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June 11th Three Weeks Later
The rain pounded on the roof of the apartment room, and Emma heaved a sigh of satisfaction as she cut the onions while listening to classical music. Once she was done, she grabbed the already peeled potatoes and was about to cut them into cubes when there was a knock on the door. After a quick thinking, she decided to look at the last text between her and Gwen before answering the door.
Emma: Are you coming over?274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5GVv6GK59
I am making kare raisu
Gwen: I would love to come274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIKrh66TUK
but I can't today. I am kinda busy.
Emma: Really?
Gwen: Yes. Maybe next time.
The knock on the door continued as she stared at the message. 'She said she wasn't coming today. Then who is behind the door?'
"Emma?" a familiar voice called. "Emma, its me Jake. Are you in?"
Hearing that, she quickly turned off the music waited for him to take the hint and leave but he continued to knock on the door.
"I know you are in there Emma," he yelled loudly. "I can heard your music!"
"Shoot!" she whispered in annoyance.
"Emma! Let me in" Jake whined this time, banging loudly on the door making Emma pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Please let me in! Its freezing cold and I am going to catch hypothermia if you don't. Please!"
Under the pounding rain, Jake waited until he heard the sound of shuffling feet behind the door and the sound of it being unlocked. His heart skipped a beat when the door opened revealing an annoyed looking girl but just as he was about to walk in, she barracaded his way with her body.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
"I...I came t...to see you." he said giving her a wry smile hoping that the tone of his voice showed how cold he was. "M...may I come in?"
Emma took a good look at him, he wearing a really thin white shirt that clung to his body thanks to it being wet, long brown baggy trousers with slippers; he wore no sweater, carried no umbrella or raincoat with him; the complete opposite of what one would wear under the rain.
'None of this makes any sense.' she thought as he continued to shiver under the rain. 'And this isn't a manga.'
"You mean to tell me that you ran in the rain just to see me?" she asked finally looking at him.
Jake looked down and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I was in the neighbourhood when the rain started. Since my home is far away from here, I thought it would be best I popped by to see you. I hope you don't mind me staying until the rain stops."
'Okay, that makes sense,' she thought heaving a huge sigh and stepping aside.
"Thank you," he whispered walking into the threshold and taking of his slippers. "Its a good thing I wore these. I planned on wearing my sneakers today but changed my mind last minute."
Emma didn't respond. She quickly rushed up the stairs to her room. There she grabbed spare towels from the drawers, came back down and gave it to him. "Here,"
"Thank you," I took a quick sniff at him and frowned.
"Don't worry its clean," she hissed while walking into the kitchen.
'I know. I am just upset it doesn't have your scent.' he thought while drying his hair. "Do you have any spare clothes I can wear?"
"I am sorry but I don't," she replied putting away the old model of the Bluetooth radio. Then she thought hit her. "I have a baggy sweater that might fit. You can wear it while your clothes dry."
His face brightened at the thought so he quickly coughed and covered his mouth. "Y...yes thank you."
As Emma walked up the stairs, Jake quickly assessed the living room. 'Everything still looks the same except its cleaner now.' He sniffed the air. 'Was she cooking something before I came here?'
"Here," Emma voice laced with annoyance caught him off guard and when he looked at her, he saw the upset look on her face.
'She looks so cute when she is annoyed,' he cooed collecting the shirt from her and he took a quick sniff earning a glare from Emma who turned and walked away. "How are you doing?"
"I am fine thank you," she replied from the kitchen. "You have been coming here pretty often."
"Yes. After that incident in school, I thought it should be a good idea to check on you from time to time." he took off his shirt and trousers before wearing the wooly sweater; enveloping himself with her scent which made him shiver. "Don't you like me coming over?"
"No, I don't."
Her sharp reply made him pause and he painfully bit his bottom lip to had the smile that was creeping up his face. "I am only trying to look out for you that's all."
Silence took over the room punctuated by the sound of flames of the stove being brought to life and the knife hitting the chopping board. She knew it had been weeks since they met at the store and weeks since the incident in school but nothing happened after that so she didn't see the reason why he needed to keep invading her life. She appreciated his concern but it was starting to annoy her, especially when he grabbed her by the hand while they walked to school, walking her back home and his ability to seemingly appear when she made plans to leave the apartment at night to help the rest of the students to investigate the curse in the school.
'At least he is coming when my aunt isn't here.' she thought as the shiny blade of the the knife cut the meat into thin strips. 'That woman would drain him dry when she learns how much money he has.'
'Don't be rude.' Emma's inner voice said and she rolled her eyes.
"Your apartment smells lovely," he commented and she looked up to see him leaning on the kitchen's door frame wearing the oversized wooly sweater. "What are you making?"
