"Here's your coffee, sir."
"Thank you." Alan receives a medium cup from a barista and leaves the cafe. He stops and leans on a wall as he sips his coffee. Sizzle! "Mmmmm." He definitely enjoys it. The first time he drank coffee was two years ago. The chocolate aroma with notes of caramel and vanilla always sweetens his tongue. He would drink it when he studied for his exams or when he wanted to stay up late for some reason. He loves it. He loves coffee more than playing games. He loves coffee more than reading novels. He loves coffee more than daydreaming. He loves coffee more than bizarre adventures.
"Hey, Alan!" Speaking of bizarre adventures, Calvin and Aiden show up. "Sorry, we made you wait," Calvin apologized. Alan notices Aiden and Calvin's modest outfits. Alan guesses that one of them will be disguised as one of the people living in the alley.
"No need to apologize; I just got here," Alan confirms while sipping his coffee.
"Ah, I see. Let's go to the market then." They stroll their way to the market, passing through numerous night-light buildings. After several minutes, they arrive at a supermarket named "Gauder Market".
"I'll grab a bench," said Aiden.
"Oh, sure," Calvin replied. It appears that Aiden will be in charge of following Calvin's suspect.
"All right, let's go, Alan. Time to go shopping!" Calvin's enthusiastic cry made Alan wonder whether he was excited about playing detective or if he was excited about shopping. Nevertheless, they enter the supermarket.
The market is crowded with people, mostly adult women. Alan guesses there is a huge discount or buy one, get three deal type of sale going on. Before Alan realizes it, Calvin disappears into the crowd. He feels lonely. Lonely in the sense of being stuck in a wild jungle where predators could see, hear, and smell his every movement. Feeling emotionally drained, Alan decided to wait on the corner, playing with his phone while keeping a lookout. I could relate...
He opens his social media, reading news and memes. As he scrolls through what feels like a hundred times, he finds something that catches his attention. "Three motorcycles and jewelry mysteriously disappeared from the house of an affluent progeny from Corgan. Police suspect that the disappearances are caused by the same robber who stole all watches in the Tempus Shop in Ardon."
Alan doesn't think it is impossible for a robber to steal all the tiny watches in a famous shop. However, stealing three motorcycles and jewelry is unfathomable. An affluent progeny would have high-security technology that not even a veteran agent could break into. Well, that's what Aiden once told him. Alan suspects that the robber works for a criminal organization filled with highly skilled outlaws.
"Hey, Alan!" Calvin approaches Alan with a chocolate bar in his hand.
"You only bought that?" asked Alan.
"I haven't tried this before," Calvin confirms.
"Hmm, suit yourself."
Calvin stands next to Alan as he eats the chocolate bar. "Mmm, not bad." He takes a huge bite. "Still no news from Aiden?" Calvin asks while munching.
"We haven't spotted anyone suspicious. I'm starting to think what we are doing is a waste of time," said Alan.
"But it's worth it, right?" Calvin replies. "We can save a person's life if we get through this." Alan hopes Calvin won't give him a philosophical speech about what's right or wrong. Not that he hates it; it is just heavy on his head.
"Say, Calvin, what do you think is the story behind Eula's disappearance?" Alan changes the direction of their conversation.
A smile spreads across Calvin's face. "I came up with lots of narratives. To conclude, they are ransoms, family issues, and assault."
"Why family issues?"
"The culprit might have lost their child or a relative of Eula Es."
"That sounds like a stretch to me."
"Theories are imaginative before they are supported by evidence."
Alan accepts Calvin's statement. But there is one thing that still bothers him. "Our plan is to follow anyone who looks suspicious, right?"
"Yes," says Calvin candidly.
"How should we judge who is suspicious? What if we follow an innocent person who bought beer or alcohol just to party?" That problem is the main reason why Alan didn't want to join Calvin and Aiden. He doesn't approve of how Calvin operates. But he knows Calvin is more experienced than him, so he is curious about Calvin's answer.
"By observing them, of course."
"Huh?" Calvin's unfazed expression confuses Alan.
"An alcoholic person wouldn't be able to walk normally, and our culprit would wear a specific hood on."
"What do you mean by a specific hood?"
"Hoodies are fairly expensive in Gauder, so someone living in a poor alley couldn't afford them. However, there is one store that sells clothes at a low price, and there is only one type of hoodie."
Alan can see how it connects to the suspect more closely. "But what if they wear a hoodie just because they are unsociable or to hide their low class?"
