MTLNOVEL Lie Again!
Chapter 14
<Chapter 14. Freaky Friday (3)> Butterfield swept his hair back, revealing a neat forehead, which gave him a more mature and confident appearance, quite different from his usual youthful look. Jin, who had grown accustomed to his appearance, found her gaze helplessly drawn to him.
Even Crawford and the general crowd seemed to glance at Butterfield from time to time. His light brown hair gleamed under the sunlight, and he wore a simple white T-shirt, jeans, and a single watch on his wrist. The simple outfit, almost monotone, instead highlighted his green eyes, reminding one of the refreshing hues of summer greenery. “Who?” The man leaned closer to Jin and asked. A faint trace of irritation appeared on Butterfield’s face. Jin hesitated, unsure of how to introduce Butterfield. Friend, acquaintance, detention-cleaning partner, essay partner… Many words flashed through her mind, but none seemed quite right. As Jin hesitated, the announcement for the game’s start echoed through the stadium. The marching band marched onto the field in perfect formation. Soon, the grand melody of the U.S. national anthem filled the air. Because the audience all stood up and placed their hands over their hearts, Jin and the man also had to awkwardly rise from their seats. As a result, a strange picture was completed, with two men facing each other with a woman between them. Jin tried to subtly shift her position to escape the awkward formation, but to her right stood Butterfield, and to her left, 0.2 Butterfield, both standing firm, leaving her no space to move. As Jin awkwardly shifted her footing, her body unintentionally leaned closer to the man. Without taking his eyes off him, Butterfield reached out, grasped Jin’s elbow, and pulled her toward him. She could feel the curious gazes from all around, watching intently. As attention gathered on them, Jin’s face gradually turned red from the tips of her ears. She felt as if she had been unwillingly dragged into a love triangle she wanted no part of. The thought of how the Crawford students would gossip about this scene terrified her. Regardless of the growing attention around them, the two men kept their eyes fixed solely on each other. It seemed like Jin was the only one feeling awkward about the situation. Jin prayed earnestly in her heart that Dustin and Ruth would come sooner. “I think it would be better to go.” With a beer cup in one hand and the other resting loosely on his hip, Butterfield exuded a peculiar aura against the backdrop of the cheering crowd watching the game. The man’s place seemed to be not here, amidst the excited crowd, but on the field, where an incredible game was unfolding, receiving the applause and cheers pouring down. “Your coach is looking at you fiercely from there.” Butterfield gestured toward the opposite side of the field. There, on the sideline outside the field, a middle-aged man was looking their way. His arms were tightly crossed, and even from afar, the atmosphere was ominous. The middle-aged man who made eye contact with the man pointed at him with his finger. The man muttered a curse under his breath, looking defeated. The same man who had been engaged in a battle of egos just moments ago now shook his head, his face darkened with frustration. “What a shame. See you next time.” The man who greeted Jin with a shrug lowered his body and quickly left, hiding himself in the crowd. Jin sighed in relief, glad that this ridiculous commotion had finally ended. Watching the man’s back as he walked away, she silently prayed that they would never cross paths again. “Did I interrupt something?” A sarcastic voice came to Jin’s ear. Jin turned her gaze to Butterfield at the sudden sound. “What?” Butterfield didn’t answer Jin’s question and simply walked down the aisle. Tung. The plastic cup that Butterfield was holding was thrown into the trash can. Jin watched his retreating figure with a confused gaze as he joined Jonathan Hanson’s group in the front rows. Since the day her ankle bandage had been neatly wrapped, Butterfield had barely spoken to Jin for nearly a week. He would finish their shared cleaning duties quickly and disappear without a word. The contrast between the warmth of his hand on her ankle that day and the cold indifference he had shown since then was so big that Jin couldn’t be sure if it had been real or just a dream. And now, once again, he had approached her unexpectedly, shaken her up completely, and then just walked away as if nothing had happened. What on earth are you thinking? If she could, she would have liked to crack open his head and take a look inside. Suppressing the urge to pull at his hair, Jin stared at Butterfield, but the person whose gaze met hers was Jonathan Hanson, who, with a strange expression, winked at her. Just like in the chemistry lab, Butterfield didn’t look back at Jin for the entire game. By the time the cheerleader performance began, Ruth and Dustin returned, their hands piled high with hot dogs sprinkled with Cheetos, nachos piled with toppings, and a burger that seemed to have five patties in it. While drinking the cola that Ruth had handed her, Jin watched the performance with mixed feelings. Joey and Emily Gwen soared