Please Confess Your Love to Me(3)

6

The subway was crowded, and I was squeezed by the crowd.

Maverick was tall. Seeing me swaying, he reached out his hand and grabbed me from one side. Then, he grabbed the handgrips with both hands, circling me into his arms, which made me feel safe.

We were only one fist away from each other. My nose was pressed against his second button, and I smelled the fragrance of his body.

Through the glass of the subway behind him, I could see Maverick's back, which made me want to hug him.

We could not meet each other for two months during this summer holiday, so I was reluctant to leave. We were not sure about our relationship. Maybe Maverick would not like me if he came back after the holiday.

While I was overthinking, Maverick said, "The Students' Union has a few topics during the holiday. You can try them if you are interested."

I forgot what I wanted to say. I asked, "What topics?"

"The specific topics have not been determined yet."

I said, "Oh, will you participate? If you join, I'll sign up too."

"Not sure. I'm going to withdraw from the Students' Union at the beginning of school." Maverick hesitated for a moment and said, "But I can also participate in it. I will ask more people to join then. I can't take care of you myself."

Could not take care of me?

He could not take care of me?

It had to be the lack of oxygen in my brain that caused me to be reluctant to leave him just now. Maverick should be single for his whole life because he deserved it.

Maverick kept in touch with me because of the topics during the holiday.

I smiled at my phone every day. This caught my mother's attention, and she asked if I was in a relationship.

I said no, but she did not believe it.

I handed over my phone. "Look, I'm discussing and studying here."

My mother glanced at the screen and saw the whole page of the research project sent by Maverick. She frowned, "Who is this guy? He's so annoying. He has sent so much homework. He can't even let people have a break during the holidays."

I wanted to tell my mother that if nothing unexpected happened, this man would be her future son-in-law.

I held the pillow, glanced at our chat history again, and sighed.

The men and women who had ambiguous relationships should talk about something coquettish, right? Maverick said he wanted to discuss the research project with me, and he really meant it. I had a headache looking at all the professional terms.

Later, we finally decided on a research direction for the summer holiday. It was about neighborhood management.

Then, we asked Yosef and Deborah from the Students' Union to join us. The four of us would return to school one week before the start of school for project research.

I was excited to spend a week with Maverick.

However, I erroneously estimated the heat of the weather. We sent questionnaires in the neighborhood, and we were almost dying of the scorching sun.

Deborah could not bear the heat, too. She took the questionnaires and fanned herself. "Which genius came up with a summer holiday project on social science? We are a group of science students. Is it necessary to do research that is not our major?"

I did not say anything. Yosef suddenly ranted, "Wait a minute. Yuliana seems to study social science, right?"

After saying that, he cursed and said, "Maverick, are you purposely choosing such a topic for Yuliana's sake?"

They looked at me at once.

It made me feel guilty.

These topics were indeed chosen by Maverick, taking my major into consideration.

Maverick frowned and said, "I've seen your grades. After thinking for a while, I thought it was better to send questionnaires. Doing something professional is easy and will make people laugh at me. I will analyze the questionnaire data with Yuliana after that. Both of you just need to list the data."

I looked at Deborah and Yosef. Their expressions instantly stiffened and looked like they thought Maverick was arrogant because he was a genius.

Maverick was really amazing. He was a pure science student. During the first month of his holiday, he studied social science knowledge every day and read more research papers than I did. Finally, he set a direction for me.

My previous grievances turned into distress. I could not help but be angry. He had done all these. Should he not confess his love to me?

After I ran under the sun for a few days, I got a sunburn. What made me upset was we were doing the same job, but only Maverick still kept his actual skin tone.

When my roommates came back from the holiday, they were stunned to see me.

"Look at your skin. What did you do to yourself?"

I was full of grievances and ran to Maverick, acting coquettishly. "Maverick, do you think I look good when I'm tanned?"

I stretched out my arm, hoping that Maverick would say something nice to me.

However, Maverick glanced at me and said, "It's okay. You didn't have a fair complexion before, so it's hard to tell if you're tanned."

I was speechless.

Well, I was "comforted" indeed.

I decided not to talk to him. Nonetheless, I did not expect to receive a package two days later. It was two boxes of SK2 masks.

I pretended to say, "I got the masks. They are expensive, right? How can I accept the masks?"

"Tanning is a kind of work-related injury. The masks are for your face."

I rubbed my face against the pillow. "How do you know about the ex-boyfriend mask?"

Maverick was silent for a long time. When I thought he would not answer me, the phone rang. "Is that the ex-boyfriend mask? I might have bought them wrong. Don't use it. It's ominous."

"Why is it ominous?"

"The name is ominous."

7

After the beginning of school, Maverick stepped down from his position in the Students' Union and officially entered the graduation season.

Nevertheless, he had not confessed his love to me. We looked like we were separated by a piece of cellophane, and no one took the initiative to poke it. Sometimes, I wanted to kick him and force myself on him.

Fortunately, the Students' Union was recruiting new recruits. My busy life diverted my attention and preserved Maverick's "virginity."

Joshua was a freshman with good conditions in all aspects. He looked like a younger brother next door, and he was very lively. There was a talent show in the interview. Joshua played and sang "This Land Is Your Land" with a guitar, which attracted a lot of fans.

Deborah was now the vice president of the Students' Union. She sat next to me and sighed, "God will not treat a person who is obsessed with looks badly. Maverick has left the Students' Union, but here comes Joshua. He is the best existence in the world."

