Office Romance with a Werewolf - Chapter 147

“Ugh! Why can’t I open my eyes?” Ranz rubbed his eyes and forced them to open, but his eyelid was as if it was glued. He has complete control over his movements, and the only thing he can not control is opening his eyes to see what is going on.

“Yes, yes!”

“We will do what you said!”

“We are really sorry!”

“Thank you!”

Ranz could only hear what the werewolves were saying, but the words of the person that they were talking to were muted. He wonders how the werewolves and the one they call “goddess” communicate and understand each other.

After a few minutes of being blind, the bright light finally left his eyes, and he could now open his eye lids.

“W-what happened?” Ranz asked his former pack members because the werewolves from the other pack were now gone, as if they had run away.

The former pack members didn’t respond to him immediately, as if they were still in a daze, until one of them walked forward and handed him a silver-colored piece of paper.

“What is this?”

“The goddess told us to give this to our pack leader.”

“Am I the pack leader?” Ranz responded by lifting one of his eyebrows. This is one thing he really has a hard time fixing for the pack because they always compare him with Wendell in terms of leadership. Ranz has no plan to take the pack’s leadership because, in terms of love and loyalty, Wendell is much greater than Ranz. If only the pack members would realize it.

“No, sir.” The former pack member still held out the silver paper.

“Then give that to Wendell. I’ll call him, so don’t leave this place.”

Ranz pushed the werewolf on its shoulder, then he passed through the group and left the abandoned building.

The former pack members just stood up inside the dark, gloomy building while reflecting on their action of leaving the pack. The unknown goddess that appeared in front of them scolded them for leaving and asked them to reflect.

What they worry more about is how they will face Wendell again.

“What was his number again?” Ranz tries to recall Wendell’s number. He hadn’t saved Wendell’s number yet to his new purchased phone because he already had Wendell’s number memorized. Wendell and Ranz had been helping each other for such a long time that they had already memorized each other’s numbers.

“Hello? Is this Wendell?” Ranz asked after Wendell answered his call and noticed the tired voice of Wendell.

“Yes, why?”

“You can’t recognize my voice?” Ranz waited for Wendell to realise that it was him.

“R-ranz?”

“Yup, how are you doing?”

“You bastard! You need to fucking get your ass here!” Wendell angrily shouted into his phone. He had been waiting for Ranz to help him. Although he was frustrated, he was somewhat relieved after hearing Ranz’s call.

“You seem to be doing well.” Ranz made a short chuckle to annoy Wendell more. “Anyway, the pack’s future guardian left a letter for you. Pick it up at the abandoned building near the substation. The former pack members are the ones holding the letter.”

“W-what? Why? What happened?”

“I have something else to do. Ask for the details from the former pack members. Bye.” Ranz didn’t wait for Wendell to respond and ended the call.

The first thing he wanted to do was look for Nida. He wondered why she suddenly disappeared or if Nida really abandoned him in the middle of a life-or-death situation. Ranz couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“Why is she?” Ranz couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. Nida is enjoying snacking and drinking tea at one of the food stalls back in the substation.

“Nida!” Ranz loudly called out Nida’s name, to which she responded with a smile and a huge wave of her hand.

“How’s your talk with the werewolves?” Nida casually asked, as if nothing major had happened.

“Nida, did you just leave me behind? I thought you promised to protect us. Why did you suddenly leave? I thought I was about to d-.” Ranz couldn’t continue his grumbling when Nida shoved one slice of cake into Ranz’s mouth.

“I summoned the goddess. What else could go wrong? Don’t worry, I won’t break my promise.” Nida stated, reluctantly, as she resumed snacking.

“Y-you did?” Ranz feels guilty about getting unreasonably angry. “I am sorry.”

“Hey, shouldn’t you be thanking me instead of apologizing?” Nida’s face remained cheerful, and she even ordered Ranz’s food and motioned for him to take a bite.

“Oh! Thank you. I am sorry for getting angry.”

