Sasha's POV
My performance as of late has been less than satisfactory. I am convinced that everyone is treating me kindly as a form of pity. I accidentally brought the wrong notes for the topic, and the stuttering surely distracted everybody from the core subject of the discussion.
It's careless, but my thoughts had been clouded by Panlias these past few days. The rainy season of July doesn't help. It's as if the weather is inviting my melancholic attitude.
"Sash... Are you free today?" I looked up to see the familiar sight of Lucas, with Emery trailing behind him. "Want to hang out with us?"
Lucas's presence is always appreciated; he's a trusted associate. Despite his lively disposition, he's quite capable in how he juggles his responsibilities. He's a top student in our institution while attending medical training and also prioritizing business school on the side—even so, he still has the opportunity to indulge himself in his hobbies. He's also very well put together and wears different branded sweater vests over his uniform daily. The only aspect of him that needs more attention is his unkempt hair.
"I think I have some free time.... Where are you going?" I asked in response to his question.
Emery flinched as Lucas pushed his shoulder while saying gibberish in a high-pitched voice. Emery rubbed his arm in pain, telling Lucas to just say what he wanted to say.
"I noticed that you've been interested in RevMira recently, so do you want to join us at the RevMira pop-up cafe?!" Lucas jumped up in pure joy and excitement. "Emery is coming with!"
"Huh? I never agreed to that. I don't have money for it." Emery took a step back away from Lucas. "I thought we were going to our usual place."
"Come on! I was planning on paying for everyone anyway." Lucas grabbed Emery's hands and pleaded.
"I don't want to participate in things I don't have money for. Besides, I'm not really comfortable with being treated to things."
Lucas's eyes widened at his words, his smile widening as he held back a chuckle. "It'll be fine. Honestly, I just really want a Faenikzha acrylic stand, but it's lottery-based, so the more people I bring, the higher the chances!"
Emery's shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll still give you the standee if it's not Faenikzha."
A Reverie Mirage cafe. This seems like a good opportunity to gather information. I can also talk to both Emery and Lucas about their ventures. I need answers to my dilemma as soon as possible, and I need to be proactive.
"Can I join in?" I raised a hand. "I don't mind giving my, uhm... acrylic standee to Lucas, but I do want to see what this pop-up cafe has to offer."
"Of course!!!! Come on, Sash. Since it's your first time at an event, I'll get you whatever you want!!!" Lucas squealed.
He pulled both Emery and me by the hand and dragged us across the hallway while spouting grand declarations of how excited he was and how much he loved Faenikzha. Emery always gets dragged into anything Lucas does. At first, I thought that it was one-sided, but I noticed that whenever Lucas isn't around, Emery stays silent and disengaged with his surroundings. I also noticed that Emery is always blunt around Lucas, so I figured that if he really didn't want to be around Lucas, then it would be easy for him to vocalize this fact.
"Where is this cafe anyway?" Emery asked, his arm stretched out from being dragged.
"Around Lionfeld Street," Lucas responded.
"Oh, so a 10-minute walk?" I asked Lucas.
"I'm not really allowed to walk around in public, so we'll have my chauffeur drive us there." Lucas explained and pointed at a fancy six-seater car parked in front of the gates. "I almost got kidnapped as a child, so my parents don't let me travel without supervision."
Ah, of course, Lucas is from a rich family. I suppose it makes sense for him to be guarded to this extent.
The chauffeur greeted Lucas and opened the door for the three of us to enter. Emery entered first, then Lucas insisted I sit in the middle before he came in last.
"Mr. Bennett, meet Sasha!" Lucas did jazz hands in my direction as Mr. Bennett, an older-looking man in a polo shirt and black slacks, looked at the rearview mirror. "She's one of our friends."
We both nodded in acknowledgment of each other and smiled.
"Sash, do you need anything? Do you want some water? Don't hesitate to tell me if you get carsick, okay?" Lucas doted. I shook my head and silently thanked him for his consideration.
This is another reason why Lucas is very well-liked by our peers. He has the natural capacity to look after others without a second thought. Even if it's a person he's not acquainted with, he still goes out of his way to care for them. I've never seen him boast about his wealth once, only when he shares his items for others to use.
"What about you, Emery? Do you need anything?" Lucas leaned forward to look at Emery, who was at the opposite edge of the backseat of the car.
"No." He responded curtly.
