Chapter 188: Stalker (Part-1)

I check my pocket to ensure that my wallet is there before entering the café shortly after Saria.

“Whoa…”

The café is indeed cute and cozy, with wooden tables that seem to grow directly out of the floor, comfortable-looking chairs and couches all around, potted plants hanging from the ceiling, and dim, flickering fires lit at a number of hearths, working as the main source of illumination in the space.

Honestly, the fireplace would be a fire hazard anywhere else— with the entire café made mostly out of wood and being inside a tree. But I assume they’re using magic to keep everything proper and safe.

Another thing that surprises me is the crowd. I kinda assumed before entering that it would be mostly quiet and empty, but that’s not the case at all. It’s bustling with people. There is so much activity happening around that all the noises are kinda blended together to create a constant buzz.

I should go somewhere else. There’s no way I can find a seat here…

As I almost turn back to leave, a couple on the far left of the room stand up, emptying their table. Not letting the chance slip by, I quickly walk over there and sit down.

Hopefully, this place isn’t reservations-only, or it will get quite embarrassing for me. I wait for a minute in suspense before being sure that no one is coming to ask me to get up.

Eventually, someone does show up to me. The waiter, thankfully. I simply ask him to bring me the most popular thing on the menu— a sort of Elven spaghetti with bread and a fizzy drink.

“… it was just humiliating! I was wronged.”

…

My ears perked up. If I remember correctly, that’s Saria’s voice. Even if I hadn’t just seen her walk into the café, I probably would’ve still remembered and recognized that voice due to the unique haughtiness to it.

I look behind and throw a quick glance towards the voice. Saria is sitting at a table close to mine with a person whose back is turned to me. Unlike Saria, that person is wearing long robes and a hood, so I cannot really see who it is.

Another person wearing a hood?

I’ve observed that it’s common and expected to see a number of elves dressed like that to hide their identity. And from my personal experience, it’s usually when they are doing something they don’t want to be seen doing or present somewhere they don’t wanna be seen.

“Are you serious?” Saria says after a rather long pause.

“…”

I cannot hear what the other person is saying. The only reason I can even hear Saria over the surrounding noises is because she’s rather loud. Even then, I cannot hear everything that she’s saying.

“What? How would that even work?”

“…”

“You actually believed that? Hah, and I thought of you as someone clever.”

“…”

“What!? That’s impossible for me! You want me to…” Saria lowers her voice to say whatever she wants to say next.

“…”

“You don’t have to keep reminding me. I will try, but don’t blame me if—”

“Here’s your order, sir. I hope you like it.”

I was concentrating so hard to hear what Saria was saying that the waiter’s sudden appearance made me jump. He’s here with my order. The spaghetti looks kinda weird with the sauce being green for some reason, but the fizzy drink is vibrant and enticing. It will do.

“Thank you.” I smile at him.

[Are you trying to spy on that Saria?]

Huh? No?

[Then are you trying to get into her pants? Because if you are, I approve. She’s hot but bitchy. The perfect type to be tamed in bed.]

… of course, not.

[Then why are you being so nosy and trying to listen to her private conversation? Unless you’re worried that she’s with another man, focus on your food.]

Hey, gimme a break! She sounds so agitated. Anyone would get curious. I think she’s talking about the duel she lost.

[If you say so.]

Ahem…

I eat a forkful of my spaghetti, finding it as weird as it looks. The noodles are nice, but the sauce tastes similar to what I think blended grass with herbs would taste like. The weird part is that while I don’t really like it, I don’t hate it either.

Anyway, it successfully diverts my attention from Saria. But only for a while. A few minutes later, the sudden absence of her loud voice gets me curious again.

Casually, as if I’m doing it for no particular reason, I glance back at her table once again.

Oh, shit!

And I find Saria staring right back at me. She is also standing up now, and the hooded person is no longer there.

I quickly look down and stuff a small mountain of spaghetti into my mouth. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see someone walk up to my table and stand next to me.

Fuck…

I keep my head down and continue chomping down on my spaghetti, pretending that it’s so good that I’ve forgotten there’s a world around me.

“Stop eating like a pig and take a sip of that drink. You will choke,” Saria says with contempt.

*COUGH* *COUGH*

I would not have choked otherwise, but her saying that actually makes me. I quickly gulp down a mouthful of my drink (which is rather nice) to subdue it.

As I blink away the tears in my eyes, I find that Saria is now sitting in front of me.

“Feeling better?” She asks, not really looking concerned.

“I wouldn’t need to feel better if not for you,” I mumble to myself.

“What was that?”

“I am fine. I am fine.”

We sit in silence for a few seconds until it gets a bit too uncomfortable for me.

“Eh… can I help you?” I ask awkwardly.

“You? No.”

“Then can you leave? I am trying to eat my food in peace, and I am not sharing.”

“I have no interest in your food, and I am not leaving. I am here trying to confront my stalker,” she tells me.

“Oh, who is it? Maybe I can help you get rid of them,” I offer kindly.

“It’s you!” She spits angrily.

“Me!? I am not stalking you!” I say rather aggressively. It doesn’t feel good to be accused of something you didn’t do.

“Oh yeah?” She says scornfully. “Then why did you follow me all the way to this café? You even got inside after me and sat so close to my table! You think I didn’t catch you sneaking glances, you pervert!”

“Hey! Don’t call me that! I did not stalk you to this café!” I say indignantly.

“Don’t lie! You started following me the moment I entered the main market!” She accuses. “You stand out as a human anyway, and there’s no way I wouldn’t recognize your face!”

“But…”

Wait, shit…

Of course, I did not stalk her, but I definitely did walk through the main market to get here.

If she was walking in the same direction as me, and I did not notice her while she noticed me… on top of that, I decided, on a whim, to eat at the same café I saw her walk into… and finally, by pure bad luck, I even rushed to sit at the only empty table that just happen to be near hers.

[And you had to be nosy, too! You would seem like a stalker to anyone, man!]

Damnit!

“I-It’s all a misunderstanding! I can explain!” I stammer.

“Well,” Saria raises her eyebrows,” you better start doing so before I make a scene here.”

Roeselawik

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