As Theo feared, Alessio never stopped trying to persuade him to join the Infero Ravens. Every time they met, Alessio found a way to engage in conversation with Theo. This made Theo uncomfortable, but he couldn't make Alessio stop asking the same question, as the man was relentless.
"So, what's your decision?" Alessio asked as Theo handed them their orders. Theo tried to ignore him and walked away.
"It seems he'll be tough to convince, boss," one of his henchmen remarked.
"I won't give up that easily."
*
Theo slumps down, leaning against the garbage bin behind him. Weariness courses through his body. Spotting Infero Ravens entering the club, he hastily escapes, hoping to avoid any encounter. I really don't want to meet him. He's so bothersome. I better stay here and let Berta handle them until all Infero Ravens members leave.
"Have you found the answer to my request?" The voice startles Theo, and he turns to find Alessio seated on the other side of the garbage bin, leaning.
"Argghh!" Theo tumbles to the ground, his face drained of color. He's shocked by Alessio's sudden appearance. "S-Since when were you there?"
"I've been waiting for you here. I knew you'd avoid me if you saw me entering the club, so I waited here."
He's driving me crazy!
*
"All right, time to clean up before heading home."
"Today, we made a lot of profit!" Jim smiles while counting the money they earned from today's sales. While Jim is busy counting the money, Theo and Berta are focused on tidying up each table. Berta sweeps, while Theo wipes the tables.
Fortunately, the Infero Ravens didn't show up today, so I can have a bit of peace. He's been bothering me for three consecutive days; if I run into him again, I might actually go insane, Theo thinks while wiping down his table.
"Theo, don't forget to wipe the windows too. I saw one of the customers leaving their handprints there," Jim says, pointing towards the entrance. Turning around, Theo spots handprints on the glass. He quickly approaches the door, intending to wipe away the marks.
"What did they touch? Why did a customer leave a mark like this?" Theo sprays the window with a cleaning solution in his hand and wipes it vigorously. "It smells like dirt," mumbles Theo, occasionally catching a whiff of an unpleasant odor from the stain he's cleaning.
Thud!
"So, what's your decision?"
"ARGGHH!" Theo immediately tumbles, his backside hitting the wet floor with a loud impact. He's shocked to see Alessio's face suddenly appear from outside the window, almost sticking to the glass he was wiping.
"Ouch..." Theo groans softly, while Berta and Jim, who witnessed the scene, can only look at him with puzzled expressions.
*
Slam!
Theo shut the restroom door somewhat forcefully. Immediately, he sat on the toilet seat inside. He's truly frustrating me. Because of him, I can't find peace. Why is he so stubborn about getting me to join him? Hopefully, with me in here, he won't dare to follow me.
Theo fell silent without uttering a word. Shortly after he entered, Theo heard someone entering the restroom. Upon hearing it, Theo raised his legs. Through the gap in the door, he peeked out of the stall to make sure whether it was Alessio or not. However, when Theo saw the person, it turned out to be a visitor intending to wash their hands at the sink. Once they were done, the visitor left the restroom.
Theo sighed in relief as it wasn't Alessio. He could be a bit more at ease. "Do you think, by hiding like this, I won't find you?"
Theo's body froze upon hearing that question. He immediately looked up in the direction of the voice, finding Alessio now staring down at him from above. Alessio was peeking from another stall, with only his head visible. "So, what's your decision?"
"ARGHHH!" Theo fell immediately, his body hitting the door.
*
At the moment...
Theo clenched his fists. Every time he recalled the incidents when Alessio kept following him, it always made him feel annoyed. He felt truly disturbed by Alessio's persistent behavior. All of Theo's efforts to stop him completely failed to make Alessio give up. As Alessio had stated, Theo had to admit that Alessio was a persistent person.
"Hopefully, he won't bother me today!"
*
"Hasn't it been so peaceful lately?" Berta suddenly approached Jim and took a seat in one of the empty chairs. The chair was right next to Theo, who was now silent, leaning against the bar table. His gaze was fixed on the entrance, observing every visitor who came in.
"That's probably because lately, only Infero Ravens have been showing up, and the Bloodhound Cartel hasn't made an appearance since that incident," Jim replied while serving customers sitting in front of him and placing their drink orders.
"You're right. Now I understand why this place feels so calm."
You guys think that way, but I don't feel any peace at all because the leader of the Infero Ravens keeps tailing me like a chick. He truly makes my life more uncomfortable. Maybe even worse than Dante. Theo sighed deeply. His attention soon shifted to the sound of the door opening. Everyone in the room instantly turned their focus toward the entrance. There, they saw Infero Ravens arriving as usual.
Their sudden arrival made Theo uneasy. Their presence instantly made him feel unsettled, even causing sweat to trickle down his body.
Theo turned his body away; he didn't want to make eye contact with Alessio, who was now walking towards their usual table. As the Infero Ravens settled into their seats, one of their members raised a hand, signaling Theo that they wanted to place an order.
Instead of approaching them, Theo tried to evade. He pretended not to see or hear their shouts for service. "Theo, they want to order!" Berta beside him startled Theo, causing him to spontaneously turn toward her.
"I don't want to serve them. You go and handle it," Theo insisted.
"What? Why?"
"Don't ask why!" Theo continued to divert his attention elsewhere. Berta exchanged glances with Jim. Jim just shrugged indifferently, while Berta reluctantly went down to serve the Infero Ravens.
"I hope they don't bother me!" Theo continued to mutter in panic, praying that Alessio and Infero Ravens wouldn't continue to pressure him to join them.
*
As the night grew longer, the visitors started dwindling one by one, leaving the place. Some went home in a drunken state from excessive drinking, while others left sober.
Theo glanced at the watch on his wrist. Hours had passed since Infero Ravens arrived, but there were no signs that Alessio would come back to bother him. Surprisingly, Theo's restlessness has disappeared since then. He could now focus more on his work without worrying about Alessio disturbing him. Despite everything seeming to return to normal, Theo couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. It was as if there was an underlying issue.
Theo fell silent, observing the Infero Ravens sitting there. His gaze was fixed on Alessio, who was chatting and laughing heartily with some friends. A few of them were already heavily intoxicated but kept on drinking.
It was strange; Alessio showed no intention of bothering me. Since earlier, there have been no signs of him approaching me. Could he be tired? It seemed his persistence had its limits. From now on, I can sleep peacefully. A smile appeared on his face. A sense of happiness surrounded him, realizing that the Infero Ravens wouldn't disturb him anymore.
Time passed, and as expected, Alessio had no intention of coming over. This made Theo happy, finally free from Alessio's constant interference.
As the night grew longer and closing time approached, they started getting ready to leave. Berta, Jim, and Theo began closing the club as their work for the night was done. As closing time neared, Theo noticed Alessio and the other members of Infero Ravens leaving abruptly, showing no concern for him.
"Alright then, see you tomorrow!" Theo parted ways with Berta and Jim. They walked in different directions, heading to their respective homes.
It's truly a beautiful night! I feel free after being constantly bothered by that guy, who always pushes me to join the Infero Ravens. Theo continued walking along the dimly lit streets. The roads were becoming deserted, and he still had to walk until he reached his usual spot to wait for a taxi home. However, his steps came to an abrupt halt when he saw a figure standing under a streetlamp. The man stood, leaning against the pole behind him, while enjoying a cigarette.
Theo widened his eyes as soon as he realized who the man was. The man he saw turned his gaze in his direction, making their eyes meet. "Finally, you've arrived. I've been waiting for you since earlier!"
System detects a potential threat!> ***