Chapter 13

That night, while lying down on his bed inside his room, Ersel kept on thinking of what he needed to do to find out about Lino’s true identity.

[Will eavesdropping on his conversations be enough to know who he really is?] Ersel thought while wearing a serious facial expression. [No...probably not. Even if I hear something, he’d probably deny it if I confront him about it. I have to think of other ways.]

After a few moments of thinking, an idea flashed across his mind.

[I know! How about a voice recording?] Ersel thought with his face looking happy.

Ersel pictured what he would do to try getting a voice record of Lino’s conversation with his friends. Even though he knew that it would not be easy, he thought that it was worth the try.

[Yeah, I think it’s feasible.] Ersel thought with his hand on his chin. [I just have to get my phone close enough to him when recording his voice.]

Then Ersel remembered to tell Van about his plans.

[That’s right! I’ve got to consult Van!] Ersel thought with his mouth open after gasping.

Ersel opened his Android phone and sent this message to Van, who was online, via Messenger: Van, I have thought of a new plan for the Operation ULI.

[That’s great, man! So what’s your plan?] Van replied.

[I’ll be recording his voice using the voice recorder in my phone.] Ersel replied with a smiling emoji.

[And how will you do that?] Van answered.

[I’ll just get my phone close enough to him without letting him notice.] Ersel responded.

[Okay. But do you really think that proof is enough?] Van replied.

[Why? Is that not enough?] Ersel answered.

[We need more concrete evidence other than that.] Van replied.

[Like what?] Ersel replied.

[Like his pictures.] Van answered.

Ersel then realized that Van could be right. If he wanted any concrete proof, then checking Lino’s personal belongings like pictures would give him that.

[You’re right!] Ersel replied with a smiley. [But how will we do that?]

[We should enter his apartment. He resides just near the school, I think.] Van replied.

[Really?! How did you know that he resides just near the school?] Ersel answered.

[I saw him walking by my apartment once. And I saw that he turned towards the direction of the street where there were some other apartments.] Van answered.

[Okay. But do you know where it is?] Ersel asked.

[No. We’ll have to find out about that.] Van replied.

[So are you saying that we must follow him to his apartment?] Ersel asked via Messenger.

[I’ll do it, not you. If you do that, he would most probably recognize you.] Van replied.

[Okay. I’m counting on you. Thanks, Van!] Ersel replied with a smiling emoji.

[No problem, man.] Van replied with a smiling emoji as well.

After turning off his mobile data and putting his Android phone on his desk, Ersel looked through the window and at the stars in the night sky while thinking of Lino.

[Lino, I believe that it’s really you.] Ersel thought while wearing a serious expression on his face. [Van and I will get concrete proof who you really are soon enough. Just you wait!] Ersel thought determinedly.

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The next day, it was already the end of the day, and thus most students were already getting out of the campus to get back home. Ersel and Van were also both on their way home while they were walking through the hall.

"Shall we go home now, Ersel,?" Van asked while wearing a blank facial expression.

"Yeah," Ersel replied directly while looking at Van's eyes. "Why?"

"Don't you want to discuss what we need to do about Lino?" Van asked with his eyes narrowed in seriousness.

Ersel thought for a moment and replied, "Let's discuss about that some other time."

"Okay," Van replied with his usual gentle grin.

Once they were outside, both Ersel and Van spotted Lino talking to his friends and going towards the direction of the gate. Both of them thought that this was their chance to find out where Lino’s house was.

[Looks like our chance has come!] Van and Ersel thought simultaneously while looking at Lino for a distance of several meters.

“Ersel, I’ll go ahead and follow him as we planned,” Van said while making sure that Lino was out of earshot.

Ersel nodded and said, “Okay. Just be careful to not let him see you.”

“Okay then,” Van replied and waved his hand as he went on to follow Lino. “Best of luck to me then. I’ll tell you whatever I find out about him.”

“Thanks!” Ersel replied cheerfully and waved back at Van. “I’m counting on you!”

After waving and smiling back at Ersel, Van proceeded to follow Lino from behind from a distance of several meters to prevent the latter from noticing the former.

[I’ve got to be really careful to not let him notice me.] Van thought while wearing a serious expression on his face. [I can’t let this plan fail!]

Van continued on following Lino until all of the three guys who were with the latter each went their own ways. After several minutes, Lino went on to walk into a subdivision wherein Van believed the former’s apartment was located. Van would occasionally hide behind something big enough for him to not be seen whenever Lino would look behind himself.

Finally, Lino went into an apartment while Van was hiding himself behind a car.

[So this is where he lives.] Van thought while wearing a serious facial expression as he stared at the apartment that Lino entered.

Van then went inside the apartment himself while keeping sure to not let Lino notice the former. Van saw that Lino went up the stairs, so the former followed the latter; they ended up getting to the third floor, wherein Lino took his keys from inside his pocket and used one of them to open a door and get inside his apartment unit.

[Bingo.] Van thought joyfully. [So it’s this apartment unit, huh.]

Van then walked towards the door, opened it a bit, and peeped through the small space. When Van felt sure that Lino wouldn't see the former, he opened the door a little more. Lino was nowhere in sight, but there were noises coming from what Van believed to be the kitchen, implying that the former was cooking some food. There were some shelves and couches in sight as Van peeked through the small space.

[Should I enter now?] Van thought nervously. [Or not? I can’t let him see me.]

At that moment, Van remembered what he told Ersel to find out what the former could about Lino.

[No, this is definitely my chance. I can’t let this chance pass by.] Van thought decidedly and determinedly. [I won’t let Ersel down! It’s now or never!]

At that instant, Van proceeded to enter the apartment unit and walked as quietly as he could. He looked for whatever he could find among the shelves and couches while he had the time. Then Van caught sight of two wristbands on the shelves. He tried to get them, but he heard footsteps approaching from the kitchen, making him quickly hide behind one of the couches.

[Shit!] Van thought nervously as the footsteps approached closer. [It will be fucked up if I get caught!]

Van peeped from behind the couch and saw Lino, who appeared to be looking for something inside the boxes. By some stroke of either luck or fate, Lino was faced backwards from Van, so the latter thought that it would already be his chance to escape.

[This is my chance!] Van thought while he quietly made his way towards the door. [I’ve got to get out of here now!]

Fortunately, Van was able to make it out of the apartment unit without getting caught. After quietly closing the door, Van rested his back against the wall while gasping for air. His heart was beating fast in nervousness while he breathed in and out deeply in the attempt to relax himself.

[That was so close.] Van thought after letting out a sigh of relief. [I thought that I was done for.]

At that moment, Van decided that it was time to give up and just get back home and report to Ersel whatever the former knew.

[This is as far as I go.] Van thought seriously. [Next time, Ersel and I will be coming here together.]

Afterwards, Van took his Android phone from his pocket and sent a message to Ersel, who was offline, via Messenger.

[I know where Lino lives now.] Van sent.