Chapter 4

LEVI’S POV

Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi

“I fell by the wayside like everyone else. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, but I was just kidding myself. Our every moment, I start to replace. ‘Cause now that they’re gone, all I hear are the words that I needed to say.”

I was singing while I was breaking the shell of an egg. I was cooking some sunny-side up egg, fried rice, and hotdog for breakfast. 

“When you hurt under the surface like troubled water running cold. Well, time can heal, but this won’t,” I hummed.

“What’s that?” I heard Caius’ voice from behind as well as his footsteps towards the kitchen, but I didn’t mind him. 

“Ugh, my head! I think I drank too much last night,” he whined.

“So, before you go, was there something I could’ve said to make your heart beat better? If only I’d have known you had a storm to weather so, before you go, was there something I could’ve said to make it all stop hurting? It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless...”

I stopped from singing when he threw the potholder right on my butt. 

“Hey! What the hell? Why did you do that?” I shrieked out as I looked at him.

“You’re so loud!” he snorted, massaging his temples as he sat to his spot in the dinning area.

“Why? Are you the only one who can be loud in this dorm?” I shouted as I pointed the tongs to him. “I’m singing! Tsk!”

“Levi...” he said and made a face.

“What?” I snarled.

“You’re smart.”

I gulped and said, “I know.”

“You’re kind.”

“I know as well.”

“Dangsineun jeongmal kwiyeowoyo!” You are very cute!

“I know,” I replied confidently.

“You have almost a perfect symmetrical face and you’re handsome!” he emphasized.

I cleared my throat and said almost smiling, “I k-know!”

“Just do whatever you want to do, but...” he paused.

My forehead creased as I stared at him. 

“But?”

He let out a sigh.

“You know what? Just stick to being a smart guy who knows almost everything about science and such, but please! Just please,” he begged as he massaged his whole face, “don't sing as loud as hell if you wouldn’t hit the notes properly, especially the high notes. It’s deafening, gosh! You're like a croaking frog! My ear, my head, my—ouch! Ouch! Hey! Darn it!” 

I cut him off by throwing the tongs to his face. How dare he bullied my voice?

“Go to hell, you little punk!” I shouted. “You won’t eat!” I threatened him and started to hide the foods from him.

“Mwo? Ya! Maldo andwae! Ya!" What? Hey! No way! Hey!

He started to catch me.

“Me? Like a croaking frog? Do I even look like a frog? Tss, die!” I protested as I drifted back and forth in front of the electric stove.

“I’m just kidding! Hey! Give me some, Levi!” he pleaded as he inched towards me.

“Kidding me your face! Cook your own food, you nasty creature!”

“Levi!”

“No!” I said with a great deal of composure.

I didn’t mind him. I ate while we ran, watched him beg for some sunny-side up egg because he didn’t know how to make one, and laughed when he fell on the floor while he was chased me around the kitchen. 

In the end, he forced himself to cook his own food for his breakfast. Croaking frog, huh? Then, that’s what he got!

Our first subject would start two hours from now, so we groomed ourselves after that commotion happened in the kitchen.

That brat!

I shuffled the moment I entered the school gate. Caius was walking behind me, mumbling about the little wound on his elbow he got when he slipped on the kitchen floor earlier.

“It hurts! It hurts! It hurts—aww,” he complained.

I stopped from walking and turned my head to him. 

“Are you gay? It’s just a little cut! That suits you anyway for saying bad things about my precious voice!” I carped as I rolled my eyes.

“You hurt me! I hate you!” he stormed off, fanning his wound.

“I never hurt you. You hurt yourself. Don’t blame me,” I said. 

I was about to walk away when I saw Adalee almost beside me staring at us. I hemmed and hawed as I was a bit struck by her presence.

“Adalee?” I uttered.

“I’m sorry. I overheard the b-both of you when I was passing by, but who’s hurt?” she asked.

“Adalee!”

Cauis suddenly inched towards Adalee. 

“He hurt me,” he whimpered, clung his arm to Adalee as he pointed his index finger to me.

My eyes widened. When did he became close with her?

“Caius! What are you doing?” I fumed when I saw him too close with her, but he just stuck his tongue out on me. This jerk!

“Levi hurt me. Look,” Caius said, revealing his cut to Adalee which made me more irritated.

