Pitbabe S2, Chapter 16 pg5

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 16 pg5

   “No one’s judging,” Liu said airily, showing zero remorse for using her astrological skills to invade someone’s privacy. I think our country needs police to arrest these mystical types. “Have at it with whoever. I’m just saying you did, and you’re the one acting all shady.”

   “Exactly. Just a new boyfriend, no big deal,” Dr. Chris chimed in, casually sipping his Americano.

   “Not a new boyfriend,” I said, my energy to argue draining as I let out a defeated drawl, succumbing to the pressure of this cruel society.

   “Friends with benefits?” He said it’s no big deal, but Dr. Chris kept pressing relentlessly. “Teens are all hormones. Having a friend like that can be useful, you know.”

   “Oh, come on, it’s not…”

   “Oh!” Once again, I didn’t get a chance to defend myself. Liu grabbed my head and yanked it toward her so hard my neck nearly snapped. The green-clad fortune-teller stared at me intently, then her eyes widened. If she’d been born in ancient times, I bet she’d be shouting “Eureka!” right now. “Ex-boyfriend!”

   Okay, after this project’s done, the next thing I’m studying is astrology. If it’s going to be this accurate, I don’t think I can keep dismissing it.

   “Man, this morning’s full of fun stories,” Dr. Chris chuckled. He genuinely looked entertained, and as expected, he wasn’t shocked about Babe. Thinking about it, it’s probably not hard to guess. That live stream I did yesterday was a big deal, and it had a lot to do with Babe. It’s no surprise he couldn’t stay quiet and showed up to yell at me in the middle of the night like that. “Got the energy to work now after getting wrecked since morning.”

   “True,” Liu nodded in agreement. “Charlie’s name is still trending at number one, his follower count has nearly doubled, and there’s buzz about Charlie mysteriously reconciling with Babe.”

   “That last part isn’t true.”

   I denied it, but Liu didn’t seem to buy my denial much. She shrugged nonchalantly, then carried her food upstairs without a care, but not before taking a jab at me.

   “How’s the trend looking now?” Once Liu disappeared, the downstairs returned to calm. Dr. Chris didn’t press me further. He sat on the couch, leaning back and sipping his coffee with a relaxed demeanor. I took the chance to follow up on the results of my efforts from yesterday. “Yesterday was hectic. I didn’t have time to check.”

   “Peak live viewership was near the end, 69,000. The trend’s been holding at number one since the live started and still is now. Some are focused on how you’ve changed, excited about your new look, while others are interested in what you said. More people are coming out to share their experiences about those with heightened senses.” Dr. Chris gave a detailed rundown, all while scrolling on his phone. It was clear he wasn’t reading from notes to answer me—he was just casually browsing while talking. “Babe’s name is getting mentioned quite a bit. Some think you spoke out because it’s tied to Babe, that you changed because you broke up with him, or that you changed and asked Babe to break up. Others think you broke up with Babe for clout, to create momentum to talk about your project. Hmm… what else?”

   It’s clear that the roughly twenty minutes I spent talking on the live stream could be interpreted in a million different ways. Everyone focused on different things—some on my changed appearance, some on my relationship with Babe, others on what I said. Even among those interested in the substance, people interpreted and speculated differently. For now, no matter how many opinions are out there, I consider it a success. The main goal of yesterday’s live was to draw as big a crowd as possible. Scattered understanding isn’t a big deal—as long as they’re interested in me, I’ll gradually narrow the focus until everyone reaches the core message I want to convey.

   “Oh! The big shots are starting to take notice of you too. Several academics and MPs have made moves,” Dr. Chris continued. Hearing that lifted my spirits. Standing in the spotlight like this isn’t something I enjoy. If I had a choice, I’d rather stay quietly behind the scenes. But if I want to make change, there’s no better way than this. I already have a decent number of followers, even though I’ve barely been active. My follower count keeps growing daily, so if I don’t use this advantage as a strategy, there’s no other word for it but plain stupidity.

   “It’s good, but you’ve got to be more careful. You’re about to become a thorn in the side of a lot of big investors. Don’t expect to live in peace.”

   “Yeah… I knew that from the start,” I’d accepted this reality from the first day I made the plan. Doing this is no different from painting a target on myself. I know that, and I’m fully ready to take the risk. As long as it gets me even a centimeter closer to my goal, I’ll do it without hesitation. “If I wanted a peaceful life, I wouldn’t be doing this. Things were way calmer when I wasn’t doing anything.”

   “Racer’s blood, huh? Thrives on excitement.”

   “Probably.”

   “Want to hire a bodyguard?”

   “Don’t be dramatic, bro,” I laughed. “I can handle this much.”

   “If you say so, then it’s fine.” Doctor Chris didn’t buy it, but from working together, the only thing he wouldn’t let slide was me taking too much medication. Everything else, he trusted me—more than I trusted myself, even. Especially when it came to fighting, lately. He kept calling me a “thug” pretty often, even though I’m not that tough. “Just keep yourself alive, alright?”

   “If you’re so worried, why don’t you protect me, then?”

   “Nah, I’m not a thug like you.”

   See? He really thinks I’m some kind of gangster now.

   “If you want protection, why don’t you call up your ex? Heard he’s pretty good at throwing punches too.” I thought he’d forgotten about it, but he somehow circled back to it. These past few days, everyone’s been calling Babe “your ex” so much it’s practically his new name. It often feels like they’re using it in a sarcastic way. Now I’m wondering if everyone’s upset that I broke up with Babe. Why are they so quick to jab at me?

   “Put you two together, and you’d probably rule the world.”

   “Sometimes you just talk nonsense, you know.”

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