Villain Ch 34. My Offer Still Applies
“So… that means all of us have a chance, right?” Bella said, her voice ringing out clear and strong in the silence. “Or are you still closing yourself in?”
His eyes flickered back and forth between Bella and the other members of their group. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. “I moved on a long time ago,” he clarified. “It’s just… most of my homies are boys. So…” He opened his hand and smiled dryly as if he were saying “here I am.”
Worse still, most of his homies already had girlfriends, and they spent more time with their significant others than with him now. He missed the old days when they could all hang out together, eating pizza, drinking coke, and watching the game or spending a whole night playing FPS (First Person Shooter) games.
Larissa was back online. She interrupted their conversation, and her eyes darted back and forth between Bella and Allen, her expression one of confusion. “Ehm…” she cleared her throat. “Mind explaining what you guys are talking about since I don’t have any idea about this?” she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of curiosity.
Bella wasted no time getting straight to the point. She placed a reassuring hand on Larissa’s shoulder and spoke with a seriousness that belied the light-heartedness of their conversation. “Allen is single,” she announced, her eyes flickering back and forth between her two friends. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝑙．𝑐𝘰𝘮
Larissa was momentarily stunned. She stared at Allen, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You’re single?!” she repeated, her voice rising in pitch.
Allen couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. He had never considered his relationship status to be such a shock to anyone. “Yes,” he said, his voice calm and measured.
Larissa’s eyes gleamed with mischief as she leaned in closer to him, a seductive smile playing across her lips. “That is good news,” she purred, her tone suggestive. “Don’t forget my earlier offer. It still applies.”
For a moment, there was silence. Allen could feel the weight of Larissa’s words settling over him like a thick blanket.
“I will think about it,” he said at last, his tone carefully neutral. He knew that his response would be taken as a sign of interest, but he couldn’t let her know it.
Alice, Vivian, and Bella turned to Larissa, their eyes wide with curiosity. Alice couldn’t help but ask, “What offer?”
Larissa hesitated, her gaze flickering away from Alice’s. “It’s kind of personal,” she finally replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “So… I can’t say it.”
The air was thick with tension as the three girls exchanged glances. What could Larissa be keeping from them? Alice wondered. Vivian and Bella seemed equally perplexed.
Their attention turned to Allen, who had been quiet throughout the conversation. From their expressions, it was clear that they were silently urging him to shed some light on the matter.
But before he could even speak, Larissa interjected with a frown. “Hey, I’m still here. At least ask him that after I’m gone.”
The atmosphere was awkward so he decided to break it. “Anyway,” he said abruptly, “I have to go now. Is there anything else you would like to talk about?”
‘Or do you guys want to do it with me to fill up your HP and DP?’ He was tempted to say that but thought better of it. After all, they had just met, and it wouldn’t do to offend them.
The girls looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Bella, on the other hand, looked offended. “Are you trying to run away from us?” she demanded, her tone accusing.
Allen shook his head; his expression was apologetic. “No, it’s not,” he explained. “I have an appointment with my friend tomorrow morning. We will meet at the gym, so I can’t sleep too late tonight.”
Vivian’s eyes widened in disbelief as she listened to Allen’s response. “Oh! You are quite responsible for a gamer,” she said, shock evident in her tone. “I thought they were all a nocturnal type.”
Allen chuckled softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I still want to live a long life, you know?” he reminded her. As someone who lived alone, falling ill was something that would only make things difficult for him. Instead of waiting to treat an illness, he preferred to prevent it as best he could.
Alice joined in, her voice light and teasing. “Ah~ I love responsible men~,” she joked.
He smiled at the compliment. Before he could say anything else, Vivian spoke up. “Before you go,” she said, “I think you should add us as your friends. So whenever you come online, we will find out.”
Allen nodded. He had been so caught up in the excitement of the last battle that he had forgotten to add them as friends. “Sure,” he said, “I’d be happy to add you guys.”
He waved his hand in front of him. Allen navigated through the menus of the game and added them one by one.
“So the last three should be Jane, Shea and Zoe,” he reminded them.
Vivian frowned. “Yeah, but we didn’t see them at all,” she said.
Larissa nodded in agreement. “Likewise with us,” she added.
“Well, they’re probably busy,” Allen suggested, trying to offer an explanation. “If they’re not online tomorrow, we can ask them in the group chat,” he added, reminding everyone of the group chat they had created before leaving the café. It was a convenient way to exchange information and coordinate their gaming sessions. But Allen hadn’t said anything there when he decided to go inside the Tower of Power. He had only planned to take a quick peek. But who knew, he ended up spending a whole three hours there with Larissa.
“Well, Shea and Zoe look different from us after all. They have the wealthy people’s aura,” Alice observed.
Bella’s response was immediate and indignant. “You’re fucking rich, Alice! How could you say that?” she exclaimed.
Alice smiled wryly, understanding Bella’s frustration. “I mean, crazy rich people,” she clarified, gesturing with her hands to emphasize her point.
As the conversation continued, Allen checked the time on the corner of his screen and realized that he needed to leave soon. He couldn’t afford to stay up too late.
“I need to go now, guys,” he announced. “See ya tomorrow,” he added, waving goodbye to the group.
“Okay. Nite, Allen,” they responded in unison.