"Yes, you do, actually. Your glasses are full of fingerprints." Lucas casually pulled Emery's glasses off his face and took out a microfiber cloth from his shirt pocket to clean them.
Emery's eyes squinted as he watched Lucas clean his lenses with a deadpan expression. It gave the impression that this wasn't the first time that Lucas had done this.
"Here." Lucas handed back the newly cleaned frames.
When Emery leaned in to grab the glasses, Lucas ruffled his hand through Emery's golden locks. "Your hair is messy again."
Emery sighed and stayed in his position as Lucas reached out to fix Emery's hairstyle, only giving a small apology to me for taking up my personal space. It was oddly endearing to see how close-knit the two were.
Not too long later, we had arrived at our destination. We stopped in front of a small establishment decorated with all sorts of banners of Reverie Mirage characters.
"Thanks, Mr. Bennett! I'll call you five minutes before we leave the area. I think the event lasts around two to three hours? So, please feel free to do whatever you want until then." Lucas instructed before hopping off the vehicle himself.
Emery and I watched that entire interaction. Before we knew what to do next, Lucas ran in front of us and opened the door for us to come in. Emery ruffled his hands through his hair and hid his face underneath a set of bangs before following Lucas.
Upon entering, I was immediately surrounded by familiar faces.
There were standees of the game's characters placed around the entrance, with Panlias standing beside the counter in his usual battle attire. Faenikzha was positioned near the entrance, her purple eyes staring ahead with the same expression I had seen on the screen. There were shelves filled with keychains, acrylic stands, pins, posters, and other merchandise of the characters. Some of them were limited editions from previous events, while others were newer releases.
There were fans everywhere.
Some were dressed in elaborate versions of the characters' outfits, while others simply wore shirts with the Reverie Mirage logo printed on them. A few people were gathered around tables, playing against each other on their mobile devices. The occasional sound of victory jingles and disappointed groans could be heard from the crowd.
Others were trading merchandise with one another, carefully comparing their collections before exchanging cards and pins. A group near the back was taking pictures with one of the larger character standees.
We settled at one of the tables near the back of the establishment. Lucas immediately picked up one of the menus and handed one to each of us.
"Alright, what do you guys want?"
I looked through the menu. There were drinks and food named after characters and locations from Reverie Mirage. Some of them were clearly designed to resemble items from the game.
"I'll have the Zesseyel Herb Pasta and a cold tea."
"That's it?" Lucas asked.
"Yes."
"I'll get the Panlias Parfait with a side of Faenikzha's special tea blend!" Lucas said, pointing at the menu.
Emery looked through his menu for a moment.
"I'll just have the Slebek Sandwich."
"Got it."
Lucas stood up and walked toward the counter with the three menus.
"Do we really just allow Lucas to dote on us?" I asked Emery, covering my mouth with my hand.
"Trust me, I tried doing things for him before, but it always ends up with him giving back tenfold." Emery shrugged. "He also gets antsy when he's not moving around."
Lucas shortly returned with a tray of all our orders and distributed the meals accordingly. He also gave us all a white pouch with Reverie Mirage calligraphy written on top of it. After he finished, he sat down next to Emery and pulled out a Faenikzha plushie from his bag.
Does he bring that every day?
"Yes, he brings that everywhere." Emery nodded, seeming to see the question through my face.
"I just need some oshikatsu! You guys go ahead and eat." Lucas started arranging his meal for some sort of photoshoot, carefully positioning everything before placing the Faenikzha plushie right in the middle.
He adjusted the angle of the plate, moved one of the drinks slightly to the side, and took out his phone. He took several pictures before finally looking satisfied.
"Alright, let's open our randomized acrylics. I'll go first!" Lucas declared as he pulled a standee of Quadratus out of his bag.
Quadratus was dressed in a black suit with a dark magenta shirt underneath, the high collar fastened by a round crimson gemstone at his neck. His short, pale pink hair was neatly parted to the side, and a pair of thin-framed glasses rested over his golden eyes. His warm brown skin contrasted against the dark colors of his outfit, giving him an appearance that was more refined than intimidating.
"Quadratus!" Lucas exclaimed. His facial expressions shifted from shocked, to disappointment, to confusion, and finally to joy. "I'm alright with this. He is the number one supporter of Panikzha in universe!"
I'm assuming Panikzha is a combination of Panlias and Faenikzha's names.
Emery rolled his eyes at Lucas's antics and smirked at his excitement. He grabbed his own pouch and pulled out Faenikzha.
