As Yohan left the cafe, his belly slightly swollen from indulging in multiple cakes earlier, he strolled around aimlessly looking for a cheap hotel to stay at before finding a permanent place to rent. But as he walked down the streets, an ominous feeling crept up on him, like someone was following him.
His heart beating faster with every step, Yohan quickened his pace while glancing behind him occasionally. The footsteps seemed to be getting closer and closer, it felt like whoever was following him wasn't giving up easily.
Despite being somewhat panicked inside, Yohan tried hard not to let it show on his face. With careful calculation and deliberate moves that masked his true feelings of fear and dread, he led the follower into a deserted alleyway before suddenly ducking behind a pole.
As expected, whoever had been tailing him had followed him into the alley, but he didn't anticipate what Yohan did next. With a swift and well-practiced motion, Yohan stuck out his leg and tripped the person behind him.
"Whoaa!!!"
A man of modest stature, with a street fashion style, fell to the ground. He grimaced in pain while glaring angrily at Yohan.
"What are you doing?!" he spat out in frustration, struggling to get back up on his feet.
Yohan stood with his arms folded across his chest, glaring coldly at the red-haired man who was now on his feet again.
"I should be asking you why you're following me?" Yohan retorted sharply. "What do you want from me?"
The man reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet, waving it playfully in front of him.
"Isn't this your wallet? Or do you not want it anymore?" he joked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "If not, I suppose I'll just have to consider myself the luckiest guy alive and this money is simply raining from the sky for me."
Yohan furrowed his brow at the man's comment. "Hey, shouldn't you hand over lost items to the police instead of taking them for yourself?" It was only then that he realized that the wallet being held up by the stranger was indeed his own.
"Uh, wait! That's my wallet!"
The man chuckled at Yohan's realization before placing the wallet back into his hands. "Relax, dude. If I wanted to steal your money, I wouldn't have followed you all the way here," he explained with a grin. "I'd rather spend my time with my lover."
Embarrassed by how quick he had been to judge him earlier, Yohan's expression softened as he accepted the returned wallet with a blush creeping up on his face.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! I thought you were some sort of pickpocket or pervert!" He bowed repeatedly in apology until finally looking up at the man, who was now laughing heartily.
"Wow..." he chuckled. "I've never been mistaken for a pervert before. Do I really look like one?"
Yohan couldn't help but join in on the laughter as well, his initial embarrassment slowly dissipating into amusement and relief.
"Well, you've been following me around ever since, even into deserted alley." Yohan replied with a grin. "But thank you for returning my wallet, it's much appreciated."
The red-haired man smiled back at him, his eyes crinkling at the corners, as he held out his hand in introduction.
"My name is Landon, by the way."
Yohan shook Landon's hand with a firm grip, his expression warm and friendly as he introduced himself.
"Yohan."
As they exchanged pleasantries, Landon couldn't help but notice the bags that Yohan was carrying. A wide grin spread across his face, revealing a pair of sharp canines as he patted Yohan's shoulder cheerfully.
"Are you moving here or just visiting?" Landon asked eagerly. "Whatever it is, now that we're friends, I'm happy to be your guide! Consider me your all-knowing Mr. Landon for anything you need in this town."
Yohan was caught off guard by Landon's words; he didn't expect to make a new friend so quickly on his first day in new city. A bright smile lit up his beautiful face, one that only someone who knew him intimately would recognize as genuine happiness.
Landon looked at Yohan's smiling face intently and tilted his head, a serious expression on his face. "Yohan, have you lived in this city before?"
Taken aback by the question, Yohan shook his head slowly. "No... this is actually my first time here. Why do you ask?"
Landon's disappointment was palpable but he quickly masked it with a cheerful laugh. "Oh! My bad then." He patted Yohan's shoulder affectionately. "I just had a feeling that we might have met before. But with your strikingly beautiful features, it's hard to mistake you for someone else."
Yohan felt flattered but also a little embarrassed by the compliment.
"But even though we haven't met before," Landon continued with a smile. "I'd still love to be your friend."
"Friend..."
Yohan repeated softly, savoring the word on his tongue. "Of course! Thank you so much for offering to be my friend, Landon." He paused briefly before adding earnestly, "And I would really appreciate any help that you could offer me."
It was only the third person that Yohan could truly call a friend, aside from the secret companions he met secretly in his uncle's backyard.
"I just moved here actually and I'm looking for a place to stay. Do you happen to know any cheap hotels or apartments around this area?"
Landon nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I know this town like the back of my hand. Come on, let me show you some places."
Landon gallantly took Yohan's heavy duffle bag from him, carrying it with ease as they chatted amiably. As they walked down the cobblestone streets of this new city, Landon began pointing out interesting landmarks and places worth visiting.
But unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes were still fixed on them from a distance, the same ones that had been watching Yohan since he was inside the cafe earlier. Though Yohan couldn't see it - someone was following them at a safe distance, tracking their every move without either of them realizing it.