After parting with Judy I headed right home. First I ascertained that the ninja maids have once again cleaned up the place and stocked the fridge in my absence. Once I checked everything and made notes of the number of different food items in the fridge and in the cupboards for the sake of future experiments with this 'restocking' phenomenon, I returned to my room for a fresh change of clothes. After a quick shower and a bit of evening snack, I decided I was mentally ready for making the call.

As such, I fished out Mystery Girl X's phone from my bag and sat down on the comfy sofa in the living room. I undid the simple key-lock on the phone (which, since this was a smartphone, was more of a 'screen-lock', but let's not get bogged down by semantics) and quickly browsed through the contact list. There were actually only a handful of numbers stored and only one that caught my interest, but that one did so big time. It read *My Esteemed Elder Brother*. Well, that either had to be so tongue-in-cheek that it broke through the skin, or someone was trying to translate an idiom. Either way, after some hesitation I decided to press the dial button.

The phone on the other side only rang twice before a snappy male voice picked it up.

"What is it?"

Hearing the flippant tone suddenly made my brows furrow in irritation. Just why was I getting so easily irritated today? Or better yet, where did all of these infuriating people come from? Anyways, I cleared my through and answered, "Well, hello there," with mock joviality.

There was a brief but heavy silence on the line.

"Who is this?" The man finally spoke up, his voice lowered into a threatening glower.

"Exactly what I wanted to ask, though I suppose it doesn't really matter," I answered in a calm and in no way condescending or purposefully annoying voice. "You see, I had a run-in with your sister today and she lost her phone in the process. She should know who I am, please tell her to come and talk to me next time she's skulking around."

I could hear some commotion in the background and a moment later the voice in the phone gained a quality that I could only describe as ‘velvety', but I couldn't help but feel it was just masking a pool of industrial-strength smugness underneath.

"Speak of the devil. It seems my dear sister has just come home. Do you wish to talk to her?"

"Might as well," I told him with a shrug, though of course he couldn't see that. After a few seconds more a familiar voice wormed its way into my ear.

"Hello, sugar."

It was indeed Mystery Girl X, and her voice sounded as husky and suggestive as ever. I took a huge breath and sighed loudly enough so that she could hear it too on the other end of the line.

"I told you to drop the vamp act, didn't I?"

"I'm not...! I mean..." She pointedly cleared her throat and returned to her seductive purr. "I knew you would miss me, but to take my phone just so I would meet you again? What a naughty boy."

"Excuse me? You dropped your phone during the tackle."

"No need to be so defensive, sugar. I understand you perfectly. If you cannot wait, I guess I have no choice but to oblige."

"No, actually I—" I paused and a sudden thought came to me. "Wait, are you perchance putting up a show in front of your brother?"

"In the park, you say? Under the night skies? How naughty!"

I sighed again.

"Okay, just for the record, could you say a total non-sequitur just so that I can be sure?"

"Butter? Kinky."

I rubbed my forehead to stifle a chuckle.

"So you are putting up a show. Got it. You said something about the park, does this mean you want to meet me tonight?"

"Calm down, stallion. I need at least an hour to get ready. In the meantime think about me, it will make it all the better."

"So, at the park, in an hour? Where exactly in the park?" She didn't answer, so I ventured a suggestion. "How about the large information board by the gates with the rose bushes?"

"Oh, you know I love when you talk dirty, but everything has its time and place. Very well though, I think we might try what you suggest anyway. See you soon."

She put the phone down and I finally let the tension escape my shoulders. I was glad she agreed to meet me at the board, as that was the only part of the community park I actually knew. Speaking of which, since I had an hour to waste and got reminded of geography, I decided I might as well actually check a map before I forget it again.

With that rationale in mind, I briskly walked up the stairs and plopped down in front of my computer. I fired up my browser, clicked in the search bar, and then promptly froze.

"I don't even know the name of this place!" I muttered angrily, but then I had a different idea. "What if I search for the school? There cannot be many ‘Blue Cherry Highs' out there..."

I did just that, and to my eminent satisfaction, I could find my school on the first page of the search results. After that, it only took a little digging to get an address, and once I put that into the online map...

"The hell...? I'm living on an island?"

According to the map, that was the case indeed. It appeared that Blue Cherry High, and consequently I, was situated on the island of Critias in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. A small-ish island by any measure, with only a capital city, a couple of small towns around the coast, and a smattering of villages further inland. By the way, this town's name was apparently ‘Timaeus'.

