Lil Investigation

A few moments earlier.

Aidera and Clara, they walked quickly along the west corridor of Building A. Their steps echoed faintly, in sync with the ticking of the clock. Seems like they were heading to a specific place.

"Are you sure you want to meet this person? I've heard... unpleasant things about him." Several times, Clara tugged Aidera's sleeve, her voice hushed yet urgent.

"Shush~ it's not nice to say that. Relax. Besides, we're already good friends."

"So... You already know him?"

"Well, yes... uhh not really though. We only meet if there's a need, like for a meeting and stuff."

The hallway led to a spacious, quiet intersection. Eventually, they arrived at a room with a clear sign: Major Student Council. Aidera tried to touch a small display, which functioned as a doorbell. She touched it several times, but no one came out.

"So quiet... Where are they?" she mumbled.

"Maybe they're having lunch break?"

Clara took out her phone and intended to call someone, but a voice from a distance caught their attention.

"Hold on, I'm coming!"

From the right end of the corridor, a well-built and muscular guy approached them. He wore black and white clothes like an ordinary college student, but they seemed messy and haphazardly worn.

His scary face, which was his trademark, was combined with a messy pompadour hairstyle. In addition, there was a wide old scar on the left side of his neck.

Upon arrival, he leaned against the door and casually observed the two girls in front of him.

"So, what can a guy like me do for two lovely angels like you?"

"You! You betterwatch your mouth with her."

"Clara," Aidera cut in.

"But-"

"Hi there. Long time no see, Jack. Looking rough, as always."

"Hahahaha! Is that a compliment? Okay, come on in."

The guy swiped a card like key beside the door, and a sound was heard. One by one, they stepped inside, though Clara hesitated and clutched Aidera's arm.

"Milady, are you sure about this? He gives me bad vibes…"

"Oh, you're such a worrier. Yet, you're the one who had the idea to come here. Let's just go inside."

The room stretched deep, with a crimson carpet running down the center. On either side, benches flanked digital whiteboards. At the end stood a broad desk with a well-worn couch. That's where he always sat.

"Make yourselves at home. Tea? Coffee?" Jack offered with a crooked smile.

"No need to trouble yourself, we're just here to ask some questions," Aidera replied.

"Oh dear... no need to be so tense. Just treat this as your own basecamp, even though I'm sure it's not as fancy as your organization's rooms."

"Not really. Our rooms are pretty standard."

Hearing their conversation, Clara joined them and even narrowed the distance. She didn't expect the president of the Student Council in the History Education major to be so friendly.

Maybe the scary reputation was exaggerated.

"So?" Jack asked, slouching into his chair. "What brings two high-ranking celebrities to my humble corner?"

"Celebrities? I'm just a regular student like you," Aidera answered.

"Whether you're regular or not, it's not up to you to decide. You're like deer entering a cheetah's territory anyway." Jack replied casually, sipping his coffee.

Occasionally, he changed his expression and looked up, as if deep in thought.

"You're here while the door is locked, and only I can unlock it. Besides, there's no one around. What if I decided to do something... questionable?"

" W-What did you just say!? Something? What would you do?!" Clara snapped.

The conversation suddenly felt strange. The mood tensed sharply. Her previous doubts came rushing back. There is indeed something unbelievable about this guy.

"I don't know what I will do to you. You're here to ask something, and you should know that there's nothing more important than information." Jack shrugged.

"But we just want to ask about-" Clara tried to interrupt.

"I mean, If you ask something that requires me to open my mouth, that means there must be a fair payment. For example..."

He paused dramatically. His gaze was like a predator that had found its prey. Several times, he looked at these two girls alternately.

"For example... You tell your leader that his hair is annoying, can you do that?"

"Pfft- Hahaha!"

Aidera cracked up, catching Clara completely off guard.

"You still hate Dellon's hair that much?" she asked between laughs.

"Heh! Greasy heads ruin my appetite."

They both shared a genuine laugh, the tension in the room easing for the first time. Clara stood there, dumbfounded.

"Clay, I know what you're thinking. Maybe it's a good idea for you to get to know each other better since you've only met a few times. This is Jack, as usual, you know he's the chief of the Student Council in History Education major," Aidera tries to explain.

"Yeah, that's me."

"His way of speaking is sometimes strange, but he's a drama club enthusiast. If you ask why... it seems like he always wants to practice his roles."

"That's the whole point!" Jack replied, and both of them laughed lightly again.

After the explanation, Clara just bowed her head and closed her eyes as a sign of respect. She didn't want to talk about it and chose to understand. Maybe it's not appropriate to judge people just by appearance.

Then, Jack leaned forward. "Okay, about the wallet you DM'd me about. What's the matter with it?"

Clara took out the object in question from her suit and brought it to the center of the conversation.

"Miss Ai wants to return it. After checking, we found it belongs to a new student from your major."

"Let me guess, so you're going to give it to me and ask me to return it to the owner?" Jack asked, sounding bored.

"If you don't mind, I want to return it myself. We just need to know who he really is. As far as I know, he's still a new student," Aidera said.

"Hmm? Unusual reason, eh?" Jack said, reaching for the wallet in front of him.

The light blue object made him squint because he felt familiar with it. Cash, ID, A student card, and a photo. But the moment he saw the name and face—his fingers froze. The wallet slipped from his hand.

"Eh? what's wrong?" Clara asked.

Jack's expression was filled with surprise after seeing the photo and the owner's name. Slowly, a smile and a menacing gaze began to color his face as his heartbeat began to race. A grin that slowly twisted into something darker.

"How many days have you been trying to find the owner of this wallet?" he asked in a low voice.

"Um... maybe a week?"

"I see, then let me be the one to accompany you to meet this person. If my calculations are correct, he's still on campus," Jack said.

"Oh? Alright, that works too." Aidera smiled

As Jack stood up, Clara was the one who looked the least enthusiastic and suspiciously stared at him.

"We should hurry before he goes home. Come on ladies, follow me."

"Hmm... is there something interesting that makes you so energetic of a sudden?" Clara asked.

The front door had opened with a swipe card as before. Jack's footsteps stopped before turning. It was clear that he still couldn't hold back his expression, which was so scary.

"Nothing, don't think too much about it."

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