Chapter 87: HCA - Heading To Bakoland
We sat at the very back of the bus. Princess was right beside me, but she might as well have been on another planet. She was completely focused on her tablet, her eyes darting back and forth like she was monitoring a live feed or something important. I didn’t peek. I didn’t want to be nosy, and I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of thinking I cared what she was doing. Meanwhile, Malo was sitting on my other side, and he was currently holding my hand like his life depended on it.
"So, BFF, what do you say? After the game is over, we should go on a little adventure. Maybe we could go and search for that missing piece people talk about on Bako Island," he said.
He’s been getting way too clingy lately. I don’t know if it’s the stress of being Princess’s errand boy or because I called him my BFF yesterday, but he was sticking to me like glue. We were currently heading straight for Bakoland. They were the ones hosting the championship finals this year.
"Yes! We should definitely go out after the game. I absolutely love this whole group thing we have going on," Sasha said. She was sitting in the seat right in front of us, twisting her body around so she could join the conversation.
"This is a private BFF hangout, Sasha. It is not a group thing. So shuuus your mouth and mind your own business," Malo shot back. He sounded like some kind of jealous yandere protecting his territory.
I looked down at our joined hands and felt a wave of annoyance. "At least will you get off my hand now? It’s getting sweaty, Malo."
"No," Malo replied simply, tightening his grip.
"MG, let go of her hand right now. She clearly doesn’t like it," Princess said.
She didn’t even look up from her tablet. Her voice was calm, but it had that authority that made people jump. Malo didn’t hesitate for a second. He immediately withdrew his hand and turned to stare out the window, looking like a kicked puppy.
I blinked at her. Wow. So she had actually been listening to us the whole time, yet she was still acting like that screen was the only thing that existed in the world. I couldn’t believe she was being this calm about it. She didn’t look threatened at all that someone was being that close to me or touching me.
In my head, Malo is not supposed to be the one holding me like that. She is. I don’t know if it’s because of the mark she put on me, but I find myself wanting her close. Even though she was sitting right next to me, it felt like there was a giant wall between us. It felt... distant.
I couldn’t just let it go. I needed to know why she wasn’t reacting the way I expected. I leaned in closer so only she could hear me.
"Hey, why aren’t you reacting at all? Malo was holding me a bit too close, don’t you think?" I muttered.
"Do you really want me to react every single time someone touches you, Omega? I will if that’s what you want. But that’s just MG. There’s absolutely nothing for me to be threatened about when it comes to him," she said. She kept scrolling through whatever data was on her tablet, not even giving me a glance.
"Oh, I see how it is. You’re not jealous of Malo, but you were definitely ready to start a war when the idol I like touched my hand in the free city. You were ready to brawl with her right there," I said, trying to catch her eye.
Princess finally stopped what she was doing. She went still, then slowly turned her head to look at me.
"I don’t feel threatened by MG because I know him. But your fucking idol? I don’t like her. Not even a little bit. And if you’re actually asking why I don’t like Yuki Fangs, it’s because she hates Alphas. She made that very clear when she went on national TV and challenged Alpha Rexhana Blackthorn. For some unknown explanation, she actually defeated Rexhana in the first round. And I do remember what she said? She stood over her and said,’This is to those Alphas around... because Mama’s home."
I remembered that match perfectly. It was legendary. Me, my friends, and Guru had celebrated all night long because of that fight. An ordinary wolf had defeated a high-ranking Alpha for the first time in the entire MMA industry. It was a huge deal for people like us. So while we were basking in Yuki’s glorious victory, the Alphas were definitely not happy about it.
"Yuki is a nice person, Princess. I’m not just saying that because she wins her fights. She has done so many charities and she always stands up for what matters. Everyone back in Redwood loves her for a reason," I said.
I said it because it was the truth. It wasn’t just about how she handled herself in the cage. Yuki had won people’s hearts by giving them hope. She proved that the weak could rise up and become even stronger than those who were just born with power. I didn’t know why Yuki hated Alphas so much, but she was my absolute role model. I still remember the very first time I watched her fight. Guru always had her matches on the TV in the living room, and it didn’t take long for me to get addicted too.
"Yeah, I know. You worship that girl more than you worship the moon goddess," Princess muttered. She crossed her legs, leaning back into the seat and focusing all her attention back on her tablet.
"This is not about Yuki. This is about you not.."
"Omega, I really need to focus on this screen right now. Find someone else to bug for a while," she said.
That was it. That was all she said.
And it pissed me off so much I felt my blood start to boil. Find someone else to bug, right? Fine. I will. And I’ll make sure you fucking notice me while I’m doing it, bitch.
For the rest of the bus ride, I didn’t say another word to Princess. In fact, I couldn’t even stand sitting next to her anymore. I stood up and forced someone sitting next to Sasha to switch seats with me. I spent the next hour pretending to enjoy Sasha’s company way more than I actually did. I laughed loudly at every single thing she said, even when the jokes weren’t funny at all. I made sure my voice carried to the back of the bus.
I hated how Princess was acting. I wanted to make her feel at least a little bit of the jealousy I felt whenever I saw her with Kiara. I wanted her to look over and see me having a great time without her. But every time I risked a glance back at her, she was still staring at that tablet. She looked completely uninterested in the fact that I was laughing and talking with someone else.
What the fuck is on that tablet that is so important? Why doesn’t she care about the world around her or the fact that I’m literally sitting with someone else?
