Chapter 17: You're Not Afraid, I Am
Roy found the task of taking care of the little girl to be quite easy, and he was quite content with the leisurely days here.
In the morning, he could drop the girl off at school and grab breakfast on the way.
However, at first, Roy ended up taking the girl to the wrong school, or rather, the girl wasn't attending regular school but instead was going to a tutoring class.
"Why didn't you tell me I was going the wrong way?" Roy asked the silent girl with a lowered head.
Jantice looked up at him. This blond man had a completely different personality from Jason, almost like night and day. She replied, "Didn't Jason tell you? I thought you were taking a new route."
Roy: ... This isn't something to discuss with a child.
He promptly shifted the blame onto Jason, who was still on his way to the East.
During lunchtime, he didn't need to pick up the girl; she would use her allowance to feed herself.
In the evening, when the girl finished school, he just had to pick her up; the rest of the time was entirely at his disposal.
Roy let loose in Jason's safe house. If he weren't worried about Jason causing trouble when he returned, he would have been even more reckless.
With nothing much to do, Roy dug out Jason's game console to pass the time. When he got hungry, he either went out to eat or ordered takeout. He wouldn't skimp on himself. When he got tired, he could just lie down on the couch and fall asleep.
In the evening, when it was time to pick up the girl, Roy arrived early. The girl hadn't finished class yet, so he discreetly observed from outside. She was in an English class, and the teacher praised her mostly, but for some reason, the girl maintained the same expression throughout.
However, Roy noticed that even though he had only spent one evening with her, he could still discern some of her simple emotions from her eyes. She seemed very calm now.
Among a crowd of people older or younger than her, the girl stood out, not because of her age, but because of her hair, which was very eye-catching yet somehow suited her perfectly.
When class ended, Roy happily waved to the girl. After class, the girl with a hat on her head walked leisurely to his side. When asked how class was, she replied, "Very good."
The little girl's voice naturally carried a hint of childishness, sounding soft and gentle. Roy thought that if she knew how to act coquettishly, it would be even better. Girls who acted cute were adorable.
"Jantice, who's this?" The teacher suddenly called out to Jantice, looking slightly wary as she glanced at Roy. "The person who has been picking you up hasn't come today?"
The teacher really liked Jantice, a talented girl. This was the East District, where any accidents seemed expected, but she couldn't just stand by and watch such things happen in front of her. After all, that child was still her student.
Jantice stood still, calmly responding, "My brother's friend."
Roy smiled and said, "Her brother has been away on a business trip recently, so I've been taking care of her these days."
Jantice nodded again. The teacher let him go only after she was sure the girl wasn't afraid and had indeed met this guy.
"Your teacher seems to like you, and she's quite responsible," Roy said, with a hint of recklessness, placing his hands behind his head.
Jantice nodded. "Yeah, she's good."
Not only did she take care of her because she was young, but she also brought her little treats, which tasted really good.
Roy chuckled. "What do you want for dinner tonight? Let's agree in advance, I'm not good at cooking, so we'll have to eat out."
Jantice looked at him fixedly for a moment. When Roy began to doubt whether he had said something wrong, she said excitedly, "Dessert!"
Roy realized that the girl's eyes were shining at that moment. He was silent for a few seconds and asked, "Is Jay okay with that?"
Jantice: ...
Roy: "OK, it seems he's not okay with it. Girl, you'll have to settle for regular food for dinner."
"Fine." Without getting what she wanted, Jantice seemed a bit wilted.
Roy almost felt like he was bullying the child. Tentatively, he said, "How about having a small dessert after dinner?"
Jantice's mood instantly lifted, her eyes sparkling. "Okay! You're a good person!"
Roy: ... Is that what it takes to be a good person?
After dinner, Jantice held her dessert and exuded an aura of happiness. Roy received a message from Jason.
Jason: Don't let her eat too many sweets tonight.
Roy hesitated for a moment, then replied: What if I do?
Jason: ...
