That Voice Actor's Voice

Chapter 22

Athena happily went to Conrad Imonoyama, also known as Subaru, at the counter of this coffee shop.

I looked at Sir Charles to my right and I can see his expression flaring with intensity while looking at them. He was doing that while sipping his coffee.

He placed his coffee on the table and said "She better get back here. Her coffee will get cold."

I chuckled. "I can sense something cheesy."

"You like her, don't you?" I blatantly said.

He denied it at first but I made him confess by saying evidences I saw in the past such as suavely looking at her without making it obvious, his reaction when he saw both she and Conrad cutely fighting over some paper bag, the beer peer pressure thingy, the time she got injured and insisting she must be still part of our team for our current assigned project.

"How nosy. Yes, I did." He said this without hesitation.

I was right! He likes her! I covered my mouth and nose with both of my hands because of my excitement hearing this from him. Who would have thought this hot and popular guy would go for the simple and reserved Athena!

"Hey, IT'S.ALL.IN.THE.PAST. I don't like her anymore." Charles intensely emphasized this to me.

I removed my hands on my face and suddenly I was shocked hearing him that he doesn't like her anymore.

"Huh? Why?" I asked.

"I just gave up on her." Charles said.

I asked him to be more specific but he got mad at me saying he has no obligation to tell me why he gave up on her.

"But hey, she hasn't had a boyfriend before, you know that. It wouldn't be a reason to give her up. Also, she doesn't like anyone as of the moment, aside from her fawning over her idol Lucas... that wouldn't be a reason to give her up..." I'm thinking other possible reasons but he suddenly stopped me from thinking.

"No. That's not it." He said.

"Then what is it?" I tried to pry more on the reason why he gave up on her.

"I just gave up on her, okay? That's it."

I sighed and confronted him by saying "Okay, I got it. Everyone thinks you're just so strict to her but in my case, I interpret it as your way of getting her attention backed up with all the evidences I just told you. I'm very observant, you know!"

He chuckled and said "Wrong. It's the opposite. It's because I want her to hate me."

I was puzzled. What a weird reason he has. So it's not his way of affection or to get her attention?

"To hate you?"

"I want to forget all the feelings I have for her." Charles sipped his coffee and again looked intensely at the direction of Athena and Conrad.

I can see Athena and Conrad seated in front of each other and they are chatting quite happily.

I faced him again and said,"Did that worked for you? Getting rid that feelings for her?" I asked.

"Yeah, duh. That's why I'm comfortable being so strict with her. Otherwise, I would not be so mean to her." He confidently said.

"You really achieved Athena hating you." I said.

Sir Charles looked relieved and said "That's what I wanted."

I think he still likes her. The time when Athena got injured made him so different, he was genuinely and overly worried for her. During her absence for her scheduled checkup, he was acting a little different by frequently passing by on our work area and constantly tries to talk to me about work but I feel that he wants something from me beyond work. Maybe he wanted updates from me from her checkup.