"Are you not curious to try what they're doing?"
See? I told you, Leci thought anxiously. If this keeps going, I'll be the one in trouble.
Before she could even respond, Kieron had already reached out — his hand sliding behind her head, gently pulling her closer. When she saw him close his eyes, Leci instantly knew what he was about to do.
Thud!
Her only instinct was to bump their foreheads together. The sudden motion startled not only Kieron but also the two people outside, whose moment of passion was abruptly interrupted. Both of them froze, turning toward the computer desk.
"What was that sound?"
"Wait—was someone there?"
The voices belonged to Devanie and Cullen — members of the Journalism Club. It turned out they were the ones who had been caught doing something they clearly shouldn't have been doing in the clubroom.
"Who's there?!" Cullen barked, his tone sharp. He took cautious steps toward the desk. If he moved the chair in front of it, Kieron and Leci would be discovered immediately.
Leci's heart pounded wildly again — this time not because of Kieron, but out of sheer panic. She covered her mouth, desperate not to make a sound. Maybe she had acted recklessly, but it was too late to regret it now.
Kieron clicked his tongue softly in irritation. "Ck. Such a nuisance," he muttered under his breath.
Whoosh!
The clubroom window suddenly burst open, letting a powerful gust of wind tear through the room. Papers scattered everywhere as Devanie and Cullen gasped in shock. Even Leci jumped — but when she turned to Kieron, he looked completely calm, his gaze steady and unblinking.
Of course — the wind was his doing. But the window was locked… how did he manage that?
"What was that?! Why did the window just open by itself? Is someone outside?" Devanie yelped, hiding behind Cullen. Both of them were still only half-dressed in their uniforms, clearly flustered and confused.
"This is the third floor! Who would climb up here just to peek in?" Cullen said, his voice trembling but trying to sound rational.
"Could it be… a ghost?" Devanie whispered, face pale. "Let's get out of here!"
Cullen didn't argue. They hurriedly put on their uniforms, still unaware of the two people hiding beneath the computer desk. Moments later, they bolted out of the room.
At last, Leci could breathe again. She pushed the chair aside and crawled out from under the cramped desk, followed by Kieron. The man looked mildly sulky — almost like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.
"The mood was perfect just now," he said flatly, his gaze lingering on her.
Perfect for who? Leci grumbled inwardly. We're not even a couple. Why should I care about your mood?
Out loud, she said, "Do it yourself then, Sir. I'm leaving."
Without waiting for his reply, she marched out of the Journalism Club room — leaving Kieron standing there, half-smiling in quiet amusement.
Behind her, Kieron curved his lips into a faint, slanted smile. "Right. This one really takes… a few steps," he murmured to himself. He'd have to work much harder if he wanted to conquer someone like Leci.
✤ ✣ ✤
Leci waited for Kieron by the back gate of the school. Earlier, she had already written down the address of the haunted place they were supposed to investigate. Since it was quite far, she'd called a taxi in advance.
"Why are you still standing there? Get in."
Kieron was suddenly beside the taxi, opening the door and gesturing for her to enter first.
Leci blinked in confusion — she hadn't seen him approach at all, even though she'd been watching the gate. He just… appeared. That man always came and went like the wind.
Leci didn't bother to ask. She knew by now — Kieron wasn't human. Things like this were probably just another one of his tricks. She simply gave him a brief glance before stepping into the taxi.
As the car drove away from the school grounds, the faint flash of a phone camera flickered from behind the gate. Someone was watching their departure. "Leciara Maclean… I thought you were a good girl," the observer muttered quietly.
Inside the taxi, Leci handed Kieron a small note with their destination written on it. But Kieron immediately disagreed. He leaned forward and said calmly to the driver, "Sir, take us to Sweet Peach Park."
Leci's eyes widened. That's… the trendy date spot everyone's been talking about on social media lately! Why there of all places?! Her mind buzzed in disbelief. "No, sir. Please take us to this address instead!" she insisted firmly.
The driver blinked, now clearly confused. He glanced between the two passengers through the rearview mirror. "So… where are we going?"
"That address!"
"Sweet Peach Park!"
Both voices rang out at once.
That was enough to make Leci snap — she hit Kieron's shoulder sharply. "Go on a date with your girlfriend there if you want to!" she huffed.
