INM 2 Part 5

Trying desperately not to be drawn into those melancholy gray eyes, I couldn’t help but shout.

“Absolutely not!”

“What did you say?”

Brian moved even closer, and in my confusion I couldn’t help but rebel.

“I’m not the same person I was back then! I’m definitely not going to listen to anything you say!”

“What are you talking about, you idiot?”

“Hey, hey, hey, little boys?”

Suddenly, we turned our heads toward the source of the voice, and there was Alexandra, a wicked grin plastered on his face.

Immediately, the tension between the two of us dissipated.

“Sorry, were we too loud?”

“More like the people around us are worried about what’s going on.”

“You were just curious yourself.” 

Alexandra twisted my cheek mercilessly after I muttered that, then pushed Brian with his mascara-lined eyes.

“So, what’s going on?”

“Just the usual. This guy is running full speed in the wrong direction, so I tried to stop him.”

At Brian’s words, Alexandra turned to me.

“Luke, listen to Brian.”

“Why does everybody listen to Brian?”

“Try to remember all the things you’ve done in the past!”

After saying that with a stern voice, Alexandra added.

“Besides, can you even explain the situation properly?”

“Of course I can. Someone might have slipped something into my drink, so Brian tells me to be careful.”

“After getting such sensible advice, why are you fighting?”

“Huh?”

“Alexandra. I’m sorry for the mess, we’ll go now.” 

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

Pushing aside Alexandra, who was beaming at being called by her full name, I let out a sad cry.

“No way, I haven’t even finished my drink yet!”

Pressing down on my pitiful head, Brian continued,

“Looks like I need to have a serious talk with this guy.”

“Well, you’ve got your hands full. In many ways.”

“Yeah, well…”

“Alexandra, another Moscow Mule!”

“Anyway, it was good to see you again, I will tell my father that you look good.”

“Please come back anytime.”

Brian replied with his eyes, dragging me outside. 

The asphalt still held the faint heat of the day. A few stars were scattered across the sky.

“Get in. Let’s have another drink somewhere private.”

“My Moscow Mule.”

Brian, who was about to respond to my angry grumbling, stopped as if he had changed his mind. He walked around the car and came to my side where the passenger door was.

“I’m sorry.”

I looked up at the man beside me in surprise, expecting to be lectured. His handsome face, viewed at close range, was vaguely illuminated by the moonlight and the city lights.

“I know I’m dragging you around. I’ve been on edge ever since I saw you again.”

With an awkward movement, I looked away. I knew exactly what he meant. There had always been a tension between us since our reunion two days ago. We were both extremely careful, trying to find out how strong this fragile thread was that had reunited us after three years, without pulling too hard. We didn’t want to break it again.

The three-year separation from my best friend, whom I had known since childhood, had left a much bigger scar on both of us than I had thought. I realized this in the last two days.

My best friend went on quietly.

“I want to help you. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“All right.” I replied with a sigh. Brian silently opened the passenger door and motioned for me to get in. I felt the warmth of a large hand on my back. It was a gentle touch, almost as if he wasn’t touching me at all, but I could feel a strong will to “not let me go” coming from that hand.

As soon as I fastened my seatbelt, the used Land Cruiser began to glide quietly through the Brisbane night. The atmosphere in the car was a bit awkward, but the tension between us had eased a bit, and strangely enough, I didn’t feel uncomfortable.

“Shall we go to your place? Or mine is fine too.” 

“Where do you live in Brisbane?”

“Taringa.”

“Oh, I’m curious. What’s the decor like for a single guy in his late twenties?”

As I began to imagine the colors of the furniture and curtains, Brian added quietly,

“Well, the last time I vacuumed was five days ago.”

“I’m letting you off the hook for a surprise inspection today.”

I said bitterly and Brian turned the car around laughing. It was a bit of a detour to my house. My place, filled with only the things I loved and now the most peaceful place in the world since my grandmother passed away, was getting farther and farther away. But at that moment, I felt a sense of relief.

“Hey, Brian. I feel like going for a ride.”

“Yeah, sure.”

He replied lightly and immediately changed lanes. I had a vague idea where we were going on this straight road heading west.

Mount Coot-Tha. A famous night view in Brisbane.

It was only a fifteen minute detour. But well, it could be a typical Brian thing to surprise someone with something unexpected.

Brian drove west for about twenty minutes, leaving the city center behind. He parked the car, avoiding the area near the observatory where there were still a few people. He parked with the passenger seat facing the night view, which was probably a thoughtful gesture on his part. Without hesitation, I opened the window all the way, exposing myself to the night breeze and the countless twinkling lights in front of me.

“Wow. This is indeed a spectacular view.” 

“Yeah.” 

Brian agreed with my words. He seemed a little distracted, pretending to look at the night view while actually looking at me. Come to think of it, Brian had always been the type to finish his homework first. 

Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away from the night view and brought up the conversation from the bar. 

“All right, I’ll be careful. Even I can feel that something is wrong.” 

Even though I said what he wanted to hear, Brian looked away from me and seemed to be deep in thought. He settled into the driver’s seat and looked forward. 

“Remember Sam? The tall policeman.” 

“Yes, the tsundere cop with the sharp eyes.” 

“Tsundere…? Well, whatever. That guy has an outstanding record of solving cases and is quite famous in the precinct.” 

“Wow. So that’s why he has the title?” 

“Considering his age, his promotion was fast, but considering his achievements, it was actually slow. His accuracy in the early stages of investigation is, frankly, incomprehensible to others. But he must have his reasons.” 

“Hmm. I don’t really get it, but Sam was a great cop, huh? Even if he couldn’t see through my lies.” 

“That was his partner’s specialty. They both still hold grudges. Your credibility is at rock bottom.” 

“Don’t say such mean things.” 

Brian continued, “It’s your own fault.” he said to my grimace. 

“That guy told you to “be careful”, didn’t he? Of course, his intuition isn’t always right. He knows that well, so he avoided making a definitive statement.”

Brian was talking so seriously that I nodded along, pretending to be serious as well. Honestly, I couldn’t remember being told to be careful. 

“I didn’t believe Sam’s concerns at first either… but when I found out that something might have been spiked in your drink on the day of the incident, I changed my mind.” 

I kept nodding, not really grasping the seriousness of the situation. Well, I guess I just have to be careful. Okay, buddy, I’m going to show you a defense that would impress even the Australian Defense Force, so leave it to me. 

While I was thinking about what kind of alcohol to buy on the way back, Brian gently touched my hand. A tingling sensation spread from my fingertips and my heart skipped a beat. I should have pretended to be surprised and quickly pulled my hand away. But for some reason my hand didn’t want to move away from Brian’s fingers, like a magnet. 

I was frozen, only able to breathe, but curiosity finally got the better of me and I cautiously turned to face Brian. As I moved, he lifted my hand and held it to his chest. 

“Let me protect you.” 

He whispered softly, with a scent of citrus and herbs. The voice of a devil tempting an angel must be as sweet and sincere as this. Panting, I managed to squeeze out broken words. 

“Protect? Me?” 

“Yes.” 

The sweet baritone melted into the air, making my ears tingle. 

In my mind I saw Brian fighting to protect me, wearing armor or maybe a suit. A bulletproof vest, armed with a gun and a katana. Annoyingly, it fit him perfectly. He would pledge his loyalty to me, protect me, and get wounded… no, just minor scratches that would heal quickly. And as a ninja fighting against enemy organizations, we would be comrades who could trust each other with our backs… Wait, wait. 

“No, no, why would it come to that?” 

Brian loosened his grip, looking confused at my mumbling. 

“I don’t think it’s such an outrageous suggestion…” 

“By the way, what are you protecting me from?”

“Well, the person who spiked your drink, of course.”

“What? I wanted to be careful to avoid the same thing happening again… but do you think I’m still being targeted?”

“I thought that was what we were talking about all along.”

“No way.”

Brian looked at me with his mouth open and pressed one hand to his forehead as if he had a headache. Then he let go of my hand, a little reluctantly.

“I’m glad you finally understand the situation.”

“How are you going to protect me?”

Brian gave me an annoyed, tired look. 

“By sticking to you 24/7 and eliminating anyone who comes near you…”

“Answer seriously!”

“I’m not trained as a bodyguard, so my abilities are limited. I can investigate that man and stay close to you as much as possible. And if I find that it’s out of my control, I’ll report it to the authorities immediately.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

I sighed with relief and disappointment, realizing it wouldn’t be like a movie chase scene.

“Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could share information about anyone who contacts you from now on.”

“Well, as long as it’s not personal information. Most of the people I meet are work-related… oh, by the way, some interesting kids barged into the office today.”

“Oh?”

“They said they were friends of Alan’s, so I let them in. A group of four university students came to talk to me because they knew Alan.”

“I see?” 

Brian’s voice got lower. Of course I didn’t notice, thinking instead of the faces of my newly met friends.

“By the way, how did they know about me? I forgot to ask. Oh well.”

“It’s not “oh well”.”

“All four of them seem to really like Alan. They probably couldn’t wait to meet me.”

The detective I hired coldly confirmed my thoughts as I sentimentally lowered my eyelids.

“So this carefree mind of yours invited those four into your home without any caution.”

“No, they seemed to be really good people…”

“Unbelievable. I really want to be with you 24/7 now!”

“Hahaha.”

“Don’t laugh it off. Even if you didn’t know you were being targeted, would you let strangers into your home?”

“It’s also my workplace.”

“With only one employee. Please be more careful. Don’t let me lose you from my life.”

Surprised by the voice that seemed to come from deep inside him, I turned to face him again.