Leo tilted his head slightly, as if noticing the shift in her mood.
"Well? Aren't you going to take the book?"
Luna blinked, the words taking a second longer than usual to register.
"No. I— I should go."
She reached for her own book instead, fingers closing around the spine with more force than necessary. Without looking back at him, Luna turned and hurried toward the exit, her steps uneven and rushed.
*No. No. Why would he be the stalker?*
She shook her head as she walked, as if the thought itself offended her.
*That doesn't make sense.*
Questions piled up faster than she could sort through them, each one heavier than the last.
*I was just stupid. That's all.*
*I didn't notice anything.*
*How could Leo be standing outside my door that morning?*
*He didn't even know my address.*
Her pace quickened, irritation simmering beneath her skin. She headed straight home—but the moment she stepped inside, the walls felt closer than usual. Tighter. Less safe.
Luna grabbed her phone and dialed Suzy's number.
"Can I come stay with you?"
"Hi—well, yeah, of course, but—"
"I'm on my way, Suzy."
She ended the call before she could explain.
With long, hurried strides, Luna made her way toward her aunt's old house. She didn't know where to begin, or what exactly she was running from anymore.
She only knew that everything had become tangled—thoughts, memories, fears—knotted so tightly she couldn't tell one from another.
***
Her fingers tightened around the warm teacup, pressing into it as if she were trying to speak through her hands instead of her mouth.
"So?" Suzy said gently. "Aren't you going to say anything? Luna, I know you. What are you scared of?"
The words spilled out of her before she could organize them.
"It's just— I just feel like I was betrayed by someone I've known for a long time. Like being stabbed in the back. But— but what makes it worse is that I only met him yesterday. None of this makes sense. And that crooked smile— it can't belong to a bad person. No, I'm not wrong—but at the same time, nothing feels right."
Suzy raised her eyebrows.
"You know I didn't understand a single thing you just said, right?"
"Forget it," Luna muttered. "It's just— someone followed me the first day I went there. He—"
Suzy cut in immediately.
"It was a boy, wasn't it?"
Luna nodded.
"Oh, Luna. Is that why you're this shaken? This happens to girls all the time. Maybe he was just—"
"No," Luna interrupted, sharper than she intended. "It's more complicated than that. I never even saw his face. He always had a cloak covering it. But… I know who he is now. And he's not supposed to be someone like that."
She set her tea aside and continued.
"He was there. Even in front of my house. I wanted to follow him—to see who he was, why he was there. But then I met someone else. Someone who didn't feel new at all. It felt like I'd known him for a long time. Not just his face—his personality. Like I already knew what he was going to do. And yet… at the same time, he was completely unpredictable."
Suzy smiled softly.
"I think I know exactly what that means."
"No—no, it's not like what you're thinking," Luna said quickly. "But when I ran after him—"
"I think your love for adventure got you into trouble again."
Something shattered.
Not outside.
Inside Luna.
***
Suzy was crying, screaming.
"Why did you have to chase that butterfly? Just because you were curious—now they're dead."
Ten-year-old Luna had only run after a butterfly with strange colors.
And because of that, her mother and father were gone.
It was as if the world itself had turned its back on her.
"I shouldn't have gone. I shouldn't have gone…"
Suzy wiped her tears. She didn't want to speak that way to a child who had just lost everything.
But everything was more complicated than knowing how to be gentle.
***
Luna's color drained from her face. She stood up abruptly.
"Forget it. I don't think I should bother you anymore. It was nothing important."
Only then did Suzy realize the blow she had struck.
"No—Luna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I really didn't. I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm truly sorry."
Luna forced a smile onto her lips.
"No, it's fine. You didn't say anything. I'm just a little tired. I should go. I need to go home."
She bent down slightly and added,
"Say hi to Tom—the newlywed—for me. Goodbye."
***
Lost in thought, Luna walked toward her house.
It felt as if, instead of enjoying thick books, they had all fallen on her head at once.
"Why did your ships sink?"
She turned.
Leo was leaning against a wall, a leather jacket hanging loosely from his shoulders.
Luna almost laughed at the situation and said quietly,
"You broke the ship yourself. How am I supposed to explain why it sank?"
Leo stepped closer.
"I think I know exactly what you need."
He reached toward the motorcycle beside him and tossed a helmet to Luna.
"Riding always makes people feel better."
Luna stared at it, surprised.
"That bike is yours?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Leo got on the motorcycle, and Luna immediately started talking—
"It's really, really cool. It must be expensive. It's a heavy bike, right? How did you even learn to ride it? Where did you get it? And the color—it's perfect. Black makes it look even better and—"
She stopped.
*What am I doing?*
*I'm describing my stalker's motorcycle to him.*
"Why do you always cut yourself off when you get excited?" Leo asked.
She lifted her head.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Nothing. Just put it on and get on."
"But I'm wearing a skirt."
"Just gather it and sit."
Reluctantly, Luna put the helmet on and climbed on behind Leo.
He turned the bike sharply and sped off.
"Wooooo!"
Luna grabbed onto the loose shoulders of his jacket.
Her teeth felt frozen. She shouted,
"You're sitting in front—don't you think it's cold to ride this fast?"
"Are you indirectly asking me to slow down because you're scared?"
"Of course not! Actually, you're going so slow that—"
Leo sped up.
Luna suddenly let go and spread her arms.
"Don't! That's dangerous!"
Leo lifted one hand slightly, keeping the throttle steady with only one hand, making sure she didn't spread her arms too wide
"Don't," he said sharply. "That's dangerous."
"At worst, I'll die," Luna said. "So it's not that dangerous."
Leo's smile hit the inside of his helmet. He pressed his lips together and turned the bike toward her house.
He stopped and said,
"So? Feeling better? We're here."
Luna got off, removed the helmet, and adjusted her long morning dress.
"Yeah. That was really fun. I didn't know riding at night could feel this good."
Leo fixed his hair, flattened from the helmet.
"Yeah. It would've been even more fun, but I had to bring you back early. You know—my sleeves were about to tear."
*Oh really,* Luna thought dryly. *Then I should've held you tighter.*
Instead, she said softly,
"Oh. You should've said something. I wouldn't have held on so hard."
"Next time, you'll hold properly. It's fine."
"Next time?" Luna asked. "Why would I ride with you again?"
Leo, clearly trying to change the subject, said,
"Well, it was fun. I should go before Jalin calls."
Luna unlocked the door and headed upstairs.
She thought—
When Leo isn't around, she's afraid of him.
She doesn't want him to suddenly appear again.
But when she sees him…
What happens then?
Nothing about this should feel normal.
Leo should never become like the butterfly.