through the air, balancing precariously. Though the two didn’t get along well, their synchronization in cheerleading was flawless. Every time the blonde, blue-eyed girls moved in perfect harmony like a mirror image, cheers erupted from the crowd. “She’s good.” Ruth let out a small chuckle and muttered something. Meanwhile, Dustin, chewing his hot dog with a bored expression, made an indifferent remark about wishing the game would just start already. Jin diligently recorded the video as Joey had firmly requested beforehand. However, in truth, she couldn’t focus at all. The brown hair lingering at the edge of her vision kept stealing her attention. Butterfield, sitting in the front row, was like a hangnail at the edge of Jin’s nerves, making it impossible to avoid him. He distracted her from focusing on the game, constantly bringing her back to the events that had happened earlier. Meanwhile, Butterfield himself was laughing and chatting with Olivia in the seat next to him, enjoying the game without a care. You were the one who approached so carelessly, so why am I the only one searching for meaning in your actions? Why only me? Feeling wronged, Jin glared at the back of his head in frustration. However, the focus that Butterfield had taken from her was never returned—not when the game started, nor by the time it ended. That day, the game ended in Crawford’s defeat. Swept along by the crowd—sighing, grumbling, and cursing as they exited the stadium—Jin, too, shared in the feeling of loss. However, it was a feeling distinctly different from the sense of defeat that those around her were dwelling on. Jin left Cottonwood with a slightly self-deprecating mood, struggling to erase the image of someone’s back that had been lingering in her mind throughout the game. * * * After the match with Cottonwood, a gloomy atmosphere lingered over Crawford for a while. However, there was no time to dwell on the defeat as Homecoming Week was quickly approaching. With assignments to complete and festival preparations to handle, the students soon shook off their disappointment and returned to their usual routines. Jin was no exception. She still cleaned the chemistry lab after class, and she still didn’t exchange a single word with Butterfield. Jin’s mood still went up and down as he watched him leave after cleaning. “Have you decided where you’re going for volunteer work?” Ruth asked as he picked up a fry. Before they knew it, September had passed, and the first semester was already halfway through. It was about time for the students to start figuring out how to complete their required 20 hours of volunteer work. “I’m thinking of trying the library this time.” “I want to go to the library, too.” At Joey’s response, Dustin quickly followed her lead and decided on the same destination. Then, he leaned back in his chair, looking around at the others from behind Joey, blinking his eyes wildly. Jin, Ruth, and Amanda all had questioning expressions on their faces. When no one understood his intent, Dustin began rubbing his palms together frantically and mouthed something while holding up his index finger. Jin frowned as she tried to read his lips. Just once? The kids exchanged hesitant glances. Lately, Dustin had been showing an unusual interest in Joey. Up until the Cottonwood game, he hadn’t seemed to think much of her, but for some reason, he was now actively trying to create opportunities to be alone with her. “Oh, um. I think I’ll go back to the nursing home I visited last time.” “I’ll go there this time too. Let’s go together, Jin.” Amanda awkwardly played along with Ruth’s stiff acting. Avoiding Joey’s betrayed gaze, Jin nodded with a creak. “Um, but, uh, what kind of work do you do there?” Jin desperately tried to change the subject, but the answer came from an unexpected place. “Hey, Beaner.” Dave Miller, who always wore his basketball team uniform, looked down at Dustin with a malicious smile. “Beans were served today, so why are you eating French fries?” You’re not French, you’re Beaner. Miller chuckled with his friends, but Jin and the others’ expressions hardened. “Look who it is. The guy who got destroyed by me in the practice game, Dave. Eat plenty of beans, Dave. You could use some strength.” While everyone was glaring at Miller, Dustin, who had been directly insulted, made fun of Miller with a relaxed smile. Miller’s face turned a mix of red and purple. For a moment, as he huffed and puffed, he and Jin’s gazes met. As if he had found an opportunity, the corner of his mouth lifted into a sly grin. “Latino and Ching Chang Chong, what a sight. You guys should just stop crawling your way in and get the hell back to your own countries…!” Swoosh. A hamburger landed on Miller’s face. The leftover hamburger slid down his red face, revealing its contents. Everyone looked at Amanda with blank expressions. 1) Beaner: A derogatory slur originally from the United States to refer to individuals from Mexico or of Mexican American heritage. It originates from the bean being a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine, such as Salsa Verde Soup or Bean Quesadilla. Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and
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