"Timaeus and Critias? That sounds familiar..."

I typed those keywords into my search bar, and it turned out my initial hunch was right.

"Two books in Plato's dialogs that talk about the mythical Atlantis... and this is an island in the middle of the Atlantic. Someone thought they were clever. Or at least I hope it's not a prediction."

It was around this time that I noticed that nearly half an hour had passed. I spent more time searching than I thought. I clicked my tongue and closed my browser. I needed at least twenty minutes to get to the park on foot, so if I wanted to arrive on time I had to leave soon. I threw a thicker coat on my back (it was well past seven at this point and the evening breeze was getting a little chilly), slid the lost phone into my pocket, and left the house at a non-hurried pace.

Since I had nothing better to do on the way, I let my thoughts wander a bit, but they inevitably kept coming back to the same topic: just what exactly was the deal with Judy and the princess? I mean, my current theory was that this word operated on the logic of some kind of romance narrative, so I was already on the lookout for such developments, but I would've had to be blind not to notice the princess's tsundere tendencies getting aimed at me, or Judy's small signs of jealousy and clumsy hints of interest. It was a little troubling, honestly.

On one hand, Judy is, or rather was, a generic placeholder who rapidly developed into something else. I still had no idea about how that happened or worked, and to be frank, the way she went from a background extra to a full-fledged person raised a couple of alarms about the nature of free will in this world. More importantly, she was obviously attached to me, but it was possible she simply imprinted on me as the person who jolted her out of her placeholder routine, and she would lose interest as her personality and relationships got more defined over time. Returning her interest at this point would have been taking advantage of her state of mind, but I certainly didn't dislike her, even if she was a handful at times, so who knew where we could end up down the line.

As for the latter, Elly was supposed to be part of Josh's entourage. Not even that, but by the tropey logic of the genre, she was supposed to be the default winner on the relationship tug-of-war as the new girl shaking up the status quo. My embarrassing misunderstanding apparently derailed her a little, so I had to do my best to try and correct my mistake, and not showing any interest was the first step in that direction. Trying to play chaperone was the second, though I had to be careful not to overdo it and step on the toes of the other girls.

In short, I figured it was best to take things slow with those two and keep a professional distance. While their attention was flattering, I really didn't have the time to get bogged down in romantic shenanigans when there was still so much to discover about literally everything. Not to mention, there was still a small chance that I was horribly misreading their intentions due to my preconceived notions about the world we lived in, and this whole dilemma was moot from the beginning.

Anyhow, while I was pondering about these things, somehow I still managed to get to the park a good ten minutes before the time we agreed upon, so I circled the place a few times to familiarize myself with the area. The play of starlight amongst the reddening leaves of the large oaks overhead looked surprisingly pretty, and I even spent a few minutes just staring at them by a public fountain. At last, roughly five minutes before the one-hour mark, I headed for the actual meeting point, only to find Mystery Girl X coming from the opposite direction.

By chance, the two of us reached the huge information board at the same time and I nearly grimaced when I took a closer look at her. She was wearing a low-cut, sleeveless red blouse, a dark miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and a pair of high heels. On an even closer look, I could also see a good amount of makeup on her face, as well as a random assortment of necklaces, bangles, and other jewelry. The only two constant things about her apparel were her hair beads and the silver choker around her neck.

"Ooooh, punctual. I like that in a man," she spoke in a low voice as she tried her best to walk towards me in a sexy strut, but she either wasn't used to high-heels or she just hasn't mastered the technique yet, as she looked more clumsy than alluring. All in all, I couldn't reign in my frustration any longer and buried my head in my hand, taking her aback to the point where she froze on her tracks.

"Seriously now," I griped between my fingers. "Just how many times do I have to tell you to drop the act?"

"I'm—" she started to speak but I interrupted her with a scoff.

"And if we are at that, are you serious about those clothes?" She only looked at me sheepishly, so I shook my head in frustration. "It's not the summer anymore. At this rate, you are going to catch a cold!" I fumed angrily for a second or two longer before I decided what to do. "Okay, you stay here. Or better yet, there is a row of benches over there. It's under a wall, so it should be protected from the wind. I will be with you shortly."

