Project: Socialize (Chapters 1-197)

34. GTFO Please

When Loriana returned home, we were ready for it. Emilia had already retreated to my room and had promised to remain silent. Therefore, all that was left for me to do was to prevent Loriana from heading to my room. It was a task that wasn't too difficult since Loriana isn't the talkative type. She would usually leave me undisturbed except for special circumstances. For example, one time she had to knock on my door to wake me up for school since I had forgot to charge my phone the night before and it ran out battery, making it so that my alarm did not ring.

It was around 8:00 PM that night when the door opened, revealing Loriana who was dressed in her work clothes. However, someone was behind her. It was someone that I had seen before but not the person who I had seen Loriana spend time with.

"So this is your house?" the familiar looking man said nervously as he looked around.

"Sit anywhere," Loriana said as she walked by the couch. "This is Alevian," she introduced me. "My nephew."

"Oh," Markus's facial expression betrayed that he had felt a sense of relief after learning of my identity. "Hello. I'm Markus. Your aunt's coworker."

"Okay..." I eyed him with suspicion.

I remembered that I had used that item I bought from the Socialization app store to alter the memories of Loriana and all her coworkers that had saw me that day. Therefore, Markus does not have any memory of seeing me in the past, meaning that to him, this was our first meeting.

"Hello..." Markus's voice trailed off as he sensed that the atmosphere was becoming awkward.

"Sit down," Loriana said to Markus and then started for her room so as to set her purse down in her room.

"..."

Markus and I sat there in the living room on far ends of the couch. We were dead silent, with the only sound coming from the television. I browsed a forum on my phone, not caring about whether or not Markus felt welcomed. Like it's not problem whether he felt any hospitality. Therefore, I left him sitting there tense on the couch.

"Um..." Markus tried to start a conversation. "What school are you going to right now, Alevian?"

"Nocsinis Imperial High."

I responded in the simplest manner possible, not wanting to make any unnecessary conversation. I wasn't in the mood for it. To be honest, I felt quite weird that Loriana brought a man to our house. Like in the past, the only people I saw even near our house is her two friends, Cheral and Yerith. Therefore, I felt somewhat irritated at the moment.

"What grade are you in?" Markus continued his desperate attempts at conversing.

"Second year."

"Have you thought about what college you want to attend?" Markus continued to ask.

"No." I responded in an assertive voice so as to ensure that no further conversation could be started between the two of us.

He fidgeted quite nervously as he sat there. Obviously, he wasn't mentally prepared to go to Loriana's house, and I wasn't even sure what circumstances led to him being here. If I recall correctly, he has a hidden crush on Loriana... So maybe that's why he's so nervous. I mean if it is me I would be nervous to.

Loriana soon emerged from her room, walking elegantly back to the living room area while still dressed in her work clothes. She probably doesn't want to make Markus feel to uncomfortable. Maybe that's why. She focused her fatigued eyes on the television, watching the news that was playing at the time. She appeared to be the same as before, although just slightly more tired in appearance. However, when I see her though, I was still reminded of that night, which made me look away in shame.