"Um... hello! My name is Ian. 24. No girlfriend as of the moment, maybe you are available?"
"Introduce yourself properly, you idiot!"
After the three of them reached the rooftop, Ian began to introduce himself to Rena. Nigel, not amused by Ian's introduction, cross-chopped his head to silence him.
"While this idiot's head is only filled with women, he is a good guy overall. I hope he doesn't offend you or anything."
"Nah, it's fine. I think you already know, but my name is Rena. Nice to meet you, a friend of Nigel."
Rena reached her hand out to Ian, asking for a friendly handshake. Ian grabbed and rapidly shook her hand all the while tearing up from joy as if he was shaking the hand of God.
"I will never wash my hands ever again!"
"Stop overreacting, you idiot!"
After beating Ian again, Nigel turned around and looked at Rena. Seeing his action, she tilted her head displaying a curious and cute gesture towards Nigel. 'That was unexpectedly cute' Nigel thought as he once again realized the beauty power this girl in front of her possess.
"I didn't think that you are very popular."
"Uh…I didn't know that too. I was actually shocked by the number of people looking at us earlier."
"That's weird. I thought that you knew all along and that's why you did that prank to me to incite the people around us to react."
"N-no… why would I do that?"
"I dunno, maybe as revenge for leaving you yesterday immediately."
"Urgh…"
Rena, after Nigel spoke, began sweat profusely. Guilt was clearly written on her bright blue eyes, shown by the swirling of her pupils. Not know how to reply to Nigel's sharp comments, she stayed standing there while trying to come up with some excuse. Luckily for her, she was saved by someone else changing the topic of their conversation.
"W-what did you say!? You left her alone yesterday!? First, what were you two doing!? Second, where did you left her!? Third, just go to hell Nigel!"
"The third one isn't an inquiry…"
"Just shut up you traitor! I thought we were supposed to be singles for life! We already made plans to enter priesthood upon reaching thirty! You goddamn traitor!"
"I guess you need another round of beating, huh."
"No, Sir Nigel. I would like to abstain from additional injury."
"Don't worry. Just clench your teeth, it won't hurt…as hell"
"No sir, please spare this humble servant's life."
While both of them were busy bickering, Rena lightly placed her closed right hand on top of her open left hand.
"Right, Nigel. Is everything alright? You cruel beast of a man left me alone there in the archaeology department, so I am assuming it was an emergency."
Hearing Rena's comment to his unnatural behavior yesterday, Nigel wry slightly.
"It was nothing. A couple of days ago, I was hospitalized due to blood loss. I forgot that yesterday I was supposed to report to the hospital as a part of their check-up report."
"While Nigel here might treat that incident as nothing, we the people who actually carried him to the university clinic would like to comment otherwise. He was damn bleeding like a geyser during that time. His shirt was totally soaked with blood, and he was pale as a ghost! It was serious nose bleed."
"Really?"
"Yeah! It scared the hell out of me, and that's saying something!"
"Stop bragging Ian, you're a scaredy cat. Last time I invited you to watch a horror film, you gave a bunch of excuses just to avoid my invitation. Also, who was it again that got so scared from the camp fire story back in grade five that he asked me to join him for a wee-wee."
"Stop!! No more!! Don't tell anyone else of my dark history!!"
"Um… Nigel, do you enjoy bullying?"
"Only to this idiot."
"Don't believe him! He's a sadistic, evil-incarnate… no, Mr. Nigel, I did not say anything. Please spare me from the beating."
"By the way guys, it's almost lunch. A new restaurant opened yesterday, right in front of the campus. Wanna go there?"
"I'm up for it. I ate a small meal for breakfast earlier, so I'm kinda hungry now."
"Oh is that the one with red signage? I heard they serve really delicious food there."
…
"That was some good food! I don't think that I could move right now after eating a bunch."
"The deserts were amazing too!"
"We should go back here tomorrow for lunch."
All three of them are currently seated at one of the restaurant's wall side tables. A couple of empty plates now present on top of their table. Nigel, prudent as ever, arranged his plates and utensils in an organized and symmetrical way. Ian, on the other hand, had a messy and lackadaisical arrangement. As for Rena's, it accentuated her prim and proper personality.
"Oh, by the way, Nigel. I heard something interesting."
"Hmm…?"
"Don't just 'hmm' me, you bastard. Learn to reply properly! Anyway, I heard a rumor from a friend of mine. Apparently, the hospital where you were taken for recovery was actually haunted."
Upon hearing what Ian said, Nigel's eye glinted for half a second. At first, he was just entertaining whatever game or gossip his friend is doing. However, the content of his message sparked an interest within him especially when he remembered the paranormal event that had happened to him recently in the same hospital.
However, Ian took Nigel's change in expression as a sign of disbelief.
"You look tells me that you don't believe me. Well, you are not alone. When my friend mentioned this to me, I am also skeptical. That's why he invited me for some test of courage. How about I add you in the list? What about you Rena, are you interested?"
