226 IT'S ADVENTURE TIME

"NO, I can't stay even if you ask me to."

"I know, right?" Neoma said while pointing her finger guns at Ruto. "I'll be disappointed in you if you delay your studies just because your pretty glutton of a friend asked you to."

Ruto raised a brow at her. "Did you call yourself a glutton?"

"No," she said. "I said "pretty glutton.""

"Are you pretty?"

"Yes, I'm conventionally pretty."

""Conventionally?""

"Uh-huh," she said. "Everyone is pretty but society has beauty standards. I'm considered 'pretty' by those standards, thus I call myself "conventionally beautiful.""

"Okay."

"Ruto, are you hesitating to leave?"

"No," he said bluntly. "I already delayed my departure for a year. My father won't tolerate any postponement anymore."

"Ohh. You're a good son, huh?"