Project: Socialize (Chapters 1-197)

33. Coincidence, Once Again

I turned the lights on with the remote on my phone and slowly got myself up from the ground. With a sigh, I relaxed my body, allowing my school bag to slip down my left shoulder until it fell. I effortlessly caught the falling bag before it hit the ground and walked past the living room to the hallway in the house and headed towards my room.  

As I walked by, I casually glanced over towards the living room couch and then over to the kitchen counter. Nothing seemed to have moved, so I concluded that Loriana must not have returned home yet. However, most likely she will return home tonight. Therefore, I sighed as I thought about the troubles I would have to go through to conceal Emilia from Loriana when the two of them get home.

Come to think of it, I thought as I unbuttoned my school uniform and change into my indoor clothing, where has Emilia been the whole day? I did not see her anywhere around after school, and she's not in the house.

With those concerns, I slowly strolled back to the living room, adjusting the collar of the comfortable indoor t-shirt with one hand and my phone in the other. I then allowed my body to fall onto the comfortable living room couch. I leaned my head back on the back rest of the couch, looking over at the beautiful Vilheim skyline that existed on the other side of the Helliger River.

I heard the doorbell ring, and knowing that Loriana would've just unlocked the door, I knew that it would be someone that does not have the keys to the house. Therefore, I slowly approached the door, cautious that it might be a complete stranger that might mean ill. Even though there exists a high level of security in the building, you can never be too careful.

I walked over to the smart screen by the door and activated the small camera that acted similar to a peephole on the door. I discovered that it was Emilia who was outside so I unlocked the door and opened it for her to enter. She entered without saying much, and being the type of person I am, I didn't have much to say either. However, in my house, the one place where I yearn to feel the most comfortable, the awkward atmosphere made me quite uneasy. Therefore, with a sigh, I did my best in order to resolve the awkwardness with the use of a small talk.

"Where were you?" I asked as I followed her back to the living room. Both of us had taken a seat on the couch, although sitting adjacent to each other on the large couch.

"I was house-hunting," she explained. "I found a pretty nice spot that's quite close to here."

"That's nice. Where is it?"

Upon hearing my question, that mysterious smile became a teasing one. "Are you trying to know where I live?"

I sensed that what I had asked might've not been the best thing to ask a single woman. Therefore, with a slight panic, I began to explain.

"No," I said, looking away out of embarrassment. "I'm just curious."

"I know," she chuckled. "It's in the same building actually."

What?

I turned to look at her with a dazed look in my eyes, unsure that I had heard correctly what she had just said.

"It's actually on the lower levels of the building," Emilia continued to explain. "I don't know if you know, but from the thirtieth floor and down, each floor houses multiple independent houses available for rent. The upper floors are for families."

"Well...I heard about it before from Loriana," I said, doing my best to recall what Loriana had said to me in the past while introducing me to our new home. "But because I only go to the first and this floor, I'm not really sure."

"I know," she said. "I live on the thirtieth floor, 3003."

"But um...don't you need to monitor me?" I asked. "How will you do that now?"