Chapter 59: Shattered Mornings and Shadowed Returns

"Get out! You absolute perv! Get out right now!"

Eleanor’s voice pierced through the thick mist of the small bathroom. Pushed by a sudden wave of panic, her wet hands slammed against Leo’s broad chest, pushing his him away with surprising strength.

"Whoa—sorry! I didn't mean to!" Leo yelped, his own face instantly turning pink. He scrambled backward in complete clumsiness, his boots slipping slightly on the wet floorboards before he shot out of the bathroom entryway and slammed the wooden door shut behind him.

He stood in the center of his apartment, his heart hammering wildly against his ribs as he rubbed the back of his neck. Leo thought, his mind spinning in a chaotic loop. How did a normal morning turn into an absolute disaster?

Nearly ten minutes passed in an excruciating, awkward silence before the bathroom door slowly clicked open.

Eleanor walked out into the room, her long purple hair still slightly damp and hanging softly over her shoulders. She had changed into a set of normal, casual student clothes, but her entire face was still painted in a blush that reached all the way down to her neck. She refused to look Leo in the eyes, her gaze fixed entirely on the floorboards as she nervously twisted the hem of her shirt.

Leo felt his own cheeks burning the moment his eyes tracked her body. He forcefully cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. "Look, Eleanor, about what just happened in there—"

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

A sharp, heavy pounding against the front door violently broke the awkward tension.

Both of them stiffened completely, freezing dead in their tracks. Eleanor’s purple hair flared as she quickly turned her pale face toward Leo, her violet eyes wide with a sudden, intense terror. She rushed forward, grabbing his sleeve in a trembling, breathless whisper. "Oh no... Leo. What if it is them? What if my family's private security guards have finally tracked me to this building?"

"Calm down," Leo whispered back seriously, his eyes locking onto the door before he gently grabbed her hand to stop her shaking. He maintained a grounded focus, guiding her quickly across the floor. "Don't make a single sound. Just hide inside the small utility storage room right now."

Eleanor nodded frantically, stepping inside the cramped closet spaces before Leo quietly pushed the door shut, locking her into absolute invisibility.

He took a deep breath, smoothing down his clothes, walked over to the entryway, and twisted the heavy deadbolt open.

Standing right under the walkway light were Cynthia, Chloe, and Nicole. Leo quickly blinked his eyes, his gaze shifting past their shoulders. Stella isn't here today. He forced an effortless, though slightly hesitating smile. "Hey, What... what brings you all down to my apartment this morning?"

Nicole bit her lower lip, her short chestnut-golden bob shaking as she crossed her arms, a cute pink blush painting her cheeks as her usual tsundere defenses initialized. "What do you mean, you giant dummy?! The university vacation officially starts tomorrow! We need to go to the shopping, did you forget?!"

Chloe immediately surged forward, her eyes carrying a deeply happy, infatuated glow as she aggressively grabbed Leo's left arm, hugging it tightly against her full chest. "Leo! Tell me you didn't forget about our special date day! I've been waiting for this all morning!"

Cynthia offered a soft chuckle, her amber eyes shimmering with pure, gentle warmth as she stepped closer. "We figured you might still be resting, Leo. Don't worry. We can wait."

Leo let out a quiet rumble of a laugh, his nervous tension melting away under their sweet smiles. "Ah, right. I completely forgot about the vacation schedule. Just give me five minutes to change my shirt and grab my wallet, and we can head straight to the plaza."

The women nodded happily, waiting out on the walkway corridor. Leo quickly shut the front door, stepping back over to the dark storage closet. He opened it slightly, looking at Eleanor’s pale face through the shadow lines. "I have to go out with them for a few hours. I am going to lock the main apartment door from the outside. Just stay quiet and be completely safe until I come back home tonight, okay?"

Eleanor offered a small, vulnerable nod, her violet eyes staring into his before he closed the door, walked to the entryway, and locked the deadbolt securely from the outside.

....

