Pitbabe S2, Chapter 20 pg 1

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 20 pg 1

   CHARLIE:

   The noise in my ears was louder than usual. There was the sound of cars passing by, blaring horns, the shrill whistle of traffic police, faint music drifting from somewhere far off, people shouting to attract customers, and the clearest sound of all—conversations. I couldn’t make out what they were saying because it felt like a hundred people were talking at once. I had no idea if anyone was even listening, but the noise showed no sign of quieting down, only growing louder. Even the smells hitting my nose—perfume mixed with body odor—made me dizzy. Despite sitting in the van with all the curtains drawn, I still felt like I was picking up everything happening outside, my senses heightened beyond normal.

   Knock, knock.

   A soft tap on the window broke through. Sitting in the back behind the driver’s seat, I took a deep breath, slowly opened my eyes, and responded to the knock.

   “Yes?”

   As my voice faded, the van’s door slid open. It was Liu who had knocked on the window. Today, she wore a red floral dress, paired with matching socks and a hat. Liu said red was the lucky color of the day, not only bringing good fortune but also ensuring success in ongoing endeavors. She’d been trying to convince me since yesterday to wear red today, but I refused. Besides not believing in lucky colors, I feel too dull to wear such vibrant clothes. I’d rather wear something I’m confident in. If I wore a lucky color but felt uneasy, I doubt the gods could do much to help.

   “Ready?” Liu climbed into the seat beside me, closing the van door.

   “Is everything set outside?”

   “Almost.”

   “Lots of people?”

   Liu didn’t answer. Her usual unreadable expression was as hard to decipher as ever, and because of that, I started to feel uneasy. I don’t love being stared at, but I’m not afraid of standing before a crowd. I know what to say, what to do. I’m confident I can capture attention and control an audience. So, my biggest worry isn’t my own ability—it’s the people out there.

   No matter how great a speech is, it’s nothing without listeners. Until now, I’ve connected with followers through social media. This is the first time we’re appearing in public. I hope to speak to real, live people, to see their reactions in person—their faces, their voices—not just text scrolling up a livestream. I believe this is a way to build a connection that brings me closer to the masses. But that won’t happen if they don’t show up to see me.

   “It’s fine,” I said, smiling at Liu. “Even if there’s just one person, I can still speak.”

   “We know. You can do anything,” she replied.

   “Hearing you say that, I’m kinda embarrassed.”

   “You’re not shy flirting with girls on livestreams, but you’re shy with me?” I could only give an awkward smile, unsure how to explain. Saying the person on the livestream isn’t me feels like a lie because I’m not pretending. Everything I show is what I want to do myself. I’m not trying to play a role. At the same time, the person sitting here staring is also me. There’s no real or fake me—just me, shifting with the flow of events and the desires driving me from within. “So, how’s it now? Focused?”

   “Well, it’s a bit loud, but I think I’ve got it under control.”

   “Need a helper?”

   “Helper?” I raised an eyebrow, confused. “What do you mean?”

   “Well, Chris said when you race, you have to focus before the race…”

   “Stop,” I quickly raised my hand to cut her off before she could spill more embarrassing details. This is all my fault for letting it slip to the gossip hub, Dr. Chris, thinking he wouldn’t share something like that. Besides being embarrassing, what kind of conversation would even bring that up? “Please, don’t listen to Chris.”

   “Huh… it’s not true?”

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