Kieron didn't argue, nor did he explain himself. He simply turned his face toward the window, silent and unbothered. Leci frowned deeply. Why does he act so childish sometimes?!
"Just to this address, please, Sir," she said, crossing her arms.
The taxi finally drove toward the address Leci had given. During the ride, Kieron was the first to move closer. He draped his arm casually over her shoulder and leaned his head against her. Since he wasn't doing anything strange, Leci decided to let him be.
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the location — a secluded apartment building at the edge of town. The sender of the horror story had been a student, claiming to have experienced something terrifying while spending the night in his uncle's apartment room. That was why he'd written down this address.
So it's not an abandoned building… it's still in use. Maybe the haunting came from one of the rooms? Leci began her inquiry with the owner, while Kieron quietly followed behind her.
"That's right," the landlady said, her voice uneasy. "For the past few months, the atmosphere around here has been… very gloomy. Every night, we hear howling — like wolves — and sometimes, heart-wrenching screams."
Leci glanced toward the forest behind the apartment. If it's wolves, then it must've come from there, right? She thought. The forest was surrounded by rows of bamboo trees, making it look even more eerie.
"Perhaps it's just wild animals, Leciara," Kieron said, already tugging gently at her hand. "Let's just leave."
"What kind of wolf? Has anyone actually seen it?" Leci pressed, ignoring him.
The landlady looked up at the dusky sky, her eyes distant as if searching her memory. "I haven't seen it myself," she said slowly. "But one of the residents claimed to have seen a dark silhouette on the bridge. He saw it around this time of day… right before nightfall."
"A bridge? Could you show it to us?" Leci asked.
They walked together — the three of them — to the bridge in question. It turned out to be located down a narrow lane beside the apartment, set slightly behind the main building. The bridge connected directly to the path that led into the forest.
"Thank you for showing us," Leci said softly. "We'll wait here for the creature to appear."
Her words startled the landlady, whose face immediately turned worried. "You shouldn't, Dear. It's dangerous."
But Leci only smiled confidently. "It's fine. I happen to be an experienced ghost hunter. And if something does happen, this person will help," she said, gesturing at Kieron beside her.
The landlady looked toward Kieron, and the man gave a polite nod. "Please be careful," she said softly. "If anything happens, shout. The tenants and I will come to help."
Leci noticed the woman's hands trembling where they were clasped before her chest. The faint quiver of her fingers, the worry in her eyes — all of it told Leci that this woman was genuinely kind. Which was exactly why Leci couldn't bring herself to walk away from this.
"Thank you for your concern," she said gently. "I'll be careful."
And so, Leci and Kieron stayed by the bridge, waiting for the creature the landlady had described to appear. Kieron crossed his arms and looked at her doubtfully.
"Are you sure it isn't just a wild animal?" he asked.
Leci sat down by the bridge's railing, calm and fearless. "Are you doubting me, Sir?" she teased, giving him a mysterious smile.
It was the first time Kieron had seen that expression on her — curious and unreadable. He leaned closer, lowering himself until their eyes were level. Placing his hands on the railing behind her, he effectively trapped her between his arms.
"So confident this time, aren't you?" he murmured.
Leci smirked slightly, her tanzanite eyes locking onto the dark obsidian in his. "When it comes to this," she whispered, "I'm always confident."
Her eyes gleamed with a quiet thrill. Something about that look — that spark of pride and defiance — made Kieron chuckle softly. "That's my girl," he muttered under his breath.
Huuuu…
A soft, unpleasant wind drifted past them, breaking their conversation. Both Leci and Kieron turned toward the far end of the bridge — to the forest path ahead.
There, emerging from the darkness, was a grotesque figure. A man-shaped creature with jet-black skin… and from its chest, a wolf's head protruded, snarling.
Groorr!
The black-skinned man and the wolf's head on his chest growled together, their voices overlapping in a low, furious rumble. Its eyes glowed with hostility as it fixed its gaze on Leci and Kieron. So this was the monster that had been tormenting the residents.
"He's here," Leci said calmly. "See? I told you — this isn't about wild animals."
Kieron smiled faintly, his tone almost admiring. "You really are something, Leciara."