บท 73: The Unexpected Development

When Renir was about to go to sleep, he heard a strange voice not coming from the room but in his head.

[Rune User Renir, use your thoughts to reply if you can hear me.]

He froze, thinking that someone had broken into the apartment so he slowly opened his eyes and there, he saw a man looking in his thirties, covered in white and brown overlapping cloths.

The man was staring st him from his feet, as if impatient. Renir saw the man's expression changed and the man looked at his back, left and right as if looking for the object Renir was gazing at.

The man's mouth then moved, after he thought that he thought that he was the one Renir was looking at.

[Rune User Renir, if you can hear me, reply using your thoughts.]

Renir just stared and then rubbed his eyes. His eyes slowly accustomed to the darkness and that was when he saw that the man was like a spectral, seeable in the darkness, yet not glowing. After this, he realized that the man was translucent too.

"... a-AH!" when his senses finally came back to him, he shouted as he was jerked off from the sofa.

Fast footsteps were then heard inside Imee's room and the door opened, "Renir? Did something happen?!" Imee worriedly asked as she turned on the lights in the living room.

As soon as Renir saw Imee, he jolted up as fast as he could to stand in front of Imee, "Stay behind me." he whispered.

[Renir, calm down. You're the only one that could see me, and even if I want to harm any of you, I cannot since I am not physically here.] the spectral man then touched a wall only for his hand to pass through [And reply me with your thoughts. Consciously speak to me as I cannot read your subconsciousness, Think of it as telepathy,]

'Who are you? Can you really hear me in my thoughts if I want to?' Renir then tried to calm down seeing that the spectral man couldn't touch Imee.

At first, Imee thought there was something dangerous in the room that made her heart skipped a beat when Renir immediately came in front of her. But what followed next was just silence and nothing as she looked around, "Umm, Renir?"

[I can hear you. But resolve the situation first with your girlfriend. However, don't tell her anything about me.]

'I don't know anything about you in the first place.' Renir inwardly commented but he doesn't know if it reached the spectral man. He then looked at Imee and revved his mind to find an explanation;

"I saw a bug... so I was surprised." Renir shyly "explained" the situation, 'Ugh... who would ever shout like that just because of a bug?'

But what comes next slightly surprised him.

"Eh? A b-bug? Where...?" Imee then clutched onto Renir's back as she trembled.

'Cute...'

[Cute...]

Both men were temporarily paralyzed.

"Are you scared of bugs, Imee?" Renir asked.

"I despise them, especially the..." Imee strongly exclaimed but paused as if she was reluctant to continue.

"the?"

"C*ckroaches!" Imee shook her head as she pronounced it.

'How much does this girl hate cockroaches?' Renir wanted to laugh, "Is this your confidential weakness?"

"So what about it? At least, I don't shrill from it!" Imee fought back after being exposed.

"Ah, you're right. But I must've imagined it. I mean, I don't see it anymore."

"Eh," Imee looked as if she was about to cry, "You mean it hid?"

[Cockroaches, how dare you make a lady cry like that!?] the spectral man shouted at the floor and only Renir could hear it which he was surprised to hear, but of course, he ignored it.

'I'm sorry, Imee. If only I had known, I would've chosen a different explanation.' Renir couldn't think of a way to change his lie so he just compromised as he turned to her, "Don't worry, next time, I'll kill it for you."

[Even though it is a bug you're talking about, it's still a harsh way to say it like that.]

'He's a bit talkative for a mysterious person.'

[Did you want me to hear that? Because I heard that.] the spectral man commented on the side.

"But aren't you more scared than I am?" Imee asked.

"Ah, that was... it surprised me because it was crawling on my face when I saw it." Renir scratched his head, but he did not expect or dream of what happened next

Right after that, Imee fell forward, covering her face using Renir's chest and grabbed his sides.

"I-Imee...?" Renir's heartbeat accelerated on its beat.

"I feel..." Imee's muffled voice reached his ears like a melodious hymn.

"What?" Renir's eyes were wide open, 'Is she going to confess to me just because of that?'

"I feel... my legs weakened after imagining what you said."

