Must not lose them.

That was what had been running on the mind of a high schoolgirl who was following a particular couple. Her targets were ahead of her, walking alongside each other. She kept a safe distance from them and did her best to walk casually for her not to attract attention.

With the crowd flooding this street, to remain unseen was a bit easier for an amateur like her, but to keep track of the couple imposed a problem at the same time.

The couple was a man and a woman. Both looked to be in their youth and if an outsider would look at them, one would think that they were dating each other, which probably was the truth.

The woman was wearing a white glamorous one-piece dress. Her golden blonde hair hung from her head down to her slim waist. She is thin and tall, a frame that resembles a fashion model’s. There was a noble aura coming off each of her actions. The way her arms sways as she walks. The way each time the heels of her sandals hit the paved sidewalk. Her finesse rivals those of the royalties of England. With all of these said, it was impossible not to notice her, but the crowd did not seem to see her at all.

Except for Yana, the female student in her blue school uniform who had been stealthily stalking on them for quite a while now.

Yana is a not-so-tall-and-not-so-short woman for her age. Her cute face is adorned by light make-up. Her chin-length, onyx-black hair freely waved at every movement she makes. Adorable is the word to completely describe her.

Yana had been trailing them since the time she saw them coming out from an arcade center. Yana’s attention was taken by the man who appeared to be someone she knew of. Though Yana had not seen their faces, the man looked familiar to her. Very familiar. He seemed to be a person she was very close to in the past.

“Past, huh?” she muttered under her breath thinking of how long since that ‘past’ was. Her eyes were completely on him. The man who was wearing the male uniform of the school Yana was attending to. He was taller than the woman beside him by two inches or so. But unlike the elegance the woman beside him carries, there was nothing outstanding about him except that shabby hair of his, which Yana recognized very well. “Curse him!”

It was October now, the air was beginning to get colder each day. More so, it was already around eight in the evening, but the coldness of the autumn night did not reach her. She was fuming deep inside. They had just broke up two weeks ago and then, she would see him with another woman. The woman was obviously not Jean, his elder sister, nor was she a mutual friend of theirs. The woman was a complete stranger to Yana.

To think that he was already dating another girl, it set her heart ablaze in fury.

Am I really that easy to be replaced? The very thought irritated her. Thinking about it belittled her self-confidence. At least, let the season change first!

This was the only reason she accepted of why she was here now, stalking on her ex-boyfriend. Completely denying the thought that her actions and decisions were influenced by jealousy. Why should she be jealous? There was no reason for her to be jealous. None at all.

Aside that, something was suspicious about that woman. “There’s no way a woman like her would be interested in Jiro,” she voiced out her thoughts. Yes. The woman beside the guy, Yana was referring to as Jiro, was way out of his league.

The two of them turned to an alley. In response, Yana quickened her pace to catch up. Saying “Excuse me’s” and “I’m sorry’s”, she squeezed her way through the crowd just to reach the point where they had turned. To her utmost surprise, the alley led towards a construction site.

The alley was short but not well-lit. The only source of light were the light bulbs atop the left-open gate of the construction site and the lights from the adjacent street. It was nearly isolated. There was not even a single soul could be seen in this alley. At least it was like that before Yana saw them enter the site through the open gate.

“Was the construction suspended?” she wondered as she entered the same gate where Jiro and his date entered. “But why was the gate left open?”

It was darker inside the construction site. Consequently, Yana took her phone out to serve as a flashlight, setting its backlight to the dimmest so it would not give out her presence immediately.

Hovering her phone around in trying to find traces of them, Yana remained calm, similar to a calm sea before a strong storm arrives.

From how it looked, the incomplete structure stood around thirty feet tall and runs to fifteen feet in length. The first level was the only level that has already a wall built around its perimeter. The rest of the height was made by pillars and platforms framed by sturdy-looking iron poles. Yana assumed the project being done here was an apartment.

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Mountains of sand and gravel were piled up at the east side, assuming she was facing north. Machineries unknown to her were placed on certain areas in front of the raised wall. With all the minutes she had been inside this premises, she did not happen to spot any workers nor the pair she was tailing. It seemed like she lost sight of her quarry.

Do I really need to follow them there? Yana thought looking at the entrance of the incomplete building. She got nothing to do with any of this. She could just turn her back from here, head home, take a warm bath and sleep afterwards. After all, Jiro’s life is his own now. That’s what he wants so he gets it. But…

Yana had decided to continue, defying her own thoughts.

The mess of construction work remained inside. Dusts fled off with each step Yana makes. Letting the particles of dust dance on the spotlight coming from her phone. Shards of glasses and an assortment of sharp small metal pieces were scattered almost everywhere. Yana also spotted some kind of wire hanging from the ceiling. Even a not so smart person could tell this place was not safe to loiter around in the middle of the night.

Yana found out that there were only two ways to reach the higher levels. One was through makeshift ramps and the other one was the gondola, which was located by the right side of the entrance. Since she has no knowledge on how a gondola operates, she took the ramp to reach the second level.

On the second level, lights from the busy street illuminated a bit of the site. Maybe it was that or Yana’s sight has already adjusted to the darkness.

The cold air was blowing here freely as much as it wants. Invited or not. Creating whispering howls to her ear.

*Clank!*

The sound of a metal hitting the floor took her by surprise. Yana looked around frantically, trying to pinpoint the direction of where the sound came from. Then suddenly, something caught her eye.

She had found where they were.

They stood there side by side, near the edge of the second level. Their frames were outlined by the nearby lights.

Yana could only see their silhouettes from where she stands hence she could not tell what they were doing. If they were talking on a normal volume, she would probably hear them, but there was only the sound of her breathing, the howling autumn wind, and the faint noise of the nearby busy street.

She crept closer towards them. As she do so, the taller silhouette moved. It appeared to her like it took a step. Forward.

The action stunned Yana rooting her in place.

“W-w-what a-are y-you doing?” she stammered almost inaudible, not believing her eyes.

They were not facing her. Instead, they were facing the open space with a height of more or less than ten feet. Not a deadly height. But, what lays below? Will it be a safe place to land on? She had no way of knowing, she did not have the time to do so.

Yana completely forgot that she was stalking them, it did not matter now. She walked faster, and shouted aloud, “Jiro! Stop!”

Jiro did not respond, but his companion did.

The woman with the golden hair turned to Yana with a surprise expression, “You! How? How did you —?”

However, Yana was not able to see the stranger’s face clearly. In fact, she was not really paying any attention to her. Yana’s attention was monopolized by the person she once loved.

No. She still loves him. Yana reluctantly admitted this.

She slowly inched closer towards Jiro. She never really wanted to lose him in the first place.

Yana wanted to run towards him, pull him closer — back to her.

Despite that will, her legs betrayed her. It just suddenly felt heavy, as if they were chained to the ground, as if she was running on deep mud. As if someone was hindering her to be with him.

Move! she thought desperately.

A faint glow of red light started to appear around them. Completely encircling them. Whatever it was, Yana did not care. All she care about was to be together with him again. Just one more time.

Jiro took another step then vanished from her sight.

Yana forcefully broke free from the invisible shackles and ran without any second thoughts. Following Jiro on his fall.