NOVPUB
Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Bitches
The soft hum of overhead fluorescent lights filled the air as Liam stood in front of the sleek, polished counter of the phone store, his eyes scanning the screen of the device he had just picked out. The store was brightly lit, modern, and lined with rows of the latest models of smartphones, tablets, and accessories, all neatly displayed behind the glass cases. The scent of new electronics lingered in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of air fresheners strategically placed around the store to create a welcoming atmosphere.
He had already chosen the phone he wanted—a sleek, high-performance model with a sharp display and lightning-fast processing power. It was exactly what he needed, especially considering the type of business he was about to get into. He had been using a cheap phone for the longest time, but now, things were different.
Sliding his card across the counter, he waited for the transaction to go through.
Then—
A small, soft beep.
"Declined."
Liam blinked, momentarily stunned as he looked up at the cashier.
"Huh?" He frowned, leaning slightly forward. "Try again."
The cashier, a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and tired eyes, gave him an unimpressed look before swiping the card a second time. Another beep.
"Declined."
Liam felt his stomach drop slightly.
Wait... didn’t he have enough money?
He quickly pulled out his broken phone and checked his bank balance. Shit. His funds had run dangerously low—he was barely scraping by at this point. He thought he had enough, but between his daily expenses and everything else, his balance was way smaller than he expected.
Liam exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair. Looks like I’ll have to call my uncle again.
He was just about to return the phone and pick a cheaper model when, suddenly, a delicate, well-manicured hand slipped a credit card onto the counter beside his.
Liam’s eyes slowly traced the hand upwards, following the smooth, slender fingers to the slim wrist, then to the fair, delicate skin of an arm that led up to a face so stunning and familiar that it took him half a second to process what was happening.
Ann.
She was standing beside him, a playful smile curving her lips as she winked at him before turning to the cashier.
"Use my card instead."
The cashier hesitated for a moment, eyeing her curiously before glancing at Liam with a look that could only be described as jealous contempt.
Liam noticed the way the man’s mustache twitched slightly, the way his gaze flickered between him and Ann, as if trying to process how someone like him ended up with someone like her.
Ann, still smiling, wrapped her arms around Liam in a half-hug, resting her chin lightly against his shoulder as she sucked on the lollipop in her mouth, completely oblivious to the look the cashier was giving Liam.
"Lucky bastard," the cashier’s expression seemed to say. "Not only do you have a girl this stunning, but she’s paying for your stuff too?"
Liam, feeling the intense glare, avoided eye contact and instead focused on the girl in his arms, who looked completely relaxed, as if she had done nothing unusual.
Ann, licking the lollipop lazily, tilted her head slightly and grinned.
"What?" she asked, noticing his expression.
Liam sighed, shaking his head.
"Nothing."
He took the phone box as the cashier completed the transaction and handed it over.
As they stepped away from the counter, Liam turned to Ann. "So, how was school?"
Ann made a face, waving her hand dismissively.
"Boring as always." She huffed. "I don’t even wanna talk about it."
Liam chuckled. "That bad, huh?"
Ann nodded dramatically. "Absolutely. But—" she paused, narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked up at him, "—Amanda told me everything."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Amanda?"
Ann nodded again, twirling the lollipop between her lips.
"Yup. She said you told her to tell me to avoid you." Her voice was light, but there was an underlying sharpness to it.
Liam felt a small wave of appreciation wash over him. Amanda did just as he asked.
Ann frowned slightly, her brows furrowing as she recalled Amanda’s words.
"She said you were in some sort of trouble."
Before she could say anything else, Liam quickly pressed a finger against her lips.
"We’ll talk about it when we get home." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Ann blinked but didn’t protest. Instead, she removed his finger with her own hand and shook her head.
"Can’t."
Liam frowned. "Why?"
Ann sighed, tilting her head towards the bag in her hand. "My brother sent me on an errand. I just got lucky and saw you here."
Liam’s frown deepened. He glanced at the small package she was holding before looking back at her.
"Your house is almost an hour’s walk away from here." His tone was skeptical. "What could possibly make you come all the way here?"
