The next morning, I saw Evelyn sleeping in the chair beside me, still holding my hand. She hadn't moved an inch all night, and I realized she hadn't really slept deeply at all.
The moment I shifted slightly, her eyes fluttered open and instantly found mine. Evelyn didn't look well she looked tired, and it was my fault… only my fault.
Evelyn sat up straight and quickly masked her exhaustion with a gentle smile. She leaned toward me and softly brushed my hair with her fingers.
> "Did you sleep well? You were restless from time to time, moving a lot and crying… I did my best to calm you down, so you could rest better."
I took a deep breath.
> "I'm sorry for saying that he was there and you weren't… you couldn't have been. You didn't know… I'm sorry, Evelyn. I was scared and panicking. I just wished you had been there… to protect me."
Evelyn pulled me into her arms, pressing me gently against her. I felt strangely uncomfortable too dirty, somehow but I didn't want to move away either. I felt safe with her. I buried my face against her chest and held onto her tightly. She stroked my hair with care, and I looked up at her.
> "What do you have against the guidance counselor, Evelyn?"
Evelyn sighed softly, meeting my gaze.
> "Please, just trust me, Rin. Stay away from him and don't trust him. Do me that favor. I only want what's best for you."
I simply nodded and clung to her again.
I stayed home for the next few days before finally returning to school after a long break. Evelyn took care of me and made a lot of phone calls in the meantime. I kept hearing the same two names Kaito and Tokasan.
She only ever spoke with them, telling them how I was doing and how I was coping. She was handling my recovery… my healing.
It took a long time for me to stop feeling dirty. Evelyn worked hard with me while I stayed home, and although weeks passed, I only got a little better. Evelyn kept calling Kaito and Tokasan more frequently, pacing the room restlessly while she talked.
One day, I turned on the TV expecting my usual channel but something else came on. The news was reporting about another girl… one who went through what I did, but didn't survive. They said she had been beaten to death. "There's another victim like me? I—I should have... I was lucky...? Why would anyone do something like that...? Was I really just... Lucky ?"
I didn't even realize Evelyn had been standing behind me the entire time, watching the report too, relaying what she saw to whoever was on the phone. I looked up at her, confused. She placed her hand gently on my head and stroked my hair.
> "You'll understand everything when the time comes. It's not time yet, so please be patient and just trust me. Nothing will ever happen to you again, I'll take better care of you this time. Kaito is here now, and so is Tokasan, I promise nothing will ever happen to you again... I'll give it my all... They both will too... We're sorry."
I nodded, accepting that. Evelyn would explain when the time was right. >>"You can't always be everywhere, I trust all of you and understand... It was wrong of me to let you feel worse... I appreciate everything what you do for me... Thank you Evelyn"<< I saw that Evelyn was touched by my words and smiled emotionally and took me gently in her arms, "thank you" she whispered gently in my ear and then smiled at me as she held me back a little.
That night, she tucked me into bed and waited until I fell asleep. But sometime later, I woke up to voices Evelyn's and two unfamiliar ones. They were talking about the girls from the news and what they had discovered, I couldn't really understand their words, they spoke quietly to actually be considerate of me and not to disturb me.
I tried to fall back asleep, but I couldn't stop hearing them. No matter how much I tried to block it out, I listened. They discussed a potential killer how to track him down, how to catch him but I couldn't make out any names. Eventually, they went into Evelyn's office, and their voices faded away.
The rest of the night passed quietly. I didn't know how to process what I'd overheard, so I decided to pretend the next morning as if I'd heard nothing. Monday came I was supposed to try going back to school, to see if I could handle it again.
The mornings that followed were calm. Evelyn started teaching me self-defense, telling me to text her whenever I felt nervous no matter how small the reason.
She said Kaito, Tokasan, or she herself would come immediately to protect me. Since the incident, the three of them had been constantly by my side. I was rarely ever alone except in the bathroom.
It was strange, how overprotective Evelyn had become. The moves she taught me weren't exactly standard self-defense either. She seemed… experienced. Too experienced. I kept that thought to myself, though. My gut told me Evelyn was hiding more than she let on and that whatever it was, it wasn't entirely normal.
One dark night, as Evelyn drove me home, I fell asleep in the car until a loud bang jolted me awake. I looked over at her. Evelyn glanced into the rearview mirror, then at me.
> "It's okay, Rin. Sleep on, I'm sorry that I woke you up like this"
She looked into the mirror again and spoke to the back seat.
> "Kaito. Tokasan. Please check what that was I think it was an animal, the poor thing I didn't saw it. It was to dark."
I didn't really believe her, but I said nothing. I rested my head back against the window, even though a part of me desperately wanted to see for myself. I doubted they'd show me proof anyway.
Kaito and Tokasan got out. After a while, I heard the trunk open and close, something being lifted inside. They got back in.
> "An animal," Kaito said flatly. "We'll help it. No one saw anything."
Tokasan nodded silently. Evelyn drove on as if nothing had happened.
When we got home, she tucked me into bed again but this time, I stayed awake on purpose.
Something inside me whispered to stay up, to check, to look.
I quietly got out of bed, crept to the door, and pressed my ear against it.
Silence.
"Silence? Where are they? Evelyn never leaves me home alone… never. Why now?"
The house was empty. Evelyn was gone. Kaito and Tokasan too.
So I took my chance, I couldn't help it.
First, I checked the small blinking light I'd always noticed the one Evelyn brushed off as a router. But it wasn't just a router.
It was a camera.
A surveillance camera.
"Why? Is she that paranoid? I thought I was the paranoid one… or is she just overcautious?" I thought.
I put it back and kept searching. Every room had a surveillance camera.
Then I went to the bathroom the one place I was sure wouldn't have cameras. I was right… but instead, I found clothes. Clothes with bloodstains.
I gasped sharply, my breath catching in my throat. My mind spun with theories and questions, but I tried to stay calm. Panic wouldn't help and prejudices are just as little, especially they are not fair. Evelyn will have her reasons, she always has to.
"Evelyn wouldn't hurt me. If she wanted to, she would have already. That's true, right? She takes care of me. She protects me. So… where did the blood come from? Why is there blood?"
I forced myself to put everything back exactly as I'd found it and returned to my room. Sitting on the bed, I tried to think rationally.
"Evelyn isn't bad… she can't be bad, she is a good person... She's generous and caring towards me, but... True... That doesn't mean she's like that towards others, is she dangerous?"
But doubt crept in.
"Why didn't she tell me? Why does she hide so much? Is she afraid I'd see her differently? That I'd be scared of her? Or… doesn't she trust me? What else is she hiding? She tells me that she tells me soon but I don't wanna wait anymore..."
I decided: Tomorrow, I'll talk to Mr. Yoshikage the guidance counselor. I wasn't sure if I should talk to Yoshikage because Evelyn told me to stay away but I don't know what else to do. I want to know what's wrong with Mr. Yoshikage.
With that thought, I got a glass of water, took a sip, and set it on the nightstand.
I couldn't sleep. My head was too full, too restless. I tossed and turned. But I can't stop thinking.
"Evelyn will probably notice that I found the cameras," I thought. "She'll ask what I saw. She always sees everything… she'll know. She always know."
It took a long time before I finally drifted off... but even then, I swore I felt a breath against my neck, eyes watching me as I turned onto my side.
I told myself it was just paranoia again. It had to be.
I was alone.
I knew I was.