The acrylic showed her in her usual frilly clothes, with layers of ruffles covering her dress and ribbons tied around nearly every part of her outfit. Her extremely pale face was framed by her hair, which was styled into twin buns with long braids coming out from them. Her earrings were talismans, and there were several more charms and accessories attached to her clothes, wrists, and hair. Even in a small acrylic standee, Faenikzha looked like she was carrying half of a shrine with her.
Without missing a beat, Emery handed Lucas the stand, and Lucas grabbed it with two hands, shrieking, "Faenikzha!!! Thank you, Emery!"
"Why are you thanking me when you paid for it?" Emery pointed out.
"You're my lucky charm, you know!" Lucas cuddled into Emery's arm, which warranted a push from the latter.
I smiled at their antics and opened my own bag.
Panlias appeared.
He was dressed in his usual dark attire, his mauve hair falling over his forehead with the natural lilac color visible at the ends. His red eyes stared forward with the same expression I had seen countless times. A black cloak covered his shoulders, layered over a white shirt and dark clothing underneath. The cross-shaped earring on his ear was also there.
I stared at the acrylic for a moment longer than I intended. It was strange seeing him like this. Not on a screen, not moving through a cutscene, but just a small piece of plastic sitting in my hand.
"Sasha? Are you okay?" Lucas asked, waving a hand in front of my face.
"What? Oh, sorry, yes." I stuttered.
"Sasha, honestly, I invited you out because you've been out of it lately. Are you feeling tired? Do you want to leave instead?"
"No, no. I'm fine. I'm fine. No need to worry about me."
Lucas didn't seem convinced. He and Emery exchanged a look before Emery looked away and took a bite out of his sandwich.
"Well, hey! At least you got Panlias. You seemed to really like him." Lucas beamed.
"Well, it doesn't really matter." I choked.
"Is Panlias close to your type?"
I looked at the acrylic in my hand.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Lucas tilted his head.
"It's not that I don't find him attractive. I just..." I paused. "I don't know if I'm allowed to like someone."
The words felt strange coming out of my mouth.
I know I've liked someone before. At least, I think I did. I can't remember who they were or what they looked like. I can't even remember what made me like them in the first place.
All I remember was the pain.
A dull ache in my chest. The feeling of wanting something that I couldn't have. I remember crying. I remember feeling like something had been taken away from me.
"That person was also the person I betrayed the most."
Lucas stopped smiling.
"Our families always had tension, and still, he's the one who understood that that's just our situation. It's not my heart that decided for me to hurt him." I looked down at the acrylic. "He's someone who always comforted me whenever I felt the guilt was too heavy."
I smiled faintly.
"Isn't he too kind?"
"It's nice how you have someone who's always there for you," Lucas said.
"True." I laughed softly. "I only realize my weakness when we're apart."
I stared at Panlias again.
"It sounds cheesy, but I wish I didn't hate him when he comforted me. I wish I was able to accept his words with as much love as they had when he sent them to me."
My smile faded.
"If I did just that, then maybe I wouldn't have such bittersweet memories."
Lucas watched me quietly.
"I'm sorry. I think I was talking too much." I suddenly realized how much I had been saying.
"No, it's okay," Lucas quickly reassured me.
I didn't respond. Then the room fell silent.
The boom of the speakers broke through the dead air between us, and Emery's eyes immediately lit up. We looked up and saw the large screen above the game room displaying a tournament announcement. A crowd had already begun gathering around the tables, with several players preparing their devices for the Reverie Mirage PvP tournament.
"Wait, there's a tournament?" Lucas's expression immediately brightened and he turned to Emery who was already shaking his head.
"No."
"You have to join!"
"No."
"Come on, Emery. You're literally one of the best players I know."
"I said no."
Lucas was already pulling Emery out of his seat.
"Lucas."
"Just one round!"
"I don't want people recognizing me."
"Then use a different name!"
Emery paused.
I watched as Lucas continued dragging him toward the registration booth.
"You're actually doing this?" I asked as I followed behind them.
"It looks like it." Emery sighed.
Despite his complaints, Emery eventually registered for the tournament under a different name. He kept his usual expression as he entered his information, though I could tell he was still reluctant.
Lucas, meanwhile, looked far too pleased with himself.
"See? That wasn't so hard."
Emery stared at him.
"I haven't even played yet."
"And you're already winning."
"I don't think that's how tournaments work."