She ignored him again and Jake gritted his teeth in annoyance. He watched her push the sliced beef aside, smile at the handiwork of sliced vegetables on the kitchen island and pour some oil into the pot. Once the oil is hot enough, she pushed the onions and diced garlic inside and let it simmer for a few minutes before carefully adding the sliced beef strips. As he watched her stir the pot, he remembered the message Agatha sent him yesterday; 'Gwen invited her to investigate another abandoned building tonight. You know what to do.'
'It had been four weeks since that incident in your room and caution has been your best friend,' he thought to himself then he chuckled as she poured the rest of the vegetables inside the pot and sautéd it. 'But I can't help but laugh at the fact you are terrified of me because you shouldn't be because I am taking care of you.'
Unbeknownst to his thoughts about her, Emma poured the beef stock, covered the pot started looking for the packet of curry roux blocks she had bought three days earlier.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"No thank you," she replied opening the kitchen drawers. A few minutes later, she found the packet, tore it open and snapped out two blocks before putting it inside the pot. Turning the stove's nob increased the volume of its flames bringing the contents to a boil as she scooped out some rice in a bowl and placed the contents under a tap of running water.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Kv2KeROa5
"Let me help you with that." he said closing the distance between them and grabbing the bowl before she could protest.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqI213e223
As he washed the rice, his eyes wandered to the rice cooker he bought when they went shopping together. 'I am happy to see it's being put to good use. Although, she was worried about the cost when I put it in her cart.'274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjFPPXZpSu
He signed at the memory and poured out the rice water as she opened the pot letting a delicious smell fill the room. Despite wearing a huge T-shirt that covered her down to her knees, Jake's eyes could still make out her figure through the fabric and could guess that she was wearing her signature black shorts underneath the cloth.
'Why are you avoiding me? You reported me to the police twice, changed your phone number, changed the locks on your front door and window, going to school early to avoid walking with me...' he hummed out loud and sighed. 'At least your aunt gave me the spare keys to the apartment.'
He placed the rice in the machine, turned it on and leaned back on the sink. Thirsty, he opened the cabinet, grabbed a cup and poured himself a glass of water. 'You aren't making it easy for me to love you Beloved and it breaks my heart.'
"Curry is done," Emma announced then turned around to see him drinking a cup of water. "Jake,"
"Hmm?" he asked placing the rim of the cup to his mouth.
"Where did you find that cup?"
He nearly choked on his water but stilled himself to relax. "From the open cabinet."
Hearing this, Emma looked at the open cupboard which held the cups and plates before looking at him. 'But the cabinet was closed.'
"Besides, I was thirsty and guessing by your behavior, you weren't going to give me anything so I helped myself," he added.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLrebfy29r
Emma narrowed her eyes at that, leaned back on the kitchen table and folded her arms under her chest. "Well, I suppose that's one way to justify taking something without permission. But next time, ask instead of assuming you won't get what you want."
Her words stung but it put a smile on his face. "You sound upset. Who put you in a bad mood?"
Emma ignored him and started preparing the kitchen table for the meal while Jake blushed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I am sorry."
He wasn't and Emma knew it. "Can you help me bring the dishes please?"274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOjRcK1WQI
"Sure. Which cabinet are they in?" he asked.
"They are in the same cabinet where you got the cup," she replied without looking up.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0QDxgjk7j
"Okay," he turned around and grabbed the items. By the time the rice was done, the table was set and soon, they were eating quietly.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtT1zstYJL
'Despite everything that has happened to you, I finally discovered the reason why you like that fantasy series; you have a crush on the actors playing the main cast. You told your friends you like a partner with long black hair, strong, knows how to defend you, wields a sword, honest, loving, and trusting just like the main couple. So I trimmed my hair, changed my wardrobe, and joined the martial arts club to get your attention. The downside about this is I am starting to attract unwanted attention from the opposite sex and it is driving you away.' he placed another spoonful of rice in his mouth. 'I wish they left us alone.'
He looked up and saw Emma putting her old phone down with a disappointed look on her face.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked with concern.
"No it's nothing," she replied.
"How have you been?" he asked. "Anything exciting?"274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckkkM3Pj2g
"Hmm?" she quickly looked up and shook her head. "No. Its nothing exciting has been going on."
"I see," the attempt
'Nevertheless, I also realized that you started going to that new manga store that just opened this week.' he thought putting another spoonful of food into his mouth. 'The place looks alright and is located in a well-protected area but no one ever visits because of the owner it doesn't stop you from going there. It seems like a safe haven for you, and that's fine with me but I need to investigate the owner.'
"I hope you are doing okay," he said as they washed the dishes together. "Do you want me to accompany you to school tomorrow?"
"No thanks," Emma turned to look at him. "I will like to go by myself this time."
"Okay," Jake replied despite irritation pricking him. "Okay."
Except the sound of the plates, silence took over the room.
June 13th
12:00AM
It's been a two days since we started seeing each other and a new threat has slithered into our paradise and her name is Gwen. Seeing you walk home with her ached my heart and the nightmares of you leaving me for her plaughed me.