Ann scratched her head, looking slightly sheepish before finally admitting the truth.
"I haven’t seen you in a long time, so I came to check on you before heading home."
Liam felt his heart soften slightly at her words. But still his mind protested, ’We literally saw each other two or three days ago and she is on neck now"
She continued, "I actually checked your house first, but you weren’t there. So on my way back, I saw you inside this shop."
Liam stared at her for a moment, then exhaled. This girl...
Even after all the things he had done to push her away, she still cared.
Still chose to look for him.
Still worried.
A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he shook his head.
"You’re something else, you know that?"
Ann simply grinned, sticking out her tongue playfully.
"Of course, I am."
Liam stood on the sidewalk, watching as Ann waved down a passing taxi with effortless ease. The bright light cast a golden hue over the scene, making her black hair shine under the light breeze that swept through the street.
Just before stepping into the cab, she turned back toward him, her warm brown eyes twinkling mischievously as she leaned in suddenly and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
Liam barely had time to react before she pulled away with a teasing grin, the faint taste of her strawberry-scented lip gloss lingering on his skin.
"See you later, dumbass." She winked before skipping toward the cab with a lightness in her step, as if she didn’t have a single care in the world.
Liam stood frozen for a moment, touching the spot on his cheek where her lips had just been. This girl...
Shaking his head, he exhaled and gave her a halfhearted wave as the taxi took off, disappearing into the stream of traffic.
Just as he turned around, he suddenly became aware of a presence standing right beside him.
A deep, gruff voice spoke.
"Tch. What kind of sorcery is this?"
Liam stiffened slightly before slowly shifting his gaze to the side.
Standing next to him, rubbing his thick mustache with an unimpressed expression, was the same middle-aged cashier from the phone store.
What the fuck?
Liam took a half-step back, "Why are you here?"
The old man ignored his question and instead stroked his mustache with even greater intensity, his sharp eyes scanning Liam up and down.
"How in the hell did you bag a girl that beautiful?" The man’s voice was thick with disbelief. "Apart from your pretty face, you look pretty useless."
Liam almost spit out blood on the spot.
Useless?
Did this old hag just call him useless to his face?
What the actual fuck was wrong with this guy?
Before Liam could even think of a proper response, the man continued mercilessly.
"Let me guess... you must be rich, huh?"
Liam was about to snap when the old man suddenly raised a hand.
"No, wait—" The man immediately corrected himself before Liam could even reply. "Wrong question. You’re broke as fuck. You couldn’t even afford your own phone."
Liam inhaled deeply, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Listen here, old man—"
But the guy wasn’t finished.
"Alright, alright. So, if it’s not money, then it must be power, right?" The man leaned in slightly. "Are you some kind of hidden martial arts master or a secret gang leader?"
Liam gritted his teeth. "No."
The cashier stroked his mustache again, narrowing his eyes.
"Huh. Interesting."
Liam exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing himself to walk away.
But the old man was persistent.
"Wait, wait, wait—" He took a step forward, blocking Liam’s path. "Then maybe... is your father some kind of important figure? A politician? A businessman? A mafia boss?"
Liam snapped.
"Fuck off, old man!" His voice was laced with frustration as he shoved past him. "She doesn’t like me because of those ridiculous things you just mentioned!"
The cashier watched him go, still stroking his mustache with an unreadable expression.
Liam, shaking his head, kept walking down the street, trying to shake off the irritation from that bizarre encounter.
As he continued, he suddenly muttered to himself—his thoughts taking a strange turn.
"Wait... was it the system?"
Could that be the real reason Ann liked him? Was it some kind of hidden influence from whatever force had brought him back into this crazy world?
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
DING!
A blue screen popped up in front of him.
[System Message]: NO, BITCH.
Liam stopped in his tracks, his left eye twitching slightly.
"..."
What the actual fuck?
Since when did the system start cursing at him?
He stared at the glowing text for a long moment before exhaling, rubbing his temples in pure exhaustion.
"Why the hell is everybody around me cursing lately?" He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Then, under his breath—
"Bitches."
****
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