No Substitutes for the Bigshots' Dream Girl Anymore!-Chapter 1730: Arnold Simmons Side Story (96)
Hannah’s hand was held along with the umbrella ribs by him.
Under the canopy of this modest rain, the world beneath the umbrella seemed like a separate little world.
No matter how noisy it was outside, within his line of sight, there was only his figure.
"Staring for so long," he said gently, "like it that much?"
His lips curved into a smile, his eyes reflecting a fragmented light, hazy, exuding a tender, lingering smile, as if the fine rain, like needles and silk threads, gradually wrapped around one’s heart.
Hannah averted her gaze, her lips straightened, "I wasn’t looking at you, just the rain."
Arnold Simmons chuckled, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Fine, you were looking at the rain." He then deliberately moved closer, his voice lowered, "Not at me."
Having said that, he laughed again.
Unbearably narcissistic.
Hannah shot him a glance before returning her attention elsewhere, asking, "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for the bus."
The two had walked away from the bus station, following the crowd, and the road gradually widened.
Although it was still noon, the gloomy, rainy weather made it feel like late afternoon approaching dusk, with the sky dark and gloomy and a chilly wind carrying a piercing coldness.
Hannah remembered something, "The bus station at the school entrance doesn’t have a bus going to the north of the city, does it?"
She looked up at Arnold Simmons.
Arnold Simmons did not evade her gaze and met her eyes, "Actually, I was waiting for you." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
That was the truth.
"Waiting for me?"
Although they would meet up to do homework during holidays, they usually maintained a distance at school, interacting like unfamiliar classmates.
Arnold Simmons nodded, leading Hannah to the side of the road closer to the curb, "Have you encountered any strange people recently?"
"Strange people?" Hannah didn’t understand, "What counts as strange?"
Arnold Simmons clicked his tongue lightly, lifting the hand holding the umbrella slightly higher, allowing light to seep through, "Someone who... keeps pestering you."
He didn’t know how to describe it more specifically, nor did he name anyone.
Hannah looked at his profile and then shifted her gaze back to the road, "No."
Arnold Simmons didn’t ask further, escorting Hannah to the entrance of the school.
It was a time when many people were returning.
Today’s heavy rain had everyone hurrying along, with no one distracted enough to notice them.
Hannah looked back at him, "Keep the umbrella, I’ll take it back next time."
Arnold Simmons was about to say it was unnecessary when she had already dashed into the rain with her backpack straps in hand.
The rain wasn’t too heavy; the lush greenery on both sides of the neighborhood could somewhat shield against the wind and rain.
He looked up, his gaze landing on the slender figure until it disappeared completely, and then he turned around, carrying the umbrella, to leave.
From Number One Middle School back to the northern district takes at least forty minutes, so Arnold Simmons often spent his noon and after-school time in the internet café at Willow Lane.
Today, Francis Evans and a few others were also there.
With the start of the school season, the internet café came alive.
Hearing movement, Francis Evans glanced over, still busily engaged in his game, "Where did you get that umbrella? Doesn’t look like something you’d use."
It wasn’t just Arnold Simmons; their group of boys had the habit of not bringing umbrellas when going out.
Moreover, the umbrella was adorned with a rabbit, clearly belonging to a girl.
"Borrowed from someone else," Arnold Simmons did not explain further, taking the opportunity to reply to a message while waiting for the computer to start up.
It was from Hannah, asking if he had gotten home yet.
