Kiss Me if You Can-Chapter 22Vol. 2
The garage sale, which had started early in the morning, reached its peak by noon. It seemed like not just the neighbors, but also kids from school had come to visit. Children, holding their parents' hands, bought items that were fairly expensive, while those who came alone didn’t leave empty-handed. Everyone was eager to ask Joshua about the history of the items, attaching great meaning to each one as they picked something up. Despite the fact that the history of the items was no more remarkable than that of an ordinary middle-class family, they were moved by these seemingly insignificant stories, paid the prices, and asked Joshua for a handshake before walking away with light steps.
As more people gathered, Emma didn’t miss the opportunity to set up a stand selling cookies and lemonade. Of course, the prices were ridiculously high, but everyone bought them without complaint. Joshua stood in front of the sales stand, as usual.
"It’s already all gone. I’ll bring more."
As Emma happily went into the house, Joshua turned his attention from her to a middle-aged man who had been looking around for him. The man was eyeing the barbecue grill, and his furrowed brow suggested he was skeptical.
"Hmm, isn’t this a bit overpriced? I saw the same one at the store for $50 less."
The man, who was Emma’s father, spoke with an unsatisfied look. Though Joshua had heard complaints like this before, it was usually the daughter, Alyssa, who would jump in first to defend the items. This time, as expected, Alyssa quickly spoke up.
"Dad! This is a family heirloom. You don’t even know what it means."
Joshua gave a wry smile as he looked at her, and Alyssa blushed, while her father glanced skeptically at the grill before asking:
"It seems to be in good condition… But really, is this something you want, Alyssa?"
After double-checking with his daughter, he shook his head, muttering something about not understanding the minds of girls her age, and then took out some bills to pay. After telling her that they already had three barbecue grills at home, he left with the new one in tow. Alyssa turned to Joshua.
"Thanks for calling Emma first and letting her know. By the way, we’re having a barbecue party next week, you’re coming, right?"
Suddenly, it hit Joshua. He understood how Emma could confidently price the grill.
How dare she sell me out.
Though he wanted to find her and give her a piece of his mind, he couldn’t embarrass his sister in front of her friends. So, Joshua simply gave a practiced smile and nodded.
"Yeah, thanks for the invite."
"Anytime."
Alyssa, with her face flushed, said her goodbyes and left, looking back several times as she walked. Sitting in the passenger seat of the car, she waved at Joshua, who waved back. As soon as the car disappeared from sight, Joshua turned around to find Emma. The polite smile he had been wearing up until then was completely gone.
This kid, I won’t let this slide.
"Joshua, could you help with this?"
"Oh, sorry, just a minute."
Joshua, still with a smile on his face, raised a hand when another voice called out.
"Joshua? Where are you going?"
"Joshua!"
"Joshua, I need to ask you something!"
Hearing calls from various directions, Joshua excused himself and went inside, heading straight for the kitchen, where he found his mother.
"Where’s Emma?"
Mother, who had just taken some freshly baked cookies out of the oven, tilted her head.
"Is she outside?"
Without answering, Joshua scanned the surroundings, then quietly stepped back outside.
She hasn’t run off and left me here in this chaos, has she?
As he muttered to himself, a shadow appeared on the wall separating their house from the neighbor’s. Just as Joshua furrowed his brow in confusion, someone grabbed his shoulder. He immediately turned around to find Ed, from the same football team.
"What are you doing here?"
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"Why are you here?"
Joshua’s question was met with a subtle motion from Ed, who nodded toward his younger siblings, who were browsing through the items. As soon as they caught sight of Joshua, they smiled brightly and waved. Ed sighed, looking annoyed.
"Of course, it’s my day off. Just help out a little, alright?"
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Clearly dragged along, Ed was scanning the area, looking bored.
"Where’s Emma? Is it just you?"
"Actually, I was just about to look for her myself."
Joshua almost warned him not to get any ideas about his sister, but stopped himself. First, he needed to find Emma. Joshua walked over to the wall, where the shadow had grown clearer. As he approached, he soon realized there were two people there.
"Uh."
"Shh."
Ed, who was about to speak, was stopped by Joshua as he motioned for him to be quiet. Ed nodded and crouched down to follow Joshua, carefully observing. Joshua peeked over the wall and saw, as expected, Emma standing there. The important question was: who was she with?
"Huh."
Joshua couldn’t help but mutter as he saw a slender, bespectacled boy standing in front of Emma, wearing thick black-framed glasses, his physique scrawny and weak-looking, with hardly any muscle. Joshua didn’t recognize him at all. Although Joshua knew almost every face from the high school they were connected to, this boy was definitely unfamiliar.
Could he have transferred here?
But what really irritated Joshua was Emma’s behavior toward him. She was shyly turning her face away, speaking in a soft voice—an attitude Joshua knew all too well. Every girl who had confessed to him had acted the same way. Still, Joshua watched, hoping it was nothing more than a misunderstanding, when Emma’s voice reached his ears.
"Thank you for coming all the way here. I didn’t expect it... well, I did a little."
God.
Joshua buried his face in his hands and barely managed to stifle the groan rising from deep in his chest. He wanted to shout but kept the frustration inside, but Emma didn’t stop.
"So... I was wondering, if you have time, would you like to go see a movie next weekend?"
Why is she the one asking me out?!
Joshua clenched his fists, ready to storm over and grab the boy by the collar, but Ed quickly grabbed him.
"Let’s just see what happens," Ed motioned for him to wait.
Joshua, barely containing his anger, stood still, waiting. The scrawny boy hesitated before finally speaking.
"Well, I have to go to church on the weekend..."
What? You’re rejecting my sister? My sister?
Joshua!
Holding his breath and silently screaming, Ed grabbed him again, urgently trying to stop him.
"Think about it—how embarrassing would it be for your sister if you walk in right now?"
As much as it hurt, Ed’s words were true. Joshua, unable to argue further, reluctantly held back his fury. Meanwhile, Emma was doing her best to continue.
"Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do about it. Don’t worry too much, I just wanted to thank you for helping me with the homework last time. Um, if you’re free, maybe you could teach me some math problems? They’re really tough..."
That jerk! You’re asking him to teach you math, while I’m right here?
Joshua, who had won awards in math competitions, found the suggestion laughable. He wanted to charge out right then but forced himself to hold back, his anger barely contained. Ed, anxious, kept watching.
The boy spoke again.
"It’s not a big deal, but I’m busy. I have a tutor three days a week. If you can match my schedule, I might consider it."
"Of course! Thank you so much, Jack. I’ll make it up to you..."
Joshua couldn’t take it anymore. He was about to charge out and grab the guy by the collar, but instead, he took a deep breath and stepped back.
After selling the last of the items, he grabbed Ed and dragged him inside the garage.
"You know what I’m going to say, right?"
Ed nodded, looking serious.
"Of course, Joshua."
He answered with a determined face.
"If your sister is going down the wrong path, it’s only natural for a friend to guide her back on track."
"Yeah, exactly."
The two of them crossed their arms and vowed to each other. Ed’s eyes shone with resolve. He couldn’t just let someone disrespect his friend’s sister; he would make sure the offender paid for it.
