January

Chapter 18

The conversation between Liliane and the unknown male student seems to be just like a dream. As later that day, their leader were acting like her usual self. And just like how she would normally manage the club members, there were only a few instructions given before she left them into their own business.

What no one noticed though is that in that particular day, their leader who treasured time more than anything else were moving like a turtle, listless and occupied by something else. Since, she rarely interacts with the rest of the members during activities, the rest didn't seem to notice the changes in her movements.

If Erine didn't get te chance to eavesdrop in their conversations earlier, she wouldn't have thought that there's something strange with the leader.

Still, she couldn't say anything. It's not in her place to be messing in someone else's business. Especially to someone she barely know.

Barely?

Erine thought about it carefully. Didn't the same person was the same leader who helped her in her issues about herself? 

But what could say as an encouragement? She bet someone like their leader wouldn't be so fond of showing her own weakness. Basing from her font, there was no way consoling would work. In fact, she might take it the hard way and misunderstand that she was giving her pity.

Yes, she should thread carefully. Approaching the problem without thinking it through wouldn't ease the problem a bit.

Erine turns her head at the unsuspecting leader. Just like she had expected, she wasn't even moving at all, it's like she had lost function at the moment.

With the way it is for now, Erine couldn't see how it is a good idea to show her progress.

With all this in mind, the weight of it as taken Erine until her class was dismissed. It really is a bit draining afterwards, hopping all day in excitement only to get disappointed in the end.

"Now, what's bothering you?" Elizabeth unsurprisingly noticed the sudden shift in her mood. "It seems one of those days when you didn't get to see Luke practice."

Erine gasps a little, "What made you say that it's about Luke?"

Elizabeth shrugs, "He has always been your priority."

Even though it's a bit annoying, there is just now room for Elizabeth to be blamed. It isn't a misconception in her part at all, Luke had always been the center of her life that it's as if there's the word 'Luke' plastered on her forehead.

It's so bad that it's funny.

This made her chuckle.

"Care to share what you were thinking?" Elizbeth interrupted with a slight upturn of her eyebrows.

"Oh." Erine shakes her head. Thinking it would have been out of character to voice out her thoughts, she just shrugged it off. "Nothing special."

"Not Luke, then?"

Both of her eyebrows perked up in response. Somehow, she had expected a similar reply.

"If I say that it wasn't Luke, there was no way you would believe me, right?"

Erine just kept walking ahead, but as she notice her friend wasn't able to follow, she turns and find out her friend had already stopped walking. The joke she intend to blurt got stuck in her throat when she took note of the way Elizabeth's face was slightly scrunching up, all the while maintaining it's usual front.

"You're amazing."

It was so sudden that Erine couldn't utter a word. At first, she doubt that it was meant on her, even though Elizabeth was completely looking at her.

"Amazing?" Erine asked, wanting to make sure if she had heard Elizabeth correctly.

Instead of answering, Elizabeth only lowered her head onto the ground.

"I don't stand out."

Never in Erine's previous timeline that she had ever seen Elizabeth's expression became vulnerable. It was something new, yet she doubted that Elizabeth from those time would ever allow her to be this close.

"Everyone seems happy deciding on their future. While on the other hand, I don't know what I'm going to do in life." Elizabeth clutched her bag, tightly. Her mouth opened once again. This time she was already paralyzed in her spot as she gazed at her pitiful shadow.

"Beth...," Erine called slowly, wanting to say something comforting. But then, she held back as her thoughts wondered to this morning.

"And I believe you."

"Hah?" Erine looks up to find Elizabeth's face had already risen up. She was now expressing a wide smile.

"Recently, you've been jumping around, getting all excited for the fashion club." Elizabeth said, her eyes smiling. "It's like you found a hobby other than creepily spying on Luke."

"Do I seem like a creepy stalker?!"

Elizabeth's laughs a little on this, making it seem like she wasn't brooding just a second ago.

"But there's something new about you." Elizabeth said, beginning to slowly walk towards Erine.

"Something new?"

Elizabeth nods and rolled her eyes, probably thinking about what is it that made think of it.

"I mean, you're still you, but there's definitely something that changed." Elizabeth then looks at her. "It seem as if you've matured."

Erine wanted to gape, "Matured?!"

She seemed unaffected by her reaction. "Yeah, it's as if you're way ahead of us."

