Chapter 57 - Unexpected Visit

After my reunion with my boss, I'd say things went back to normal. He didn't ask me anything about the missing people, but knowing that some of them hadn't returned, I'm sure he has an idea of what happened.

Sure, I don't expect him to imagine giant bees or sloths capable of launching ice attacks, but anyway, I didn't need to explain myself. It's not that I didn't want to talk about it; if he asked, I'd definitely tell him. Either way, I wasn't trying to hide what happened in that place.

Before I knew it, the last customer had already left, and we were about to lock up to go home. Although I'd have to go back to that place soon, this moment brought a sense of calm and tranquility. It was as if what happened there was nothing more than a nightmare.

"We're done for today, Noah. You can head home now"

As my thoughts wandered, my boss's voice echoed through the place, catching my attention. Turning around, there he was behind the counter, wiping some glasses. Although it wasn't new, the speed at which he cleaned them still surprised me.

"Alright, thanks for taking me back, sir" I said, leaning slightly forward.

"Hahaha, no problem, kid. You're hardworking and earned my trust. You're just reaping what you've sown" he replied with a youthful smile, completely inappropriate for his age.

A smirk formed on my face upon hearing that, but it soon faded when my boss suddenly placed both hands on my shoulders.

"Putting that aside, what did we talk about earlier regarding calling me "sir"?" he asked, smiling.

Although his face was smiling, his eyes told a different story, reminding me: my boss hated being called "sir" as it associated him with old age. Weird, I know. Technically, he's older, but he still maintains his youthful spirit. That's why he hated it when young people like me treated him with so much formality.

After this brief incident, I left the restaurant and headed to the place where I would catch the train back home. Speaking of which, my boss lives above the café. Actually, while downstairs is the café, upstairs is his home. That's usually why I don't help him clean up the place completely.

Anyway, my journey home was uneventful. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and since I started working at the café, nothing really extraordinary has happened. My town itself doesn't experience many crime spikes, being safe enough for late-night walks with little concern. However, it's still not recommended for women to do the same.

Minutes later, I spotted our house, where my sister and I lived. It was probably past 11:30, or maybe a little earlier. That was the usual time I got home from work. By this time, Ruby was already asleep, so we barely interacted when I came back from work.

My thoughts were interrupted as I passed under a streetlight, right next to my house. I was a little perplexed because I was sure it would still take about five minutes to reach the front door. Was I so distracted that I didn't even notice how close I was? Although strange, I decided to set aside this incident and continue on my way.

Upon opening the door, I was surprised to notice that the lights were still on. Raising an eyebrow, I headed to the living room, and to my surprise, I found Ruby there, about to start eating. Steam was still rising from her food, indicating that she probably had heated it up recently.

"Brother?" Ruby said, looking at me with an expression of even greater surprise than mine.

"I thought you'd already be asleep. It must be midnight now" I remarked, surprised to see her still awake.

Upon hearing my words, Ruby seemed even more surprised. Then, she let out a brief sigh before turning her gaze back to me.

"Brother... it's only 10:40..." Ruby commented, staring at me.

"..."

I won't lie, I was completely at a loss for how to react to that. I usually leave work around 8:30 p.m. Considering I take the train, I would typically get to our neighborhood around 10:30 p.m. How on earth did I manage to be an hour ahead?.

While I was absorbed in my thoughts, Ruby continued to stare at me. Suddenly, pulling me out of my reverie, she asked a question.

"Brother, did you do anything out of the ordinary today?" she asked.

"Not that I recall... I just left work, took the train, and came home as I would normally" I replied honestly.

"Did you notice anything strange on your way back home?" she asked, continuing her interrogation.

Even with her question, I hadn't noticed anything different. As I reflected on it, something came to mind: when I was near home, I realized it would usually take another five minutes, but in the blink of an eye, I was already there. I decided to tell Ruby about it, and once again, a brief sigh escaped her lips.

"You probably used your powers unconsciously while lost in thought. I hope no one saw you. If someone noticed, we might expect the police at our house tomorrow" Ruby replied.

Although I took her words lightly, something made me believe she was serious. Anyway, despite it not being intentional, the result was satisfying. I finally got to have dinner with Ruby after a long time. Moreover, we still had free time afterward, so we played together for a while.

With that, Ruby and I went to bed with smiles on our faces. The next day, something strange happened as I walked toward the college: there was an unusual gathering in front of the entrance gate.

"Who could it be? I don't remember seeing a girl as beautiful as her in our college" remarked some random person in the crowd.

"I don't know, I've never seen her either. Is she a freshman?" his friend replied.

I'm not usually one for gossip, but with so many people gathered, my curiosity was piqued. Approaching a point where I could see better what was happening, I was surprised to find out that the freshman everyone was talking about was none other than Ellen.