Lucas laughed and pulled him toward the game room. I followed behind them, still holding the Panlias acrylic in my hand.
Emery walked up to the stage, leaving only Lucas and me standing at the corner of the game room. Most of the people had already gathered around the tournament area, their attention fixed on the large screens displaying the ongoing matches. The room was filled with the sounds of buttons being pressed, cheers from the crowd, and the occasional groan whenever someone lost a round.
Lucas leaned against the wall beside me, watching the tournament with an obvious interest. The rest of the cafe seemed to have disappeared into the tournament. Everyone was too engaged with the matches to pay attention to us.
"Sasha," Lucas said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. "I noticed how you've been reacting towards Panlias, and I wonder if his character or something is opening old wounds for you."
"Not really." I shrugged. "Sometimes, the things you have to do aren't the things you want to do, but still, you have to be responsible and selfless."
"I get where you're coming from." Lucas nodded. "I've always known that I'm going to be a doctor and follow in my parents' footsteps, so I know the feeling. I mean, I'm personally just trying to enjoy things bit by bit, but I'll still be here to hear you out if you need someone to listen."
I looked back toward the stage and saw Emery's username displayed at the top.
mry_____ — WINNER
Emery had won.
The people surrounding the stage immediately reacted. Some raised their phones to take pictures of the screen, while others started talking amongst themselves. A few people near us were already trying to figure out who the player was. The tournament staff were already moving around the stage, collecting the controllers from the previous players and preparing the next set.
Lucas, however, was more interested in Emery.
"HE WON!" He immediately started clapping.
Emery stepped down from the stage and began walking toward us. He had barely taken a few steps when his previous opponent approached him.
"Wait."
Emery stopped and turned around.
"That combo you used..."
The other player looked at him carefully. He seemed to be trying to recall something.
"You used that in regionals, didn't you?"
Emery's expression changed slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"No, I remember it." The player pointed at him. "You were the one who used that exact combo against me."
He looked at the username displayed on the screen again.
"Mry_____..."
His eyes widened.
"You're CalvaryEmery."
The people around them began to turn their attention toward us.
I noticed several heads moving in our direction. Some people whispered to one another, while others began taking pictures. A few players who had been watching the tournament started approaching the stage, apparently interested in seeing the player who had just won under a different name.
Emery remained silent.
The host eventually approached him with the prize from the tournament. It was a Faenikzha figure, dressed in one of her usual frilly outfits and holding her talisman. It seemed like this particular design was made especially for this tournament.
Emery looked at it for a moment, then he walked toward Lucas and handed it to him.
"For you."
Lucas stared at the figure. "Huh?"
"Well, you did say we were coming here to get you Faenikzha merch."
"I LOVE YOU, EMERY!" He immediately wrapped his arms around him.
Emery stood completely still.
"Lucas."
"THANK YOU!"
"Let go."
"You're the best!"
"Lucas."
He eventually released him, although he continued holding the Faenikzha figure close to his chest.
"I'll take good care of her."
Emery only sighed in response, but a small smile formed at the edge of his mouth.
We left the establishment shortly after, but I noticed that several people from the tournament had followed us outside. At first, they kept a reasonable distance, but as we continued walking, more people began approaching Emery.
"Are you really Emery?"
"Can we take a picture with you?"
"Can you play another match?"
Emery answered none of them. He continued walking with his hands in his pockets, occasionally glancing toward the people surrounding us. There were more of them now than there had been when we first left the cafe.
Lucas looked around, and his expression changed.
"Guys, give him some space."
The crowd didn't move. One person stepped closer to Emery, while another tried to walk beside him. I could hear several phones being taken out, their cameras pointed toward him.
"Just one picture!"
"Please!"
"Can you sign this?"
Lucas looked behind us. Several men were already approaching. His bodyguards were dressed in dark suits with earpieces tucked discreetly against their ears, their expressions remaining stern as they quickly assessed the crowd around us. They were noticeably larger than most of the people surrounding Emery, and their posture alone made it clear that they were trained to handle situations like this. They moved between Emery and the crowd almost immediately, with one raising his hand and instructing the people to step back while another positioned himself ahead of us and created a path for us to pass through.
Lucas stayed beside Emery. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Emery sounded as calm as he usually did, but I could tell he was nervous. His hands remained in his pockets, though I noticed his fingers were tense, and he kept glancing behind us to check if anyone was still following. He had wanted to remain anonymous, and being recognized was clearly not something he had wanted. Even after his bodyguards had separated him from the crowd, he still looked shaken.