"Ahead?"

Elizabeth nods. Her eyes downcasted once again, as if she's unable to meet her eyes directly.

"You know, Michelle and I always talk about you. We're always worried." When Erine didn't say anything, Elizabeth continued. "We look out for you because it seems like you're too...simple minded."

For a moment there, her eyes went back to her, probably to see if she was offended by the chosen words. But not at all.

How could she be offended by it?

But if someone would ask her, she felt a little warm inside, like Elizabeth had just reached out to her and that she felt closer to her more than before.

"I guess you could say that we wanted to play parents just so we can guard you."

She laughs a little, but it was so pure and genuine that Erine couldn't help but stare at her.

"But during the play, I was surprised..." Elizabeth said. "It's like you've changed to someone we don't know. And your presence there, even though Mich wouldn't admit it, you being there felt like you're watching over us instead."

Erine remained still.

All this time, all she ever focused about was her past incompetence when she actually have already moved forward from it, and that is the only thing that's keeping her stuck in her past self. And all she needed to do was to move forward.

Although she has changed significantly, there are other parts of her that she wanted to disappear. It's never too late as they say. You just have to take it one step at a time, there is no rush.

"You've matured." Elizabeth said, "But you're still you, and I am glad because of that."

"Beth I--"

Erine was about to say something when they got interrupted by an unknown thing that suddenly landed in between them. Both of them had lost the melancholic atmosphere surrounded them and looks at the 'unknown thing' with a bead of sweat.

"Seriously, you could have hit them!"

Erine and Elizabeth looked at the familiar college student who was shouting. This person were already running towards their direction and stopped by the fence.

"I am sorry about that, but could you two cuties pass the ball over?"

Erine grabs the ball, "Yeah, sure." She said and picked up the ball. Then she positioned herself and pushed her right feet and hopped as she throw the ball only for it to perfectly hit the loop, which amazed the players who witnessed the pointer.

"Woah! I only thought you were just a crazy Luke fan girl, I never thought you're familiar with point shooter." The player from earlier said in amazement. "Where did you learn to shoot that way."

"Huh?!"

Oh, s**t.

She have forgotten that she was in the past. She may have accidentally shot the ball out of habit. Though it wouldn't be good to reveal that the one who thought her how to shoot was actually her future husband, Luke. It was one of their hobbies when they have free time.

"Oh, uh, ArcadeWorld."

"Really?! Cool!" The player said enthusiastically.

"By the way, who three the ball?"

The player grinned at her question.

"Oh, your boyfriend was kinda out of it the entire time we were playing."

"Why?" Erine asked, completely ignoring the word boyfriend like it was the normal thing. Even Elizabeth had noticed but didn't teased her on it, she decided to just taunt her later.

"I dunno, maybe his girlfriend did something to him. It was affecting our play."

Erine followed the player's gaze and when she finally noticed Luke who was at the center of the field, it seems that their gazes get to suddenly meet. IN result Luke avoided her gaze.

"Oh, quarrel?" Erine did not reply. "Look, whatever it is, sort it out and it's affecting our training and it's not cool at all. Did you know that he was spacing out and didn't see us passing the ball to him? He even thought it was a volleyball game, tch."

Erine felt a little responsible for it. Because come to think of it, it was only her who decided to run her mouth and set a boundary between them, and on the other hand, she didn't let Luke have a say on it. Although, he didn't need to because there isn't anything going on with them yet.

"You wanna talk with him?" Elizabeth asked as soon as the player went back to the field.

Erine shakes her head. "Now is not the time, their busy for the intramurals."

"Right." Elizabeth said. "You said that, but I think that doesn't stop him from coming this way."

"Huh?"

Erine needed more time to process what Elizabeth was saying. But before she could turn around, there was an arm that had already grabbed her wrist. And when she looks up, she was greeted by a heavenly sight of Luke sweating profusely.

"May I talk to you?" Luke asked, and Erine thought she might melt with the way he pleaded with a kind voice.

Erine couldn't decided so she looked over Elizabeth who were just giving her two thumbs up, clearly being supportive.

"Um, okay. Where are we going to talk about--"

But before Erine could finish her sentence, a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from Luke.

And when she looked up, she thought her head might spin when she saw Prince snarling down at Luke's hnd.