They posted the comment.
They were expecting something to happen... No one replied. Both of them stared blankly at the screen, then at each other.
After realizing there would be no response — at least not anytime soon — and just as both of them were sinking into hopelessness, Chiaya's phone suddenly rang.
It was an unknown number.
Chiaya answered, "Yes?" Karan watched her with curious eyes.
"What do you need?" the man asked.
"We need to find someone," Chiaya said.
"Why?"
"We need their help."
The man simply replied, "I'll get in touch with you," and hung up.
Chiaya was stunned. She couldn't understand why he had ended the call so suddenly. She explained the conversation to Karan.
Two minutes later, the man called again.
"Come to 89th Avenue, No. 78, Apartment 9 tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.," he said, and then hung up immediately.
They didn't even have a chance to respond.
"What did he say?" Karan asked.
"He told us to come to an address tomorrow," Chiaya replied.
Karan was silent for a moment before saying, "Alright then."
He wanted to tell Chiaya not to come, to warn her that it would be dangerous—but he knew she wouldn't agree.
Chiaya, too, felt tense—this was the first time in her life she had ever been involved in something so illegal. If she told Karan it was a bad idea, she was sure he'd just leave the house on his own. So, she said nothing. I hope nothing goes wrong, she thought.
What Narev had said gave her some comfort. Since these people's first priority was protecting themselves, they would also be careful about the privacy of Chiaya and Karan.
"Well, in that case, there's nothing we can do, we'll wait. In the meantime, let's keep working, pupil."
Karan nodded.
She went back to teaching Karan more about reading and writing.
Only with the letter Q did Karan struggle to understand the word "Q-Tip." Maybe Karan had never even seen one before. Chiaya showed him how to use a Q-Tip, but she couldn't stop laughing while doing it—she almost tore her own eardrum.
When Chiaya woke up, she was really happy not to have to go to work.
Karan had prepared breakfast. Chiaya usually ate just a sandwich or a croissant with coffee in the morning. But Karan had made something different using the ingredients they had bought the day before.
Chiaya tasted it—it was very delicious.
After breakfast, they headed out and arrived at the address the man had given them.
It was in a back street, in an unpleasant neighborhood. the building looked very old.
The building's entrance door was open.
There was no elevator, but the apartment was on the first floor.
Before knocking, they looked at each other.
For a moment, Chiaya thought, It's not too late to turn back.
She was just about to say it to Karan when he said, as if he had noticed the worry on her face, "If you want, you can wait downstairs."
Without saying anything, Chiaya knocked on the door.
Someone unlocked several locks from behind the door, then cracked it open to take a look.
Then he opened it all the way, stepped over the boxes and trash scattered on the floor, and went back to sit behind his computer.
From his face, it was clear he was in his twenties, but how had he gained so much weight, and how had he managed to live such an ugly life at such a young age?
He didn't even say "welcome." He didn't say a single word.
Chiaya hesitated at the doorway for a moment, but seeing Karan walk inside with confidence gave her courage.
Chiaya looked around the studio apartment. She had never been in a place this smoky and filthy before. And it wasn't just cigarettes being smoked. Strange cigarettes and substances of unknown kind were lying around everywhere.
They closed the door behind them.
The man called out, "Lock it."
Karan locked the door and turned to look at Chiaya. She was glancing around with worried eyes—it was clear she was afraid.
Karan placed his hand on her shoulder and drew her closer.
Chiaya could never have guessed how quickly a single touch and the feeling of protection could put her at ease.
He said, "I assume you're looking for a woman named Elara Vardal."
How does he know? Chiaya wondered. She figured this man must have had access to all the searches she had done on her computer and phone. This was truly terrifying.
"Why are you looking for this woman?" he asked.
"She has something I need. And it's something that can't be taken from anyone else or replaced."
"Look, man, I don't do background checks on women you want to kill or stalk. If all you need is to properly ask for something that's yours, I'll help you. But if you harm this woman you're looking for—or anything you come across while searching for her—you can be sure I'll make both your lives a living hell.
If you're looking for someone to do that kind of job, then fuck off and get your shit done by someone else." the man said.
"I have no intention of harming her. Elara was a noble woman, and she deserves to be honored—not harmed."Although the man's threat had frightened Chiaya, she appreciated his professional ethics. He's not as bad as I feared, she thought.
The man said, "I already did my research before you even came."
Then he turned to Karan and Chiaya. "Two grand."
At first, Chiaya didn't understand why Karan was looking at her. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she said, "Oh! He wants two thousand dollars."
Karan took out the money and handed it to the man.
"Now tell me, where is Elara?"