Calvin stops for a moment, like he didn't think of that. "Then we just apologize."
Ting! A bell of regret slapped Alan. He is completely dumbfounded. His expectations of Calvin have fallen drastically. Calvin knew he was responsible and thoughtful. It seems age has caught up to him, but he didn't expect it to be this soon. He understands that Calvin is a little sentimental and wants to have fun with his juniors. However, that doesn't mean Calvin should let his emotions cloud his judgment."
Wait a minute... That is when Alan realizes. What if the reason Calvin created a clumsy plan was not because he wanted to capture the culprit? But because he just wants to create memories of an adventure with his juniors? He remembered Calvin always invites him, Aiden, Arlo, and Beatrix to a mountain and an amusement park. But he doesn't remember Calvin hanging out with his classmates. Alan wonders if Calvin doesn't have close friends in his generation. He notices Calvin's expression. There is a subtle hint of loneliness there. Alan let out a deep sigh. "As long as you're the one who does the talking, I'm fine."
"That's good enough," Calvin replies with a smile on his face.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Alan feels a vibration on his phone. It's a notification of Aiden's call. Alan picks it up. "You got something?"
"I'm currently following a man in a gray hoodie. He has alcohol in his plastic bag."
Calvin, who hears Aiden, takes Alan's phone. "Are you certain?"
"Positive."
"Where are you?"
"I'm two blocks from the supermarket in the east."
"All right, let's go!" Calvin ends the call and returns the phone to Alan as he exits the supermarket. They scan around as they jog along the streets. Eventually, they find Aiden. They slow down to avoid attracting attention. Calvin reaches out to Aiden and asks, "Hey, is that our guy?"
"Yeah," Aiden replied.
Alan feels bad for the man in a gray hoodie. He must be an innocent person who just wants to drink alcohol. Not that it's a good thing, but the chances of him being Eula's kidnapper are lower than the chances of passing a math exam. "Hey, are you sure it's him?" To Alan's surprise, Calvin repeated his question.
"I'm very sure!" said Aiden. "I saw him go inside with the same hoodie you told me about and go out with a bottle of alcohol."
"Hmm."
Alan notices Calvin's unsure expression. He wonders if he is starting to give up. "What's wrong?" Alan asks out of curiosity.
"I may be wrong, but I think he is-" Calvin suddenly stops.
"He is what?"
"Is he increasing his pace?" Calvin's comment made both Aiden and Alan look at the man in a gray hoodie. The man is already four buildings away from them.
"Oh, is he running from us?" said Aiden.
"Might as well catch up!" Calvin hastens his steps. Aiden and Alan follow.
The harmless trail slowly turns into a chase. Three of them run with all their might, chasing their suspect. "Can an alcoholic run this fast?" Alan groaned while stabilizing his breath.
"Hesitate just a second, and we'll lose him!" Calvin alerts. Alan is starting to regret accepting Calvin's invitation. He doesn't feel comfortable chasing an alcoholic, whether he is the culprit or not. But they can't turn back time, so he persists.
They chased the man in a gray hoodie, streets by streets, buildings by buildings, blocks by blocks. Eventually, they lost their suspect. They decide to rest on a park in a residential area. Calvin and Aiden are panting on a concrete bench while Alan leans on the ground. Alan feels like an inexplicable sensation is swirling in his head, and a cold mist fills his throat. Calvin and Aiden feel the same. "Let's just... catch our breath... for a moment..." Calvin puffs.
Alan wants to scream at Calvin. But he doesn't have the energy to use his voice. He believes he'll die if he expends a miniscule amount of stamina. Aiden must have felt the same way as Alan. He is the least athletic of the 3. It's a huge feat that Aiden catches up with them. "Brings back memories, isn't it?" Calvin's sudden remarks break their gasps. "We used to play around here for 2 hours and would always lie on the ground, on the slide, or on the swings as if we had fought a powerful monster to save the world."
Alan became certain of his theory after hearing Calvin's sentimental comment. Alan once thought Calvin would do something like this, but he did not expect it to be this soon. He worries about Calvin being lonely as his life gets closer to the outside world, away from the gang.
"It's already late," Alan said, alerting Calvin before he could shed a small tear. "We should go back."
"Yeah, we should," Calvin agrees. They all stand up slowly, with weight on their heads and legs. Before they could return to their houses, Alan noticed Aiden staring at a sandbox under the slide. "Aiden, what are you looking at?"
Aiden tilted his head for a second. "There is a silver card in the sandbox."