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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Do you like me?”
My question, a fastball aimed straight for Lapis Julie’s heart, hung in the air.
Lapis Julie still believed I was unaware of the hypnosis app being fake.
So, this was an all-in bluff, disguised as a legitimate hypnotic inquiry.
Come on, Lapis Julie, what’s your move? If you’re willing to play along with this hypnosis app charade, you must have feelings for me. And since you’re pretending to be hypnotized, you have to answer my question.
I hadn’t even considered the possibility of her saying no.
From her perspective, saying she didn’t like me would only hurt her. Anything said under hypnosis was considered the truth.
So, her only option was to confess her feelings, something like, “Yes, I like you, senpai.”
Once she confessed, I planned to use her feelings against her, guilt tripping her mercilessly.
I’d tell her, under the pretense of hypnosis, that I preferred kind and considerate people, that I hated those who spoke carelessly, basically targeting Lapis Julie with every word.
Then, Lapis Julie, who was clearly infatuated enough to play along with the hypnosis app, would regret her past behavior and stop using her sharp tongue to avoid being disliked by me.
She wouldn’t dare humiliate me in public anymore, saying things like, “Senpai, you joined a year before me, so why are you still so pathetic? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Why don’t you just quit?”
For about a month after becoming the Team 2 leader, Lapis Julie had been even more vicious than before.
She’d nitpick every minor mistake, blowing them out of proportion and humiliating me in front of everyone, constantly attacking my self-esteem with comments like, “You’re useless.”
Thinking about it made me angry again. Why did she treat me like shit after I worked so hard for the team?
It still didn’t make sense that she liked me, considering how she treated me.
Who treats someone they like that way?
But surprisingly, Lapis Julie did like me. Enough to endure humiliating acts while pretending to be hypnotized.
That absurd fact infuriated me even more. If she dared confess her feelings, I’d strike without mercy.
I’d stab her right in the heart with, “Really? Because I hate you. Well, you won’t remember this anyway, since you’re ‘hypnotized.’” And then I’d list every single thing she’d done to me, explaining in detail why I hated her.
Then, whether she dropped the act and burst into tears or not, she’d react somehow, begging, “I-I’m sorry, senpai. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Don’t be so mean.”
And I’d coldly reply, “Compared to what you did to me, this is nothing, bitch.”
Kuh…!
Just thinking about it was exhilarating. A satisfying revenge, something I couldn’t do to Scarlet because of the repair bill situation. And it would all start with Lapis Julie confessing her feelings.
“…”
Lapis Julie, seemingly flustered by my direct question, just moved her lips soundlessly, unable to answer.
I knew it was a difficult question, but I needed her honest answer to begin my sweet, sweet revenge.
Holding up the hypnosis app screen, I pressed her, making sure she couldn’t avoid the question.
“I’m asking you. Do you like me? Answer me. That’s an order.”
“Ugh…”
Finally realizing she couldn’t postpone it any longer, Lapis Julie, her cheeks flushed, slowly opened her mouth.
“Li…”
Yes! Say it! Tell me you like me! I’m ready to tear you apart, you bitch!
“I… don’t like you.”
“Huh?”
The unexpected answer stunned me, and I almost blurted out, “Then why are you pretending to be hypnotized?”
But that would have been disastrous, so I exercised superhuman restraint and clamped my mouth shut.
“Huu… S-So, you really don’t like me?”
“Yes…”
“I see…”
I’d expected her to at least try to soften the blow, something like, “I don’t dislike you.” But a flat-out rejection? I hadn’t anticipated that.
I had no idea what to say.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence filled the tiny room. The longer the silence stretched, the worse it became for me.
Asking someone if they liked you and then falling silent after they said, “No.” would definitely make them think, “Wait, is he disappointed? Does he like me?”
That was the worst possible outcome.
But even if I honestly expressed my disappointment, saying something like, “O-Oh… you don’t like me…” and then let her go, the result would be the same.
So what should I say? How should I react to prevent Lapis Julie from having those ridiculous thoughts, like, ‘Faster likes me? Holy shit! What the fuck! Oh my god! I’m so hot!’
I had to find a solution quickly. But if she’s pretending to be hypnotized, it means she likes me, right? So why is she lying?
I couldn’t suddenly pretend to be surprised, like, “Wait, does Lapis Julie really not like me? Huh? What’s going on?”
Lapis Julie liked me. But she was too proud to admit it face to face, so she’d lied.
Why make things so complicated by lying?! Just be honest!
My head throbbed, and I grew increasingly anxious. Lapis Julie, still wearing her so-called ‘hypnotized’ neutral expression, seemed to be mocking me with her silence.
She’s probably thinking, ‘Hee hee. He’s speechless because I said I don’t like him… So, Faster likes me? How cute.’ I had to dispel that misconception somehow…
‘Which bitch is it?’
Ah. That’s it.
As I racked my brain, Scarlet’s sharp question from yesterday flashed through my mind.
An undeniable expression of jealousy… If I used that correctly, I could not only prevent her from having those ridiculous thoughts but also force Lapis Julie to reveal her true feelings!
Feeling grateful towards Scarlet for the first time, I let out a sigh of relief, loud enough for Lapis Julie to hear.
“Phew… That’s a relief. If you liked me, I would have felt guilty asking you this question. I’m so glad.”
My acting skills had improved significantly after yesterday’s performance for Ia Aris. It was easier now to lie convincingly, to hide my true feelings behind a mask.
That’s how I could so shamelessly utter those insincere words.
“Excuse me? What do you…”
Lapis Julie, sensing the unusual turn of events, forgot she was supposed to be “hypnotized” and asked me to repeat myself.
I could have pressed her, saying, “I hypnotized you, didn’t I? Something’s not right,” but I hadn’t finished yet. I placed my hands on Lapis Julie’s shoulders and asked,
“Since you don’t like me, I can ask you this. What kind of gifts do women like these days?”
It was my second fastball.
A question Lapis Julie, who liked me, couldn’t ignore. If she overreacted, I could counter with, “Wait, you said you didn’t like me? Why are you so invested?”
That would fluster her, and I could press my advantage, saying calmly, “Wait a minute… do you actually like me? You do, don’t you?” publicly confirming her feelings.
Then, I could proceed with my original plan, making Lapis Julie regret her past actions and apologize.
It was a perfect plan. I’d have to thank Scarlet later for the inspiration.
No, wait. Why should I thank her? That crazy bitch? Remember what she did to you, Faster. You should never thank her, no matter what.
Just as I rekindled my anger towards Scarlet, I felt a sudden chill.
“What? Am I seeing my breath?”
White puffs of air escaped my lips and dissipated into the air. It wasn’t my imagination. It was getting cold.
Wait, if it was this cold…
I cautiously glanced at Lapis Julie. Her eyes were devoid of light, her fists clenched, her body trembling.
She was pissed. So pissed she’d forgotten she was supposed to be hypnotized!
Normally, I’d be looking for an escape route, but this was exactly what I wanted.
As planned, I smirked at the furious Lapis Julie and asked mockingly,
“Why are you so angry? You said you didn’t like me. This overreaction… could it be that you actually…!”
“I don’t like you!”
Lapis Julie’s shout, louder than I’d ever heard her speak, cut me off. She was the pride of the Julie family, known for her composure and unflappable demeanor.
The fact that such an uncharacteristic outburst had escaped her lips stunned me into silence.
“I… I don’t like you… You… you… senpai… Ugh…”
And then, she started tearing up, making me abandon my plan to press her further.
Damn it. The classic waterworks tactic.
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A drama gurl (。_。)
A drama llama 🦙