Adriel had marked the location of his dead body like a pirate marking his treasure, and now stood there proudly, slapping the fridge like a salesman.
"I removed the shelves, then possessed my body to get it in there," he said. "Consider me nicely cooled."
Ein scratched his brow, still staring at the fridge. He was about to ask where Adriel had put the shelves, but stopped himself.
Something wasn't right. Avery had left too easily. The quiet in the apartment felt oddly tense. Ein cast a suspicious glance at the bathroom.
"What?" Adriel caught onto to his wary silence, following his faze in confusion.
Ein went straight to the bathroom, scanning the surroundings. Any place Avery had stepped a foot in, was worth checking.
Adriel rubbed his chin, watching Ein search every cupboard and shelf, opening them one by one and checking inside.
"What are you looking for? You think Avery took something?"
Ein shook his head and knelt down and his eyes caught a glimpse of something hidden under the sink.
With a sigh, he reached out and snagged the small black object, bringing it into view. A small listening device.
Adriel's jaw dropped as he stared at the object. "What?! Is that a bug?"
Ein gave a nod, unimpressed. Avery and his sneaky tech. Useful for real missions but a hindrance in the daily life.
After a while of playing 'who-will-blink-first' with the bug, Ein walked out of the bathroom, heading to the door.
Adriel ran after him with a question, "Are you going to confront Avery?"
But as Ein reached the corridor, instead of leaving the apartment, he put on one boot and dropped the device onto the floor.
He stepped on it, crushing it to bits, then stomped some more for good measure.
The ghost came closer, crouching to stare at the pitiful remains. "Woah, you really destroyed that thing. But won't Avery get curious if he doesn't hear anything from the bug?"
Ein took off his boot and went to grab a broom, finally allowing himself to speak, "I doubt he'll bother to check the bug's feed. It was more of a message: 'I have other ways to find out what you're up to if you won't tell me.' Not a big deal."
"Not a big deal...?" Adriel followed him around the apartment like a puppy. "But planting a bug in the bathroom is a bit... I mean, he would hear you taking a shit. Only a pervert would enjoy that."
Ein grimaced, shaking his head before that scenario made its way into his imagination. He swept the remains into a dustpan.
"But I guess it's better than him installing cameras. Can you imagine?" the ghost mused, snickering to himself.
"I'm trying not to," Ein dead-panned as he carried the dustpan to a garbage can, dumping the bits into it.
"Honestly, I feel paranoid now," Adriel remarked. "How do you know Avery didn't plant any more bugs somewhere? Did you check the dresser? He was standing there for quite a while."
Ein paused, mulling over the thought. The ghost had a point. The bug under the sink could have been a diversion, and the real one might be concealed somewhere else.
He eyed the drawer by the wall.
Adriel moved on his toes, whispering, "I didn't see him slip anything in there, but maybe check it to be sure?"
Ein nodded, walking up to the dresser. He gripped the handle of the upper drawer, but hesitated. If there were another bug hidden, it would cause some complications.
The bug in the bathroom was as good as a prank. But one more in the living room? Pure distrust and a breach of privacy.
Slowly, he pulled open the top drawer, revealing a pile of neatly folded clothes. He scanned the contents carefully, then moved to the next drawer.
No bug.
No bug in the next one either.
After checking the entire dresser, both he and the ghost exhaled in relief.
Adriel let out a low whistle. "You're thorough."
Ein didn't comment, turning to the main door. He opened it, inspecting the lock from both sides. There were no signs of intrusion.
"How did Avery get in?" Adriel questioned, peering over Ein's shoulder.
Observing the lock a while longer, Ein ran his fingers along the surrounding frame. "Picked the lock."
Although Ein was confident in his own security measures and the solid lock he had installed, Avery was a crafty individual. Nothing was impossible for him to do if he wanted to.
"What?" the ghost's mouth hung open again. "People actually do this? I thought it was something that only happened in movies."
Ein raised an eyebrow at him, closing the door, "Have you never seen a locksmith work? It's a real skill. I know how to pick simple locks too."
The thought of Ein picking locks intrigued the ghost. He leaned closer with a wide-eyed curiosity, "You can? Woah! Can you show me?"
Ein shook his head, "It's not nearly as cool as it sounds. I doubt you'd be interested in watching me kneel by a lock with my glasses and a tool pouch. And it takes time."
"Really? Avery did it pretty fast," Adriel mentioned.
"Yeah, well, I said I can only pick simple locks. Obviously, I'm not that quick with it," Ein grumbled, sinking onto the couch.
Adriel sat next to him, peering at his face. "Aren't you a bit too relaxed about this? Wouldn't most people get angry if they found a bug in their home?"
Ein leaned back, pulling out his laptop and setting it in front of him. "It's fine. Avery just wants to protect me. He's crossing boundaries, but he's not doing it out of malice. He's just being... Avery."
The ghost sighed, resting his chin in his palm, "Man... If he plants bugs to protect you, then what does he do to destroy someone?"
"Shows up quietly. Acts without mercy." Ein suppressed a yawn. "Don't sweat it. While he's calling and bugging me, it's fine."
Adriel scoffed at the nonchalance in Ein's tone. He tried to keep in mind that this individual was dangerous and calculated, but instead, with his hair disheveled and his eyes still sleepy, Ein looked completely harmless.
The ghost chuckled to himself, getting comfortable. It was like watching a bear slowly rouse from hibernation. Huggable.
Ein shifted his gaze to Adriel, who quickly looked away, whistling a melody.
"Since you have nothing better to do, research ways to revive your body." Ein set the laptop in front of the ghost on the coffee table, going back to the kitchen himself.
"Coffee again?" Adriel called after him.
"The file," Ein replied, taking a seat by the table.
Just as Ein was about to open the file, a sharp tap echoed from the window.
Ein froze, his heart skipping a beat.
Tap. It came again, loud enough to make the glass shiver.
Adriel's eyes widened. "What was that?"
Ein stood up, his body tense. He moved slowly toward the window, his pulse quickening.
Tap. A shadow flickered against the glass.
The ghost came over to check as well, sneaking up to Ein quietly.