Jason: Make sure she brushes her teeth. Jason: There are candies in the kitchen cabinet. Give her one if she's upset or scared, but not more than three a day. She's still in her tooth-changing period.
Roy replied repeatedly with "OK", silently cursing Jason for seeming like a helicopter parent even from afar.
After finishing dessert, Roy saw the girl start on her homework and refrained from disturbing her with games.
Time passed by slowly. Roy, feeling bored, was dozing off on the couch when suddenly, the power went out, and the room plunged into darkness.
Cursing Jason's unreliable safe house security, Roy illuminated his phone and searched for the light switch. But no matter how many times he pressed it, nothing happened.
He realized it wasn't just the TV; the entire power supply of the safe house seemed to be down. But such a minor problem couldn't stump him. Confidently, he was about to go look for tools when the light from his phone swept over a corner, causing him to pause. It seemed like there was a child there.
As the light from his phone swept past, however, there was nothing there. Feeling nervous, Roy sighed in relief, thinking he must have imagined it.
Turning around, the light from his phone illuminated a spot just a meter ahead, and he let out a terrified scream.
"Aaah, ghost!"
The phone fell to the ground, and the room fell into complete darkness. In the silence, Roy's rapid heartbeat seemed deafening.
Quickly picking up his phone, he looked again, but there was nothing there. It seemed everything was just his imagination.
The curtains rustled in the night breeze, seeming to mock his momentary panic.
But Roy didn't think it was just his imagination. One time could be a mistake, but how could he be mistaken multiple times?
The door creaked lightly, and Jantice, holding onto the doorknob with a flashlight, looked at him with confusion. "What's wrong with you?"
Still on edge, Roy was startled when he saw it was Jantice. He patted his chest to calm his racing heart and hesitantly asked, "Did you see anything strange?"
Jantice: ???
In the darkness, only their phones and her flashlight emitted light. Jantice looked around the room and quickly understood what was going on. When she saw the open window, she fell silent.
Carefully, Roy moved closer to the calm Jantice and asked quietly, "When you and Jason were in this safe house, did you ever encounter anything... inexplicable?"
Jantice remained silent for a moment before asking, "Haven't you seen the recent hot news in Gotham?"
Roy was filled with question marks, but suddenly, he realized something and scratched his head. "If you're talking about the ghost stories circulating in Gotham, aren't they all fake?"
Jantice said, "If what you saw is real, then the news is also real."
Roy: ...
"How did you manage to stay here?" Haunted! They're still living here!
"Because there's no difference," she said, glancing around cautiously. "Are you scared?"
Roy nodded, then vigorously shook his head. "Of course not!"
Jantice grabbed his sleeve, pressing close to his side, and closed her eyes. "I am scared."
When they heard a few strange creaks from outside the window, Roy knew this wasn't going to end so easily. Because he saw a female ghost hanging upside down outside the window, her hair dangling, her eyes glaring at him with resentment! The little boy he thought was an illusion stood by the window, silently and resentfully staring at them.
Roy suppressed the scream rising in his throat because there was a smaller ghost beside him even more terrified.
Even though they were in this situation, Roy's equipment was still with him. He quickly shot an arrow, and the ghost dodged it. But as the ghost climbed inside, Roy seized the opportunity and shot her in the head and shoulder. The ghost seemed to be in pain, glaring at him with resentment, as if memorizing his face, emitting a strange hiss from her dark mouth.
He cursed, "What the hell is this thing!"
His arrow forced the ghost, who wanted to come in, to retreat, including the little boy. Just as Roy breathed a sigh of relief, Jantice quickly ran over, closed the window, and drew the curtains in one swift motion.
Soon after, Roy heard screams coming from nearby.
Roy: ...
Roy, who was trying to calm himself down, rubbed his forehead. "Girl, I think I have the right to know what's going on."
Jantice looked somewhat strange. "Didn't Jason tell you?"
Roy: Damn it! What did he say? Something about closing the window at night and not making any noise? What kind of strange instructions are those?!
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