When A Ghoul Falls In Love - Volume 1 Chapter 137
The portrait of my father is complete. Millie proposes that we should post it on the internet forums with the nickname ‘Zach’ while Abigail recommends posting the posters all over the city.
Baek Joon Woo thinks that both ideas are good, especially if Zach lives in another city. Someone would recognize him and come to them.
Maisie rubs Oliver’s head and kisses his cheek. The boy blushes hard, batting his eyes as he turns his face toward her when she leans closer to kiss his cheek again. Her lips brush against his lips before she pulls away and scolds him for stealing her kiss in front of everyone.
Everyone laughs except Millie. She shrugs and returns to the computer. Her fingers move on the keyboard with dexterity. I realize something then.
Whether I want to do it or not, I always end up speaking, laughing, and reacting as if I am on autopilot.
What is going on? None of this feels real.
We return to the classroom. Abigail, Samantha, Maisie, and I are in the same class while Baek Joon Woo, Nick, and Millie are in art class. We only share one common class: that is English.
Oliver is a junior. His schedule is completely different from us.
Killian’s seat is next to mine. He greets me politely, and my response is mechanical.
“Are you a fae?” I lean closer to him and whisper. The statistics teacher is scribbling equations on the board. It’s fine as long as the teacher doesn’t notice us talking.
“If I say yes?” Killian whispers back in the same curious tone. “Would you stop being my companion?”
“I heard that fae folks take advantage of people.” I frown at him. “You also…”
I shut my mouth. My mother told me not to acknowledge that he helped me. Baek Joon Woo thinks that running away won’t solve our problems. He wants to get her blessing. His parents will also talk to her.
But I know that she won’t change her mind.
Finding my biological father might work. Maybe she will stop comparing Baek Joon Woo and my biological father.
“If I wanted to take advantage of you, I know plenty of ways since you asked me to get you out of the maze.” He grins slyly. “But I only want your companionship as I am not used to the human world.”
This person is interesting, but I can’t trust him. I pinch my lips together, evaluating him in silence. I did ask him to help me. If my mother’s words were true, he did have many ways to get me indebted to him.
“I won’t hold any debt for helping you get out of the maze. The fae folks don’t lie,” He adds, knitting his brows. He seems offended by my distrust. “You can confirm it with the person who told you about the fae folks.”
He seems to be telling the truth. I let it go, despite a shadow of a purlieu of doubt in my heart.
“We are friends or companions, whatever you meant,” I say to him. “Why are you in the human world?”
“I am looking for someone.” His tone is slightly dismissive; he doesn’t want to talk more about it. “Let’s talk later.”
Killian turns his head toward the board and starts scribbling down on his notebook.
His dark eyes are focused while his pale fingers copy the content on the board.
I wonder why a fae folk is interested in statistics. Do they need to use it in the fae world?
I don’t know much about the fae folks; it’s unlikely that I will find out more about them from my mother because she and I are unlikely to speak civilly.
Something is not right about this: I just have the feeling, although I can’t point my finger on it. I am sure that I was anxious about something before I came to the classroom.
What was it again? I know that it’s not related to my pregnancy or my mother.
After the class is over, I tell Maisie and the others to go to the clubroom without me since I have to give a school tour to him.
“Well, I owe you a school tour,” I tell Killian while we talk toward the library, “though I am sure that you know everything about it already.”
There is no way that someone who can cross a maze won’t figure out the ways of the school.
“Maybe I just want to be your friend.” He chuckles. “What do you like to do in your free time?”
Is he flirting? I decide not to think too much about it. “I like studying in my free time.”
He laughs. “That’s boring.”
“I am a boring person.”
“I doubt it.”
“You don’t know me.” I glance at him. “That’s why you doubt it.”
His eyes twinkle with wonder. “I want to get to know you.”
I don’t want to be a girl who doubts every male’s interests in her. Nick and Oliver are also my friends. Maybe he wants to know me as a friend. “This is the library.”
Five shelves are stacked with outdated books. The library is completely empty except for the old librarian who is reading a newspaper. Only ten large shelves are stacked with books related to the high school curriculum.
In the age of ebooks, students don’t like to come to the library, especially when there are rumours about a library ghost playing pranks on the students.
Our school library is worse than the public library in the city.
“It’s… cosy,” Killian hesitates. “At least, there are books.”
He seems like someone who can’t speak a lie: he did mention that the fae folks aren’t good at lying.
“You can find the reference book here.” I tell him in a low voice, “Come with me. I will show you.”
Killian follows me to the shelf that has books related to statistics. He picks a book and flips through the pages. I wonder where I should take him next.
I have many questions to ask him, but I am not sure how to ask him without getting a debt.
“Old places usually have ghosts,” He murmurs. “There is one behind you.”