CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING : This chapter contains depictions of and references to trauma, stalking, sexual harassment, and strong language that may be upsetting for some readers. Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.
LORELEI
IN THE next few days, I didn't try speaking with Loki anymore. Even when we crossed paths in the living room or the kitchen, I paid him no attention. It was as if he did not exist in my sight. Likewise, it seemed that I did not exist in his. He did not acknowledge me either. Therefore, I concluded that the feeling was mutual.
I was still upset with him. There were things I wanted to forget, but because of what he was saying and his boasting about how good he was at deducing, I almost remembered them again. That night, I actually thought about reporting him to Tita Martha. But I realized that might be a bit childish. I also didn't want to involve Tita in my issue. I'm already older—almost eighteen—so I should be the one to handle my own problems.
I couldn't watch TV or lounge on the couch because of Loki, so I decided to lock myself in my room and work on my blog. I planned to post about my new experiences in Pampanga, including my first conversation with Loki, which had irritated me.
This Monday marked the first day of classes at Clark High. I confirmed with Tita Martha that my roommate also attended the same school. This meant there was a chance we would go to and come from school together. Great. When I woke up that morning, he was already gone from the apartment, apparently leaving before me. That was for the best, who knew what rumors might spread if anyone found out we were living in the same unit.
There was nothing remarkable about my first week at my new high school. As a transferee, I was greeted with welcoming smiles and friendly gestures. They immediately made me feel that I truly belonged in HUMSS 11-A. Their treatment toward me was almost like that given to a younger sibling. A few even wanted to befriend me. But I tried to distance myself from them. Aside from the fact that I'm not very sociable, I don't like to trust just anyone who introduces themselves to me.
At lunchtime, I ate alone in the cafeteria. I chose to savor every spoonful of my sumptuous meal by myself. Then, suddenly, some of my classmates approached and asked why I wasn't joining them. I smiled at them and replied, "I'm still a bit shy, you see."
I had some trust issues when it came to friends. This stemmed from my experience at my previous school. Whenever I saw classmates trying to befriend me, I couldn't help but ask myself: Who among them would become my true friends, and who would only pretend to be?
Among the boys, a few were overly eager to get to know me better. I found myself wondering if any of them had hidden motives. Due to my trust issues, I constantly suspected that those who approached me had a secret agenda.
"Hi, Lorelei! Can I get your number? If you have any questions about our subjects, you can ask me."
One of those boys was Marcus. If he wanted to be friends with me, he did it the wrong way. A guy should never ask for a girl's phone number during their first conversation. It's an automatic turn off.
"Loreli, I can help you carry your things. You look like you're struggling."
Another lad worth mentioning was Aaron. Even though he was always with his girl friends and our classmate, Lisa, I sensed from his small gestures that he was interested in me. He would always help me in cleaning our classroom, and even offer to carry my books whenever we have lab classes. I always declined his kind offer.
"Lorelei, let's eat lunch together, please? I've noticed that you're always alone."
Nathan was probably the most persistent among my boy classmates. He had invited me to come eat lunch with him multiple times. I always turned down his invitation. If I had said yes, it might have given him the wrong signal. Also, I did not want to share the table with someone I barely knew.
Among the girls, there is this one girl who insisted herself on my boundaries. Her name is Rosetta Rodriquez. She seemed like a people person—someone you would easily get along with. It was as if the smile on her face had already been imprinted. Her straight hair reached down to her waist, her face was slightly round, and her cheeks were full. If the two of us stood side by side, the height difference would be noticeable, as she was a few inches taller than I was.
"Later, come with us, all right?" she reminded me as we changed clothes for our Physical Education class. She had invited me several times to eat with them in the cafeteria, but I always found ways to avoid it.
The two of us were in the locker room along with our other female classmates. I was about to insert my key into the keyhole when I suddenly stopped, having noticed something unusual about it. That's strange.
