I slowly turned toward her.
"But then why didn't you tell me? We spent hours traveling."
Ariel tilted her head. Then, without the slightest hint of shame, she replied,
"Taking the long route is sometimes fun."
I stared at her.
What kind of bullshit reason was that?
Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly, and I could tell she was doing everything she could to keep a straight face. The corners of her mouth twitched, her tails swayed lazily behind her, and the smug satisfaction in her eyes only made it worse.
She knew exactly how ridiculous that answer was. Yet she said it anyway.
I could only stand there in disbelief. Then, after a few seconds, I rubbed my forehead and let out a weary sigh.
Somehow, I couldn't even stay angry.
This was exactly the kind of thing I usually did to her.
I'd intentionally say something outrageous, poke at her until she got flustered, then sit back and enjoy watching her reaction.
It was practically one of my favorite pastimes.
