BXBX NOVEL Chapter 42: Confession
[You had gained 10 points for your Intelligence.]
[Skill Level (Intelligence): 35.]
Arnold made another huge progress in his Intelligence advancement after winning the championship match. Although it was lower than what he had gotten from the fatal five-way elimination match, it was still quite satisfying.
"Just fifteen more points and I will gain my first Anonymous Skill. I hope you could just tell me what it is when I obtain it," Arnold wished.
[You will know when the right time comes. I\'m sorry but you can get to know the Skill after you obtain it.]
Arnold\'s face turned grim but he nodded.
"I get it... The right time..."
He stopped talking, a faint look on his face.
He tried to erase those thoughts the next moment and relax his head. He had recently gotten several things to do, so he had to rest and prepare.
When he had felt the load in his head release a bit, he picked up and called home.
"I never expected a call from you at this moment. You must have been busy," Anna, his mother, said on the other hand.
"How can I prioritize other things ahead of you, Mom? C\'mon, I will always get to you first," Arnold smiled.
"I\'m so proud of you my boy... You have caused tears of joy out of my eyes. I\'m so happy," Anna sobbed.
Arnold heard the weird sound rising and quickly attempted to make her stop.
"It is meant to be. Father had always been by our side since he passed away. We aren\'t meant to keep suffering," he spoke.
Anna was someone who easily got emotional on simple occasions. This was why she hadn\'t been herself since the death of her husband. Someway, somehow, everything that happened always accidentally finds itself linked to her husband\'s death.
While it strengthened her loyalty and love, it was causing silent yet noticeable damage to her.
Gradually, Arnold tried to talk her out of her trauma, bringing up new topics and gists. He also spent a while conversing with Audrey, but when he asked of Nia...
"Nia? She... She..."
"She\'s what?" Arnold furrowed his brows.
"She is having a nap at the moment. I don\'t think I can persuade her to wake up now," Audrey said.
Arnold\'s mind was actually going somewhere else before, but after these utterances, he calmed down and relaxed.
"Alright... I send some money later today. I hope it could be useful," Arnold said.
"Ah! What are you saying? Of course, every penny you give to us is greatly useful," Anna made Arnold smile as he made this statement.
They spent almost an hour chatting until Arnold had to go. He had had schedules of interviews to attend so he had to face them. In two days, he would also be meeting Horny Tyres, a tire production company in the inner city of Chicago.
With a confidential $3500 payment, Arnold didn\'t take a second to hesitate. He was taking this deal above all!
While he confirmed the approval of the endorsement deal, he created some time for other interviews that wouldn\'t hinder it.
Most especially, Arnold aimed to make "Saturday" free. On that day, he had made up his mind to see Mia at Rising Impact University.
Students could be free on weekends as there wouldn\'t be any teaching or specific training with the staff. It was only the choice of the students to have extra training and learning.
With hopes that he could manage to see Mia, he decided to attempt a visit to the university.
"If I get to see her, I\'ll be the happiest man in the world," Arnold muttered after a soft sigh.
He finally finished his plannings and decided to workout in the gym until nightfall. Mark and Lila already proposed training with him today, so he didn\'t want to disappoint them.
"I thought you would at least take a nap for once," Lila chuckled and said as Arnold approached them outside the gym house.
"Why would I have a nap when I\'m starving to death? Let\'s go eat something in the cafeteria, please," Arnold spoke switching his direction to the cafeteria somewhere around the boarding area.
Lila and Mark quickly followed as though like servants. They were also feeling their guts crying at that moment, revealing that going to the cafeteria right now was the best decision.
When they entered the cafeteria, Mark and Lila preferred to eat rice and sauce with fried chicken, but only Arnold wanted something else.
He ordered pasta with vegetables and barbecued beef. This was indeed his favorite food right from when he discovered what the word "choice" meant.
While they all sat facing the same table in one corner of the cafeteria, Mark suddenly stood up one minute.
"I will go use the restroom... Will be right back," he turned toward the direction of a different door other than the exit and walked towards it.
Arnold and Lila quickly understood his condition with a single glance.
Bro\'s stomach needed a release.
Just as he left, Arnold focused on gnawing his meal to meet up with training before it would turn late.
All through the moment, he was absent-minded about the sudden complicated gazes placed against him.
Lila couldn\'t help staring at him for a moment, and for a while more, it seemed like a burden had suddenly left her, waves of boldness flowing through her mind.
Sighing, she dropped the fork she was holding...
"Max," she called.
Arnold raised his head casually to look at her.
"I have been wanting to tell you something all this while, but I hadn\'t just gathered the courage yet."
Arnold: "...???"
"But now, I think I have become bold enough to let it out, even if the waves of uncertainty tell me not to."
It was now that Arnold\'s brows furrowed.
What in the world did she want to say???!
Arnold\'s heart hit hard against his chest.
"Max, the truth is that..."
"I... I—I... I like you."