I'm on my way home thinking about what happened this morning. I still cannot believe the circumstances in which I'm involved. Everything seems so unrealistic. Starting with those girls. How are you super smart but have no confidence at all? Is that even possible? And their personalities seem to be weird, well I don’t know them, so I can't exactly tell what type of person they are. Still, If I have to work with them, I guess I will need to know more about them, or at least understand them a little bit more, that will make everything easier. I also want to see how smart they are, I want to make sure they are as smart as Bernard says. But it seems like they don't want to be near me, so it is going to be difficult.

As I walk down the street, I notice two familiar figures getting out of a store. I continue forward until the two figures stop at a traffic light. I get closer and the figures start to take form, it is Yuki and Lucy.

In an act of reflex, I hid behind a lamppost. I don’t know why I am hiding. It should be fine if they see me, right? Not that I did something wrong.

As I was wondering why I hid. Some old lady that was walking in the street in front looked at me suspiciously, she obviously thought I was a weirdo. And I don’t blame her, because I am literally behind a lamppost looking at two girls.

Their house must be in the same direction as mine, that’s why we walk the same path. Yeah, that must be it, definitely.

I stopped hiding and decided to just walk normally. As I continued my way home, I could still see them in front of me. I was walking slowly, to maintain the distance, until they turned another way, and we went our separate paths, but they never did.

After a couple of minutes walking, I lost sight of them on a turning block.

I sighed in relief; Finally, our ways were separate and in the right moment, I was just in front of my apartment.

I walked up the stairs and before I could reach my floor, I saw Yuki and Lucy, waiting in front of the stairs. Yuki was leaning on the wall, and Lucy was standing up with her arms crossed.

“Hi dumb guy” Lucy said to me.

“Whaa-” I took a few steps back in surprise.

What are they doing here? Is this an ambush? Were they waiting for me? But how did they know where I live?

“Why are you following us?” she asked me, with an angry look (her normal look).

“N- no, I wasn’t following you, I-”.

“Liar, I saw you before. You were looking at us, hiding behind a lamppost” Yuki said.

“W- well... that was... that...” I have no excuse. My stupid act earlier has sentenced me. How can I explain that? There is no reasonable way, still, I need to do something. I don't want to be classified as a stalker or something worse. I have already made a bad impression; I can’t let it get worse.

“So?!” The girls stare at me intensely.

“Well, I did hide from you. But I did because I was surprised to see you. I wasn’t following you or anything, I actually live here” I try to deny the accusation.

“I don't believe you” Yuki said.

“Are you a stalker?” asked Lucy.

“No, I'm not a stalker” I have already been marked as a stalker.

“Are you sure?” Yuki got close, really, really close. Her face is two inches away from mine. Her emotionless cute face makes my heart pound really fast. This is dangerous.

“I’m more than sure” I backed off.

“I am not buying it. I'll call the police” Lucy got her phone out.

“Wait! Wait! I'm telling the truth!" They aren't believing me, and I don’t know how to get out of this situation. Calling the cops?! That is crazy, although I guess if someone did stalk you, it is a good idea to call the cops. But since I wasn’t doing such a thing, this is bad.

Just when I was getting ready to face jail time, a door opened.

“Chris? Is that you?” Emmi asked, poking out her head from the apartment’s door. She must have heard all the commotion.

“Oh, Emmi my savior” I ran towards my apartment.

“Careful little girl, that guy is a stalker”.

“Chris? No way. He can be stupid, but he is no stalker” Emmi defended me, in her own way.

“Do you know this guy?” asked Lucy.

“Yeah, he is my brother” although it isn't accurate. I don't really mind. I also see her as my little sister.

“See!! I told you I live here” I said hiding behind Emmi.

“Mmm, I see”.

“Are you, his girlfriend?” Emmi asked her suddenly.

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“Emmi?!”.

“Unfortunately for him. I don’t stand him”.

“As if someone would want you as their girlfriend, when you can’t even take care of a pen!” I responded in an impulse.

“Huh?! Did you say something?” Lucy’s eyes turned on fire, I could see the bloodlust surrounding her.

“Nothing…” I shrunk behind Emmi.

“So, are you?” Emmi turned to Yuki.

“Only thinking about it disgust me” she said, showing no expression as always.

That was a way more hurting response than Lucy’s. Either way, no one would want to go out with this little devil who can drink a twelve-ounce bottle of milkshake in less than a second. Of course I would love to say it to her face, but I have learned my lesson, and I prefer to not make things worse.

“Auch!” I suddenly feel immense pain in my ankle. I realized Yuki had kicked me. When did she get so close?

“Why?!”.

“You were thinking bad things about me just now, weren't you?”.

