It was late at night, as Laurens waited for Klein at the location she had written. The meeting spot was near the circus tent grounds where they had previously set up.
The place was a two-story building rented by the circus boss for his other business ventures. Clearly, the circus boss lived a better life than his members, owning several properties rented under his own name.
On the first floor was a small restaurant offering various dinner and breakfast menus. On the second floor was an inn that could be rented for a decent price, better than a family apartment.
Laurens sat in one corner of the restaurant, enjoying a warm glass of milk and some cookies. Even though she had already eaten dinner, her snacking habits hadn't disappeared in this world.
Her eyes glistened slightly as she recalled working on her projects on a laptop while snacking. She missed her old world.
At that moment, her wait was rewarded when she saw a familiar silhouette.
Klein had kept his promise to come.
Laurens smiled happily, waving at him in a modern gesture that only the two of them understood.
The young man with black hair and brown eyes stared at her for a moment before walking over, then sat across from her. His emotions were unreadable, as his expression remained calm.
He's probably grumbling in his head, she thought, chuckling to herself. Laurens knew her favorite character's habits well.
"Order something, I'll treat you this time. After all, I'm the one who asked for this meeting," Laurens said cheerfully, confident that Klein wouldn't be offended or hesitant.
He wasn't that kind of person.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Klein replied, "Okay."
When the waiter arrived at their table, he ordered a cup of coffee.
Laurens had no idea what kind of coffee it was. She had only ever drunk instant coffee, so to her, all coffee tasted the same. She wasn't particularly fond of it.
The tables around them were spaced far enough apart, and there was enough conversation that they could talk without worrying about being overheard.
They remained silent until the waiter brought the coffee and left.
Laurens was the first to break the silence. "I transmigrated before you. You probably already know that Emperor Roselle was also a transmigrator."
She kept her voice low, meant only for Klein's ears.
Klein remained silent, waiting for her to explain further. His expression seemed to say that Laurens should tell him how she knew he was also a transmigrator.
Taking a sip of her warm milk, Laurens thought of how best to phrase it. She didn't intend to lie, but she wasn't going to tell him everything.
"I have a certain ability, you could think of it like a game cheat, that lets me recognize other players or transmigrators. Your soul is different from others in this world. It's similar to mine, so I made an initial assumption that we came from the same world," she explained earnestly.
She knew Klein wouldn't believe her easily and might think she was lying. But she wasn't lying at all, and even if Klein used his divination, it would still be the truth.
Finally, Klein responded, "So, you tested me with that tarot card?"
He seemed convinced that Laurens had deliberately approached him to test him. It wasn't a coincidence.
"Yes." Laurens maintained her relaxed smile.
Not only was she relaxed, but she was also relieved that the restrictions didn't apply off-stage.
I've finally found a loophole…
Then, as she had expected, Klein asked his next question, "So, what do you want by telling me this? Surely you don't think that just because we're from the same world, we can work together to find a way home, right?"
His words hit the mark. Yet why did it feel like Klein was mocking her? It must be her imagination.
Laurens' lips twitched slightly. Her favorite character could never be underestimated. He always had an accurate sense of things.
I can't possibly answer that I want to help him, right? That sounds even more ridiculous because that motive feels strange, even to myself…
Seeing Laurens' silence, Klein chuckled. "Looks like I was right."
He seemed to think Laurens wasn't good at negotiations and had shown her hand too early. It also made Laurens appear non-threatening and genuinely honest.
"How long have you been transmigrated?" Klein shifted the topic as he took a slow sip of his coffee.
Klein seemed more relaxed now, not as guarded as before.
"Around two weeks," Laurens replied uncertainly.
That was because when she first transmigrated, she had been confused by her condition as Laurens. It took her a long time to adapt and accept the reality.
Klein seemed to understand that Laurens had initially been disoriented by the transmigration and hadn't paid attention to the time.
"Are you a Beyonder?" Klein suddenly asked a surprising question.
But it was a fair question. As fellow transmigrants, neither of them could be ordinary people.
Laurens nodded, though she didn't elaborate on her path.
"What kind of cooperation can you offer me, and what do you want from me? Even if our goals are the same, you and I are on different paths. If one of us finds a way home, for instance, if I find it first, I'll tell you." Klein set the terms of their cooperation, not as friends but as business partners.
He clearly didn't want to be tied down to anyone, not even a fellow transmigrant… Laurens felt a bit sad, but it was understandable given Klein's nature.
That kind of personality was what prevented him from forming deep bonds with anyone, leading him to remain lonely until the end.
He probably doesn't expect me to be much help…
Laurens finished her thoughts before weakly replying, "I can help you gather information, obtain Beyonder materials, and provide knowledge of mysticism."
Klein seemed to notice the shift in her mood. Laurens wasn't an actress, and she tended to show her feelings openly.
Klein wasn't used to dealing with women, especially considering he thought the initial arrangement as business partners was a good one. They could exchange information and cooperate in a limited manner without endangering themselves.
But as someone experienced in online forums, Klein managed to deduce that Laurens hoped to be his friend. Perhaps to Laurens, finding a fellow transmigrant meant a lot, as the only person who could understand her longing for their original world.
Klein felt the same, but he remained more rational, knowing that this Beyonder world was extremely dangerous. The threat of losing control as a Beyonder, as Dunn Smith had warned him, left a deep mark on his heart. So he set the boundary as business partners so Laurens wouldn't get involved in the dangers connected to him.
The matter of the Antigonus notebook still loomed over him, but seeing Laurens' willingness to reach out first and reveal her secret, Klein made an exception.
"Alright then, what should I call you, fellow transmigrator?" he asked, his voice softer now.
Laurens, who had thought she could only be limited business partners and couldn't get too close to her favorite character, was stunned by his words.
Wait, is Klein possessed by another soul?!
Her shocked expression was so clear that it almost made Klein laugh.
"I'm Laurens. No last name." After recovering from her surprise, she gave her name in this world.
Klein nodded and responded, "Klein Moretti. That's my identity in this world."
He didn't tell her about his name from the modern world either.
"Since it's so late, how about we meet another time? How can I contact you?" Klein took the initiative, a change from his previous passive attitude.
Laurens looked at him in confusion but replied, "Just come here if I happen to be around, or leave a message to this restaurant boss who will contact me and we will meet in the evening." She pointed to the cashier where the restaurant boss was always there.
Laurens implied that she could only meet him at night, specifically off-stage since most of the plot happened during the day.
"Okay, but don't you want to know how to contact me? Do you already know where I live?" It was purely out of curiosity. Klein didn't intend to suspect her of having hidden motives. Even if that were true, Klein still had Nighthawks backing him up.
There was no point in lying, so Laurens nodded. "Don't worry, I'll protect your family too."
Whatever the reason for protecting his siblings, Klein was surprised by her statement. Instead of saying she wouldn't harm them, the promise to protect them had a stronger impact.
"Alright." His demeanor softened as he finished his coffee and stood up from his seat. "See you next time."
Laurens smiled, waving at him enthusiastically. "Okay, see you."
***