AFTER DARK | Johan Liebert

Chapter 17: Leo Gillen

This spring break's duration had felt enormous. I only counted the days until it was over - and then, it was Tuesday, the first day after spring break. Of course I had enjoyed my time off, but I was even more excited to see Johan again - like a teenager, really.

Today, it was only me and the children walking to the playground. It was pretty warm for April, and blossoms flew though the air. Beyond the blossoms, I could see the children from the orphanage, and Johan between them. I could feel my heart beating faster. He turned in our direction, facing me and waving, smiling.

"Hey, Johan!" I waved back, grinning like an idiot. But then, my voice was drowned by the children.

"JOHAN! CAN YOU PLAY FOOTBALL WITH US?"

Johan kneeled down to the children, chuckling. "But I have to watch over the younger ones." "Come on, Johan, we need you in our team! You're our best player!" "Fine, I'll be there right away." He stood up as the children ran to the football pitch, screaming.

"There he stands - the notorious striker Johan Liebert."

Johan turned to me, smiling. "More like a defender." He adjusted his suit jacket. "How have you been? Have you recovered?"

I nodded. "Yes, I did, thanks to you." He waved with his hand. "Don't give me too much credit." Slightly, I nudged him with my elbow. "You're being too modest." He just kept smiling, until he narrowed his eyes. "Oh, excuse me for a second." He walked towards the bench and the bin, pulling a tissue out of his pocket, then raising his arms to his face.

After he wiped his nose, he came back to me. "Hayfever?", I asked with a painful smile. He frowned as he looked at me. "Hayfever?" "You don't have it?" I tilted my head, thinking. "Wait. Have you also been ill over the past weeks?" "Uhm... A little", he said, looking sideways. I couldn't believe it. "And you didn't tell me? I could have helped you! I'm so sorry you got ill because of me..." "It really wasn't that bad, Klara, don't worry. Also... I don't like asking for help. That's why I didn't tell you."

I knew where he was coming from. I didn't like asking for help, either. Still, I felt responsible for his sickness, and I wished I could've helped him the same way he had helped me.

"That reminds me. Are you free on Friday?", I asked him. "Probably", Johan answered. "Is there something you'd like to do?" "I'd like to invite you over. I have a surprise." "A surprise?" I saw he was curious. "Then, I can't say no." "Great! You can come over at 4 PM."

"JOHAN!" The children were calling for him from the football pitch.

"I'm coming!", he shouted. Then, he looked at me again, smirking. "I think we might need another striker named Mrs. Krupin."

One hour later, we packed our things to go back to school. Johan and I were out of breath after running across the football pitch, but the children were satisfied. "You're great at football, Mrs. Krupin!", Tom told me. "Thank you!" I didn't expect Tom to ever like me, after all that happened. The other children agreed. "Yeah, you need to play with us next time as well!" "Right!" Johan, slowly catching his breath, nodded in affirmation. "Indeed. It's admirable how you managed to catch the ball with your face." I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile at his remark. "That's what always happens to me! Even back in school, I got so many footballs in my face." Johan giggled. "The imagination amuses me." Then, he changed the topic. "Would you like me to accompany you back to school? After that, we can go home together." I was astounded and excited about his offer. "But what about the orphans?" "I'll go ask my colleagues to walk them back." I couldn't hide my side smile. "That would be nice."

The students were back at school and their parents came to pick them up. Johan and I said goodbye to the children and walked towards my bike. "I'll go get my bag from inside. You can wait here, if you want." Johan nodded. "Sure." But before I could approach the door, Annika came out, running towards me with a newspaper, and half our staff behind her.

"KLARA!"

"Huh?" I stared at her in confusion. She opened the newspaper and showed me a photo.

"This guy is in the newspaper! That's your brother, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I believe I showed you a photo of us."

She pointed at the person standing next to Leo in the picture, then at the headline.

Like father, like son

The successor of the famous Dr. Gillen

Berlin. In our latest interview, criminal psychologist Rudi Gillen introduces his son to the world. Leo Gillen, 23, follows in his father's footsteps, studying at the University of Stuttgart. He says that his father's research and works have inspired him early on to follow the same path. Our interview was insightful, not only in terms of psychology, but also in terms of their close father-son bond.

[...]

"So you're the daughter of Rudi Gillen? THE Rudi Gillen?"

"Yes." I tried not to make a big deal out of it.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU EVER TELL US?"

Annika grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth. "I didn't want the attention", I croaked. "Also, Annika, could you please not try to embarrass me in front of my friend?"

Annika looked at me in confusion, then raised her head, and saw Johan behind us. She took a breath.

"Did Klara tell you that she's Rudi Gillen's daughter?"

Come on!

"No", said Johan, not adding anything to his answer.

"... Can I go fetch my bag?", I croaked again. "Oh." Annika let go of me. "Sure."

Though my legs were weak from playing football, I almost ran into the teacher's room, grabbed my bag, ran out, took my bike and left quickly with Johan.

"Are you surprised?", I asked him, a little ironic.

"Actually, no." I frowned as he said that. "You knew?" "I figured it must be him. You told me he was a famous criminal psychologist, divorced, and loved his cassette recorder. But in the end..." He faced me with a soft smile.

"All I care about is you, not your father."

When he said this, my bike nearly fell out of my hands. I was flattered, and I wanted to believe him. But I noticed about myself that the closer we got, the more I doubted that we could be something. He was too good to be true - right? But instead of giving more room to my doubts, I smiled back at him, and I let his words touch my heart.