ushernet Chapter 105 Universal Pain.
Chapter 105 Universal Pain.
the fluorescent lights of the arcade flickered above hugo's head as he paced back and forth like a man waiting for his lottery results, but he didn't even notice.
his brows were knitted together, his hands flailing every now and then as if the movement would somehow summon lily and tily out of thin air.
his shoes squeaked against the polished floor with every step, adding to the already chaotic ambiance of gaming machines and excited chatter.
he was panicking. seriously.
collins, leaning against a claw machine with his arms folded, tilted his head to one side, watching hugo with growing concern. he e looked completely relaxed.
the kind of calm that came from countless similar encounters.
"hugo, you've got to calm down, man. you're pacing like a dad waiting for news about his kid's surgery."
"calm down?" hugo snapped, spinning to face him. "how can i calm down, collins?! they're late! super late! like, what if they're not coming?
what if something happened to them? what if they got lost? or worse, what if—what if they decided they don't like arcades and ditched me for a bowling alley?!"
collins raised an eyebrow. "a bowling alley?"
"yes!" hugo exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "what if lily prefers a quiet game of rolling balls down a lane to knock over some dumb pins instead of an action packed night at the arcade?! bowling's like the exact opposite of fun, collins! the exact opposite!"
collins snorted, shaking his head. "you're losing it."
but hugo wasn't done. he started pacing again, thinking in his mind. 'this is all my fault. my cursed luck is at it again. it's always been like this. every single time something good might happen, bam, my luck finds a way to ruin it!
just like the time when i lost my wallet five minutes before my first ever date? or that time i stepped in dog poop on the way to open a babe? it has all been my bad luck!'
he dramatically pointed to the sky as if accusing fate itself. "this is my destiny, collins! to suffer! to die!"
collins, struggling to hold back laughter, shook his head. "hugo, it's been, what, an hour? chill. they'll show up."
hugo and collins exchanged a glance, one of those unspoken man to man looks that said, yeah, little brothers are a universal pain.
but instead of saying that, collins smirked and said, "well, you're here now, and that's all that matters."
hugo, not wanting to be outdone, added, "exactly. tonight's just getting started." his voice was smooth, calm—completely at odds with the chaos raging inside him.
the girls both smiled, their earlier tension melting away. tily nudged collins playfully on the arm before stepping closer to him. lily, on the other hand, turned her attention fully to hugo, taking a small step toward him.
up close, hugo noticed the faint blush on her cheeks. she looked up at him with those bright, curious eyes and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"you look amazing tonight," she said softly, her voice shy but sincere. "i swear, you somehow look better every time we meet."
hugo's confidence skyrocketed. 'thank you, system rewards!'
but he didn't let it show. instead, he flashed her a grin and replied smoothly, "that means a lot coming from you. you've definitely raised the bar yourself tonight."
lily's blush deepened, and she giggled nervously.
collins, sensing the moment was dragging a bit too long, clapped his hands together and declared, "alright, team! let's get this night rolling!"
"yeah!" hugo added, pumping his fist into the air. "let the night begin!"
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