novelraw Chapter 278: Hurry Up and Chase Him
Chapter 278: Hurry Up and Chase Him
“You don’t know it’s bad to exercise right after eating?” Abigail walked up and patted Leon’s stomach, grumbling.
“To make sure I was ready for the egg hunt at ten, I barely ate anything this morning. And here you are, stuffing yourself like there’s no tomorrow—don’t you think eating too much will slow you down?”
“Will it really make a difference?” Leon gave her a puzzled look.
“It’s only eight o’clock. Two whole hours to go. Even if I’m stuffed, I’ll have digested enough by then to move just fine.”
“Uh…” Abigail froze. After thinking about it, she realized he actually had a point. Without another word, she pulled out 20G, bought a meal ticket from Gus, and went straight for the tea eggs.
She’d already been there when Leon started eating and had watched him for more than five minutes. The tea eggs he’d taken the most had long caught her attention, and she was dying to try them.
Seeing Abigail eating with such unrestrained enthusiasm, Leon scratched his nose, once again convinced he saw her more like a brother. Not that he could be entirely blamed—Abigail bore half the responsibility.
After all, what respectable young lady ate with both hands at once, cheeks puffed out like a hamster? (Not trying to start a fight! Not trying to start a fight!)
Realizing she’d be eating for a while yet, Leon wandered off toward the large rabbit statue in the middle of the square.
He remembered this statue vividly—it was anthropomorphic, with an empty oval where the face should be, framed by rabbit ears. The cutout was perfectly shaped for someone to stick their face in from behind, making for fun, silly photos.This kind of design was pretty common; Leon remembered plenty of tourist spots using something similar.
At the moment, the faceless rabbit statue was surrounded by visitors, the constant clicks of camera shutters filling the air.
“What’s the matter? You want to take a picture too?” Haley had appeared beside him without him noticing.
“No, just looking.” Leon shook his head. Noticing she was alone, he asked, “Where’s your sister?”
“She’s over with Leah, modeling for her,” Haley replied with a sigh. “That’ll take a while, so I’m just wandering around on my own.”
“Have you bought anything yet?” Leon asked casually.
“Why should I tell you?” Haley instantly shifted her small backpack to her back, giving him an annoyed look.
“With that temper, your future boyfriend’s in for trouble,” Leon teased with a shrug.
“Hmph, if he can’t handle my temper, then he’s not boyfriend material,” Haley said proudly.
“Sure, sure. Good luck with that.” Leon nodded and was about to head elsewhere.
Just then, a scruffy man wearing glasses and holding a camera stepped up. With what he probably thought was a friendly smile—but looked sleazy to anyone else—he addressed Haley.
“Beautiful lady, may I take a couple of photos of you? No charge, of course. I just think someone as lovely as you would make a great picture.”
“You’ll have to ask him if he’s okay with that,” Haley said, rolling her eyes. She gave a sly glance toward Leon and pointed at him.
“Huh?” Leon looked between her and the photographer. Though tempted to say he didn’t mind, one glance at the guy’s greasy grin changed his mind.
Since she’d made him the shield, Leon slipped naturally into the role.
Rolling up his sleeves, he showed off his thick arms and biceps. “I think I’m more photogenic than her. How about you take a couple of shots of me instead?”
“Ahem, no thanks. I, uh, just realized I’m running low on film. Need to go get some more. Sorry to bother you.” The photographer backed away quickly, making up an excuse before fleeing.
“Such a coward, and he dares to try hitting on someone?” Leon muttered in mock disappointment.
“Well, you did look like a murderer,” Haley said matter-of-factly.
She’d seen his expression just now, along with the chilling aura that seemed to radiate from him without his noticing. Even she had felt a shiver.
“Really? Did I?” Leon blinked in confusion. He hadn’t been trying to scare the man. He’d simply imagined him as a Duggy from the mines—because honestly, the resemblance was uncanny.
“Thanks, Leon.” Haley couldn’t help smiling at his current expression.
“No need to thank me.” Leon waved it off. It wasn’t like it took any effort—it was just a small favor.
“By the way, if you actually do want a picture or two, I can help. I brought my camera.”
“I’ll pass. I only said that to scare him off,” Leon explained.
“But this is your first festival in Pelican Town. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to have a couple of photos?” Haley asked.
“Now that you mention it… you’re right.” Leon thought it over. After all, how else could he post on social media to prove he’d been out?
“By the way, you’ve got enough film, right?” He threw in a joke to smooth over the awkwardness of changing his mind.
Haley just rolled her eyes, then pulled him over to the faceless rabbit statue and motioned for him to stick his face in.
“How about we just find another spot?” The thought of having his face on a chubby, overalls-wearing rabbit body made Leon shiver.
He liked bunny girls, but not bunny grandpas—especially not immortalizing himself as one in a photo destined to haunt him forever.
“But I want to take it here,” Haley said with a mischievous grin. The less he wanted to do something, the more she wanted to push it.
Unfortunately for her, she’d picked the wrong target. As soon as she said that, Leon bolted, leaving Haley standing there with her raised camera, staring at the empty cutout and listening to the nearby tourists laughing and teasing.
“Your boyfriend’s running away—better chase him!”
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting me on (www./RomayStories) so I can bring you more chapters faster and with even better quality. Every bit of support helps keep this translation going strong!
Next Chapter >>>