Chapter 76 | Who’s Bullying Who?
Chapter 76: 76 | Who’s Bullying Who?
Dante was pulled out of his thoughts as Emma tried to slip away.
He immediately put his other hand on the wall, trapping her between his arms.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Dante said with a grin, looking down at Emma who was caged between him and the wall.
"L-let me go! What if someone sees us?" Emma said in a flustered tone.
She had no idea what she was going to tell Sasha but she knew for a fact that no amount of explaining would make that woman believe her.
"You didn’t seem to care about that when you had me pinned a minute ago." He said in a teasing tone.
"Anyway, you got your revenge. Now let me go, pleaseee!" Emma tried to push his arm away with both hands but he didn’t budge one bit.
Dante watched her struggle and decided it was time for the final blow.
"Who said I was done?"
"Wha-what do you mean?" Emma stopped struggling the instant she heard those words. She looked up at him with a nervous face. She wanted to back away but her back was already pressed flat against the wall with nowhere left to go.
"I..." Dante leaned forward, sliding his knee between her legs until it pressed against her inner thigh.
Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
"Stop it right now, Dante! What do you think you’re doing to your big sister?!" She tried to shove him away but he caught both her wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand.
"Big sister? We’re literally one month apart." He paused, then smiled. "But if that’s what you like, fine. I’ll call you that. But before that..."
He stopped talking and leaned toward her face.
Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
’No way. There’s no way he’s going to kiss me right here in the hallway.’ Emma watched his face getting closer and closer and squeezed her eyes shut. ’Is this how I’m going to lose my first kiss?!’
Her heart was pounding so hard it hurt. She pressed her lips together and held her breath.
But even after a few seconds, nothing came.
’Why is he taking so long?’ She was about to open her eyes when his lips stopped right beside her ear.
"That’s a cute expression you are making, Big Sis." He whispered, his voice low enough to make her skin crawl.
"But sorry to disappoint you. I’ll make it up to you by going to the gala as your partner."
He blew a soft breath of warm air into her ear at the end and her entire body shivered from head to toe.
With that, Dante let go of her and walked away with a grin on his face.
Behind him, Emma’s legs gave out and she slowly slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.
She watched his figure disappear down the hallway with a blank expression.
’What just happened?’ She came back to her senses and blinked a few times in confusion. But as she replayed every single second in her mind, her fists clenched and her teeth gritted together.
"That idiot played me!" Her face was burning with anger and embarrassment.
She had pressed her lips together and closed her eyes like she was ready for a kiss and he just whispered in her ear and walked away.
’If he was going to say yes, why did he have to do all that?! He was definitely messing with me on purpose!’
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Task 1. Please wait for the next task patiently.]
’What? I didn’t fail the task?’ Emma stared at the notification in disbelief. ’System, did you make a mistake? I clearly failed that.’
[What are you talking about? Didn’t you fulfill the requirements?]
The requirement was to wall slam Dante and make him agree to go to the gala.
"Yes, I did, but—" She tried to explain.
[Then what’s the problem? You met the requirements and completed the task. Is it really that hard to understand?]
Emma had a puzzled look on her face. Technically, she did complete the mission. She wall slammed him and he agreed to go.
But she had completely failed to bully him.
In the end, she was the one who got bullied.
’Is that really how this works?’ She should have been happy about it. Just meeting the requirements was enough to complete the mission regardless of how she did them.
This was a good thing.
But deep down, something felt off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Just as she tried to think about it further, the scene of Dante pinning her against the wall flooded back into her mind.
’System, why is Dante acting so differently? He was never like this before. He pulled that off like he’d done it a hundred times. As far as I know, he’s never even had a girlfriend.’ Emma was getting goosebumps just thinking about it.
[Target is in a rogue state.]
[After finding out about his condition and the fight with your Master, he decided to live the way he always wanted without any regrets.]
’Then doesn’t that mean... this is the best chance I’ll ever have to be with him?’ She asked with her eyes shining brightly.
[That’s right!]
’Then why do I have to bully him? Can’t I just confess?’
[NO.]
’Why? Doesn’t he like me?’
[He does like you. A lot. But he doesn’t plan to be with you. He knows your future lies somewhere else and that you are destined to become an awakener.]
Emma went silent.
She had no interest in being an awakener but she always knew deep down she would become one someday. It was a gut feeling she could never shake.
It seemed like the two of them were never meant to be together no matter what.
’Is he afraid he’ll die before me and leave me alone? Is that why?’ She paused. ’Then why did he do all of that just now?’
[He still hasn’t completely given up on you.]
After that, she didn’t ask any more questions.
That was all she needed to hear.
’I need to prepare well for the gala.’ She stood up from the floor and patted down her clothes before walking toward her office.
She understood something from the first mission.
Regardless of how she completed them, the two of them would be brought closer as a result. More importantly, the missions were her only way of getting the cure for him right now.
She walked into her office and closed the door behind her.
An irresistible smile appeared on her face.
’A-and I’m not losing out on anything.’ She thought as that voice kept replaying in her head.
’Big sis.’
’That’s a cute expression you’re making.’
’Big sis.’
"Idiot..." Emma bit her lip with a smile. "Next time, I will bully you for real!"
A few seconds later, she realized something.
"Wait, where did that guy run off to?" She immediately tried calling him but he didn’t pick up. She checked Chatsapp and found a message that made her face twist.
[Big sis, I’m taking the rest of the day off! Have a nice day! Don’t skip your meals!]
"THIS BASTARD PLANNED THE WHOLE THING!"