"Hmm? Is there a problem , Lori?" Rosetta asked. Our lockers happened to be right beside each other. I felt slightly uncomfortable being called by my nickname, but it still sounded better than Lei-Lei, which she had suggested. "Is your key not working?" she asked.
I turned to her before pointing at my locker door. There were scratches around the keyhole. As far as I could remember, there had been nothing like that the last time I opened it yesterday.
She stepped closer to my locker and examined the lock. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized it. "Are you sure you weren't the one who caused this?"
"I inserted the key carefully, so it's impossible for it to get scratched like that."
"Maybe another student mistook it for their locker and tried to force their key into it?"
That was impossible. My full name was clearly affixed to the locker door, so even if someone had mistakenly approached it, they would have immediately noticed that it did not belong to them. What she suggested would only be possible if the person who made the mistake could not read.
I shrugged before inserting the key and slowly opened the locker. Inside, I was greeted by a box of expensive chocolates. There was also a letter attached that read: "For you, Miss Lovely. From your secret admirer."
"Someone actually tried to open my locker," I whispered, holding the small box of chocolates. Instead of feeling giddy from such a sweet gesture, I felt startled.
"With your beauty, you're bound to have a secret admirer," Rosetta peeked at the note. "Seems like a guy's fallen for your charm, Lori!"
Tch. The thing I hate most is attention. I'm perfectly fine living in incognito mode in other people's eyes, as long as my life isn't disturbed. My dad trained me that way.
Thinking it was a one-time thing, I ignored the locker incident. Maybe it would not happen again.
But the next day, my secret admirer left something else, something that made my chest tighten with unease.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stared at the photo intentionally left inside. In the picture, I was leaning out the window of our classroom. A single red rose was included. On the back, a message had been left.
"Please smile for me. From your secret admirer."
This was getting creepier. I don't think the person behind these mysterious gifts is just a normal secret admirer anymore. I might have a stalker.
"Do you know any of our male classmates who might be interested in me?" I asked Rosetta, who was busy changing her clothes. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, swaying with every movement she made.
"It seems like all of them are interested in you. They want to get to know you better. Someone even asked for my help because he's too shy. Why? Do you think it was one of our classmates who did that?"
I showed her the photo that was left behind. "This shot was taken while I was inside the classroom yesterday. There's a high possibility that it's really one of our classmates who's opening my locker and leaving these things."
"Don't you like receiving gifts?"
I glanced back inside the locker. "It's not that I don't like it, but it's getting creepy. There's nothing wrong with admiring someone. But if you want to express your feelings, it shouldn't be like this. If he's interested in me, why can't he have the courage to introduce himself?"
Rosetta had already put on her white shirt and jogging pants, while I was still distracted by this mystery. The problem was so troubling that I couldn't focus on what I was supposed to do. The problem was so troublesome that I could not focus on what I was supposed to do.
"I think I need to report this."
"It might take some time before the administration figures out who's behind it. But if you want to find out your stalker's identity quickly, I know someone who can help you."
"Huh? Who?"
"When students have problems, there's one place they always go to. Whenever you have a mystery you want solved, you can rely on that club. You can consult them about your case."
My left eyebrow arched. "Like a detective club?"
"Something like that!" Rosetta replied, nodding. "If tomorrow that person still doesn't stop leaving gifts in your locker, ask for their help. Go to the third floor, to the farthest room down the hallway, and you'll see a sign on the door that says 'QED Club.'"
IT SEEMED as though Rosetta's advice had been destined for me. The very next day, when I opened my locker, I found a small, cute teddy bear inside. Attached to it was a printed photo taken from my Facebook profile pictures. Even on social media, my secret admirer had been stalking me.
The fact that he went through the trouble of picking the lock of my locker and stalking me in person and online was possibly an indication of his obsessive nature. I was no longer dealing with someone creepy. I was dealing with someone potentially dangerous.
