Chapter 310
Seeing his conflicted expression, Suzy suddenly smiled.
This won’t do, she thought to herself.
She could tell Liam liked her, but it was just a mild attraction—miles away from love or affection. And even further from successfully winning him over.
This really won’t do.
Steeling herself, Suzy spoke up again. "Liam, do you find it exhausting to hang out with me?"
Liam snapped his head up.
"No," he said, answering so quickly he barely had time to think. "I don’t find it exhausting at all."
He had never felt tired around her; in fact, she made him happy. He couldn’t even remember when her presence had started influencing his mood like this. Without realizing it, he had begun to care about Suzy, to feel his heart flutter for her, and to look forward to seeing her.
"Then what is it?" Suzy pressed stubbornly.
Liam opened his mouth, then closed it again. His fingers gripped his thighs tightly, his knuckles turning white as his bright red lips pressed into a thin line. The faint furrow between his brows reappeared. He looked at her, a flicker of light dancing in his eyes.
"I don’t know," he muttered at last, his voice so low he might as well have been talking to himself. "I just... don’t know what to say to you."
Suzy blinked in surprise, then let out a soft laugh, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.
"That’s it?" she asked.
"...Yeah." A faint, awkward flush crept back onto Liam’s cheeks.
"You don’t actually have to say anything. It’s fine to just sit in silence," Suzy said earnestly.
Liam’s lips parted slightly, and he looked at her with a hint of surprise.
As their eyes locked, Suzy suddenly leaned in closer to him. Closer and closer. Just as she was about to press her face against his, she stopped. Neither of them moved a muscle, frozen in place like statues.
Suzy waited with bated breath for his reaction. But after a moment, he still hadn’t made a move, leaving her a bit disappointed. She felt she had been forward enough; there was no way Liam didn’t understand what she meant.
Which means his affection level just isn’t high enough yet.
What a pity. I guess I’ll have to take it slow, she thought.
But the moment the thought crossed her mind, anxiety flared. Time was running out. To wake up the system and handle Derek’s situation, she needed to complete Liam’s romance route as quickly as possible. But this guy was proving to be way harder to crack than she’d anticipated.
This is bad. Really bad.
Her mind raced. Part of her wanted to just give up for now—she had already put herself out there, yet he hadn’t reacted at all. If she pushed any harder, she might just push him away.
Overwhelmed by her doubts, Suzy was just about to pull away when Liam suddenly leaned forward. His bright red lips gently pressed against the corner of her mouth.
Time seemed to stop.
Suzy froze, completely stunned.
Wait, what?! Am I dreaming? Liam actually initiated a kiss!
She stared blankly. Liam didn’t pull back right away either, holding the pose for a few seconds before slowly backing away, sheepishly biting his lip. Seeing that Suzy was still frozen like a statue, he shifted uncomfortably, pressing his lips together again.
Suzy’s mind buzzed, as if hundreds of butterflies were fluttering their wings all at once. Her eyelashes fluttered. The warmth of Liam’s lips lingered on hers—warm, soft, and slightly dry.
She looked at him.
Liam’s face was completely flushed, from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck, and even the small patch of collarbone peeking out from his shirt was tinted pink. Biting his lip, he kept his eyes trained on her shoulder, not daring to look at her, his long lashes cast downward.
Both of their breaths were ragged.
Finally coming back to her senses, Suzy let out a small smile. She could hear her heart hammering wildly, the sound of her blood rushing in her ears. Unable to help herself, she reached out and gently brushed her fingertips against the corner of his mouth.
His lips were incredibly soft, dipping slightly under the pressure of her finger before springily bouncing back.
Liam’s body stiffened as if he’d been hit by an electric shock, but this time, he didn’t pull away.
"Liam," Suzy said softly, her voice like a feather brushing past.
Liam’s eyelashes fluttered before he finally looked up, meeting her gaze once more. His eyes were still bright and watery; those features, which usually carried a touch of melancholy, now looked raw and anxious.
"Just now..." Suzy paused, the curve of her smile widening. "What were you doing?"
Liam’s lips moved, but no sound came out. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared at her. Her pale face was inches away, and the curve of her eyes and smile held a strange, magnetic pull.
In that fraction of a second, Liam felt a sudden tightening in his chest, an aching fullness that he couldn’t quite identify as pain or something else entirely.
"...Kissing you," he murmured.
Liam managed to squeeze out those two words, his voice barely audible.
Suzy blinked, not expecting him to be so direct, and her smile deepened. She had assumed he would make up an excuse—something like "It was nothing," or "I bumped into you by accident." She hadn’t expected him to tell the truth.
He was more honest than she had anticipated.
But it still wasn’t enough for Suzy. Not nearly enough. She wanted to hear him say more, to say something else.
Leaning toward him once again, she lightly rested her hand on his shoulder. She tilted her head, her long hair cascading down and veiling half her face.
Looking straight into his eyes, she asked softly, "Why did you kiss me?"
Liam’s face flushed even deeper, a fierce, burning heat radiating across his cheeks.
This was the first time he had ever been this close to a girl, and the first time he had been cornered into confessing his true feelings. It was uncomfortable, certainly. But because the person looking back at him was the girl he liked, the moment felt just as wonderful as it did agonizing.
"I... I..."
Suzy didn’t rush him.
She stayed right where she was, so close to him that she could trace the curve of his eyelashes and catch the faint, clean scent washing off him. Her heart was hammering, but she purposefully slowed her breathing to appear more composed than he was—even though her own nerves were fluttering.
"...It’s just," Liam finally squeezed out before locking up again.
"Just what?" Suzy pressed, her fingertips lightly tracing his shoulder instead of pulling away.
Liam’s Adam’s apple bobbed again.
"I just wanted to."
He finally forced the words out, though his voice sounded muffled and incredibly self-conscious.