Chapter 50: Awkward air
Eiden walked quietly, Deuel by his side. The murmurs of the morning crowd had already begun to fade behind them as they covered some distance. Eiden suddenly turned his head back, his eyes scanning the path they came from. He was checking something.
Linda wasn’t following. He let out a soft sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing just a bit. But before he could dwell on the comfort of her absence, Deuel nudged him with his elbow, raising a brow at him with mild suspicion. "Isn’t that Linda?" Deuel asked, his tone casual but curious.
"Yes," Eiden replied, face calm, voice neutral, as if the name itself was no big deal. Deuel narrowed his eyes at the detached response. "Then why were you two walking arm-crossed earlier?"
Eiden shrugged. "I don’t know, you tell me." Deuel pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, muttering under his breath, "I think I’m starting to feel what Petter usually feels..."
Eiden pretended not to hear that. He kept his expression blank, his pace steady. Ignoring things was sometimes the best option.
Still rubbing his forehead, Deuel asked again, "Was she troubling you?" Eiden nodded.
Deuel opened his mouth again, probably to suggest something maybe another sarcastic quip or some awkward advice but this time a cheerful voice interrupted them. "Good morning, you two!"
It was Harry. He was grinning from ear to ear, radiating joy. His hand waved excitedly at them as he caught up. They both nodded back at him with faint, half-hearted waves.
Harry didn’t seem to notice their disinterest. He started walking alongside them, instantly launching into his own story. "You won’t believe what happened yesterday I met this beautiful girl at the subway station she literally dropped her wallet and "
As he went on, neither Eiden nor Deuel seemed remotely invested. Their replies were minimal, mechanical. "Okay." "And? "I see."