I didn't hesitate any longer and decided to go to the detective club. Around lunchtime, I went up to the third floor and walked all the way down the hallway. As I passed each room, I looked at the doors, searching for the "QED Club" sign.
After about three minutes, I found myself standing in front of Room 315. I didn't open the door just yet. I paused, thinking. Should I bother them with my petty problem? Would it even be worth their time?
Oh, well. I was already here, so it was better to just go for it. It would be a waste of effort to turn back now.
I took a deep breath before knocking twice and pushing the door open.
The first thing I noticed was how small their clubroom was. It was barely a quarter of the size of a regular classroom. By my estimate, only about five to six people could fit comfortably because it was so cramped. A long and rectangular wooden table was placed at the center of the room. Lots of paper with random numbers scribbled on them were all over the surface. A bookshelf that was almost empty was at a corner.
Wait… this scenario felt oddly familiar.
I had expected three or four students to greet me as I entered. That's usually how club rooms work. But there was no one inside, except for a boy sitting in a swivel chair with his back to me. He must have been staring at the clear, blue sky outside the window.
"Excuse me, is this the QED Club?" I approached him slowly, careful not to disturb him in case he was sleeping. He didn't turn around or move immediately.
"If you're familiar with the English alphabet and you know how to read, the answer to your question is obvious."
My eyes widened, and my body seemed to freeze when I heard his voice. I couldn't be mistaken. That annoying, monotonous voice could only come from one person whom I had the misfortune of meeting: Loki!
He turned to face me, his expression completely emotionless. He didn't look surprised at all to find me standing in front of him. His eyes narrowed slightly, almost hidden beneath his bangs.
"Wait, aren't you my roommate?" he asked. "What's your name again? Lorraine? Lorena?"
Wow. I couldn't tell if he was teasing me by pretending he'd forgotten my name. My name was too unique to be forgotten so easily.
"You don't need to know. Sorry, but it seems I entered the wrong room," I said.
Of course, that wasn't true. I just didn't want to owe him anything in case he decided to help me. I turned and walked out of the clubroom. If I had known he'd be here, I wouldn't have wasted my time coming in the first place.
"Oh, don't you lie. You're exactly where you're supposed to be," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. His eyes intently watched me. "A minute ago, you asked if this is the QED Club. You're obviously looking for this place, so why are you denying it now?"
I was looking for this club, but not for him. I rolled my eyes at him and replied curtly, "You're the last person I want to see today. So if it's fine with you, I'll be leaving now."
"That's another lie," he remarked again, just as I reached the door. "The last person you want to see is someone who's causing you trouble. A secret admirer, perhaps?"
With furrowed eyebrows, I once again turned to him.Here he goes again with his mind-reader act, trying to know things he really shouldn't. "And how did you find out about that?" I asked, my voice tinged with suspicion.
He stood up and walked toward me with his hands tucked into his pockets. I took a step backward as he got closer to me. We stood face to face. "Let's say that I have the power to know if someone's in trouble or not."
"Did someone tell you?" Instead of giving a simple yes or no, he turned around and walked back to his chair.
"Our first conversation must have left a bitter taste in your mouth. I have nothing on my plate at the moment so I can help you out. I'm not forcing you though. You have two options. You can walk away and be still bothered by your secret admirer. Or you can tell me the details of your problem and I'll expose the identity of the mysterious guy."
I wanted to put an end to the secret admirer case since it really was starting to get worrying. The problem was, I wasn't sure if I could trust this guy. After our brief exchange the other day, I honestly wished our paths would never cross again.
"Don't worry. Once your problem is solved, we can return to playing strangers again." He pointed to the empty chair at the far end of the long table. "So why don't you take a seat and tell me more about your case?"
That sounded like a great deal. Even though a voice in my head warned me not to trust him, I still sat down, ready to tell him about my problem. He sat back in his swivel chair at the other end of the table. I felt like I was being interrogated by the police.
