Pitbabe S2, Chapter 22 pg 1

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 22 pg 1

   CHARLIE:

   I absolutely loathe social events where I have to wear a suit and mingle with people I’m not close to. First, forcing myself to make small talk and enduring constant scrutiny is tough for me. Second, suits make me feel suffocated. And third… they make me feel like I’m Tony’s son.

   Ever since I was old enough to understand, Tony dragged me to social events regularly. I’m not entirely sure if other kids had the same experience, but judging by how often I was told to get fitted for a new suit, I’d say I was the product he showed off the most. Maybe because I was calm and composed, I gave off a good image. Add to that Tony’s personal belief that I was smarter than other kids, and he seemed especially fond of and proud of me. Those reasons meant I often had to play the role of the perfect son, trailing behind him at gatherings filled with ruthless businessmen. Wearing a pristine, luxurious suit from head to toe reminded me of the bitter, nauseating resentment from those times, like a nightmare.

   But Pete’s event was an exception. I’m not sure what Dr. Chris discussed with Pete, but out of nowhere, he told me we were invited to the opening of a new shopping center under the Beyond Group. Just hearing that, I knew the real purpose of attending. So, I agreed without much thought. For us right now, nothing was more important than connections. I didn’t care what circle they were in—the key was that the more connections I had, the better my chances of winning. So, no matter how much I hated it, I had to endure.

   I already expected I’d run into Babe here. X-Hunter has always been fully backed by the Beyond Group, so there was no way they wouldn’t show up to an important event like this. That’s why I prepared myself from the start for what I’d face today. I rehearsed before leaving the house: I’d stay as calm as possible. My main goal was to expand my network and create a small buzz, just enough to stay relevant in the media. And no matter what happened, I would absolutely not get close to Babe.

   At first, I thought I was doing pretty well. Even though the first person I saw when I walked into the hall was Babe, I treated him like he was invisible, looking right through him as if he didn’t exist. I was certain Babe thought I hadn’t noticed him—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been glaring at me like that from the moment I entered the hall until he sat down at his table. I could feel his eyes lingering on me. I tried to act oblivious, pretending to focus on the stage activities or chatting with people at my table, but no matter how hard I tried to push him out of my mind, it didn’t seem to work.

   My heightened awareness, sharper than most people’s, has always been a nuisance, and what I had to perceive today only reinforced how much I hated it. In a split second, as my eyes swept over the X-Hunter team’s table, I saw Babe joking around with Willy, that kid from another racing team who Babe once said he never thought of as anything more than an annoying brat. But lately, it feels like that brat is following Babe everywhere. Pictures of them keep popping up online, even with all the backlash accusing Babe of being a cheater. Yet, he doesn’t seem to care. He still keeps that kid by his side, just like he kept me by his side three years ago.

   Babe has a low tolerance for annoyance. He’s too impatient to keep someone he doesn’t care about close. Back when we first met, everyone told me to brace myself because, with Babe’s personality, no matter how handsome or charming his partner was, he’d only entertain them for a few days before getting bored and moving on to someone new. But as time passed, the fact that I was still by Babe’s side, even coming and going from his house like it was my own after just a month, made everyone acknowledge (with surprise) that I’d managed to climb over the towering wall that was Pitbabe. That’s why I couldn’t help but wonder if Willy wasn’t just the annoying kid Babe claimed he was, someone who didn’t even register in his eyes.

   Whatever I was capable of, Willy might be capable of too.

   When I saw Willy leaning his head on Babe’s shoulder, it was like all my intentions vanished completely. I said I wouldn’t care, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I said I’d be happy for his every step forward, but my chest burned when I saw him moving on with someone else. And I said I wouldn’t interfere, but here I was, following him out when I should’ve stayed in the hall and done my job as agreed with Dr. Chris from the start.

   “And if I’m jealous, would you stop, Babe?”

   I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

   “No.”

   Why would Babe stop when he deliberately made me jealous in the first place?

   “Even if you dragged me to death, I wouldn’t stop.”

   It’s not like I didn’t know their closeness was intentional. Babe knew I was watching. That’s why he gave Willy the chance to get close and even made the move himself. He probably thought this would be his way of getting back at me, and he was right. I hate admitting this, but it’s the truth. I could see through his game but couldn’t overcome the vulnerability of my feelings.

   Babe might be using Willy as a tool, but that doesn’t mean he’ll never think beyond that. Let’s not forget, I was once like a tool to him too—or a toy, to put it bluntly. In short, he initially only intended to use me without thinking it would develop into something deeper. But it still happened. Now, I can see the same plot unfolding again. The story’s no different from the first time, just with a different cast.

