If you're wondering whether I told my family I'd be sneaking out to meet a girl—alone, at the park—then congratulations: you have just enough IQ to read this series
Wait…? Isn't that a diss towards myself? I've been talking to Kagami too much. I should get a restraining order against her. That's not too bad an idea, if I say so myself.
But, yes, I didn't let my family know that I'd be sneaking out of the house. Who the hell would tell their family they're sneaking out of the house, anyway?
It doesn't bother me that I'm lying to my parents like this, but I do feel bad for not letting my little sister know I'll be out. I've been neglecting her recently, even though she cares deeply for me. And all I'm doing now is making her job of waking me up in the morning even more of a struggle. I didn't mention this, but she had to do a body slam this morning to disturb my slumber. Disturb, I say, but don't take it lightly. I'd be waking up in the middle of the day if it weren't for her.
But this is all besides the point.
The point of this chapter is rather simple: I'm heading to the park to meet Olympia, whom I've no clue why wants to meet me. Did I mention that it's the middle of the night?
Let me dumb it down.
I'm headed to a park, in the dead of night, to meet a girl—just the two of us.
What the actual hell is going on?
Why did she have to leave out the most important part when asking me out tonight?
The reason.
I don't know why she wanted to meet me tonight, nor do I understand why whatever she wanted to meet me for couldn't have waited until tomorrow.
But none of that matters to me.
If all she wants is idle banter at a park in the middle of the night, I'd rush there as fast as I can, even at the cost of the soles of my feet.
Okay, that last part was an exaggeration, but what I mean still holds weight.
I'd do anything for Olympia, even if it meant dying over and over and over again—even if it meant spending an eternity waiting for her.
Why?
She saved me.
She doesn't know it, but she saved me, time and time again.
Not by taking a knife for me, but by simply reaching out her hand towards me.
That simple action is something I will never take for granted.
Never again.
At the entrance of the park, whose name I still don't know, a strange figure appears in front of me. Not that of a woman, due to the lack of curves. Maybe it's Kagami?
No.
It's not the time for jokes.
It's the middle of the night, and there's a suspicious-looking person seemingly waiting for someone at a park. Any normal person would consider this figure a creep, a threat.
I try to ignore them and walk past, but as I try, they stretch their left arm to block my path.
My heartbeat begins to rise. But I don't care. I have to see Olympia and help her with whatever she needs.
I grip the figure's wrist. It's too dark to make out their face—gender, identity, all a mystery. I'm too afraid to say anything, so all I can do is hold tightly to their wrist.
"Calm down," the mysterious figure says. Or perhaps I should say the mysterious guy? Their voice tells me that the person blocking my path is a male. "I want to have a word with you."
As if someone were controlling me, my grip loosens, and my arm drops down to my side. I should be on my defense right now, but for some reason, my body is relaxed.
"I'm listening," these words slip out of my mouth. "I can spare you a few minutes, but that's it. I have a girl to meet.
"Ho-ho, you seem to be a lucky guy tonight. Did you make sure to bring protection?"
"No, I didn't expect to meet any strange men tonight."
"That's not what I…never mind. There's something I need to tell you before you meet her."
"Do you know who I am?" I ask begrudgingly. How would he know who I am? This is only getting weirder and weirder.
"I don't. But I know who it is you plan to meet."
What? Does he know Olympia? I don't see why he wouldn't; practically everyone knows Olympia. I'm even sure the president is aware of her existence. But then, how does he know that the two of us were planning to meet her tonight? My body isn't fully acting on its own, but, oddly, the mysterious force controlling me doesn't ask what I want to ask. Maybe this force knows it's best if I don't.
"I don't have much to say," the mysterious guy says, "but what I want you to hear is this:
"No matter what happens—keep Olympia Ventura safe. Don't let her do anything reckless. And most importantly…remind her she's still got a brain in that perfect head of hers."
His arm falls, and without a goodbye, he slowly walks past me, and soon enough, fades into the darkness of the night.
In the corner of my eye, I was able to read the expression written on his face as he made his exit.
I was mainly able to see his eyes, but they told me all I needed to know.
All I saw in his face was…remorse.
A deep sense of remorse.
I don't know who he is, nor do I have any speculations about who he could be. But he's someone who, at the very least, once cared deeply for Olympia.
Whether he still does or doesn't will probably be something I'll only discover if our paths cross once more.
Considering that I intend to remain in Olympia's life for as long as possible, our crossings are inevitable.
It's strange.
I felt both unsafe and safe around him.
Of course, he was a stranger I met in the middle of the night, but something about him felt reminiscent.
As if I were looking at someone who reminded me of…myself.
Not just who I am now—but who I used to be. Or maybe...who I could still become.