The next day people were buzzing and talking about Mars, including my classmates.
"Hey, have you heard? Mars was captured last night by the police," said one of my classmates.
"Really? Do you mean the bald guy? Why did they arrest him?" asked the other.
"Apparently, he was behind the serial killings that have been going on. Can you believe it?"
"Scary, isn't it? And now he's got no excuse, since they found a blood-stained glove at his place."
"He's an idiot. He should have gotten rid of the evidence right away."
"Hey, speaking of solving cases, do you remember our school's detective club? Do you think they were involved in this?"
They both laughed. "No way! They're not good enough for a case like this."
And then their conversation turned to something stupid like girls' boobs.
I sat in the back of the room and looked out the window.
It looks like this case has been wrapped up without any major issues. Yesterday, I almost regretted getting involved, but if it helped catch the criminal, then I guess it was worth the effort.
Classes went on as usual, with some students still talking about Mars, but for the most part, everyone seemed to have moved on.
And after school, I usually just go straight home since I'm not involved in any clubs. Today was no different, or so I thought. When I stepped out of the school building, I saw a familiar face standing at the gate.
It was a policeman with a beard, and he was staring right at me.
"What's he doing here?" I muttered.
"No need to put on a face like that, kid," he said. "I just wanted to chat."
"What's going on?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy. "I thought the case was already settled."
"Yeah, finally, it was wrapped up yesterday," he smiled. "I just wanted to personally thank you for your help."
"No need to thank me," I replied.
Just don't come bother me again.
"Is that all?" I asked.
"Calm down," he said. "There's one more thing I wanted to discuss."
"One more?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I had the chance to interrogate Mars yesterday," he said. "Turns out, he had no clue who you were. He didn't even know it was you he collided with. So, I guess you were telling the truth about not knowing each other. Sorry for doubting you. But that doesn't explain how you know about him."
I don't like the direction this conversation is going.
"I'm guessing you can't give me a straightforward explanation because it didn't come from deduction, right?" he said. "So where did you get that information from? Some sort of supernatural ability?"
I gulped. That was getting a little too close to the truth for my comfort.
"What I'm trying to say is," he continued, "work for me."
"What?" I asked, taken aback.
"Regardless of the explanation," he explained, "that power you have will be a huge asset to the police."
"No, thanks," I replied firmly.
He looked at me in disbelief as I stared at him expressionlessly.
"Don't you want to help people?" he asked. "To make the world a better place?"
"Not interested," I said.
"You're wasting your potential," he said. "So many people would kill to be in your shoes."
"I don't care," I replied, turning to leave. "Are we done here? I want to go home."
"Come on," he persisted. "Just think about it."
"I already told you I'm not interested," I said, walking away.
"Fine, go ahead and leave for now," he said. "But mark my words. You will end up working for me, whether you like it or not."
He grinned. "I still have a secret weapon."
I looked at him with unease. "Secret weapon?"
***
The next day, as I made my way towards the entrance of my school, I noticed a girl standing there, searching for me.
"Excuse me," she said, a girl around my age with pink short hair styled in a side-tail to the left.
"Yes?" replied another student she was trying to talk to.
"Sorry to bother you," she said with a smile. "I'm looking for someone. Do you happen to know a student named Geo?"
The student she asked shook her head.
"Oh, okay," the pink-haired girl responded.
I wonder why she's looking for me. I don't think I know her.
I let out a long sigh.
"Are you looking for someone?" I asked as I walked toward her.
"Hmm? Oh, yes," she replied. "I'm looking for someone named Geo. Do you know him?"
He's right in front of you.
"Why are you looking for him?" I asked.
"I have some business with him," she replied.
"What kind of business?" I asked.
"Sorry, I can't tell you," she said with a sheepish smile.
"Ah, I see. Good luck then," I said as I walked past her.
I wondered what she wanted, but for now, I decided to leave her be.
I continued to walk toward my school building while the pink girl approached another student, asking the same question.
The day went on as usual until after school when I saw the pink girl still at the gate. When she saw me, she glared in my direction.
Welp, the cat's out of the bag, I thought to myself.
"You tricked me," she said, clearly unhappy. "Geo."