The moment they cleared the gate of the residential building, Chloe tightened her grip on Leo's arm, a massive, triumphant grin exploding across her face. "I am honestly so incredibly happy today! That annoying Stella isn't here to ruin our quiet group date!"

Leo offered a casual nod, but as they walked down the avenue blocks, Stella’s serious words from the previous afternoon violently flashed through his mind. There is absolutely no one else who can help us. Leo’s brow furrowed deeply, a heavy, hidden anxiety clouding his thoughts. How am I even supposed to help defeat a monster like Julia? I'm just a normal guy with a bizarre system.

"Leo? Look over here!"

Nicole’s sharp voice violently snapped him out of his anxious thoughts as they stepped inside the massive, brightly lit commercial mall plaza.

The afternoon quickly transformed into an absolute whirlwind of fun.

Nicole dragged him first into a luxury shoe store, her face flushing a deep pink as she tried on a pair of high-heeled summer sandals. She stepped close, her soft shoulder brushing against Leo's arm as she leaned forward to adjust the straps, giving him a breathtaking view of her full curves beneath her top. "Dummy-Leo... tell me the truth, do my legs look attractive in these? Don't you dare look away!" Leo chuckled warmly, patting her head, which only caused her tsundere blush to overload all the way to her ears.

Next, Chloe aggressively yanked him into a vibrant fashion boutique, pulling a low-cut purple summer dress off the rack. She ran straight into the changing stalls, stepping out a minute later with an intensely infatuated smile. She spun on her heel, her soft hips pressing right against Leo's waist as she leaned close, her sweet floral scent filling his senses. "Look, Leo! The purple matches my hair perfectly! Tell me I look the most beautiful!" Leo offered an effortless grin, his large fingers gently adjusting the collar of her dress, making her shiver with delight.

Finally, Senior Cynthia guided him into a quiet, elegant bookstore lounge. As they filtered through the high shelves, they stepped into a private shadow line between the rows. Cynthia turned to face him, her amber eyes shimmering with pure, genuine care. She reached out her delicate hand, her slender fingers sliding smoothly between his to hold his hand tightly. "You seemed a bit stressed this morning, Leo," she whispered sweetly, her face painting itself in a cute, vulnerable blush as she leaned her chest against his arm for comfort. "I hope this little trip is helping you clear your mind." Leo’s fingers tightened over her small, soft hand, his heart warming completely. "Yeah, Cynthia. It really is.

.....

The sun had fully sunk below the horizon, painting the city skyline in deep amber hues. Outside the main transit station, the girls offered a flurry of sweet, blushing goodbye remarks and playful waves before heading down their respective lines back to their homes.

Leo stood alone under the faint glow of the courtyard streetlamps, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he took a slow, relaxed walk back toward his residential building. The long day of slice-of-life dates had successfully cleared the heavy confusion from his head.

He walked up the apartment stairs, pulled out his keys, and twisted the heavy brass deadbolt open, stepping inside his room.

Leo froze completely dead in his tracks, an immediate, chilling wave of panic violently detonating through his entire body. The studio apartment was pitched in absolute, pitch-black darkness. Not a single light was switched on, and a heavy, suffocating silence filled the space.

CLICK.

Leo aggressively reached out his hand, flipping the main wall switch on.

The bright overhead bulb illuminated the room, and Leo’s dark eyes violently contracted in absolute, profound shock.

Sitting flat in the center of the wooden study chair was Eleanor. Her long purple hair was disheveled, her clear glasses knocked onto the carpet, and both of her slender hands were tightly, aggressively tied behind the chair frame with heavy rope. Her violet eyes were wide with pure terror and tears as she looked at him, her voice cracking in a desperate whimper. "Leo...!"

Leo’s gaze whipped toward the center area of his living room.

Sitting completely relaxed on his plush leather couch, their chests puffed out with an elite, terrifying calm, were the two largest black-suit men from the university gate block. One of them carried a dark, knowing smirk on his face as he casually looked up at Leo's tall frame.

"Welcome home, Leo," the suit man murmured in a deep, gravelly voice, locking the boundaries of the room down.