35 | the downfall

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"I CAN'T BELIEVE you didn't tell me!" Emma glared, startling the employee

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"I CAN'T BELIEVE you didn't tell me!" Emma glared, startling the employee. Currently in her mom's department, the cashier gawked at the amount of clothes we had. He should've seen the other guy's face from the last store.

Ignoring her, I handed him my card. She huffed, close to stomping her feet.

"How could you not tell me that Andrew asked you out on a date? I thought we shared everything now," she emphasized the last part. My eyes drifted to the figure behind her, who shrugged his shoulders.

"She dragged it out of me," he defended, his ears flushing a darker shade.

"Really? You two are that bored?"

"Sharing is caring," Emma threw her hands up in the air. "I tell you everything about Philip! I even told Andrew that he was going to meet Mom today!"

Closing my eyes, another long, exaggerated sigh escaped me. I should've come alone. Giving the employee a nod when he finished, I walked ahead of the two troublemakers as we trickled into the crowd, their conversation reaching my ears behind me.

"So Andrew, what do you like? Other than attending math circles and working for Lina's parents."

"I like running, and baking sometimes. Lina got me into it, actually. I also occasionally enjoy playing the piano."

"You play?"

I could hear his echo of enjoyment. "Not really. My mom forced my sister and I to go to piano lessons for a bonding experience."

"Oooh! That must be nice. I'm an only child, and it kind of sucks. I wanted someone to play dolls with or make fun of when I was younger. What about you, Lina?" She gave me a sly glance when I turned back for a second.

Clearly, her expression said, I'm doing this for you, but for a moment, the before Sohee Young thought otherwise. Especially because Andrew answered back with ease, and not the broken speech he had with me. Face blank, I shrugged. Being an only child, pampered? Sounded like paradise to me.

"You told me you felt like that a couple of times," Andrew brought up, filling in the gaps of my silence.

"Huh. I guess it's another thing we have in common." Before I could retort, Emma's stomach growled.

"You're hungry?"

"Um, yes? I've been hungry for hours, but I was waiting for someone to bring it up."

"It's 12," I said. In truth, I wanted to go home, but even my stomach began to notice the lack of food. The cons of living off a schedule that restricted you.

"I've been hungry for a while, too. Lina? Want to eat something?" He offered, but Emma already headed toward the direction of the food court.

With pursed lips, I mumbled, "Let's go."

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