"Really?" I replied, trying to smile nervously. "But I never said I wasn't the person you were looking for."
"Originally," the pink girl said, "I just wanted to introduce myself. I didn't expect you to suddenly trick me like this. You're a cheater!" She pouted. "Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!"
"Hey, hey, stop," I protested. "So, who are you? What do you want from me?"
Her mood suddenly changed and she smiled widely.
"My name is Luna," she said. "I've been given a mission to make sure you work under my brother."
Brother? I thought. Does she mean that bearded policeman from before? Is this what he meant by secret weapon?
"Listen Geo," Luna said, her voice determined. "This time I might have lost, but next time will be different! Just watch, I won't lose again!"
"Ah, okay," I said, feeling tired.
***
The next morning, in my 2-A classroom, whispers and murmurs filled the room due to someone standing right in front of the class.
"Who is she?" one of my classmates asked.
"Is she a new student?" another asked.
"I feel like I've seen her before," a third classmate commented.
Meanwhile, I looked at her in disbelief and thought to myself, She can't be serious.
That's right, the pink girl from yesterday was causing the commotion. She still wore the same hairstyle with sidetails on the left and stood there with a smile on her face. She was dressed in the school uniform with a pinkish-red blouse, and her bag was slung over her shoulder.
"It was sudden," the teacher said. "But starting today, she'll be joining you as a classmate."
Luna greeted the class, "Hello!" she said cheerfully.
"Her name is Luna," the teacher said, "and I expect all of you to make her feel comfortable here."
One of my classmates whispered to his friend, "Hey, isn't that the girl from yesterday at the gate?"
"You think so too?" the friend replied.
I was stuck at the back of the class, wondering. What was she thinking, changing schools like this? And moving straight into my class, too? There's no way it's only a coincidence. It must be because her brother pulled some strings to make it happen. I can imagine that policeman grinning annoyingly.
Luna walked toward me, and our eyes met. She smiled devilishly.
Now what? I wondered.
"Sir," Luna said, "can I sit here?"
"Sure, go ahead," the teacher said.
Luna happily sat on the seat beside me.
"What is it, Geo?" Luna asked, looking at me with a smile. "Is there something you want to say to me?"
I let out a long sigh.
"This is a little too much, don't you think?" I said.
Luna just giggled happily.
***
It was break time.
I sat in my nearly empty classroom, I couldn't help but feel a bit exhausted. Despite this, the pink girl sitting next to me still beaming with energy.
"So, Geo," she said. "Are you not going to eat lunch?"
"Too lazy," I replied.
"Because of me?" Luna asked.
"Not really," I said. Well, probably a bit. "But, putting that aside, don't you think moving schools is a bit extreme? I mean, it's a serious decision."
"Really?" she smiled. "But don't you think it's cool?"
"It's just weird!" I said.
"I don't think so," Luna said, twirling her finger. "My brother is really serious, you know? Maybe you can't see it from the outside, but he's really dedicated to helping people. And with your help, his work will be easier, right?"
I simply listened without commenting.
"This is the first time my brother has ever asked for my help," Luna continued. "I might be getting a little too excited, but I decided to do this to show just how serious I am."
"Stupid decision," I said.
"Well, maybe," she giggled. "But, since we're talking about it, let me ask you this. Why are you rejecting my brother's offer?"
"Because it sounds like a pain," I said.
"Really?" she said, looking unconvinced. "What about that Mars case from before? Didn't that count as a pain?"
"I didn't have a choice," I said. "It was a murder case."
She inched closer to me. "What about other murder cases?" she asked. "Why don't you help in those too? Isn't that because those cases have nothing to do with you?" she continued, her face getting even closer. "If it's like that, then being a murder case has nothing to do with it, right? So, your reasoning doesn't make sense, does it?"
She was so close that I could feel her warmth, making me a bit nervous.
"Doesn't that mean you're just being egoistic?" she said, pressing on. "You said you have no choice, but--"
"Shut up!" I cut her off. I can't take it anymore. I got up and left her there.
"Eh? Wait, where are you going?" Luna called out. "Hey, Geo, I'm not done talking!"
***