Lie Again! Chapter 76

Chapter 76. Love, Set, Match (3)

 

Wavy blonde hair that retained its luster even in the shade, and an expression so coldly frozen she looked like a porcelain doll. 

 

It was Emily Gwen.

 

Her vivid blue eyes and Jin’s black ones collided in midair.

 

‘What is it with her all of a sudden?’

 

Ever since the New Year’s party where they had clashed head-on, everyone—especially Joey—had expected Gwen to pick fights at every opportunity. Yet contrary to that expectation, she had not stirred up anything in particular.

 

Even when they ran into each other in the hallway, Gwen would simply pass by without a glance. Even when Joey bared her teeth like a rabid little dog right beside her.

 

So why now?

 

‘Is it because the others aren’t here?’ 

 

That was the only difference. Maybe with just Ruth beside her, Jin seemed easier to target.

 

However, this wasn’t a very satisfying explanation either. If that were her intention, she should have done it at school, not here. Jin was alone far more often than she was with the group, and there had been plenty of opportunities to cause trouble if Gwen had wanted to.

 

Jin tried to guess the intent behind those blue eyes for a moment before giving up and turning her gaze away. She felt intimidated by Gwen’s overwhelming beauty, and her thoughts inevitably strayed to the fact that Gwen was the person currently seen with Evan. 

 

‘…What, is this some kind of ex-girlfriend intimidation?’

 

Gwen’s assigned role was originally leading stretching classes for the elderly. This meant that unless she specifically went out to the garden, the two of them wouldn’t have crossed paths. Why was she out here, then? Was keeping an eye on Jin worth the effort of abandoning her duties?

 

I wasn’t even his official girlfriend.

 

Something surged up sharply inside her. The more it did, the more Jin deliberately ignored Gwen and focused on what she was supposed to be doing. The more attention she paid her, the more it would only churn up her own insides.

 

Jin consciously blocked out the person who was automatically associated with Gwen. She was glaring at the red wooden ball rolling on the grass when a booming voice pierced her ear.

 

“What are you doing, not hitting the ball already!” 

 

The booming voice that cut straight through her ears made her shoulders jolt.

 

Hurriedly flipping her mallet upright and gripping it properly, Jin stepped in front of the blue ball. While she had been chatting with Ruth, Mrs. Moore’s long turn must have ended.

 

With a tense face, Jin looked toward hoop number three in the distance. Though the game was already well into the middle stages, her ball had still not passed through it.

 

“Just standing there with your head in the clouds.”

 

Learning croquet for the first time was harder than it looked, and it made her break a sweat. The wooden ball kept veering off into strange directions instead of the intended path, and to make matters worse, the disgruntled grumbling was breaking her concentration. It was no wonder she struggled, trying to play a game she was already bad at while being completely stiff with nerves.

 

Thwack.

 

The ball, struck by Jin’s vigorous swing, rolled diagonally instead of in a straight line. it passed through the sixth hoop in the center of the court and came to a precarious stop near the boundary line.

 

Ruth smacked his forehead, and the elderly spectators watching in a cluster sighed in amused dismay.

 

“…”

 

Heat rushed to Jin’s face under the flood of attention. She cast a quick glance sideways.

 

Her partner—the one commonly known as “The Commander,” the very same Mr. Tucker who had made her previous volunteer session so difficult—began to twist his rugged face into a scowl. (Jin only learned his last name after hearing the other seniors address him.) 

 

She swallowed hard, anticipating a thunderous scolding at any moment, but Mr. Tucker merely clicked his tongue once and turned away without a word. 

 

Jin looked at Ruth in bewilderment; Ruth only shrugged with an equally puzzled expression.

 

This volunteer work was something she had followed Ruth into, partly to build her college portfolio. It would be a lie to say she hadn’t felt anxious. At the center of her memory of the first session were sharp fingers pointing and the noise of whispering; she couldn’t predict why the very person who gave her those dark memories would want to see her again. 

 

Jin relied only on Ruth’s promise to stay by her side and the volunteer coordinator’s assurance that she would be given a different task this time. The whole thing started with Ruth saying Mr. Tucker seemed to want to see her, but in reality, Jin had no desire to see him again. 

