I spent some time wondering why Ellen suddenly showed up at my college. Why exactly was she there? Even if it was to see me, how did she find out where I studied? With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I remained standing, just staring at her.
Meanwhile, Ellen seemed to be looking for someone, as her gaze scanned the crowd back and forth. When her eyes finally landed on me, I noticed a sparkle in her eyes, and she seemed to sigh in relief. This gesture gave me complete certainty that it was me she was looking for.
"Noah! I finally found you" exclaimed Ellen, her eyes shining, as she approached me.
Ellen's sudden approach left me even more confused. Why did she seem so desperate? Had something happened that I didn't know about? Though I wasn't sure, I imagined it was related to the message about our next mission. This also confirmed that everyone had received the same message.
"How did you get here? Or rather, how did you know this was my college?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Long story. Anyway, I need to talk to you. Can we meet up after your classes?" asked Ellen, her eyes showing clear anxiety.
For some reason, her words sounded like those of a stalker, but honestly, I didn't even believe that was a possibility. Besides, it was impossible for us to talk that way without anyone finding it strange. In fact, since Ellen and I started talking, several murmurs began to echo from the crowd that had formed around us.
"He knows her? I thought Noah only talked to Owen. So does that mean she's really from our college?" someone randomly commented.
"Who knows, but don't you find it strange? She seems a bit... desperate" another responded, among those present.
I didn't know who was speaking, but it was clear that we were attracting a lot of attention. Moreover, Ellen's behavior was becoming somewhat strange, not to say desperate. It seemed like she would follow me to college if I didn't agree to talk to her, and for some reason, I was starting to believe that.
"First, calm down. Also, why do you seem so desperate?" I replied, sighing.
Then, I grabbed a pen and, using Ellen's hand as support, wrote down the address of my workplace. While I wrote on her hand, I noticed some murmurs around us, but I chose to ignore them.
"Meet me at this location at the time I wrote, it will be easier for us to talk there since it's where I work" I explained, keeping my gaze on Ellen.
Upon hearing my words, Ellen quickly looked at her hand and began to read what I had written. Seconds later, she looked back at me and nodded. Although I wanted to ask about Noelle, I realized that wouldn't be a good time. Anyway, once Ellen said goodbye to me, she left. She would probably stay near my workplace waiting for the time, or maybe she would return home.
Under everyone's gaze, I casually strolled towards the college entrance. I really don't know why, but I don't have much trouble being the center of attention. Actually, I don't mind it, though I'd prefer to avoid it.
After that incident, my day went by smoothly. The commotion that occurred at the college entrance had more impact than I expected. In the end, I spent the whole day being watched by others, probably wanting to know exactly what my relationship with Ellen was. Well, as usual, I just ignored them and went on with my day.
Although Owen teased me, saying I was starting to look more and more like a story protagonist, that lasted only until he got the character he wanted so badly in the gacha he was playing. Owen was a simple guy; as long as he got the characters in his game, he'd be happy for a while.
Anyway, as soon as classes ended, the first thing I did when leaving college was head to my job. Although there was still plenty of time to go home, I decided to go talk to Ellen first. Of course, initially, I had planned to take her to my house, but upon noticing how desperate she seemed, I had an idea of what she wanted to discuss with me. Honestly, I'd prefer Ruby not to be around while we talked about this.
(Well, whether you like it or not, unless it's unfavorable, it's always good to have a team composed of people you trust. Probably, this will make the mission easier to complete)
With that in mind, I slowed down as I realized that the place where I worked was just ahead. From college to there, the walk would probably take about 15 minutes, which was relatively close, if you ask me.
Looking around, I see no sign of Ellen whatsoever, which can only mean two things: either she hasn't arrived yet, or she's already inside waiting for me.
"Should have gotten her number, but doing that in front of all those people..." I commented to myself as I walked towards the café entrance.
I had already informed the boss about Ellen's visit and that I would be following her shortly. So, I entered the place. Sometimes I come here to study, but most of the time, I go back home to be with Ruby.
"Noah! Over here!"
As I wondered where Ellen was, her voice echoed through the place. Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Ellen sitting at a table, with a smile on her face, while a half-eaten plate of spaghetti was in front of her. Although Ellen was there, I couldn't find the boss anywhere. Putting that aside for now, I walked over to Ellen and sat across from her.
"First things first, can I assume you also got the system message, right? The one about the new mission" I asked.
"Yes, Noelle and I got it. By the way, that was the main reason I came to see you" replied Ellen, her expression becoming more serious.