I didn't wait for her to answer, but instead I took off while blessing my foresight of scouting out the place just a few minutes prior. When I returned a short while later, I found her sitting on one of the benches I indicated, with her legs gathered under herself in a pose that would have looked demure on any other girl, but with her outfit it seemed mismatched as all hell. She looked up at me uncertainly as I got near and I handed her one of the paper cups I had in my hand.

"I didn't know how you liked yours, but I figured you were a latte-person."

She reached out timidly and took the cup from me, then let out a small hiss as she slackened her fingers around it.

"It's hot!"

"Of course it is; that's why I bought it. Drink it slowly, don't burn your tongue."

She gave me a sheepish nod and took a small sip. In the meantime, I sat down beside her and she shuddered, giving me a suspicious sideways glance.

"How is it?"

"It's... tasty." She hesitated for a moment, but at last she took a deep breath and added a barely audible, "Thank you."

"You are welcome," I told her with a smile and took a sip from my cup. I wasn't really a coffee person, so mine had even more sugar and milk than hers, yet I still jolted from the slightly bitter aftertaste. "Needs more sugar."

The under-dressed girl at my side was still looking at me with an expression that was dancing on the borderline between being apprehensive and curious. She didn't seem like she was about to speak up, so I decided to break the ice.

"Is there something on my face?" I asked her, and she shook her head so hard she almost let some of her drink spill.

"Awawa! Sorry, I didn't mean to stare!"

"Uh... No problem, I suppose."

"It's just that... I... I don't know..."

"What?"

"... Why are you nice to me?"

The question took me by surprise so much that I even forgot to shudder on my next sip of coffee.

"What do you mean? Do I have a reason not to be?"

"I... wouldn't know?" She gave me a timid look before asking, "Could it be that you... fell madly in love with me on our first meeting?"

I blinked at her and then let out a sigh a Hindu universe-exhaling deity could envy.

"Here we go again. What is wrong with everyone today?"

"I'm sorry..." the girl apologized and I could only shake my head.

"No need, it's not your fault. It's just that... well, today's been hectic and I'm a little tired of these kinds of questions." I took a deep breath to clear my head and flashed a smile at her. "Anyways, I don't think we have been properly introduced yet."

"N-No..."

"I am Leonard Dunning, nice to meet you."

She gave me a tentative nod and answered in a mousy voice.

"I'm Neige Liliam Inanna. The... pleasure is mine."

"Neige? Is that French?"

She nodded.

"It means ‘snow'."

"Really?" I was genuinely interested now. "Because of your hair?" She nodded. "I see... Wait, how did they know you would have white hair? Aren't all babies platinum blond anyway?" Neige only looked at me like she didn't understand what I was getting at, so I waved my hand. "Doesn't matter, I was just thinking aloud."

For the next few seconds we quietly sipped our drinks in a surprisingly comfortable silence.

"So... what happens now?" She finally asked me as she reached the bottom of her cup.

"First, this." With a small flourish, I reached into my pocket and handed her the lost-and-found phone. At first she looked at it like she was afraid to touch it, but at last she tentatively reached for it.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome," I smiled at her reassuringly. The more I talked to her, the more it felt like I was trying to befriend a scared bunny. "As for the other thing we needed to talk about..."

"Yes...?" Suddenly her posture tensed and she looked at me like she was about to bolt.

"Well, I wanted to ask you to please stop stalking Joshua."

Her shoulders immediately drooped like she just heard some bad news she really didn't want to face.

"I... cannot do that."

"Why?"

"Because I need to get close to him to—" She cut herself off and shook her head. "No, I cannot talk about it."

"Okay then. But why do you stalk him?" The look on her face told me that she thought I was senile and she already answered my question.

"I told you, I need to—"

"No, I mean why are you stalking him? Why don't you just talk to him normally?"

"I can't because... I..." She vacillated for a few seconds before she gave me an almost pleading look. "You think I could?"

"Of course you could! Though first, you would have to explain yourself to him properly. You didn't really start off with the right foot, kissing him out of the blue and then trying to kidnap him and all that."

Neige flushed lightly, a sight that was surprising in its small scale. Considering her complexion, her blushing should've been much more noticeable than the ones I have seen on the other girls in my social circle.

"But... But... He has guards! They wouldn't let me close to him like that!"

