a Love Story ⑹ "So, how is your new novel, Ruby? The one about that weirdo Harry," retreated from the reminiscence, Marinne asked. Suddenly, Ruby's body became stiff near her. "He is not a weirdo! Harry is just...just too engrossed in his own world and cares less about other things,"Ruby's face turned scarlet as she denied with a fit of histrionics."Harry is not like others, he is...he is a covert diamond." This gave Marinne a shock as Ruby, the nonchalant Ruby, would by any means catapult someone to such exaggerated praise. "You know, Ruby," Marinne gazed at her with slight incredulity, "I'm not a good reader, to be sure. And most of the time I don't really understand your recondite diction in the novel. But still...I can feel that, the character Harry is like someone you depicted according to your preference for boys, or an ideal boyfriend, rather than some fancied creation. Your affection for him is bare to see from the lines." Stopping abruptly, Ruby gaped at Marinne for an instance as if some part of her secrets had been revealed, but then concealed whatever she felt with a poker face, and resumed their way to the downtown. "Yeah, that's right. Everyone would have his or her own desired type of the opposite gender, isn't it?" Ruby said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Is it so? Sorry, but I thought you are not the type of girl who would be interested in boys–or, any other human beings." Marinne jeered, a perverse smile hovering on her lips. "That's true enough," Ruby replied drily. Even if Ruby did feel shocked, she had disguised it well.Yet...yet there was a question mark hovering in Marinne's mind. She couldn't be interested in any particular guy, right? Not her...no. Contemplating, Marinne felt a rush of consternation, like rats, was gnawing and scratching inside her.