Ryu

For a long time, Yuna was sure that she was following Ryu unnoticed.

She knew everything: which café he went to for his morning coffee, the route he took home after work, the books he checked out from the library. This man, about thirty years old, seemed like a mystery to her, one she was obliged to solve.

But one day everything went wrong.

That evening, Yuna noticed Ryu turn into an unfamiliar alley. She hurried after him, trying to stay in the shadows. For a second, he disappeared from view around the corner.

And then he disappeared.

Yuna stopped.

• What?..

Silence.

She took a few more steps forward, trying to figure out where he had gone.

At that moment, someone suddenly covered her mouth with a hand.

The world has turned upside down.

⸻

When Yuna opened her eyes, the car was already moving.

Her hands were bound with plastic zip ties, and she sat in the backseat. The lights of the night city flickered outside the window.

Ryu was behind the wheel.

Calm. Focused.

As if nothing unusual had happened.

“Are you awake?” he asked without turning around.

"WHERE AM I?" Yuna screamed. "Let me go!"

Ryu chuckled.

“It’s funny to hear this from a person who has been following me for seven months.

Yuna froze.

• Where are you from…

• I noticed you in the first month.

Silence.

“No,” she whispered.

• Yes.

He finally looked at her through the rearview mirror.

• At first you hid better.

A chill ran down Yuna's spine.

• Then why didn’t you do anything?

• Because I became interested.

Ryu took a small notebook out of his pocket and threw it on the seat next to him.

Yuna frowned.

Her name was written on the cover.

With trembling hands she opened the first page.

Date.

Time.

Place.

Her schedule.

Next page.

One more entry.

And one more thing.

Hundreds of notes.

Ryu had been watching her the whole time.

No less than she is behind him.

"Do you see the problem?" he asked quietly.

Yuna looked at the recordings, her heart began to beat faster.

— We both thought we were hunting.

Ryu stopped the car at a red light.

And for the first time he smiled for real.

• You shouldn't have gotten involved in this... you're young after all.