"I see now. Let me guess, you were scared on doing it alone that's why you are inviting me now, right? Also, you probably brag about something in front of this friend of yours and when you finally realize what you had promised him, you are unable to back down anymore. Am I right?"
"...NIGEEEEEEL! YOU TRULY ARE MY BEST FRIEND! YOU UNDERSTAND ME VERY WELL! PLEASE HELP ME! TRUE BROS WILL HELP EACH OTHER OUT!!"
"S-stop with the hugging, you idiot! Get your hands off me!"
After Nigel discerned Ian's true object, he immediately latched on to Nigel. He was like an octopus grabbing his prey tightly, never letting go. This commotion attracted the attention of the rest of the people eating inside the restaurant. Rena was slowly moving away from them, putting a gap between her and the two as to tell the onlookers that she was not with them.
A couple of minutes passed by, both of them are now silent. Earlier, a staff of the restaurant threatened them that if they don't settle down like good boys, they were going to be carried away of "treatment". The staff, while threatening Nigel and Ian, was carrying a huge butcher's knife still dripping with blood.
"Ahem. Let's get back to business. Anyway, please help me out! You're the only one that I can rely on!"
"…fine."
"Fine!? Are you sure!? No, I mean, thank you! Thank you!!"
"Before you get carried away again, let me ask you something. You do know where we will be going is not an abandoned building, right? Exploring the hospital without any proper reason will result to us being sued or something. What is your friend going to do about that?"
"Ah, no worries. Where we are going is actually an abandoned part of the hospital. They don't put patients in that area because of the several cases that had happened in that area. Right now it is being used as storage for the hospital's old equipment."
"Hmm… okay. Still, it does makes me wonder just what your friend promised that for you, a major coward, to accept going in this haunted part of the hospital."
"Err… hahaha. N-no, nothing. I-I was i-interested in the story."
"You sound very suspicious right now, but whatever. I'll know of it later once we meet this 'friend' of yours. Anyway, how about you Rena? Wanna come?"
"Sure, sound's interesting. But if we encounter anything dangerous, you're going to protect me right?"
"Of course. Hey Ian, when will we go."
"…*of course it's him…* Oh! OH! Right, right… it will be tomorrow in the evening."
"I can hear you murmur, you idiot. Where do we gather, here at the university or there in the hospital?"
"Let's gather in the university first. My friend told me that we have to do something first before we proceed to the hospital."
"Okay, sound's good with me."
"Same here."
…
After their discussion over lunch, all of them separated from each other, going to their respective afternoon classes. For Nigel, apart from some small deviation from his original plan for today because of the natural calamity known as Rena's fans, it was all going well. He passed his required homework and projects, and he also studied for the small tests given in all of his classes in the afternoon.
'Life is simple when everything is flowing according to the plan', he thought as he was busy writing a small program in his laptop while following closely with the lessons his last professor is giving. This was his last class for today. He suddenly stopped typing in his laptop as his thoughts wandered somewhere else. His mind began to replay the conversations that he had with Ian and Rena earlier at lunch.
'The first time that I used a hint, I was led to that dark hallway. When I used a hint for the second time, I realized that I can somewhat influence on what mystery will the hint be for. I was even able to somehow influence what medium the hint will take form. After knowing this, I have always been curious about what mystery did I get hinted at?'
He was still preoccupied with his thoughts when his class finished. As the professor left the room, all of the students also left shortly afterwards. Nigel was the only one left inside the room. Still occupied by his thoughts, his concentration was suddenly broken by the ringing sound of his smartphone. He grabbed his smartphone from his pocket to answer the call.
"Hi Nigel, there has been some change in the plan. The test of courage will happen tonight."
"Why?"
"My 'friend' can't join tomorrow evening. I don't know what happened."
"Well, you're in luck. I don't have anything else to do tonight so I can go home a bit late. By the way, did you already inform Rena?"
"I don't have her phone number. I was hoping that you'll do that instead."
"I see, I'll contact her now. Anything else?"
"Nah, nothing else. Let's meet near the university gate at around 6 PM. See ya!"
"Okay."
When his call with Ian ended, he started calling Rena. A couple of minutes has passed by, but she was not answering his calls. Thinking that her phone might not have power, he decided to visit her in the library.
Upon arriving in front of the library's door, he noticed that there was a note attached to it.
'Library Closed For Maintenance. Will Be Back Tomorrow.'
Reading the note in front of him, he inspected the door first before heading out to the university gate.
Bang!
Suddenly, a loud noise was coming out from inside the library. It sounded like something fell down from a high place, like a bookshelf fell over or something similar. Worried about the cause of the noise, he began to knock repeated in the library's door. Some time passed by when he heard a muffled sound coming from inside the library. It was a faint sound, as it was barely able to register in his ear drums.
However, he was sure that the muffled noise sounded like a person. Unsure on what to do and at the same time feeling a sort of dread is slowly creeping inside his heart, he began to strongly pound the door.