Chapter 19 : A random day
After what felt like an eternity, the movie finally came to an end. The credits began to roll slowly across the screen as soft background music filled the now dimly lit theater. Around them, the muffled rustling of clothes being straightened could be heard. Couples whispered to one another, fixing their shriveled shirts, adjusting their collars, or putting on jackets they had previously tossed aside. One by one, they exited, leaving behind only faint traces of warmth and the scent of buttered popcorn. Eiden, however, remained seated.
His eyes weren’t on the screen, nor the credits, but on Sasha. She sat still beside him, entirely silent. Her eyes were blankly staring at the half-finished tub of popcorn in her lap like it had committed a crime against humanity. "Poor girl," Eiden thought to himself, the corner of his lips twitching. "She’s never going to be able to eat popcorn again without suffering war flashbacks. Tsk, tsk... tragic."
Though earlier she had been visibly flustered and jumpy, she had calmed down somewhat probably out of exhaustion. With everyone else gone, the theater now belonged to just the two of them. Eventually, Sasha stood up, albeit with slightly wobbly legs, and made her way to the exit without a single word. Eiden followed. Outside the cinema, the air was cool and slightly damp. The usual evening buzz of traffic and conversation returned to fill the silence between them as they walked side by side along the pavement. Eiden threw a few glances at her, hoping for some kind of comment or at least eye contact, but she remained stubbornly silent. Her face was unreadable, her eyes straight ahead.
Then, without a word, she raised her hand, hailed a cab, and stepped inside. She didn’t look at him. She didn’t ask him to join her. She didn’t even say goodbye. The cab pulled away and disappeared into the traffic.
Eiden sighed. "She ran out of steam... how pitiful," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Still, despite the emotional rollercoaster, a small part of him couldn’t help but chuckle. "What a night..." Not quite ready to head back yet, Eiden decided to stroll around for a bit more. He wandered aimlessly through the nearby streets, doing some lazy window shopping and browsing through the soft glow of shop displays. Eventually, as dusk crept in, he decided to head back. He checked his GPS and walked to the nearest bus stop, planning to take the public bus home.
But just as he was making his way through the mildly crowded sidewalk, something or rather someone caught his attention. It was the girl from earlier. The one with the glowing arrow above her head that had the word "TARGET" written boldly across it. That same arrow was still floating visibly over her now.
"System-chan," he whispered. "Ding! That arrow is actually pretty useful. Can you, like, put that on all the targets from now on?"
Ding! "Sure, as you wish!" System-chan replied cheerfully. "Good girl."
He then glanced at his watch. "Still got some time left before curfew... Why not tail her a little? Nothing illegal. Just gathering intel." At least that’s what he told himself.
He trailed behind her carefully, keeping a good distance. He couldn’t see her face clearly with all the people around, but the glowing arrow above her head made it ridiculously easy to keep track. A cheat for stalkers, really. Eventually, she entered an apartment building.
Eiden followed, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He made it inside just as she stepped into the elevator. Without hesitation, he rushed to catch the same one and got in just in time. She pressed the button for the sixth floor.