I looked back at the people behind us. Some were still standing near the entrance of the cafe, while others had already returned inside. The bodyguards remained behind us until we were far enough away that no one followed.
"Thank you," Emery said.
"For what?" Lucas looked at him.
"That." Emery glanced back toward the cafe.
"No problem," Lucas smiled.
Emery then looked at the Faenikzha figure in Lucas's hands.
"And you're welcome for that too."
Lucas looked down at the figure and smiled.
"She's coming home with me."
I watched the two of them for a moment. They really were closer than they act, Emery could really benefit being more honest with himself.
By the time the tournament ended, it was already late. Most of the customers had left the establishment, leaving only a few people behind to clean their tables and collect their belongings. The tournament staff were dismantling the equipment while the large screens displayed the results of the final matches.
Lucas's driver was waiting outside with their car when we left the establishment.
"I'll take you home!" Lucas offered.
"I'll be fine. I live close by."
"How close?"
"Five minutes."
Lucas immediately looked horrified. His eyes widened, his eyebrows shot upward, and his mouth fell open as if I had just said something completely absurd.
"FIVE MINUTES?!"
"It's not that far."
"No! Absolutely not!"
He stepped in front of me before I could walk away.
"Sasha, it's dark, you're alone, and you just said you live five minutes away like that's supposed to make this better!"
"I've walked home by myself before."
"That doesn't make things any better! It's late at night!"
I looked toward Emery. He was standing beside one of Lucas's bodyguards, still looking more nervous than he had earlier. He kept glancing toward the entrance whenever someone passed by, as if expecting another group of people to recognize him.
"You should worry about Emery instead," I said. "He might get stormed again."
Lucas stopped and looked toward Emery. Emery noticed him staring and quickly looked away, his expression still tense from what had happened earlier. Lucas's expression softened as he watched him, as if his priorities suddenly shifted.
"...Yeah."
He seemed to understand what I meant, but after a few seconds, he shook his head.
"Okay, I'll worry about Emery, but I'm still not letting you walk home alone."
"I told you, it's only five minutes."
He pointed toward one of his bodyguards.
"He's walking you home."
I looked at the man he pointed toward.
"That's unnecessary."
"Please, Sasha." Lucas clasped his hands together. "Just let him walk you home. Five minutes! He can walk back afterward, and I'll know you're safe!"
"Oh? It's late."
We all turned our heads to see the school's chairman standing right behind us. He had one hand resting loosely at his side while the other held the strap of his bag. His expression was relaxed, but his eyebrows were slightly raised as he looked between the four of us.
"Why are you all still out and about?"
Lucas was the first to answer. He straightened himself and gestured toward the cafe behind us as he explained that we had dinner together after the tournament. Emery remained beside him with his hands in his pockets, occasionally glancing toward the street. He didn't seem particularly interested in the conversation, although I noticed that his shoulders were still slightly tense.
The chairman listened without interrupting. Once Lucas finished, he gave a small smile and nodded.
"It's nice to see you all getting along. It's good for students to have friends they can spend time with outside of school."
His eyes moved toward me. He was a tall, well-dressed man with neatly combed brown hair and thin-framed glasses resting over his sharp features. His brown suit was double-breasted with gold buttons, paired with a pale green shirt and a dark purple tie that matched the handkerchief tucked neatly into his breast pocket. Even outside of school, his appearance remained formal and carefully maintained.
"I can walk Sasha home," he suggested with a smile.
Lucas's smile disappeared. He shifted his weight and looked at the chairman for a few seconds before glancing at me.
"You? Uhm, sir?"
"Yes." The chairman tilted his head slightly.
"I'll be fine, Lucas—" Before I could finish my sentence, Lucas stopped me by putting a hand up to my face.
Lucas folded his arms across his chest. His expression was unusually serious, especially compared to how expressive he had been throughout the evening. It seemed like he was weighing the options in his head.
"I am the chairman of your school."
"I know that." Lucas's arms remained crossed. "Still, I can't trust leaving Sasha alone with an adult man in the middle of the night."
The chairman's smile faded slightly, although he didn't seem offended. He simply looked at Lucas and waited. Lucas seemed to have no qualms about going head-to-head against the chairman, but I suppose that is a testament to his position in society.
"I'll be fine," I said. "I'll put your phone on dial. If anything happens, I'll call you immediately."
Lucas looked at me rather than the chairman.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
"And you won't take her anywhere else?"
