The mall, named the Torch, was the centrepiece of the city of Caciress, located in Cyanfield district. It was the single tallest building, shaped exactly as its name implied, but without the flame. Every New Year's, stunning fireworks would adorn its peak, igniting the Torch metaphorically, therefore completing its symbolic design.
The shuttle bus came to a halt at the main entrance, dropping off its passengers one by one; Chen Mo left last.
The mall was public. If Chen Mo was being hunted, attacking him right now would make no sense at all. Nonetheless, Chen Mo kept his head straight rather than attempting to scan his surroundings; it would be a self-report that he was suspecting something if he was indeed being shadowed.
Instead, he'd saunter forward into the climate-controlled megamall, dressed in his formal outfit of a white collared shirt, brown straight-cut trousers, and round-framed glasses.
He'd amble straight for the mall directory, while the suffocating crowd of passersby shielded any possible danger coming his way. He'd scan the huge alabaster wall of store names, listed in an orderly, meticulous manner.
He'd skim through the first floor, then the second, then the third, deliberately taking his time, in no rush at all, while a finger tapped against his chin as if he were genuinely contemplating.
Meanwhile, not far away, emerald-eyed ravenette, Eryn Jaeger rested her back against a pillar. Still in her all-black outfit, minus the beige jacket, she was rather difficult to spot in the crowd, allowing her to freely observe her target.
Her target, Chen Mo, seemed to have settled on where he wished to go. He'd raised a hand, then tapped on the directory board, specifically on [H&M], under [Level 4].
Eryn smirked slightly. "Hm, good taste."
Chen Mo left the directory board and headed for the elevator; Eryn did the same. She'd keep her footsteps light and casual, and her gaze would wander occasionally, admiring the garden-themed decorations scattered throughout the mall so as to not appear suspicious.
Ding! The elevator doors, painted gold, slid open. Its previous passengers squeezed out first, before the awaiting crowd squeezed in, including Chen Mo, and Eryn herself.
She'd position herself in the exact opposite corner of where Chen Mo stood, and she wouldn't look at him for the entire duration.
Chen Mo wasn't looking for his follower either; he was simply staring into his phone, playing a random offline mobile game.
Between them, real-life NPCs stared holes into their respective mobile phones.
Ding! The elevator reached the second floor.
A good portion of the crowd left the confined cabin; two entered after.
Ding! The elevator reached the third floor.
Many left, aside from Chen Mo, Eryn, and three others. No one entered. Eryn rested her shoulder against a poster inside the cabin, carefree. Chen Mo remained on his phone.
Ding! The elevator reached the fourth floor.
Eryn left, and the three others did too, but Chen Mo didn't. This was the highest level that was still part of the mall; anything above the fourth floor was purely corporate, and this elevator wouldn't reach them.
Besides, no other buttons were pressed. The arrow had reversed, signaling that the elevator would be heading down now.
What? Eryn exclaimed inwardly, as her feet instinctively urged her to move forward. Why isn't he coming out?
She calculated rapidly as she left the cabin.
If I don't leave right now, I'd be exposing myself. If I leave right now, I won't know where he's going next. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, is he just too stupid to look away from his phone and realise he should be leaving?
The elevator doors hummed shut.
Eryn stood, frustrated, on the fourth floor. She rolled her eyes as she thought up her next course of action. The interior mezzanine balconies! She decided to head there — might as well observe that line of elevator doors from the highest vantage point.
Meanwhile, back in the elevator cabin that was now descending, Chen Mo sighed; things would've been easier if his follower had stayed in the elevator and exposed themself.
It didn't matter though, since his plan hadn't ended.
Ding! The elevator reached the third floor.
Chen Mo walked out, keeping his eyes fixed on the signboard with a large '3' engraved onto it. His eyes widened, and his hands moved to claw at his hair.
Eryn, observing from the balcony above, smirked with relief. "Idiot… how are you worth five grand?" Then, she watched as Chen Mo returned through the elevator doors.
The elevator doors hummed shut.
Eryn headed for H&M.
Chen Mo pressed the 'Door Open' button, then stepped out onto the third floor again. He'd saunter toward the edge of the mezzanine balcony, then looked up.
A shady woman with a messy hair bun was idling in front of H&M, occasionally checking her phone, occasionally tilting her head toward the elevator. Chen Mo recognised this emerald-eyed woman, since he had memorised every face that exited the elevator on the fourth floor.
That was all Chen Mo needed to know: he was definitely being followed. He left the mall without ever entering H&M, while Eryn widened her eyes at an elevator cabin now devoid of Chen Mo.
"Ehhh?" Eryn scratched her head.
Chen Mo, now downstairs, did hope that this would be enough to throw her off from shadowing him, but it wouldn't be that easy. He was still returning to campus, and his stalker would certainly be there.
For now, he only knew he was being followed; he didn't know what he could actually do about it.
For now, he only knew that he had a presentation to watch.
...
In an auditorium with barely any audience, Azuki, sporting a black crop top with baggy sweatpants, alongside her groupmates, stood on stage, with a projector flashing their PowerPoint slides onto a large screen.
An unnecessarily large screen, considering the only audience present were two professors, and two other groups waiting for their turn.
The door opened, welcoming another spectator: Chen Mo.
Azuki noticed him almost immediately. Her violet eyes lit up, and her lips curved into a delighted grin.
"Please begin," a bespectacled professor urged.
"Of course," Azuki spoke confidently, gesturing toward the screen as she began her speech. "Our group researched the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
"The definition of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon is a cognitive bias where, after noticing a new word, idea, or object for the first time, you suddenly begin encountering it frequently...
"..."
...
Twenty minutes later, another group positioned themselves on stage, while Azuki and her friends were already walking out of the hall, chatting about their respective performances.
"You did really well!"
"Nooooo, I stuttered so much!"
"It's fine, Ichinose, it's fine! We all did well."
"Azuki." Chen Mo called her by her first name casually, which was a privilege none of her groupmates dared to claim. He offered her a beverage: a plastic cup of iced milk tea.
Azuki couldn't have been happier, but she wasn't going to show much of that here. Instead, all she allowed to surface were faint blushes and a small pout. "You didn't have to."
"I went to the Torch, so I thought I might as well." Chen Mo shrugged.
Azuki turned the cup, searching for the label that printed the brand name 'A Cup of Joy' in elegant cursive. It was an eminent brand that the two friends both enjoyed.
Her friends quickly realised they were probably third-wheeling. "We girls are going to get snacks; you two hang out."
And just like that, they dispersed without even asking for Azuki's permission. "Wait!"
They heard her, but obviously, they ignored it, leaving Chen Mo and Azuki alone in the hallway outside the auditorium.
"I'll also be heading back to my room," Chen Mo stated flatly, about to leave, until Azuki grasped his wrist with surprising strength.
"What?! No! They've already left me, and you're going to do the same?" Azuki scolded, but the flustered red on her cheeks betrayed her true emotions.
Chen Mo suddenly realised that Jason might be right after all… No, that couldn't be. He shook that thought away, replacing it with: We're just friends.
"Hey, do you watch Exorcist Therapist?" Azuki asked, raising a brow. "The drama recently released on Netflix. It's got great ratings. BL though..."
"I don't enjoy TV shows," Chen Mo replied bluntly. "I usually prefer books instead."
"Come on, it's just a visual form of your books," Azuki argued, cheeks puffed slightly. "They're both fictional stories."
"Do you want me to watch it with you?" Chen Mo asked. Although dense, he was still a psychology student.
"Sure. My place?" Azuki suggested.
Jason was right. Chen Mo realised: I do visit her apartment once every week.