Joshua became a committee member of my department.

It was another year for the Students' Union's gathering. As seniors, we took the new recruits to eat. Now, as the head of the department, I had become the toasting target for the juniors. I felt dizzy after drinking three or five glasses.

When we were in the karaoke bar, they ordered beers again. I hid on the couch. Joshua sat next to me, poured me coffee and water, and kept asking me if I was okay, just like a mother.

If Maverick could be half as sensitive as Joshua, we would have been together.

While Joshua was singing, Deborah sat beside me and narrowed her eyes. "Why does Joshua care so much about you? Does he have a crush on you?"

Then, she patted my thigh hard and said, "You've got Maverick. I can't let you have Joshua."

Before I could deny it, a familiar song sounded. Joshua stood in the middle of the private room with a reddened face. "This 'Love You' is for Yuliana."

Damn!

Why could I not get over with this song?

The best way to avoid embarrassment was to play dead.

Hence, I succeeded in getting drunk.

When the gathering ended, I stood up and felt that the sky was spinning.

"I'll send Yuliana home."

Joshua volunteered. He was also drunk, and his face was blushing like a big apple.

"No!" I could not speak properly, but my consciousness still existed. "I can go home myself!"

Yosef had become the president of the Students' Union. He came over and said to Joshua, "You can go back with your classmates. Someone will pick her up later."

I was wondering who Yosef meant. Then, I saw a vague figure approaching from far away. I turned my head and asked Deborah, "Look at that man. Doesn't he look like Maverick?"

"How much did you drink?"

In the blink of an eye, the man had already stood in front of me. I did not hear the question clearly. I reached out and pinched him hard on the face. "It's a live person!"

Maverick sighed and rubbed my head hard. He got up and said, "I'll take her back. Be careful."

"Okay, I'll go with Joshua."

Deborah wanted to chase Joshua with her shoulder bag, but Yosef grabbed her and said, "Come with me."

"Why should I? I'm not drunk."

"I'm drunk. You give me a ride."

Then, I listened to Deborah cursing as she followed Yosef away.

Soon, only Maverick and I were left in the private room.

"Can you get up on your own?"

"I have a headache."

"You deserve it. Who let you drink so much?"

Maverick squatted down and put me on his back. I lay firmly on his back, and my arms wrapped around his neck like vines.

I started to talk too much when I was drunk. "Men and women should keep their distance. It's not appropriate for you to have me on your back like this."

Maverick ignored me. I blew air into his ear.

After a while, I was surprised to find that his ears turned red. "Maverick, your ears are red."

"Yuliana, if you move again, I'll throw you down."

"Okay."

I did not dare to do it again.

The breeze made me sleepy. I closed my eyes and lay behind Maverick in a daze, whispering, "Maverick, why don't you confess your love to me?"

Then, Maverick seemed to say something, but I did not hear it.

I fell asleep.

8

When I got up, my roommates surrounded me and asked me what happened yesterday, why Maverick sent me back, and whether we were already together.

I kept denying their questions, but I did wish we had slept together.

I did not have a headache after getting drunk, but I had my period.

I was tired and lay on the bed. I swiped my phone and saw Maverick's WhatsApp message, telling me that he had gone to work.

He could just go, then. Why should he tell me about it?

I pouted, but the corners of my mouth could not help but curl upwards.

I replied: [Good luck with your work.]

Then, I added: [My stomach hurts. Ouch.]

After waiting for a long time, Maverick replied: [Drink more hot water.]

Maverick was really being himself.

Like an injured mushroom, I lay still in the dorm.

Joshua called me, but I was watching a drama, so I rejected his call.

Later, he sent me a message on WhatsApp asking me if I felt uncomfortable with the hangover and whether I wanted him to buy me yogurt.

I should not compare everything, but Maverick's message looked so cold-blooded now.

I rejected Joshua and turned my body over. Then, the door of the dorm was opened. "Guest 0214, Debby the delivery woman comes to deliver the goods. Please collect."

"Deborah, why are you here?"

Deborah put the things in her hand on the table and said, "Mav said you're not feeling well and asked me to bring you something."

Then, she picked up a flask thicker than my arm and said, "This flask is so heavy. I wonder what's in it."

I saw that it was the same as the one Maverick gave me at that time, but his flask was pure black.

It was indeed Maverick who gave me the things.

He was so coquettish.

Deborah looked around and saw the one under my desk. She was surprised. "You have one, too. How could you think of this as a couple's flask? It's so ugly!"

A couple's flask.

How could I look down on such a lovely flask back then?

I smiled with the flask in my hand. Deborah was disgusted, and she said, "Now the room is full of the smell of love. The things have been sent. I'll leave now."

After Deborah left, I opened the flask and poured out the contents in it. It was chamomile tea.

Such a big flask was enough for me to drink for a day.

I took a sip and felt sweet.

At night, Maverick came to see me and checked whether I finished drinking the chamomile tea.

I was curious. "How did you know that girls who have periods have to drink chamomile tea?"

"In fact, it doesn't work."

Maverick held the flask in his hand. "The tea can only warm the uterus, but it actually can't relieve the pain. It is just like drinking hot water."

His serious knowledge-sharing did not make me happy, but I was confused. "Then why did you pour me chamomile tea? You can just bring me hot water."

Maverick looked at me with a strange expression. "I checked online, and it seems that boys can't tell girls to drink more hot water. They will be scolded for being unromantic."

His answer could be said to be a model answer for unromantic men.