   If Babe could love me, he could love Willy too.

   But I don’t know… if I’m ready to let him love someone else.

   “What’s the point of doing this, Babe?” I asked, exasperated, fully aware that what I did to him was despicable. It’s no surprise he’s hurt and resentful. But I don’t understand why he keeps trying to get back at me without thinking about himself. “Don’t you ever consider what might happen to you if rumors start spreading again?”

   “Why do you care so much about rumors?”

   “Because I don’t like people badmouthing you, Babe.”

   Babe didn’t respond. He just looked at me, not angry, irritated, or annoyed. He seemed to be mulling something over in his mind before letting out a chuckle.

   Babe nodded slowly, speaking through his laughter.

   “You’re pretty good… at acting like you care about me.”

   “Babe,” I lowered my voice, “I care. I’ve always cared.”

   “I know, I know,” Babe kept laughing, as if what I said was so absurd he couldn’t stop. “You cared about me so much that you threw me away first.”

   “Babe, I didn’t…”

   “But it’s fine, my feelings were pretty shitty, but I’m okay now.”

   I should’ve been happy with Babe’s “okay,” but the reality was the opposite. My heart sank. What Babe just said felt like he was telling me that everything he’s doing now is just payback for the pain I caused, but he no longer feels sad about our breakup.

   It’s like Babe doesn’t need me anymore. Maybe because he’s found someone else who can completely replace me—or even do better than I ever could.

   “Maybe it’s for the best that we broke up. At first, I thought I’d die without you, but now I know I won’t. All this time, I just hadn’t tried loving anyone else besides you.”

   He’s really moving forward. Babe is getting over the wounds I left behind, heading toward a future without me by his side—a future he once said was scary but now seems to excite and make him happy. He’s not looking back at me anymore because there’s someone else ready to hold his hand and guide him there, someone better than me.

   That’s good, then.

   If Babe is happy… that’s good.

   “And with Willy, I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, there’s nothing going on. We’re just close, that’s all. I figured I’d give you a bit more time to process before I introduce someone new… pretty generous, right?”

   I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say first—whether it should be “congratulations,” “thank you,” or… “please don’t have someone new.”

   That last one, no matter how much I wanted to say it, I had no right to. I chose to walk away. If I blurted out something ridiculous like that, Babe would probably explode with anger. But I can’t deny it’s the option I wanted to voice most, especially after seeing him so close to another guy right in front of me.

   “Why so quiet… don’t believe me?” Babe tilted his head, a small, cute smile playing on his lips. Yes… even now, I still find him adorable. It’s pathetic, I know, but who can blame me? This pathetic feeling only hurts me, no one else. “If you don’t believe me… I can prove it.”

   Babe spoke casually. He took three steps closer until we were just an arm’s length apart, then extended his right hand toward me. The scent of his cologne, which had been teasing my nose the whole time, grew sharper, blending seamlessly with his natural scent, the faint smell of fabric softener embedded in his expensive suit, and a subtle trace of tap water.

   “Take a sniff. No trace of anyone else,” Babe said, still smiling smugly. “You’ve got a good nose. This much, a little dog like you can tell, right?”

   I told myself to stay calm, stay rational, keep control. But in his presence, my free will vanished. I melted under his charm, fully aware this was a cunning trap, yet I willingly followed him into the forbidden forest.

   The tip of my nose brushed against his palm. Even from a distance, Babe’s scent reached me, so at this range, there’s no need to explain how intense it was. I slowly traced my nose along his hand, inhaling deeply, savoring every molecule of his scent. Most of it was purely Babe, with only a faint hint of someone else.

   I catch Phii Alan’s scent, faint but still detectable. Sonic’s is even fainter, only recognizable because of his distinct, bold cologne. But it’s likely because they didn’t have much physical contact, so their scents only faintly cling to Babe. If not for my heightened senses, I wouldn’t have noticed at all. That’s not what matters, though. What really gets under my skin is that, among all the scents on Babe, Willy’s stands out the most.

   Even though Babe washed his hands, scent isn’t like dust—it can’t be washed away with water or brushed off. Those tiny particles seep into every pore of the surface, lingering for a while, depending on who’s sharp enough to pick them up. And it’s infuriating that I’m that person.

   “Smell anything?” Babe asks, standing still, letting me bury my face in his palm without pulling away.

   “Lying, huh?”

   “Lying about what?”

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