"So who is he? Is he fat and ugly and smelly?" Wendy asked without further ado as soon as they got a seat at the pizzeria.
"What... why do you think like that?"
"Usually, people who hide themselves without showing their appearance are only ugly people."
"Well, not everyone."
"I can see that you are smiling like a maniac. What does he look like, then?"
Kaylee recalled what Declan's face looked like, and the next second she took a light breath by resting her chin on her folded hands. Her eyes seemed to dream of something good, and her crazy smile adorned her beautiful face like a person in love.
"Isn't this strange? Before this, I was afraid of him. I even tried to avoid him as best as I could."
"Hm? You avoid him?" now Wendy is becoming more and more interested in Black Moon's true identity.
"But when I found out that he was Black Moon, suddenly all my feelings of fear and irritation just disappeared."
Wendy took a pizza slice while listening to her friend, then took a bite of the pizza with a relaxed motion.
"Then what is he like in your eyes once you find out he is Black Moon?"
"He's so… so… dreamy." Kaylee giggles while cupping her hot cheeks.
She remembered how the man said 'I like you as a man' last weekend and how the man complimented her on her piano skills… all of which made her body feel a strange tingling yet pleasant sensation.
Wendy rolled her eyes to see that her best friend seemed blinded by love.
"What now? So you decided to marry this man?"
"Wh... What?" Kaylee turned pale and stuttered as she answered her best friend's question.
"Didn't you say you dreamed of getting married to Black Moon when you met him?"
"I was young at that time. I don't mean what I say. Besides…" Declan didn't like her anyway.
"Besides what?" came the flat question from her friend, making Kaylee frowned in confusion.
"Wendy, why do I feel like you're being cold to me?"
"…"
"Are you still angry?"
Wendy stopped eating her pizza and put the rest of the pizza she had eaten on a plate.
"I am not angry. I'm just having a bad day, that's all. Sorry to affect your happy mood."
"What happened?"
"Not something important. I'll be back." Wendy got up to go to the public toilet.
If on a normal day, Wendy would be happy to see the happy-merry Kaylee. She even would congratz and gossip about the man because Kaylee could finally meet her number one idol.
But all day, Wendy was troubled with fear because no one could reach Kaylee.
This was the second time she had felt this feeling of fear. Wendy could understand when Britney Zouch, Kaylee's mother, cried because she was worried about her daughter's missing.
Kaylee was like her own sister. That's why Wendy could barely control her anger when she realized that the girl had forgotten to unmute her phone and had been locked herself up in the studio all day without informing someone.
Well, if only that 'crazy person' never terrorized Kaylee eight years ago, they could relax around and let Kaylee wondered the town on her own. But...
Wendy decided not to get angry so as not to make Kaylee suspicious. That poor girl had experienced severe trauma years ago to the point she wished to commit suicide. Moreover, she has recovered by forgetting all the bad things in the past and embracing her new life.
Kaylee's parents were not too restrictive of the girl either, even though they put many eyes surround Kaylee to protect their only daughter in secrecy. Everything was done so as not to trigger Kaylee's buried memory. They did not want the girl to remember what happened and come back traumatized by the 'incident.'
After washing her face with cold water, Wendy patted her cheeks a little hard. After that, she tried to smile in front of the mirror, not to ruin her friend's happy mood.
The important thing was nothing happened to Kaylee, and they found Kaylee in the end.
Everything will be alright.
Wendy tried to convince herself, and after she felt that she was in a better mood than before, she decided to return.
However, she felt her heart stopped when she couldn't find Kaylee in their seat.
Where is the girl?
"Kaylee?"
"Yes?"
Wendy jumped up in surprise when she heard a voice from behind her.
"You scared me! Don't do that."
Kaylee looked at her best friend in confusion while blinking her eyes a few times.
"You spent too long in the restroom, so I caught up with you. But apparently, I was also dying to pee, so I emptied my bladder as well. Why are you acting so strange today? You look anxious. Did someone bother you?"
"No. It's just your feeling. Come on, let's go back."
Kaylee thought that something terrible had happened to Wendy's job, so Kaylee didn't feel suspicious at all.
Is it possible that Wendy's client today is so fussy? Or maybe Wendy's period is coming?
Speaking of the period, Kaylee felt like her tummy had been squeezing since a few minutes ago.
Is it time already?
Once at the apartment, Kaylee contacted her mother, and Mrs. Zouch picked her call, not before the second ring.
"Kaylee, darling. Thank goodness you picked up your phone."
Kaylee giggled at her mother's words. "Mom, I'm the one who calls you right now."
"I know, I know. Where have you been? Why don't you answer our calls?"
"I was in the studio, and I forgot to unmute my phone. Forgive me. I promise this will not happen again."
"You bad girl. As punishment, you have to go home tomorrow and don't stay in that apartment anymore."
"Mom, I'm an adult now. Besides, my apartment is close to the studio." Plus, Kaylee wouldn't be able to perform her undercover rituals if she returned to her parents' house.
"But..."
"Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"W... what do you mean?" Britney thought her daughter was suspicious with excessive worry and stuttered in reply to her daughter's question.
"Aren't you guys calling because you want to tell me something?"
"Ah, yes." Britney breathed a sigh of relief as she patted her chest gently to calm her poor heart. Luckily, Kaylee won't see her weird composure as if she hid some secrets. "Mr. Black invites us to his sixtieth birthday. We hope you can come with us."
"You guys called me repeatedly just to tell me this?" how strange. Thought Kaylee.
"..."