The chairman raised his eyebrows.
"I'll walk her directly to her home. No cars."
Lucas remained silent. He looked toward Emery, then back at me. His shoulders eventually dropped, although his expression still showed reluctance.
"Fine." He reached into his bag and pulled something out before holding it toward me. "Take this."
I looked down at the small device in his hand. It was compact enough to fit in my palm, with a dark plastic casing and two short metal prongs at the front. A small button sat along its side, and a faint indicator light blinked near the handle. It looked like a remote control.
"What's this?"
"My emergency stun gun."
I stared at him.
Lucas's expression was completely serious. He held the device out without moving his hand, clearly waiting for me to take it.
"Lucas."
"Keep it."
"It's unnecessary."
"Please."
He finally lowered his hand slightly, but he didn't put it away.
"Just in case."
I eventually took it and placed it inside my bag, and only then did Lucas visibly relax.
"Okay. Now I'm less worried."
The chairman gestured toward the street. "Shall we?"
I nodded.
We began walking.
The streets were almost empty. The alley was dimly lit, with only a few streetlights illuminating the narrow path ahead of us. The chairman kept about two feet of distance between us as we walked, his hands folded behind his back. I kept the stun gun in my hands, my fingers resting around its handle in case I needed to use it. There were barely any people outside at this hour, and the only sounds that broke through the quiet were the occasional cars passing along the main road and dogs barking somewhere between the houses.
For most of the way, he asked about school. He occasionally turned his head toward me whenever he asked a question, then looked ahead again as we continued through the dark streets.
"How are your classes?"
"They're fine."
"Do you enjoy your studies?"
"Yes. Most of them."
"Do you have any difficulties?"
"Not particularly."
He continued asking about my teachers, my classmates, and the activities I participated in. His questions were ordinary, but I noticed that he rarely had to explain what he was referring to.
Eventually, he asked something different.
"Do you remember anything from before your accident?"
I looked at him. His question caught me off guard, and I turned my head slightly to study his expression. His eyes remained focused on the road ahead, but his face had become more serious than before. I couldn't tell why he had asked, so I watched him for a moment before answering.
His posture hadn't changed, but his eyes remained fixed on me as though he was waiting for a specific answer.
"No."
"Nothing at all?"
"I don't really remember what the accident was."
The chairman looked ahead again. His hands remained clasped behind his back, and he was silent for several seconds. His pace slowed slightly, and his expression became more distant, as if he were considering his words before saying them.
"Perhaps it's better that way."
I frowned. I tightened my grip around the stun gun in my hands and looked at him again. There was something about the way he said it that made the statement feel less like reassurance and more like a conclusion he had already reached.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You should simply enjoy your high school life while you can." He gave me a small smile.
There was something uncomfortable about hearing that from him. I was already accustomed to teachers knowing things about me that I couldn't remember myself, but the chairman seemed to know details that weren't usually brought up in casual conversation. I suppose it could have been in my school records, but still, I didn't like it.
It wasn't simply that he knew about my accident. It was the way he spoke about it, as if he knew something I didn't. His choice of words also bothered me. Perhaps it's better that way. It sounded less like an attempt to comfort me and more like he was telling me that there was a reason I shouldn't remember.
I tightened my grip around the stun gun.
I didn't know what that reason was, and I didn't like that I couldn't tell whether I should be concerned about it.
We eventually reached my house. The chairman stopped outside the gate and turned toward me.
"This is your home?"
"Yes."
He nodded and took a step back, giving me enough space to enter.
"Then I'll leave you here."
"Thank you for walking me home." I gave him a small nod, keeping a polite distance between us. My hand remained wrapped around the stun gun inside my bag, and I avoided turning my back to him until I was safely on the other side of the gate. I was grateful for his company, but I still couldn't shake the uneasiness I had felt throughout the walk.
He smiled.
"I hope you continue to enjoy the life you have now."
I paused. The words made me hesitate, and I watched his face for a moment, trying to determine whether there was anything behind his smile that I was missing. He didn't elaborate.
He gave me a small nod.
"Good night, Sasha."
"Good night."
He turned and began walking away. I remained by the gate, watching him leave rather than immediately going inside. His footsteps slowly faded as he continued down the street, his silhouette becoming smaller beneath the dim streetlights. I kept watching until he disappeared into the darkness.
I hope you continue to enjoy the life you have now.
I couldn't understand what he meant by that.