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
I took a deep breath before starting. "Last Monday, I noticed someone opened my locker and left a box of chocolates. Yesterday, they left a rose and a photo of me with a note that said, 'Please smile for me.' And earlier, they left a small teddy bear with my Facebook profile picture attached."
He stared off into the distance, seeming bored by my story. He said that he was listening, but his attention was elsewhere. "The typical secret admirer case. Nothing unusual. Do you have any idea who this person might be?"
"I think it's one of my classmates. The photo they left yesterday… it was taken inside our classroom."
"Interesting observation." He turned toward me, his dull eyes squinting as he stared. "What time do you usually check your locker?"
"In the morning, during our PE class."
The corner of his lips curved into a smile, a smile that said he already had an answer to the mystery. That was quick.
"Consider your problem solved. If you want, I can introduce your secret admirer this afternoon."
"You already know who it is?"
"No, but I have an idea on how I can expose his identity." He maintained the smirk on his face. "Until what time are your classes today?"
"Until four o'clock. Why?"
"Meet me at exactly five o'clock on the rooftop. I'll unmask the identity of your secret admirer and put an end to your problem."
He was oozing with extreme confidence. I didn't know if this guy was all talk and arrogance or if he could actually solve my case. Based on what I'd heard from Rosetta, this club could close cases, so supposedly my problem would finally be resolved.
Just this once, I decided to trust him. My fingers were crossed that this would be the first, and last, time I'd ask for his help.
AFTER OUR last class in the afternoon, I stayed in the cafeteria, waiting for the clock to strike five. Almost all of my classmates had gone home, but I was still there, waiting for my meeting with Loki.
Five minutes before five, I went up to the rooftop to meet my roommate-slash-detective wannabe. When I arrived, there wasn't a trace of him anywhere. Only three large cardboard boxes and some long pipes were scattered around.
Where was he? He had the nerve to say five o'clock sharp, yet here he was, late.
I walked over to the edge of the rooftop, near the cardboard boxes, and looked down. Almost no students were left on campus. Around this time, only clubs with after-class activities were allowed to stay.
I checked the time on my phone—five-ten. What was taking him so long? Could he be messing with me on purpose? Maybe he was getting back at me for walking out on him the other day at the apartment. If he doesn't show up within five more minutes, I am leaving. I wasn't going to bother noticing him at the apartment ever again.
I felt the fresh gusts of wind and the calm silence that dominated the rooftop… until the door behind me suddenly opened. It made a loud creak, followed by slow, deliberate footsteps. At last, he was here!
I was surprised when it wasn't Loki's face greeting me. The man slowly approaching where I stood looked familiar.
"Aaron? What are you doing here?" I asked. I could clearly see the wide grin on my classmate's face—he looked genuinely happy to see me on the rooftop. He was one of my male classmates who seemed interested in me.
"Did you forget something?"
"You said you wanted to see me." He held up a small piece of paper with writing I couldn't quite make out. "So I hurried over here."
My eyes narrowed into slits as I watched him approach me. I had a bad feeling about this guy.
"Sorry, but I don't remember leaving any note for you. You must be mistaken. I'm actually waiting for someone else here."
Confusion spread across his face, his right eyebrow arching as he continued to watch me.
"But you left me a message in the locker! You said you wanted to see me here on the rooftop at five o'clock so I could meet you and thank you for the gifts I gave you. Look! I'm here!"
That was the moment when a realization dawned on me. I did not get it at first, but I soon did. My eyes widened at him. I slowly took a step back. "S-So… y-you're my secret admirer?"
He bowed like a performer after a show. "Yours truly. Oh, why do you look so pale? Didn't you expect to see me here?"
I shook my head repeatedly. I didn't remember leaving any note in his locker. I didn't have selective amnesia, after all. "Sorry, Aaron, but I really don't know what you're talking about-"
That's when I realized who had probably left the note. There was only one person who could have set up a meeting on the rooftop at this hour, none other than Loki.