'That much?!' Renir felt his heart dropped, 'What am I even expecting...?'

He then supported Imee by her shoulder and said, "Ahaha, don't worry. I'm pretty sure that thing already made its way out of the building. This apartment is too clean for it to live here."

Imee then breathed deeply and stood by herself, "You're right, every day I clean this apartment so that no bug can get here. But to be sure, let's use a bug spray."

"Sure"

Imee opened one of the cabinets below the sink and it showed her wide array of weapons. The cabinet was filled with bug spray.

'Wow...' even Renir was amazed.

Moments later, the whole apartment was filled with scented chemicals. But just to be sure, Imee lifted the can of bug repellent and Shiii~*

"There!" she stood proudly at what she had done but when she noticed the pillow and the blanket on the sofa, she exclaimed when she realized, "Ah! I overdid it..." she looked at Renir with shock.

"You just realized?" Renir replied, "But it's fine. I'm sure that no bugs could live here any longer."

'Although there was none in the first place, I'm pretty sure they can't stand this environment if there is one.'

"Eh? But you can't sleep here. This too much bug spray may take an effect on you overnight." Imee concerned.

"But where do I slee-?" Renir then stopped as he realized where this was going. It even proved him right when he saw Imee acting all embarrassed and fidgety.

"I... haven't sprayed that much in my room so..."

[Damn, lucky boy!]

'Ah, this would've have been a perfect scenario if you don't have that can of bug repellent on your hand as you fidgeted, or if the ghost-like person behind me wasn't here.' but looking at Imee again, he thought, 'Who cares about the little details?!'

"S-sure, I don't have any choice. I heard inhaling them too much is bad and... this is too much." Renir glanced at the living room.

"Okay, we don't have a choice," Imee repeated before putting her trusty weapon back to its place.

Renir then followed her into the room and saw its simplicity. A closet, a computer set, two tables, one bigger with a chair which her bag was placed, and of course, the bed.

Renir stiffened being in that room when Imee sat on the bed and pat the blanket beside her, suggesting for Renir to sit there.

[Damn. lucky boy!]

Renir, of course, ignored that comment not just because he wanted to but he couldn't since his mind was filled with the current situation.

"Umm... since the blanket was covered with the bug repellent, you can't use it and I don't have any more to spare. But I can't let you just sleep on the bare floor, right?" Imee explained in a low voice.

"I-I can if I have no other choice." Renir generally doesn't have a problem with it. Back in his home, he was used to sleeping on the bare floor whether when he was still with his mother and father or with his uncle and aunt at their apartment.

"But you do have... a choice." Imee turned her head away and patted on the bed again.

[DAMN LUCKY BOY!] the spectral man now said in the back aggressively as if wanting to choke Renir if he ever had the chance.

"Is that okay...?" Renir totally ignored the "vengeful spirit" in his back.

Imee slightly nodded while she turned her head back, "But you can't touch me... okay?"

"I-I wouldn't." Renir's eyes drifted away. After seeing this cute being, even he doubt his innocent self.

"Hmm..." Imee saw this and stared at him in doubt.

Renir then waved his hands in denial, "No, believe me, I wouldn't."

Imee nodded again and said, "Turn off the lights then, I'm getting sleepy." her expression unseen as she turned her head around again.

"Okay..." Renir replied in a low voice.

Click* the lights turned off and the only light source was the night light from the lamp on the smaller table just beside the bed.

Renir then heard the blanket scuffled as Imee went underneath it. Slowly, he walked then lifted the blanket and saw Imee's back which he immediately closed his eyes and commanded;

'Hormones, stop!' as he went under it, facing his back on Imee. It was like a dream for him, as if he could wake up a second time in a hospital bed.

The mattress thumped along with the help of two strong heartbeats.

[So nothing's gonna happen? Whew, with that development, I was for sure going to witness a romantic night.]

When Renir heard that, he opened his eyes and saw the face of the spectral man up close as he was crouched.

Renir's eyes widened in surprise but were thankful it was only his eyes that reacted in surprise or else, Imee would find it weird,

'I forgot about this guy...'

[I heard that]