“Oh. Does it hurts?” Adalee asked as she looked at Caius with concern.

“Yes. It really hurts,” Caius cried. His face was scrunched up as he pouted.

“Caius,” Adalee said. She took a glance at me before looking at Caius again. 

“Just go to the clinic to get your wound be treated. It’s just a little cut. It will heal soon,” she added.

“T-that’s right! It’s just a little wound. You won’t die with it unless I kill you now!” I shouted, glaring at Caius who was wearing his snickering ugly face.

“Mean.” Caius teased me as he stuck his tongue out for the second time. He’s really getting into my nerves!

“Goodbye! I’m going! I don’t want to die yet!” he said, waved his hands, and ran away.

“Him and his filthy mouth! Tsk!” I bit my lips as I tried to calm myself. My heart was pounding so hard!

“Cute,” Adalee mumbled. I caught her smiling as she watched Caius walked away. There’s no way! Cute, my foot.

“Cute? He’s ugly. Ugly!” I whispered under my breath.

“L-Levi?”

I composed myself as I tightened the grip in the strap of my bag. “Yes?” I replied.

“I’m s-sorry about yesterday. I was r-really in a hurry. Something c-came up at home," she explained. 

She couldn’t even look at me straight. I could sense that she would leave once I accept her reason, but I was a little desperate to have a conversation with her.

“Ah, really?” I said. “Would you mind if I ask what happened?”

She was mute for a moment, staring at me, doubtful. 

“Sure...” she finally uttered.

Left, right, left, right—we’re now walking down the school hallways going to the library. It was still an hour before the class would start.

“I thought you forgot about your date that’s why you were in a rush yesterday,” I said, surmising if she would probably dating someone.

“N-no, of course not!” she disagreed with firmness in her tone, giving my whole system such happiness. “I’m not dating anyone.”

“Really? Well, that’s good.”

“G-good? What do y-you mean?”

I gulped before I could utter words. 

“Ah, I mean, it’s good. You can focus more on your studies and to your grandmother as well. T-that’s what I meant to say," I said, trying to avoid from getting caught. I scratched my forehead and looked away.

“My grandmother needs me,” she said, breathing heavily. “It’s urgent, so I needed to buy her maintenance that time.”

“Oh, is that so? Is she okay now?”

“Yes,” she said, then smiled, “luckily.”

“That’s a relief. I hope for your grandmother’s good health,” I said.

“T-thank you.”

We were just centimeters away from the library’s main door when a voice from behind shouted Adalee’s name.

“Adalee! Adalee!” a voice suddenly shouted constantly. 

We automatically shifted around, and we saw a guy rushing towards our direction. My face twisted in curiosity because it was an unfamiliar guy calling my precious Adalee.

“Hi, Adalee,” he greeted, breathing in and out, desperately grasping for air.

My eyebrows automatically knitted in confusion.

“Who are you?” mindlessly, I asked, but he was a total bastard who had the guts to ignore my existence.

I peered into him from head to foot. He had five inches and seven as I estimated. I was talking about his height, and obviously, I was 2 inches taller.

My eyes locked up at his chest down to his pot belly and I chuckled in my thoughts. One pack ab? Tss. I was way more good-looking than him, of course!

“Y-yes?” Adalee mumbled. Her face was questioning, she probably didn’t know this guy as well.

“I’m Ced from Tourism department. I’m a fan of yours,” he said, smiling widely, revealing his metal-braced teeth as he was stretching his hand towards her for a handshake. 

Fan? What was he talking about?

“F-fan? I’m a non-celebrity and I’m not f-famous. H-how?”

“Your beautiful.”

I rolled my eyes.

Adalee was too shy that she scratched the back of her ear, barely smiling. I snorted as I tapped Ced’s hand away. I couldn’t just let him touch her!

“She obviously don’t know you. Just go away!” I grunted, glaring at him.

“L-Levi...” Adalee said softly as she tried to stop me. 

I suddenly felt her hands on my arm, electrifying my whole body with her touch.

“I'm not talking to you,” Ced snorted as he gazed into me, then back to Adalee.

“What the! Y-you j-jerk! How could—”

“I like you, Adalee. Please let me court you.”

My eyes widened.

“What?” I shouted in almost complete surprise. 

What the hell was he saying?