"Ever since your first day here, I've wanted to get to know you." As Aaron stepped closer, I kept backing away. I wanted to run, but my legs felt weak, almost frozen. "I've always watched your smile… how you laugh."
"S-Stay away from me!" I shouted. That wide grin from before had twisted into something demonic. His brown eyes gleamed with a lustful joy as he stared at me. He even bit his lip as if savoring the sight. Disgusting!
"Oh, come on!" He suddenly grabbed my right arm tightly. I tried to struggle free, but his grip was ironclad. I cried out in pain. "Is that how you thank your admirer? I like feisty girls, so I'm sure I'll enjoy you."
"HELP-" I tried to scream, but he quickly covered my mouth.
He leaned close to my ear. "Shush. Don't make a sound. I thought you wanted to get to know me better? If you try to scream again, I might push you off this rooftop. I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours."
The hairs on my arms stood on end as his fingers brushed against my cheek. I could feel his breath as he leaned closer, and fear coursed through me, freezing my body in place.
The memory of that night months ago flashed through my mind again. It was like being pulled back into a dark place where chaotic lights of every color swirled around. People were dancing wildly, the noise deafening. No one understood anyone. Glasses were being filled with wine and alcohol. And then…
When I opened my eyes, Aaron was gone from in front of me. His hand was no longer on my arm. I saw him sprawled on the floor, Loki's foot pressed against his back. He was trying to get up, but Loki wouldn't let him.
Hhank goodness he arrived just in time! My legs gave way, and I sank to the floor. I wrapped my arms around myself, holding tight as a shiver ran through my body. My eyes froze, staring blankly into the emptiness, unable to process what had just happened.
"Sorry if I didn't act sooner," Loki apologized, holding up his phone as if to explain. "I waited for him to make his move. I was recording a video of his attempt on you."
I raised my head and stared at him. "Y-You've been here all this time?" I stammered.
He pointed toward the cardboard boxes. "I was hiding behind those boxes while waiting for the two of you. If he saw you alone here, he would lower his guard and take advantage of the situation. It worked as I predicted."
My eyes narrowed as I stared at him. My trembling fists clenched as I felt the urge to punch that guy in the face, not Aaron, but Loki! He had been here all along, watching, yet he didn't stop Aaron right away. I didn't care about his reasons. He had almost let me unlock a memory that had been sealed away forever inside my head.
"You bastard . . ." I muttered, grinding my teeth. I tried to stand up even though my knees were trembling. When I got close to him, Aaron suddenly got up and ran toward the stairwell. Loki didn't even try to chase after him.
"Don't worry about him. The video that I've recorded will suffice as evidence." He pocketed his phone and smiled at me as if everything was settled. "Once I submit it to the school authorities, you won't be bothered anymore by your pesky secret admirer—"
SLAP.
I could no longer hold my anger, so I slapped him hard in the face. My right hand turned red, and the palm throbbed painfully from the impact. His head snapped to one side.His cheeks were bright red, and the imprint of my hand was visible on his face.
He rubbed his left cheek. He doesn't even show any reaction, it was as if my slap hadn't even affected him. "Is this how you say thank you? If yes, you're welcome."
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held them back. I didn't want to cry in front of him. He did not deserve to see my tears.
"You have no idea what you've put me through today!" My voice was fierce but wobbly. "You lied to me and used me as a bait to lure out that creepy guy. Now, I don't know which one of you two is worse."
"The end justifies the means, Lorelei," he gave me a defiant answer. He was proud, with no regret for what he had done. Finally, he got my name correctly.
Still I could not quell the rage boiling through my body. Before I could slap him again, I hurriedly walked toward the exit, leaving him alone on the rooftop. That day, I realized that crossing paths with him and asking for his help was a huge mistake.
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:
This is not a romance story. It is purely focused on detective cases and puzzles. I am just reminding you in case you thought otherwise. The author has confirmed it himself.
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