Lie Again! Chapter 83

<Chapter 83. The Waves Head to an Unexpected Place Once Again (3)>

 

“Tell me everything you know.”

 

“I mean, seriously, why are you doing this?!”

 

Jonathan recoiled, terrified by the sharp blue nails thrust so close they threatened to poke his eye out. However, having been backed into a corner for a while now, all he managed to do was uselessly rub the back of his head against the wall.

 

Despite his pitiful display, the menacing index finger didn’t waver in the slightest.

 

His dark eyes darted between the two girls standing in front of him as a cold sweat broke out.

 

‘Why on earth are those two together?’ 

 

It was only ten minutes ago that he had stepped out of the basketball court feeling refreshed, having monopolized his rivals’ sighs and his coach’s praise thanks to balls that seemed to get sucked into the rim with every shot today. 

 

Arriving at the parking lot with a light step, Jonathan whistled as he strolled toward his old, trusty car parked in the distance.

 

But just as he was about to insert the key he’d been twirling on his finger, a hand appeared out of nowhere and yanked him away.

 

His kidnappers—who had abducted a grown guy in broad daylight—were two girls. Both were faces Jonathan knew very well. However, he never would have dreamed of seeing the two of them together—let alone teaming up to threaten him while looking like drowned rats.

 

Glancing between the two girls who either had something to say or a bone to pick with him, Jonathan shot a desperate look at Jin, who was sighing behind a glaring Gwen. Compared to Gwen, who was squawking threats like a parrot demanding he spill everything he knew about Evan, Jin at least looked like someone he could reason with.

 

“Step aside for a second. Let me talk to Hansen.”

 

Whether his “help me” message had been received or not, Jin grabbed Gwen’s arm and pulled her back. At that, Gwen, with a prim expression, finally lowered the hand she had held inches from Jonathan’s chest. 

 

Jonathan looked utterly wronged; Gwen hadn’t listened to a single word when he begged her to calm down, yet she obediently backed off at just one word from Jin.

 

“Call me if he keeps his mouth shut. I’ll make him talk.” 

 

Though, when Gwen suddenly whirled around to spit that sharp warning, he had to quickly fix his expression.

 

Throwing him one last disapproving glare, Gwen finally stepped away, giving them some space.

 

“….”

 

Now that she was actually alone with Jonathan, Jin hesitated, unsure of what to ask. After all, barging in on Jonathan like this hadn’t been her own idea. 

 

For whatever reason, Gwen had grabbed her wrist as she tried to leave the restroom and ran somewhere; before she knew it, they were cornered Jonathan, and Gwen was threatening him to spill about Evan. 

 

Staring at the blonde back of Gwen’s head—who had gone from zero to a hundred in seconds—Jin felt a strong sense of déjà vu. Gwen somehow gave off the distinct vibe of a certain familiar friend.

 

After entertaining the useless theory that perhaps Gwen and Joey hated each other so much because they were actually too similar, Jin found herself standing in front of Jonathan.

 

All without having reached any conclusions about James, Evan, or herself.

 

She had bluffed in front of Gwen, acting as if Evan were already in the palm of her hand, but in reality, Jin wasn’t sure of anything. Setting aside whether she could trust his confession, she hadn’t even looked properly into her own heart yet. 

 

Watching Jin hesitate, seemingly unable to form the words, Jonathan let out a short sigh.

 

“Don’t hate him too much.”

 

“….”

 

Jin stared blankly at Jonathan, who had dropped his usual lighthearted attitude and was speaking in a serious tone. 

 

“It’s not that I don’t understand why you’re upset, but cut him a little slack. That b*stard only acts like that because he’s scared.”

 

‘Because I was scared of you.’

 

A certain boy’s voice overlapped with Jonathan’s words in her memory.

 

“What is he so scared of, anyway?”

 

Jin, who had been keeping quiet, finally asked in a low voice. Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck, looking troubled.

 

Licking his lips as if unsure of how to begin, Jonathan muttered to himself, “Ah, shit. I’m really bad at this,” before tossing out a question.

