"I'm only worried about your health. If you keep being this lazy at your age, you'll easily become obese."
After saying this, she carried a basket of freshly washed clothes up to the rooftop to dry.
Today was a beautiful sunny day, and the clothes would surely dry quickly. Just as Umee was thinking this, she suddenly heard a voice calling from below:
"Hey there!"
Umee was startled and felt like someone below was calling her. She approached the railing and looked down, seeing a young man about her age, looking handsome, staring up at her. As Umee looked back at him, the young man blushed and lowered his gaze, looking shy.
Umee wondered, was he calling her?
Seeing the young man hesitating and looking awkward, Umee was about to turn away and continue drying the clothes when he hurriedly called out:
"Wait… wait a minute. Can we get to know each other?"
Umee looked down again.
Get to know each other?
It didn't seem like a big deal, so Umee nodded.
The young man below looked so delighted that he didn't know what to do with himself. He said:
"Could you come down here?"
Come down there? Why should she go down?
Umee thought for a moment. Was he trying to flirt with her? She looked down again carefully. He had a nice face and a good build. Maybe she should agree? Yes, staying inside all the time was getting boring. Umee felt that making a new friend wouldn't hurt.
She was about to smile and agree when a voice suddenly spoke up from behind:
"Who's that?"
Out of nowhere, Captain was standing right behind Umee.
Umee straightened up and saw Captain approaching, looking grumpy with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Who's that boy?"
But before Umee could answer, Captain found out for himself, peering over the railing. The young man below broke into a cold sweat but still politely greeted Captain.
"Good evening, sir. I just…" He didn't get to finish before Captain interrupted:
"Scram!"
This one word made Umee jump.
The young man below was scared off immediately.
Umee looked at the man in front of her, feeling a bit bad for the young guy. She said:
"Why are you so harsh? He was being polite."
Captain gave Umee a side-eye.
"What, are you taking his side now?"
Umee lowered her head, too afraid to argue, but her face clearly showed her annoyance. Captain, seeing her expression, felt an unexplainable irritation. He thought to himself that he was just trying to protect her. After all, she was a living corpse; if she went out and mingled with people, she might be discovered, and that would be disastrous. But he couldn't bring himself to scold her further. After a moment of silence, he said:
"Don't trust guys like that; they're just out to deceive you."
Then he turned and went downstairs, feeling puzzled. Was he really starting to develop a grandfatherly affection for Umee?
What nonsense!
_________
She thought the young man from the morning had been scared off by Captain, but surprisingly, in the evening, while Umee was washing dishes, she heard the doorbell ring. It was very strange because no one had visited Captain's house in a month, and it seemed he didn't have any friends. Hearing the doorbell now, Umee wondered if it was a delivery.
But who would deliver something this late?
Filled with curiosity, she went to check. When Umee looked through the peephole, her eyes widened.
Wasn't it the young man from earlier?
At that moment, Captain suddenly appeared behind her, almost as if he could smell the young man's presence. Umee turned around and thought that the guy's fate was sealed.
"Who is it?" Captain asked.
Umee stammered, unsure of how to respond. Seeing her expression, Captain grew suspicious and pushed her aside to look through the peephole. Umee held her breath, silently praying for the young man outside.
Captain glanced through the peephole, instantly recognizing who it was. He grabbed the feather duster leaning by the door. Umee's eyes went wide, and she reached out to stop him, but Captain glared at her and shouted:
"Go to your room!"
"But…" Umee mumbled, sensing trouble. Was Captain planning to hit someone? This was getting awkward. She wanted to speak up in defense of the young man, but as soon as she uttered the words "but," Captain cut her off.
"No arguments, go to your room!"
Captain yelled, looking fierce. Umee flinched, having no choice but to follow his orders.
She walked away, glancing back to see what Captain was going to do.
But he didn't rush. He waited until Umee had entered her room and locked the door before opening the front door.
The young man outside froze upon seeing Captain open the door. His face turned pale for a moment, but he quickly recovered and politely greeted Captain, though his voice was shaky from fear.
"Good evening, sir."
"What are you here for?" Captain didn't mince words, getting straight to the point.
Captain's cold demeanor made the young man lose some of his confidence. He broke into a cold sweat and stammered:
"Well, I… I came to… to ask for your permission to get to know… Miss Umee."
"There will be no getting to know anyone! Umee is still young and needs to focus on her studies." Captain held up the feather duster, looking as if he might strike at any moment. The young man's face turned even paler, and before he could say another word, the door slammed shut in his face.
The young man stared blankly at the closed door. Just then, it swung open again. Captain, with an angry face and the feather duster in hand, warned:
"Don't come here bothering Umee again, or I'll break your legs! She's not allowed to date anyone. I forbid it!"
With that, he slammed the door shut once more.
Captain turned back inside and saw Umee peeking from behind her bedroom door, looking visibly upset. He grew even more annoyed for some reason.
"What are you staring at? Go to sleep!"
Reluctantly, Umee retreated to her room and closed the door, doing as Captain instructed.
_________
The Kimberly Estate.
The Kimberly family was one of the wealthiest and most prestigious families in the area. Their large, luxurious house, with its beautiful garden featuring rock formations and a fish pond, looked elegant and picturesque. Yet, a dark, somber cloud now hung over the estate, casting an air of sadness and loneliness. Even the plants and flowers seemed to reflect the somber mood.
The reason for this melancholy was that the young lady of the Kimberly family had been missing for days and had yet to be found. Everyone in the household was worried and anxious, especially Mrs. Lauren and Mr. Tom, the heads of the family.