a277841088

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“You like Remington, don’t you?”2e1927d1346dec0b

I buried my ffe5b9e923 face deeper into 6c0c31a02a the pillow.4dec87eec32c85c0

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️532c4037652c9ea4

Duncan was a 1389d6a512 ticking time bomb. I was beginning to understand 955fadcf6e why Eleanor was so wary c7eb9f6fad of him and treated him 843e0e2f08 like a troublemaker.d94045533e06b19c

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