It was already past midnight when Renn returned to his place. As Marc said earlier, the door wasn't locked, just shut. He opened it by twisting the doorknob.
The apartment was silent, save for the low hum of the refrigerator and the steady ticking of the wall clock's second hand. A dim bulb hung from the ceiling of the drawing room, casting a soft yellow glow that barely reached the corners of the walls. It was just enough to keep the apartment from plunging into absolute darkness. The air smelled of lemon detergent and something else... maybe cinnamon? The signature air freshener of Marc.
Renn took off his wet sneakers and dropped them at the entrance before stepping inside. No way he was going to let his dirty shoes ruin the clean floor again; Marc had already scolded him several times for that bad habit.
He stepped inside and, with a tired grunt, locked the door behind him.
Marc had already left hours ago; he worked night shifts at a company that rarely gave him a break. So, now Renn was all alone in the apartment — alone and in a perfect state of mind for all sorts of unnecessary thoughts to creep in.
He tossed his bag on the couch, and slumped down beside it, letting out a long sigh. His whole body ached — his shoulders, his calves, even the fingers.
It was a really, really long day.
At this point, he could easily compare it to a rubber band stretched to its limit; one more pull and it'd snap.
Today had been the deadline for Professor Vinn's soul-sucking assignment, a five thousand words analysis on a topic that he had no emotional investment in.
He stayed up late the night before, gathering pieces of information, creating diagrams, flow charts, and typing continuously without a break — trying to wrap it up at the last minute like most of the students did. He barely slept.
Then came the café, packed to the brim. The pre-storm rush piled in like they were having their last coffee before doomsday.
And of all days, the other boy had to take a day off today! He had been running counter, taking orders, wiping tables alone — all the afternoon and the evening, Renn didn't even have a moment to breathe.
And lastly, the storm. Rain poured relentlessly for hours. Maybe, the sky had decided to dump a whole ocean at once today. And thanks to that constant downpour, he'd ended up staying an hour and a half extra.
'What a day!' Renn let out a deep sigh, suddenly he realized, he was hungry. Sure thing, he didn't have his dinner yet.
With that thought, his attention drifted to the stranger he met barely an hour ago. What did he say?
You're too kind, and that's not a good thing.
A surge of irritation rose in his chest. "Yeah, I shouldn't be kind to you, not at all!" He muttered bitterly, "At least I wouldn't be starving in the middle of the night then."
He stood up and headed to the small kitchen to find something quick to eat. Marc always kept a stash of food for moments like this — when hunger struck and you had no time to cook or order takeouts, so there had to be something in there.
He walked over to and opened the kitchen cabinet. As expected, a couple of cup noodles sat idly in one corner. He grabbed one, peeled back the lid, poured hot water, and set it aside to cook. A few minutes later, he gave it a quick stir and carried it back to the couch.
As he took the first bite, a satisfying smile spread across his lips. Marc always had his back, just like this time with instant noodles, countless times before. He wasn't just a flatmate, he was more like a big brother to him.
'Bro, you deserve a treat.' He finished the noodles, stood up, and tossed the cup into the dustbin.
With sluggish steps, he pushed himself to the bathroom. After such a hectic day, now he needed a shower and a sound sleep.
He turned on the faucet and let the water run. Steam began to fill that place. Renn stared at his reflection in the fogged-up mirror, the reddened eye and dark circles made him look like a ghost.
He stood under the shower, letting the water rinse away the day's exhaustion. He left the shower with a lighter and clearer mind. For the first time in hours, he felt fresh. Changing into a loose tee and sweatpants, he flopped onto the bed, pulling the blanket over his chest.
He thought he'd fall asleep as soon as he hit the bed, but sleep didn't come; instead, thoughts crept in.
That man, something was off about him. His words echoed in the back of his head.
Kindness will get you killed. Watch your back.
What did he mean by that? And the last sentence,
You'll be there where you should be.
What was that supposed to mean? And, that man's smile, knowing, mysterious, as if he'd buried all his unspoken explanations under that crooked smile!
Could a madman really smile like that, or was there something far beyond it?
Renn shook his head. 'Ah, that's... Nonsense! Marc's right, I really need to stop watching those horror films.'
He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. Since when did the rambling of a madman start getting under his skin like this? He already had countless problems in his life — real ones. There was no point in letting other's paranoia seep into his mind.
Renn got off the bed and went to the drawing room. He took out a bottle of water and took a long gulp. Back in his room, he sank into his bed covering himself under the blanket. He shut his eyes, and within moments, the weight of the day pulled him into a deep sleep.
He slept, never sensing the subtle shift taking place around him. Something had begun stirring in his small apartment. The air grew denser, and the wall clock, ticking continuously all day and night, the one whose battery he replaced just yesterday, suddenly stilled.
The hands froze at 12:59.