I was angry. Angry that when I texted you about it, you deleted it. My feelings aren't significant to you aren't they, Beloved? Angry at the way you dismissed my feelings like it was nothing despite the time we spent together but now that I think about it, I didn't confess my feelings to you. Yeah. I can only blame myself for being a coward!'
'Don't worry Beloved. I'll try harder to make my feelings known to you but I noticed you have been isolating yourself from your friends since you started hanging out with that snake. Even when you stay with your friends at lunch time she appears out of nowhere and your friends are enamored with her.
Hypocrytes.They don't know that she is a snake! A hedious ugly snake that was sent to steal you away from me!
He sighed, leaned back and dangled his arm over his chair hummed a tune. 'This is so frustrating!' he thought then continued to write.
'On the bright side, I figured out a way to get rid of Andrew who has been having a secret crush on you for sometime. I have always suspected him from the way he looked at you at the Martial Arts club with that sparkle in his eyes. I first I wanted to end him like I did the rest by either sabotaging his attempts to pursue you or burning him alive in the school's incinerator but studied him closely and immediately realised that although he was handsome and skilled in Martial Arts on the outside, he was insecure and fails miserably when it comes to approaching the opposite sex. Its so bad that it's a running joke within your friend group.'
He chuckled lightly and continued to write. 'Its no wonder that he would fall in love with someone like you. He is comfortable around you so it would be easy for him to do that.
And he wasn't making it easy to kill him undetected.
Among all of the students at the school, he is the most cautious. Always taking two or three people with him wherever he goes. I asked around and one of the members of the Martial Arts club said he and a few other black belts took a pact or something to protect one another; wherever one is, the other must follow and since most of them are in the same class as you Beloved, it would be difficult to kill him without witnesses.
Luckily, I did some digging into him and realized he was chatting with this girl online. However, he is yet to make things official with her because of how shy he is.
Maybe if I play the role of cupid right, I can make them a couple and he would forget about you completely.
But I have to do it as soon as possible.
Summer is around the corner and I want to spend it with you.
June 11th
6:30PM
Alice showed me a picture of you and Gwen watching the stars and it made me feel angry.
So angry that I nearly smashed my phone into pieces.
I'm an idiot!
I was so busy trying to get your friends and Aunt to root for our relationship that I totally forgot about her!
Stupid!
Idiot!
Fool!
I can't believe I let her try to steal you away from me!
Looking at that picture really makes me sick to my stomach!
She has no right to...
You know what? Screw it!
I'm calling the bitch right now!
8:49 PM
Well I called Alice and she told me eliminating Gwen was going to be challenging because she has the same abilities she has.
Yep.
The bitch is immortal.
No mortal wounds can kill her.
As we continued to argue, I eventually asked her to tell me more about her supposed immortality and she admitted she didn't know much about it.
The only thing she told me was that she, Gwen and another guy kill people and turn their souls into power to boast about their immortality. The power-boast is called Spirit Power and although it is rumored to give them magical powers, they only use it to heal themselves from mortal injuries and prolong their lifespan but get this, she suspects you might have the same thing but yours is different.
'She's a special one, for sure,' she said.
And that's when I recalled her saying you were cursed but by whom?
What makes you so special that you are destined to get rid of the school's curse?
Is this a sick plan to lure you to your demise?
She further told me the reason why she doesn't want you to have anything to do with Gwen is because she might lure you with her charm, learn your deepest secrets and use it to guilt trip you into making a deal with the witch but the scary thing is she has been doing this for a long time.
She further suspects Caroline might be the one responsible for the school's curse and since she claims you are the one destined to break the curse, this means...
No!
No, no, no, no, no!
NO!
This is bullshit!
Bullshit!
If that ability was there all this time, I would have been some kind of powerful god by now because of the number of lives I have taken!
My only wish is to live a normal life with you but now we are forced into these supernatural shenanigans due to some stupid destiny!
Who the hell placed that destiny upon you?
I'll make them pay for that!
At least she explained how this nonsense works. Therefore, I don't have to do anything but kill people and transform their energy to live longer and heal faster.
But she said something along the lines of Gwen being responsible for the deaths of some girls but she has to do some investigation first.
And while she's doing that, I will be doing my investigation.
Don't blame me my love but I don't trust her one bit.
June 14th
11:47 PM
Well, the bitch was right.
Gwen was the one responsible for the deaths of five girls who were talented dancers a long time ago. After telling the bitch my findings she gave me an evil grin and left.
I don't know what she's planning to do but the minute I discovered that, I have been toying with her psyche by leaving cryptic texts and voicemails. I also called her on the phone to add to the creepy vibe.
Just to ignite some kind of guilt until she finally cracks.
But I hate using this elimination method.
It's not as simple as killing someone with a knife or gun or making their death look like a suicide.
The process takes too long and the chances of success are low.
But it's worth a try.
Don't worry Darling, I'll save you from her evil clutches.
ns 15.158.61.19da2
