Only a few minutes had passed since Dylan managed to escape Haru's awkward interrogation. And even though he'd gotten out of it thanks to a mix of logical arguments, lies, and his skill at exploiting her ignorance, he wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome.
It wasn't fear of possible future repercussions from the conversation that unsettled him, but rather the simple fact that his body was still aching from the fever. Walking that much in his condition had only made things worse. His muscles were stiff, his feet dragged, and the pounding in his head grew sharper with every ray of morning sun hitting his face.
All he wanted now was to walk through his front door, kick off the shoes digging into his calves, grab some painkillers from his nightstand, and collapse into bed with no intention of getting up until hunger forced him to.
'Of course, that's going to have to wait.'
Although he had embraced the enlightenment of delegating impossible goals to his future self—who, in theory, should be more capable—he found himself unable to simply watch Haru walk away once they returned to their meeting point: the door to his house. Not when she'd remained dead silent the entire walk back.
The way she walked—with slumped shoulders, limp arms, tightly pressed lips, and moist eyes—struck a sensitive chord in him that he hadn't expected to have. She might have a personality that was hard to stomach for anyone outside her close circle, but that didn't change the fact that she was an attractive young woman in her own right. And seeing a beautiful woman walk away dejected had a certain effect on a man's heart, even someone like him.
So before the distance between them could grow too wide, he raised his voice just enough for her to hear, taking care not to attract any more onlookers.
At the sound of his voice, she stopped and slowly turned to look at him over her shoulder, her dull eyes saying more than any reply could.
It wasn't easy for her to accept comforting words from the very guy who'd pushed her to that point, and even less so if they sounded hollow, as if said out of obligation. Still, she gave a small nod in response; barely enough to be called acknowledgment, and certainly not enough to mask her mood.
Dylan caught the subtle gesture. With a sigh, he brought a hand to his chin and closed his eyes, trying to figure out what else to say. But his mouth got ahead of his thoughts.
"Seriously, don't beat yourself up over what I said. It wasn't a threat. I'm not going to report you for hiring someone to tail me. I get it. I would've been suspicious too if some random guy came up to me like that in the middle of the night."
When he finished speaking, he opened his eyes and saw a different expression on her face. She was still down, but visibly more at ease. It was as if his words had legitimized her actions, and for some reason, that gave her relief.
"…It wasn't wrong to check out someone you thought might be a creep," he added, more neutrally. "But don't do it again. It's still illegal. Leave that kind of thing to the professionals… or at least tell your dad first."
Though his original intention had been to comfort her, Dylan quickly realized that Haru's spirits were lifting a bit too fast for his liking. That, more than anything, put him on alert. Given how erratic she'd proven herself to be, he wouldn't be surprised if she started hanging around his neighborhood again the moment she regained some confidence.
'I thought Diane was exaggerating when she compared her to a level four threat… but maybe she wasn't too far off. I'd better not let my guard down. I can't afford another incident like this with so little time left before the Transfer.'
With that, he waved her off with a vague motion of his hand. She walked away still hunched, but her steps were firmer since she no longer looked on the verge of tears.
Once she vanished around the corner, Dylan turned on his heels, opened the door to his house and, before entering, took a long breath, as if trying to leave the whole incident outside. Then he shook his head, stepped inside, and headed straight for his room.
. . . . .
"You idiot! This is all your fault!"
The moment she reunited with her partner-in-crime, Haru grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him out of his seat —inside a small home-style restaurant— shaking him back and forth while the kitchen staff watched, stunned.
From her point of view, her anger was perfectly justified. Not only had he blown her plans by getting flagged as a suspicious individual while doing the job she'd paid him for, but instead of tailing her and Dylan as they walked, he'd decided to stop for breakfast.
What if something had gone wrong? What if she'd needed backup? The more she thought about it, the more furious she became.
"S-stop… I'm getting dizzy…"
"Don't even think about it. This doesn't even come close to what I had to deal with!"