 

“You know the rumor that Evan only lets the girl he likes touch his hair?”

 

“I’ve heard it. At the beginning of the semester.”

 

Jin immediately recalled a specific memory. Taylor, pressing herself intimately against Evan. The scene remained as vivid as a photograph in her mind: Taylor, looking as smug as if she owned the world while in his arms, only to be shoved away in an instant, left standing alone to endure the stares of the entire cafeteria.

 

It was also the first time she had seen Evan, who had been acting so sweet and accommodating, instantly flip a switch and turn cold. The sight of Taylor’s back as she stood frozen, watching Evan walk away, had embedded itself under Jin’s skin like a tiny splinter.

 

It was an annoying little splinter—too bothersome to painstakingly dig out, yet too irritating to just ignore. Most days, it hid itself so well she forgot it was even there, but right when she was about to completely move on, it would prick her along with an unsettling voice.

 

You could end up just like that at any moment.

 

Do you think you’re any different?

 

She had stood in front of Jonathan to learn more about Evan, but instead, she was only reminded of the splinter buried under her skin. Jin felt the brief flicker of anticipation sink heavily in her chest once more.

 

Right, that was the kind of guy Evan was.

 

Why would it be any different now? Having already been a “Taylor” once, how could she guarantee there wouldn’t be a second time? 

 

Oblivious to Jin’s sudden shift in mood, Jonathan continued his story as she nodded to confirm she knew the rumor.

 

“It’s all nonsense. There are no exceptions for anyone. Nowadays he stops at pushing them away before they can touch him, but in the past, he hated it almost to the point of a fit.” 

 

Jonathan recalled an old memory. A noisy classroom right after seat reassignments, kids playing childish pranks—what etched this otherwise entirely unremarkable day into his mind was the sudden, sharp crash that cut through the room.

 

Startled by the heavy thud, Jonathan turned his head. His eyes landed on a girl—whose name he couldn’t even remember anymore—sprawled on the floor crying, and Evan, panting heavily as he glared at her like he wanted to kill her.

 

“I found out later that it happened because she touched his hair while he was asleep. He got in trouble for it multiple times and caused huge scenes over and over, but Evan never stopped reacting that way.”

 

As Jin listened to Jonathan, she pictured a scene she had never witnessed. An angelic boy asleep by the window, his brown hair shimmering like spun gold in the sunlight. And a girl, captivated by the sight, who couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it.

 

In her mind, the girl’s face somehow looked just like her own.

 

“He said that whenever someone touches his hair, the first thing he remembers is a scent. A dizzying rose scent mixed with the smell of burning fire.”

 

“….”

 

“But that’s the scent of his mother.”

 

Despite having been his closest friend for years, Jonathan had only met Evan’s mother exactly once. It was when she came to visit the school—a woman so beautiful he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

 

So, you must be Jonathan. I’ve heard a lot about you.

 

Wearing a faint smile that felt somehow fragile and perilous, the woman had approached, crouched down, and hugged Jonathan. At that exact moment, a heavy fragrance hit him—the sharp sting of rubbing alcohol like burning wood, mixed with an oppressive scent of roses. It made him so dizzy he had to hold his breath for a moment.

 

That was the first and last time he ever saw Evan’s mother, but that scent had seared itself into his brain. Whenever he caught a whiff of something similar, the memory would vividly resurface.

 

“That’s all I can tell you. For the details, you’ll have to hear them directly from Evan.”

 

Jonathan said, watching the girl who was now lost in thought with an unreadable expression on her face. With a slow, silent nod, Jin turned around.

 

Jonathan briefly stared at her retreating back, noting her perfectly straight posture. He had no idea how things would pan out between those two, but he hoped that his words had at least helped somewhat.

 

It’s not even my own love life, so why do I care this much?

 

“You seriously need to be thankful you have a friend like me.”

 

Jonathan grumbled toward the absent Evan, who would be suffering from body aches, and made his way to his car.