[Less than two months, no money, and no connections. This is way harder than I expected. But one step after the other. First, I need a way to get in touch with Nina Fortner.
Second, I need to make money so I won't starve, but also to travel to Düsseldorf for a meeting with Eva Heinemann. Right about this time, she should be spiraling out of control with negative emotions. Additionally, she was seen at the crime scene of Adolf Junkers by the perpetrator. Eva is definitely in danger, and I cannot stand by and do nothing. I should still be able to save Eva from herself.
As far as I remember, Nina works part-time at a pizza restaurant in her neighborhood. Perhaps I could find a job there, although I can neither cook nor drive for delivery. What a headache! However, it would be a good starting point for money and the initial meeting. Just what shift does she work? Nina often arrives late to class due to her delivery work. Is it her afternoon class, and does she do delivery at noon? Well, let's give it a try and look for the restaurant tomorrow.]
Nina is sweating in her bed.
'How does this guy know so much about me? Even trying to find out which shifts I work? Do I now have delusions of an imaginary stalker in my head? Or is it really like the diary says, and he knows the plot of this world? But wouldn't the need for contact with me mean that I am somehow involved in the next murder case?! How am I supposed to act like I know nothing, according to the diary rules, with such a bomb dropped on my head? At least if I meet Ryu Seiya in person, there is confirmation that he truly exists and the diary is not my delusion.'
Tossing and turning, she realizes sleeping will be hard tonight. Especially because she also received a weird romantic e-mail, although it is most likely another attempt from Peter to make her fall in love with him.
Eva is also shocked by the diary's revelations.
'So that young blond man I saw is the culprit? What was he doing up there with Kenzo, killing people, and how exactly is Kenzo involved? And I need to be saved from myself? True, my butler just warned me today that the amount of alcohol I consume is reaching dangerous levels. I suppose there's nothing wrong with cutting back a little. Ryu also mentioned the extremely high chance of lung cancer due to smoking. Why didn't Kenzo warn me about it more often? Does he really not care about me now? No, it can't be! Kenzo is mine, no one else can have him! Good thing I chased that state legislator's daughter away the other day.
But this Ryu Seiya wants to meet me, huh? Well, why not? Kenzo took an extended leave, and I don't know where he went. Maybe meeting with this mysterious Ryu will help me find him.'
Lotte's detective brain cells fire up as she reads the last entry of the day.
'So a woman named Eva Heinemann saw the culprit of the murder in the newspaper? But as far as I know, she was never mentioned in the report. Too intriguing! I should research more about that case in my free period tomorrow.'
As the women woke up the next morning, they were greeted with a glowing purple diary, already containing the next entry.
[Keeping a healthy habit of waking up early and doing some morning workout should be an unconscious routine that I inherited from my past. Jogging along the riverbanks of the Neckar is quite a beautiful sight. Again, sadly, no picture function to commemorate this moment, but at least I didn't imagine the diary, and it is still in my mind after a good sleep. Also, a picture of my upper body post-workout would surely sell well with the ladies for some cash, right? Perhaps I should consider doing some modeling gigs to earn money quickly.
On my morning jog, I made two important discoveries. First, Neckarstr. 16, where Nina Fortner lives, is just two streets down from my apartment. Obviously, the system took this into account when placing me here. Second, I found the "Lucky Pizza" restaurant Nina should work at after some searching. When they open later at noon, I will show up and ask if they still need someone for washing dishes or maybe a waiter.
To be honest, deliberately and cautiously approaching an innocent woman feels very wrong to me. I find myself acting like a stalker. Luckily, nobody will ever know about this, or I will die of shame.]
Ryu is showering while thinking about when to include the first clues to Nina's past in the diary.
"She will be shocked and maybe also fall unconscious, like when she saw Johan for the first time in the original. I should hold back on most of the facts until I have at least two weeks of normal contact with her. This gives me some time to work out a plan on how to save her parents and keep them hidden from Johan's associates. At least I presume, as the main heroine, she should be one of the women with a copy of my diary, right?"
Nina, meanwhile, resolves herself.
'In today's therapy session, I have to ask Dr. Geitel about what to do when I feel like a stalker is chasing me. That should be within the diary rules, right? This situation is getting out of hand, even Ryu himself finds it creepy.'
Elsa, meanwhile, is steeped in jealousy.
'Why can't this guy come for me instead of some Nina Fortner? Ryu is apparently handsome enough to model and full of mystery. He even feels bad for his approach, which shows that he is not a bad man. Just come for me, I will follow you away from this place!'
Rung, who is getting ready for another physically and emotionally exhausting day of work, has only one thought.
'Even if I had a stalker, they probably still would have to wait in line with all the patients coming to my door.'
It isn't until late in the evening that Ryu finally updates his diary again.
[How exhausting! I went to "Lucky Pizza" at noon and managed to secure a job as a cleaning and dishwashing staff on the evening shift. It seems Nina works evenings too, maybe she is late to school in the mornings because she works until late at night? Well, that was the least exhausting part of my day. After getting the job, the boss asked me for my ID. All was well until she also requested my Insurance details, Bank account number, and tax information. It took me the whole day running around and making appointments for this stuff. And because of who knows how many processing fees, there is absolutely nothing left of my original 100 DM. German bureaucracy at its finest. I had to sign countless pages of insurance details and the like.
Once again, I lament my intelligence stat of 0.4. I don't even know if I sold my soul away with all these contracts. But whatever, I got the documents in time before all those offices closed. Which means I can probably start working there tomorrow. Never had I thought that simple paperwork would almost stop me from accomplishing my tasks, truly scary!
