When Our Nights Collide Volume 1

Chapter 5: Trapped by wolves in the night

Snakes will also bite back when they feel cornered.

On Sunday, I had dinner with my father. This wasn’t something that happened regularly, but it was more likely for me to be with my father on this day than with my mother. Luckily, though Mom’s cooking was better, Dad was no slouch either.

At the dining table, I glanced at the middle-aged man with a head of grey hair that wore glasses and sat across from me. My father was a programmer at some security company so unlike my mother, who was a nurse, his schedule allowed for us to meet more frequently. However, our conversations were always dull.

“How’s school?”

“The same as usual.”

“Are you paying attention in class?”

“Yes Dad.”

“And your grades?”

“You’ll see them on my next report card.”

I was more comfortable with my father than my mother because there was never anything unexpected about our talks. He would ask me things like how my day was and how I felt, and I responded like it was nothing special. He didn’t ignore me, but I couldn’t help feeling neglected. To me, rather than him caring about me, it felt like he was just carrying out a scheduled routine. Those were the childish thoughts I had at this time.

After school, I continued making my way to the Electronics club. Though I helped out at other clubs every once in a while, I had the most fun teasing Hailey. She eventually got more used to me, but her reactions were still adorable.

One time, as I combed her hair in the Electronics club room, we talked while she worked on her game. On every occasion that I came here, she would always be working on the same one.

“Um, Liliana, do you have to comb my hair?”

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?”

“Well, no-“

“Then it’s fine. It’s weird how well taken care of your hair is yet it always looks like this.”

“Oh, that’s because my brother washes it. It’s one of the few things he’s good at.”

Hailey was normally soft-spoken, but whenever she talked about her twin brother her tone would always come with some extra pride. Watching her act so proud of being born two minutes earlier than him really tickled my big sister heart.

“I see. You said he’s good with electronics didn’t you?”

“Yeah. He’s a member of this club and the vice-president, but he rarely shows up here. So I have to do everything myself.”

She said it in an exasperated tone but I could she was happy about it.

“You say that but, you like having the room to yourself don’t you?”

“Ugh, well,… I don’t mind if you’re here too.”

“Ohh~. So cute!”

I paused combing her hair and hugged her from behind instead. The suspicion I had regarding her had disappeared so I was now recruiting her as a friend with full force. Even though the Electronics club was an official club, only her, the president, was ever here. There were three other members besides her brother, but they were also ghost members. Fortunately, both of us were okay with being the only ones in this room.

When I finished combing her hair, I stuck my right cheek to her left and took a selfie of us.

“Ahh~. We look good, don’t you think?”