=The Root of All His Sins=
"Hi. Why did ya call?"
"Please go here right now. There's something I talk to you about, Discount Goldilocks."
"You know that's not my real name, right?"
"... I know.
But---
Your expression of utter demise whenever I utter those words, not of utter demise, but an utterance of sweetness that only I, your future man, can only make your nose wrinkle with pure disgust, not knowing the inevitability of a start of a budding romance,"
Arnis told her, but really, the conversation just ended with his "... I know." and is trying to compose a poem that he will never let Discount Goldilocks read them, for his greatest enemy named rejection is a great deterrence between him and his crush.
And therefore, we now find him, waiting for her to arrive while he tries to build puzzles.
Then again, is it really a crush? Or is it an infatuation?
Or is it because of the fact that she is the only girl whom is willing to truly befriend and be kind to him somehow?
Thus, the inevitability of him, liking her.
Or mommy issues, as I think, it is possible for a male and a female to be truly friends in healthier circumstances.
Something to ponder about, no?
While I was saying this, we still find Arnis very much preoccupied with what he was doing.
Until---
Discounted Goldilocks has finally arrived at their secret quarters on a disclosed location in this chapter for now.
"Hey, idiot! Why did you call me here?" She threw a plastic bottle of juice that hit his head.
"Before we get into that... Is this drink for me?"
She nodded.
"Paldies, Henrietta, " Then he opened the bottle for himself and immediately drank half of it.
"...You're welcome. Anyway, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
She sat down beside Arnis as she helps him with the puzzle at the same time.
"It's about the seven of them."
"Yes. And what about them?"
"I despise the fact that they still alive and very much enjoy on pool yesterday." He complained about his annoyances as he put another puzzle piece on his future masterpiece.
She was quiet and gave no response towards him.
Although, she lets him continue to complain about his frustrations about many things!
For example, his envy towards them and how incompetent they really are, and how he can do better, if and only if... The mysterious hooded figure did not soil his plans, or rather, it chose him instead, imagining a possibility that he should have been him who is leading this hellhole of a country.
She is still listening as both of them continued to work on his puzzle.
Then he began to tell her about the things they should have done better.
She was still listening, as she has already put more puzzle pieces more than him, while he was focusing on his deep love for many frustrating things.
Then about his dreams and aspirations for this country and how he, her, and all of the people in his group, can be all powerful and wealthy, and therefore, achieve absolute happiness.
And that's when Henrietta had enough!
Out of anger, she flipped the table on where the Arnis's puzzle on which was almost complete, was once again, completed destroyed.
"Stop whining like a little bitch and a completely flaccid dick in one person! God. Do I look like your mother to you?!"
"No. Far from it," Then he threw back the half empty bottle of juice to her.
"... I don't get it. This is for you. I gave this to you! Don't you like this particular flavor of this juice?"
"No. In fact. That's my favorite flavor of that juice," He badly wants to tell her his secret feelings towards her but his fear of rejection was getting in the way of it all.
"Then what the fuck is your problem?! In fact, what IS THE REAL FUCKING REASON on why you have called me here, hm?"
"Well. To be honest with you..."
"Yes?"
"I like you," he was able to say his feelings assertively.
"I like you too," Henrietta, whose nickname is more known in this non-unified hellhole of a country, and even before she got here, was unfazed on when she said those words.
"Do you mean that? Do you really like me back...?" He was stunned by her response.
"Of course, I do! I see you as a good friend! Why do you think I am here in the first place, you fucking retarded jackass?!"
Then she gave him a bro hug, "Look. I know that I do not usually give hugs, but I guess, for me to prove that you are a friend of mine. I gave you one. I hope you feel better now."
Arnis was silent, as the friendzone has hit him once again.
"Anyway. I know you have a lot of problems to talk about, but I gotta go! You just stay here, Arnis. The rest of us are truly indebted to you for giving us our basic needs and a life that the seven queens can never give, and so, we will make sure that they are dead," She bowed before him.
As if she was bowing before the altar in a church, not knowing that the priest before the holy altar has their own ulterior motives and that he could never reveal in the public as it would tarnish "his reputation".
Arnis nodded as he, indeed, has his own selfish motives... But not for this girl, as he finds her leaving their underground headquarters, as he just sat there...
Feeling like there's something missing... But realizes that he had more obligations and more important tasks to do than analyze his empty mess on which they are called feelings.
And thus, we find himself, not cleaning on what's left of the puzzle that was scattered on the ground, but we find him, once again...
Strategically planning for his next moves for him and for the team of Discount Goldilocks, to get on what he perceive as rightfully his--- the throne.