The job will only pay in one month, on the 15th of March, though. Where can I get the money to make it through the month? However, I am exhausted today, and worrying about this will have to wait until tomorrow.
I'm curious if Nina has already received the first of a string of e-mails.
"I shall send you the most beautiful flowers. I was born to smother you with flowers."
In the original, she thought this was a romantic message sent to her by Peter, a friend-zoned classmate. However, just by looking at the wording, we can deduce that someone with a twisted mentality sent it. Who would want to be "smothered" by something? It is not even something kinky like choking, but directly "smothering", obviously related to killing. Sadly, Nina misinterpreted the message.
Time to sleep now, or else I will miss my morning workout! I also have to wash and dry my one and only bath towel overnight, as I can't afford a second one. This really sucks.]
"That last bit should get her pretty shaken up, without triggering her memories."
Satisfied with his accomplishments for today, Ryu falls asleep with a smile.
Most of the women reading this entry just chuckle to themselves, reminiscing about their own struggles with the German bureaucracy, while being intrigued by the e-mail of a supposed killer. However, they are unable to determine if there is any truth behind it, and can only watch on as bystanders.
Meanwhile, Nina can no longer sit still.
'He even knows about the e-mail I got yesterday. Dr. Geitel warned me to be on guard against manipulation when dealing with stalkers. Was it Ryu who sent me an anonymous e-mail and then will come to warn me against a so-called killer to gain my trust? Only my close friends know my e-mail address, but this guy also seems to know everything about me. The most logical conclusion would be that Ryu sent this message. But why would he write his diary this way? Does he really not know that I can read it? Even if all he wrote is true, I can't do anything. The message was sent anonymously, and I have no leads on who to avoid. The only way forward is to go to work normally tomorrow and get a good look at this guy. That is if he really exists.'
Again, it is a long and restless night for the poor university student.
Elsa: "What is up with Ryu? It's already afternoon, and he hasn't updated his diary once. Did he spend the whole day in front of a mirror training how to approach Nina Fortner? I am so jealous, at least write in the diary to relieve my boredom at work!"
Lotte: "Should I conduct research into the role the internet plays in crimes?"
[What a fulfilling but exhausting day it has been until now. While coming back from my morning jog, I happened across a construction site. Trying my luck, I approached the guy who seemed to have the most authority there and asked if they also hire manual laborers in exchange for cash in hand. Although I have no skills and no memories, I can at least carry heavy things from point A to B, right? As a traditional German construction company, they, of course, agreed.
So here I was, sweating in cold February weather while carrying cement bags and bricks. Then I remembered I was already wearing my second set of clothing, even though I had received an overall from the foreman. So, the cash I earned today went directly into another outfit and a lovely second bath towel. Finally. Can't show up on my first day of work at Lucky Pizza covered in sweat and full of dust, right?
Additionally, I have now confirmed that my strength stat of 0.6 is not significantly higher than the average person's strength. At least compared to some of the construction workers with less physically fit bodies than mine, I was still inferior in strength. I'm curious if prolonged training and working at the site will increase my stats over time. I should also incorporate more stretching and coordination exercises into my morning workout to try to raise my dexterity stat.
But the worst thing is: Just the middle of the 3rd day coming into this world, trying to save people from murderers, I already became a criminal myself! Everyone knows crime pays fastest, and now I am working illegally in construction, violating labor laws, taxation laws, workplace security laws, insurance policies, and who knows what else. This is honestly depressing. Especially when I am trying to meet a criminal law student at my new legal workplace this evening.]
Rung: 'Well, the bath towel saga is over now? At least it was funny for a while. Also, to work illegally at the construction site can easily be ignored compared to me treating patients without a medical license, right?'
Eva: 'This guy is somewhat interesting. He has high morals just like Kenzo. But it is kind of cute seeing him struggle between morality and necessity.'
Ryu, freshly showered and dressed, makes his way over to Lucky Pizza. On the way, he keeps combing his fingers through his hair; one can see that he is pretty nervous about his first encounter with Nina Fortner.
'This entry should show that I am fundamentally a good person, although sometimes deviating to dishonest means to help others. My 80% truth, 20% lie policy I set for myself is really tough to keep. I would like to portray myself as a cool and dependable person in the entries, so that nobody knows about my goody-two-shoes personality. But as soon as people meet me in real life, the whole construct would implode, and no one would believe those entries anymore. I can only bear the embarrassment. Today, I will likely have very little interaction with the rest of the staff. Deliberately act as if I don't recognize Nina, but keep writing in the diary about her while working. Hopefully nothing goes wrong.'
At the appointed time, Ryu meets the owner again. An Italian lady in her 60s, with a mouth like a rapid-fire cannon. The next few minutes pass by in a flash as she introduces him to the regular staff and her son Giuseppe, who will oversee and direct his work in the kitchen.
"Ciao Ryu, welcome to our little team. Let me first show you around the kitchen area, where your cleaning supplies are, and the restrooms. After that, you can start cleaning the floors and tables in the dining area so that we are ready for opening."
"Thank you so much for your guidance, Giuseppe. I am going to do my best, this is my first job after all!"
Thus begins the scramble to get ready for opening hours. Learning which cleaning solution can't be applied on the wooden tables, which should be used to scrub the restroom walls, and so on. This is way more complicated than Ryu ever thought it would be. Luckily, he can still keep up with most of it, and Giuseppe is also a sunny and friendly character so that he can get along with him easily.