Her long-standing friendship with Félix—an old classmate—meant she had no qualms roughing him up like that. Especially considering she'd paid him in advance with a handheld console she'd been quite fond of.
Besides, Félix couldn't easily push her off. Despite the gender difference, they were physically pretty evenly matched. If he wanted to shake her off, he'd have to seriously fight back, and that risked accidentally hurting her, which would only make things worse.
Eventually, Haru let go when her arms started to go numb. He slumped back into his seat, head resting on the table, arms splayed like he was about to pass out.
Groaning softly, a thin line of drool escaping one corner of his mouth, he looked genuinely unwell; enough that Haru briefly wondered if maybe she'd gone too far… though that fleeting guilt vanished almost immediately.
Instead of apologizing, she poked him in the temple with her index finger and scolded him in a calmer but still accusatory tone.
"You ruined everything, dummy. Because of you, just when I had him cornered, he came out with that argument I couldn't even refute. Seriously, who follows someone that obviously? If you hadn't spent hours loitering around his place, maybe—"
"What nonsense are you babbling?"
Brushing away the finger that was bothering him with a casual flick, Félix cut her off as he sat up. He grabbed the console from the table, turned it on, and continued without even glancing at her.
"Why the hell would I do that?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you really think I spent all day there wasting time? Like that busted old thing you gave me was worth that much... Please. The second I realized he was like us—a dude who doesn't enjoy going out—I focused on learning his routine. Once I had that down, I'd wait on the corner where he always passed after his morning jog, follow him home, and hang around for maybe fifteen minutes, just in case. That's it. That was the job."
Upon hearing this, Haru frowned. Doubt crept into her mind, so she asked cautiously, trying to confirm what she suspected.
"So… you think someone might've thought you were up to something just because you stood still for fifteen minutes?"
"For that? I doubt it. People around here are too busy with their own crap," he said, jerking his chin toward the open kitchen, where two women bustled about prepping food for the midday crowd. "No one ever approached me. Actually, besides a few kids on their way to school, no one even seemed to notice me."
"Hmm… I see."
Of the few real-world contacts she still spoke to, Félix stood out—not just for being available, but for a very particular talent: an obsessive attention to detail and sharp visual tracking skills. In games like Geometry Dash or Rainbow Six Siege, those traits gave him an edge, where split-second reflexes made all the difference. Haru had reached out to him precisely for that reason.
That's why, when he said it was unlikely he'd seen him as a stalker, she had no choice but to believe him. And that truth brought with it a whole new kind of frustration.
'Damn it… If I'd known that earlier, I wouldn't have chickened out so badly. In the end, it would've been his word against mine… and no way anyone trusts him over a sweet girl like me…'
"Well, did you get what you needed? Can I go now?"
While Haru was still lost in regrets and ruminations, Félix spoke casually, sipping the last of the drink that came with his breakfast as he saved his game.
She glanced at him sideways but didn't respond. Instead, she turned her gaze in a particular direction, lost in thought. Félix sighed in resignation, raised his hand to order another round, then immersed himself in his game again as if nothing else existed.
Minutes passed amid digital sound effects and the murmur of customers beginning to fill the restaurant, until a sudden, sharp pat on the back made him jump and cough involuntarily.
"What is wrong with you, psycho?!"
Tears in his eyes from coughing, Félix shot to his feet and glared at his attacker. Haru, without the slightest hint of remorse, crossed her arms and held his gaze firmly.
"Hmph. That was for doing your job halfway. I didn't pay you to watch him for just half an hour a day. So unless you want me to confiscate the payment I gave you in advance, you'd better keep cooperating a little longer."
"Ugh…"
"Relax. What I need this time is really small."
Letting out a giggle that clashed with Félix's drained expression, Haru got ready to share the new plan she'd come up with. A bold, nearly reckless idea that made he purse his lips.
After all, Haru wasn't scared of Dylan anymore.
And that meant she could act with a whole lot fewer restraints.