 

That was why she was glad to be playing croquet outside rather than being inside the building—despite her abysmal athletic nerves—and that was why she was flustered when Mr. Tucker suddenly appeared, pushed aside the senior who was supposed to be her partner, and joined the game.

 

What does he want?

 

Yet before she could dwell on it, the game had begun almost by accident and had progressed, contrary to her expectations, without incident.

 

It wasn’t smooth in the sense that the two were in perfect sync or that Jin was racking up points. Jin managed to send the ball exactly where it shouldn’t go every single time, and looking at the mess, Mr. Tucker would occasionally grab the back of his neck as if his blood pressure were rising.

 

However, although he grumbled disapprovingly, there were no outbursts like that day. Even the grumbling was just a result of his naturally loud voice; it didn’t seem like he intended to openly humiliate her. Surprisingly.

 

While Jin watched him in confusion, the game continued steadily toward the latter half.

 

Ruth and Mr. Tucker’s ball had already passed through all six hoops and touched the central stake. After an intense back-and-forth between Jin and Mrs. Moore—

 

“Oh—oh! It touched! It did, Mrs.!”

 

It was a victory for Ruth’s team.

 

The red ball rolled sluggishly, as if unsure whether it would stop, and gently bumped into the multicolored stake.

 

Ruth raised his hand high, looking more relieved that the tedious game was finally over than pleased about the victory. Jin reflexively turned to Mr. Tucker.

 

‘I felt like I could have finished on the next turn, too…’

 

By coincidence, Mr. Tucker was staring directly at her. When their gazes met, Jin hesitated, then spoke carefully.

 

“I’m sorry. Because of me.”

 

“…That’s enough.”

 

Mr. Tucker let out a huff at her apology. But instead of scolding her further, he turned his back, ending the exchange. As he limped away, the other elderly residents tossed teasing remarks after him.

 

“You haven’t been out in a while, it’s a shame.”

 

“What’s gotten into you, Tucker? You don’t even play things like this.”

 

“Quiet!”

 

At his barked retort, the elderly scattered like startled birds. Jin stared blankly at his retreating back as he walked into the nursing home building.

 

“The Commander seems to be in a decent mood today, doesn’t he?”

 

“……I guess so.”

 

Ruth, with his mallet slung over his shoulder, approached and let out a whistle. Jin took her eyes off the now-vanished Mr. Tucker and nodded slightly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Just… I feel strange.”

 

At her vague answer, Ruth tilted his head, and Jin gave an awkward smile.

 

It was a feeling that was hard to describe—literally strange. It was because she had come to understand that Mr. Tucker coming out to the garden to play a game he usually ignored, and forcing a team together even by ousting the original partner, was his own way of making a gesture of reconciliation.

 

It was a different turn of events than she had prepared for, and different from what she had expected.

 

“So, have you decided?”

 

Ruth poked Jin with his elbow, wearing a mischievous grin. Jin had no trouble realizing he was talking about her plans with James.

 

After a moment of thought, Jin soon nodded.

 

“Yeah. I’ll go, thinking of it as hanging out with a friend.” 

 

“Good thinking. No point in getting scared in advance. Keep it light, keep it light.”

 

Lightly. Jin murmured, repeating Ruth’s words.

 

* * *

 

Time flew like an arrow, and it was Wednesday. After school, Jin was waiting in the parking lot behind the building for the car that was coming to pick her up. 

 

Leaning against the gray exterior wall bordering the lot, idly scrolling through social media, she turned at the light tap on her shoulder.

 

“Jiiiin! Are you waiting for Riley?” 

 

Jin lowered her phone as Joey hooked an arm through hers and asked brightly. She was about to answer, then stopped. She could already picture the reaction that would follow if she told the truth.

 

However, she didn’t feel like lying either, so Jin confessed honestly.

 

“I’m waiting for James. I agreed to go with him to buy a birthday present for his sister.”

 

“What! That’s totally—”

 

“It’s not a date, I’m just accompanying him!”

 

Jin added hastily that it wasn’t a date before Joey’s mouth could hang wide open, but—

 

“It’s a date!”

 

It didn’t help at all.