5:03 A.M. Monday.
Seeing everything fine I put my phone down.
So far it hasn't happened yet, not after last Saturday.
I hadn't felt it coming back then, I wouldn't expect it now.
No use worrying about it.
I just hope by the time I wake up again, everything will still be fine.
My eyes run around the lobby.
She is still nowhere to be found.
Maybe the girl is just running late; it is very early in the morning, and the sun isn't out that much yet anyway.
You're probably asking why I am down here and not up in bed.
My tutor session starts in the evening; I have no reason to wake up so early.
That was true until after what happened in my apartment room a couple of days ago.
I can't narrate much about it, though, since I only remembered half of it before waking up in my bed that night.
Not according to the others.
According to them:
I listened, I talked, I smiled, I ate.
When asked, my sister confirmed it, saying, "You were completely normal, if I remember correctly."
A lot of strange things happened to me but this is the weirdest.
I didn't even get to remember anything new.
Usually weird things happen when I do.
Guess this isn't like that.
That night, I texted Sohee.
Vaguely hinted to her that I had forgotten what happened.
"Sunbae, you aren't making excuses, right?"
I stared at my phone for a while before sending a reply. "No."
"That's what I thought. Well, it would be very awkward if you backed away now… after all, you're the one who suggested the plan in the first place. Still, I'm quite surprised that Nelly is okay with it. So proud of her."
I have no idea about this plan that apparently I made up.
"Sohee, what do you think about roleplay?"
"I think they are fun."
"Cool. I be Sunbae. You be Sohee and Nelly that day."
It took a while to get Sohee on board, but she eventually agreed.
After skimming through a few paragraphs, I grasp the situation a little better.
In short,
Her event with the stalker leads to days locking herself in her own room.
The police, Tammy, even Sohee doesn't know.
She didn't plan to.
She lets fear eat her alone in there.
Then we come knocking.
As for why we're keeping this from the authorities, who have every reason and the power to help her, I don't have a clear answer. Sohee never told me.
Turns out I'm the only option left.
So my amazing plan was: to start following Nelly to school…? Like a bodyguard job?
Because of that, we've agreed to meet at the lobby.
I'm expecting her now.
Smack, smack, smack.
An echo of hurried footsteps… coming my way.
They are coming from her—the aunt.
Wearing light cyan pajamas, her brown hair disheveled, and those green emerald eyes are shooting a glare in my direction.
I turn behind; there was no one, so either she had something to say at a wall, or at me.
"Good morning."
"Fuck you."
"Uh…"
You know, to other passersby, I looked like I was caught cheating by my partner.
This is not good for my reputation as a tutor of the most popular high school girls in this city.
"Is something wrong?"
I notice the dark eye-bags on her face. Did she not sleep well today, too?
She jabs a finger, "Fuck. You," while watching our surroundings, trying to sound quieter.
Trying.
She clenches her teeth, feet stepping "Were you planning to hide it from me? You were, weren't you?"
I remain quiet so she can elaborate.
"This. Your plan. Nelly, school."
So she knows about the bodyguard plan.
"I figured… Nelly already told you."
"I told her to. You know how happy I was to see her back getting ready for school… I thought whatever she went through, she was over it."
She holds her forehead, looking at the ceiling.
"But god… she was acting weird, so I had to ask. And kept asking.
"I can't believe she's going through with this.
"This is so not like her.
"No, there's no way she's agreed to this. Did you make her?
"Did you force her into this?"
She was speaking too fast for me to handle this early.
And, whoa there, your fist is just eager to fly in my face.
"Tammy, I'm helping her."
But that only makes her face redder, so she starts to hold my collar, pulling my face closer to her.
"Help? How is following her around to school help her? Won't that make it worse since you're… you? That kid can't even handle when her uncle comes to visit. And you can do better? Than us? If you truly care about her…"
Her wrist squeezes as if to force words out of me, "Tell me what she's not telling me."
Ah, so this isn't about me.
Tammy knows that her niece, whom she had cared for like her own daughter, was hiding things from her.
She just can't believe that Nelly chose my help over her.
Her clutch on my collar is growing more intense…
I think I'm beginning to choke.
Uh, oh.
I can't handle this pressure much longer.
I might just tell her.
Sorry Nelly.
"Aunty!"
A small yelp comes from her back.
Nelly is here, wearing her school uniform: green, shining eyes, brown hair covering everything above her eyebrows, and her neck.
What's new is… she is breathing heavily, expressing the same emotion as her Aunt.
Tammy throws me away and hurries to her niece.
Rubbing my neck, I watch the two 'arguing' quietly.
Some time passed.
Nelly walks away.
She stops at a distance, glancing at me.
I suppose to start following her.
Can't do that yet; I have to deal with her aunt first.
Tammy once again comes over to me, but this time I hold my collar first before she can.
"Fuck are you doing?"
"Well, I'm trying to make this easier for you and me."
"Stop joking around, man."
Huh, is she not going to choke me again? Phew, that's a relief.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I just…" she glances away.
"It's all good. I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding."
"You sure you don't want to tell me?"
Our eyes stare at each other for a moment.
I'm sure telling her about Nelly and the stalker is the right thing to do.
But it was too late now.
Nelly made it apparent she doesn't want you to know, and my life now revolves around serving her.
"There's nothing to tell. Nelly just wanted to feel safe walking to school… I'm here to help that."
"She is androphobic. Won't she feel more in danger if you follow her from behind?"
"I will make sure to keep my distance."
"Tell me something, how is this really helping her? She's fine walking to school alone all this time. Why do you need to be there?"
"I think this is called Exposure therapy."
"What's that mean?"
"Uh, I'm not so sure. Can I call Sohee?" Though she might still be in her bed.
Tammy sighs, "So Sohee is in this, too. Well, that's a slight relief."
After she said that, my shoulders dropped. But she quickly caught that.
"I still think you're untrustworthy."
"I apologize."
"Tch." She brings out her palm between us, "Your phone."
"All yours, Ma'am."
I hand it over. She turns my phone on—5:16 A.M.
"Who's this, your girlfriend?" She scans the phone's wallpaper, "She looks like a middle schooler."
"Yeah, because she is."
"Are you just admitting to being a pred in front of my face?"
"No. That girl is my little sister."
"Oh, so you're a pred and a siscon."
"I…"
She returns it back.
"If anything happens, let me know. Oh, just to clarify… if anything happens to my niece, if you call me for any other reason than that, you're dead."
I salute her, "Understood."
She snickers, but this time she looks a little amused, "Sunbae, right? Looks like the girl trusts you for now. So, take care of them. I'm watching you."
Tammy turns around, walking away.
Phew, that went well.
Nobody's getting shot or run over by a car this time…
Hm, why would I think that?
I shake my head before anything supernatural happens.
I can't afford that now.
Nelly is waiting long enough.
I step toward her, and she walks away, maintaining our distance.
This is how it's going to go until she arrives at school.
It is 5:20 A.M., and the sun begins peeking at us.