“You’re apologizing again.” Nida brushed her finger across Ranz’s face as he apologized again.

“Ah yes, sorry. Ah! opps.”

The two chuckled after hearing that Ranz couldn’t help but apologize.

“Anyway, Nida Why do you have to hide and leave? You can stay with me though.” Ranz asked why she needed to hide. If Nida summons the goddess in front of the other, her status as a priestess will go up.

“I don’t have any intention of becoming a full-pledged priestess. I don’t want to tell the world that I am a priestess.” Nida explained while rolling her eyes.

“But Ranz, now that I think about it, you and Randell are really identical.” Nida instantly changed the topic because she didn’t want to talk about her priesthood and powers. She opened up about Ranz and Randell because it’s the only topic she knew Ranz would respond to willingly.

“Suddenly? Of course, because we used to be one.” Ranz didn’t suspect that Nida was dodging the first topic and dove into the new topic.

“You know what, I actually wrote down the difference between you two, and I am surprised that I had listed some even if you two are almost perfectly identical!” Nida took out a piece of paper from her pocket, and Ranz looked at it curiously.

“You wrote this much?” Ranz was surprised that Nida knew a lot of them that she managed to create such a note. This much effort requires thorough observation, and that makes Ranz feel touched and happy by just knowing that Nida is watching them and has an interest in their being.

“Yep! Since we first met, you loved wearing cologne. Until now, right now, you’re wearing baby cologne.” Nida sniffed at Ranz before she continued. “You loved wearing baby cologne until now, but Randell changed to perfume after you got your own body.”

“Ah, I have a werewolf’s nose, and it’s sensitive to smell, so I asked Randell to keep wearing baby cologne, because it doesn’t hurt my nose.”

“Then Randell is fine to smell perfume now.”

“Maybe because he loves strong smells.”

“Then how about drinking dark coffee? Whose taste was that?” Nida asked curiously. She’s gradually figuring out who he’s been spending her time with. For Nida, it was only from one person, and knowing that Ranz and Randell occasionally switched each other makes her feel confused about whom she spent that peaceful and lovely day before.

She can’t even think of their past happy memories as such a nice thing to remember because she needs to solve a puzzle first to know who she is with at that moment.

“We both love coffee, but I love it brewed and black, while Randell loves it with milk and mixed with other things.”

“Oh, that’s interesting. So both of you are really two different person.” Nida nods her head.

“Of course, we are.”

“Then help me, Ranz.” Nida stopped snacking and seriously looked at Ranz.

“Help you with what?” Ranz asked instead.

“Help me differentiate the two of you. Make me like you more.” Nida said this with a smile, but Ranz knew that this time Nida was not only teasing him; he could see the honesty and seriousness within Nida’s brown eyes.

“What do you mean to make you like me more?” Ranz repeated Nida’s words, as he was having a hard time sinking them into his mind. Ranz thought about why Nida would say that. He thought Nida had lost her interest in him romantically after all that happened. Ranz was just contented with staying at her side, and never thought that a chance like this would come. He thought, “Am I even allowed to cross the line again?”

Ranz used to be so confident in every task he did, but he knew he was not sure anymore if his actions and decisions were going the right way.

“I am liking you, again. Am I not allowed to do so?” Nida timidly replied. She cut off staring at Ranz’s eyes and chose to look at the crowd at the substation. She feels like she’s forgetting how to breathe as she waits for Ranz’s response to her sudden confession. But Ranz remained silent.

“Am I ahead of myself?” Nida thought inwardly as she slightly regretted what she said.

“Nida, I am…” Ranz took his time to say his words, while Nida had all her ears open anticipating his answer, but suddenly, Wendell appeared in between them.

“Ranz, you were just here.” Wendell greeted Ranz, clueless about the situation.

Bang!

“You may continue what you were saying, Ranz.” Nida casually said, while dusting her hand.

“D-did you just send Wendell flying?”