“How did you know?!”.

Oh shit…

“AUCH!” another strike is delivered to my ankle. I dug my own grave.

“So, you are still girlfriendless?” Emmi looked at me with pity eyes. I feel like I'm being made fun of right now. But Emmi is at that age where she would say hurtful things without noticing it.

“What's gotten into you so suddenly?”.

“Well, it is the first time I see you talking with a girl other than me and Jane” She didn’t have to expose me like that.

“I’m getting worried”.

“Guh-” Sorry for being a useless antisocial brother.

“W-well, I'll be going now” I stretched my hand to the knob of the door to put an end to this humiliating conversation.

“But, what a coincidence” said Lucy, stopping me mid-way “We are neighbors”.

She said what?! Neighbors?!

“Eh? Really?” I asked, trying to act normal.

“The thirty-four" she said pointing at the apartment to my left.

“Oh, right next to me, what a coincidence…” I said, trying to smile.

It’s true that because we just moved in a few days ago we haven’t met the neighbors yet. Janes said she would go over the weekend. But to think Lucy was one of them… I can’t believe my day. What else is missing? Yuki saying she is also my neighbor?

“Mm, yeah certainly what a coincidence”.

I look at Yuki instantly.

Oh no…

“Mine is thirty-six" Yuki said standing in front of her apartment door which was next to mine.

What is the possibility of this happening?! I am neighbors with these two?! Am I really going to live in between two beauties?! Is it right for me to feel excited? I have mixed feelings here. I don't know if this is good or bad luck.

“Haha, who would have thought?” I laughed so as not to cry.

Everything feels so unrealistic. It's like it is being orchestrated by a supreme being.

Well, I should look at it in a good way. Having them this close means there are more opportunities for me to get on their good side. I don't think it is going to be easy but, guess I owe Bernard enough for me to try to get their help.

“We will let the stalker thing pass for now” Lucy said walking to her apartment “But I hope I never catch you spying on us again” she gives me a warning look while searching in her pockets.

“Yes!” I confirmed to her that it would never happen again. I was able to escape the accusations, so before they changed their minds, I started to enter my apartment. Suddenly Lucy started to search abruptly in her pockets until she just stopped and hit her door with her head smoothly.

“W- what is it?” I asked in surprise.

“I lost my keys” she said in embarrassment.

Her ability to lose things is unbelievable.

“And my parents are out”.

“When are they coming back?” I asked.

“In a few hours”.

“How careless of you Lucy” Yuki said while searching in her pockets “You can stay at my place until your parents arrive”.

“Well then…” as I was about to close my door, I heard the familiar sound of a head hitting a door.

There is no way…

I picked my head out to see what happened.

“What a blunder” said Yuki. “I forgot my keys inside, and my parents are going to come late today”.

“What are we going to do now?” asked Lucy.

“I don’t know”.

They both looked at each other dumbfounded. These smart girls can be very stupid sometimes, even for me. I guess their only option is to wait until their parents get back home.

“You can come in!” Emmi suddenly came out behind me. I completely forgot she was here.

“What?!”.

“We can't leave them here; they are our neighbors. They are also your friends, right?”.

“Arg!”.

She really thinks those two are my friends? Did that whole interaction we had showed that we are on good terms? I don’t think so. I would say they see me more like a piece of trash than a human being.

Well, more or less, Emmi is right. We can’t just leave them here, and I could use this chance to show them I'm not the type of person they think I am. At least I am not that bad.

“Emmi, right?” Lucy walked towards Emmi “It's okay, we don’t want to bother”.

“Yeah, we are going to be okay” Yuki added.

“Please come in. I have this new game I just got that I wanted to play. But since Chris is always studying, he can’t play with me, even though he never progresses…”.

“Hey!”.

“We would not like to disturb you or your family Emmi” Yuki approached Emmi too.

“So, you guys don’t want to play with me?” Emmi pleaded to them with sad eyes.

“Eh?! No! No! That is not what we meant…" They both state at Emmi with a hesitating look.

Sometimes it scares me how good Emmi is at making people do whatever she wants.

“Sorry Emmi seems like they don't want to play with you?”.

“That's not wha-”.

Emmi started to make some sobbing noises, delivering the final blow to the girls.

“W-we will love to go and play with you”.

“Certainly, it will be a pleasure to see your new video game”.

“Wahoo!” Emmi changed her sad look for a happy one in an instant.

Lucy and Yuki look at me like they are waiting for my approval.

“Please come in” I step aside and open the door fully for them.

“Are you sure?” Lucy asked.

“Yes, I am”.

I didn’t expect this turn of events, but there is nothing I can do about it. For now, I will try to act more friendly towards them. It is my chance to make a good impression.