"Guards? You mean the other girls?" She nodded repeatedly in response. "Well, I suppose they would be apprehensive, but then you just have to do it in a way they couldn't object to it." She looked at me intently, apparently waiting for me to give her actual tips. "Well, for example, there is the option to write him a letter. You could even ask him to talk to you at a secluded place where the other girls wouldn't bother you. I can even cover for you two in that case. Or, if you are really dedicated, you could always transfer to our school, even if only for a little while. Just enough for you two to get acquainted so that you can be friends afterward." It was about this time I noticed Neige was looking at me with wide, unblinking eyes. "Is there a problem?"

"... Why are you helping me?"

I scratched my chin. The truth of the matter was that she just looked so vulnerable that I couldn't help myself, but I naturally had other reasons. Deep and important reasons that were in no way just hasty rationalizations. No sir.

"You see... Let's just say I am seeing the big picture, and I want to make these kinds of transitions as painless and hassle-free as possible."

"I... see." She wanted to say something else, but then her nose suddenly scrunched up, and before I could even blink she let out a cute little sneeze, something I would have expected from a kitten that drank too heartily from the milk-pot. I involuntarily smiled at her and stood up.

"I guess that's as good a signal that we should call it a day as any. We wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

"I'm fine," she protested with a weak, nasal voice. I handed her a tissue. I always had spare paper tissues on me; they are incredibly useful and versatile. The common man's towels. She blew her nose and quietly thanked me again.

"Do you live far from here? Should I call you a taxi?"

"You don't need to..."

By the time she said that I was already in the middle of waving to an empty cab conveniently rolling down the street. The car stopped with a screech of burning rubber and backed up to the walkway. I strode up to the vehicle and Neige followed after me as if by reflex. I opened the back door of the cab and ushered her in. It was a fairly new car with clean seats and a thick plastic shield with a series of small holes separating the front seats from the back and a revolving container set in the middle. It was probably for safety reasons, I surmised. Once she seated herself I moved to the front to talk to the cabbie. He was a middle-aged guy with a well-trimmed beard and a thick accent that I couldn't identify.

"Where to?"

"Ask the lady."

He turned back and looked over Neige. There were a number of different emotions running through his expression, from surprise to suspicion, with a bit of sleaze in-between. In the meantime, she gave him the address, but she spoke so quietly that I could only understand the 87 at the end. The cabbie seemed to understand well enough though, so I gestured to him to lean closer.

"How much will that be?"

The man looked over me, no doubt paying extra attention to my attire and gauging just how much money I could have.

"Well, at this time of day, I reckon about thirty Jen should be enough."

"Fair enough."

With that, I reached into my wallet and handed him thirty Jen in notes, plus about twenty more in change. The man smiled and leaned closer conspiratorially while he counted the money.

"You had a good time with your lady-friend?"

I managed to keep my face stoic and answered, "She is my sister."

"Oh." The man's fingers froze mid-motion.

"She is going through a rebellious phase if you know what I mean."

"I can see that..."

"I didn't want her to walk home like that; who knows what kinds of people could roam the streets at this hour. Could you make sure she gets to her place in one piece?"

Just finishing the counting and appearing very satisfied, the cabbie grinned at me widely, revealing a missing eye-teeth in the process.

"Most certainly, sir. Thank you for your patronage."

"Godspeed."

I looked over at Neige, who appeared to be eyeing us suspiciously, though I was sure she couldn't actually hear our whispers from the back seat. I moved to her side and knocked on the glass. After some stumbling and ineffectual tugging, she finally managed to get the manual winder turning and she looked at me anxiously through the gap.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to ask you again to think about what I told you. Also, trust me when I say this: The vamp act won't work on Joshua, don't even try it." To be completely honest, I wasn't completely sure my friend would see through it, but that was one of the complications I wanted to nip in the bud.

"I'm not a vamp!" she riposted, raising her voice for the first time.

"If you say so," I smirked at her and began to wave as the cabbie turned the ignition. "Goodbye, Snowy."

She blinked at me, probably not understanding what I said, but after a bit of a slip she waved back, though by then the car was already moving and she was too far away to say her own goodbyes. I watched the taxi get out of sight around a corner and at last, I let my posture slacken. I looked up at the dark sky. By now the night had completely enveloped the town. I put my hands into my pockets and headed home with light steps. A lot of things happened today, I thought to myself as I walked.

Judy collapsing, buying a phone, throwing a birthday party, making a possible new friend (and a possible new enemy)... I could only hope tomorrow would be slightly less hectic. I could really use a breather episode.