Free Web NovelChapter 31: Status Speaks Louder Than Words
After putting the finishing touches on her appearance, Claire stood in front of the mirror for one last look.
Satisfied with what she saw, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door. With her son out of the house, it saved her from dealing with any awkward questions.
Liam and Ethan continued grinding through the Sky City dungeon in Dungeon Fighter at Rage Quit Cafe.
Ethan had been on a serious leveling spree lately, determined to max out all five of his alternate accounts before the end of the day.
With nothing pressing to do, Liam had no choice but to keep Ethan company, casually playing along while he waited for Claire to arrive.
Suddenly, a familiar and annoying voice cut through the background noise of clicking keyboards and trash talk. It was Nathan Cole, the class monitor.
His sarcastic tone carried across the cafe like he owned the place.
"Aria, you really don’t need to waste your time on Ethan anymore.
He’s always carrying around that broken second-hand phone with the cracked screen, and he’s constantly hanging out with that loser Liam."
"Those two are complete losers," Nathan scoffed loudly. "All they ever do is waste their time hanging around internet cafés like they have no future. If you end up dating Ethan, you can forget about having any kind of decent life."
A smug grin spread across his face.
"Give it a few days. My dad said I can borrow his Audi A4 for the weekend. I’ve already got my driver’s license. I’ll take you out somewhere nice instead of dragging you to places like this."
Ethan froze mid-game. Damn it. Even while trying to focus, he could hear Nathan talking trash about him.
Liam remained quiet, though he was inwardly annoyed. He had been dragged into the drama without doing anything. Young guys like Nathan loved showing off in the dumbest ways possible. If this had happened before his rebirth, he would have shut it down immediately.
The atmosphere turned awkward the moment Nathan, Aria, and a few other classmates walked deeper into the cafe. Nathan had not expected to run straight into the two people he was mocking.
For a few tense seconds, no one spoke. Then Aria forced a smile. ", that’s not what he meant. We’re all just messing around. He wasn’t insulting anyone."
The word "loser" did not carry the same sting it once did, but it still landed poorly when said by someone else.
"That’s enough," Ethan said, his voice steadier than usual. "The class monitor has always had a sharp tongue. I’m used to it by now."
Since that night at the spa, Ethan had grown noticeably more confident. He was done chasing after Aria. The women at the spa were far better company anyway.
"But sure, I’ll admit I’m a loser. Liam’s a loser? You really think you’re on the same level as him, Nathan? What’s your deal?"
Since Nathan had thrown the first punch verbally, Ethan had no problem throwing one back.
Liam glanced over calmly. If things turned physical, he was ready to step in and end it quickly. In this era, people liked to act tough, so he could play that game too if needed.
Seeing the rising tension, Aria quickly stepped between them. Everyone was an adult now. Starting a fight could land them in serious trouble with the police.
They were all classmates. It would be a mess if it escalated.
Nathan and his group eventually backed off and set up at computers on the other side of the cafe.
Though clearly embarrassed, Nathan held his tongue. After becoming adults, random fights carried real consequences. He still remembered the last time he had clashed with Liam. Even at six feet tall, he had not come out on top.
Previously, Damien had rallied a group to jump Liam. But Liam and Ethan had zeroed in on Damien alone. No matter how many hits they took, they refused to let go. That memory still made Nathan uneasy. He knew that if a real fight broke out, those two would focus everything on him.
Aria had given everyone an easy way out. Liam simply logged off and went back to his game, ignoring the noise. He had heard far worse in his previous life. Back then, he had been much more naive.
Aria kept stealing glances at Liam. She could not shake the feeling that he seemed different lately, though she could not quite figure out why. What had Ethan meant when he said Nathan was not even in the same league as Liam?
Not long after, Claire’s sleek black Audi A6 pulled up outside the cafe and honked once. Claire stayed in the car. She did not like these kinds of places. They were usually filled with troublemakers. The only exception was Liam. In her mind, he came here to work on his programming skills.
"Liam, make sure you log off my computer properly later," Ethan called out.
After logging out of Telegram and exiting the game, Liam left the cafe.
Ethan watched him go with a big grin. This was probably another high-paying translation gig. Being talented really opened doors. He had been holding onto some grudges, but right now he felt nothing but pure satisfaction.
Nathan witnessed the entire scene. His mind went completely blank. Wasn’t Liam supposed to be a broke loser? How was he climbing into an Audi A6? Even his own father only drove an Audi A4. He had just been bragging about money and status, and now the universe had slapped him in the face.
Aria lost all interest in her game. She never expected to see Liam getting into an Audi A6. When he opened the passenger door, she caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman wearing sunglasses behind the wheel.
That car was on a completely different level from an Audi A4. It seemed Ethan knew more than he let on. The disdain in his voice earlier suddenly made sense. He clearly believed Nathan was nowhere near Liam’s level.
Many years ago, owning a luxury car like that was rare for normal families. The sight left a strong impression on Aria.
