The apartment slowly fell into a quiet rhythm of searching. The playful chaos that had followed them inside the door faded as they began examining the place, almost instinctively slipping into their roles as investigators in a crime drama.
Kai stayed in the living room exactly as he had declared earlier, and to Alina's annoyance, he actually looked very professional while doing it.
He moved around the room carefully, his eyes scanning every surface. First, the coffee table. He picked up the magazines stacked on it, flipping through them page by page as if expecting something to fall out. When nothing appeared suspicious, he placed them back exactly where they had been.
Then he moved to the side cabinet's drawers, one by one, and each opened with a quiet slide. Inside were random things—bills, folded receipts, a pen, some paper clips, and a few sticky notes with half-written reminders. Kai checked everything. He even lifted the bottom paper lining of one drawer to see if something had been hidden underneath.
Meanwhile, from the hallway, the sounds of Alina's investigation were much… louder. Closet doors opening. Cabinets shutting. Occasional muttering.
"Why does she have so many jackets?"
Another drawer slammed. "What is this even for?"
Kai paused for a moment and sighed quietly before continuing his search. Alina, on the other hand, had taken over the bedroom like a storm.
She opened the wardrobe and pushed the hanging clothes aside, checking pockets, sleeves, and even the shelves above. Then she crouched down and pulled open the bedside drawers.
Inside were notebooks, hair ties, a few folded letters, and an old perfume bottle. She opened one notebook. Nothing important. Just random lists and doodles.
"Hm." She closed it and moved to the next drawer.
At the same time, Kai had moved to a smaller table near the couch. On top of it sat a stack of documents and envelopes. He picked them up one by one. Electricity bill. Internet payment. A grocery receipt. Then suddenly his fingers paused.
There was a printed paper folded neatly between the documents. Kai unfolded it slowly. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the bold heading. Flight Ticket Confirmation. His gaze moved down the page.
Destination: New York
Date: November 21
Kai stared at it for a moment. Then he raised his voice slightly. "Alina."
From the hallway came the sound of something falling. "Coming!"
A moment later, Alina appeared, slightly out of breath and holding a small notebook she had been checking. "What did you find?"
Kai handed the paper to her. She took it casually at first. But the moment her eyes scanned the text, her expression changed.
"That's…"
Her voice trailed off. Kai folded his arms slightly, watching her reaction carefully.
"It's a flight ticket," he said calmly.
"Yes, I can see that."
"To New York."
Alina nodded slowly while staring at the date. "21st November…"
She suddenly lifted her head. "Oh, my God."
"That was the last time I spoke to Maya."
Kai's expression sharpened slightly. "You're sure?"
Alina nodded quickly. "Yes. She called me that day. She said she had something important to handle, but didn't explain much. I remember now because she was getting late, and we ended the call quickly."
Kai took the ticket back and looked at it again like a detective reviewing evidence.
"So four days ago she booked, but why did she print this ticket?"
Alina crossed her arms thoughtfully. "She planned to go to New York."
Kai looked at her. "But did she actually leave?"
That question hung in the air between them. Alina looked around the apartment again, suddenly seeing everything with new suspicion.
"If she left, why is her café closed without telling anyone?"
Kai tapped the paper lightly against his palm. "And why didn't she tell you?"
Alina frowned, then suddenly something clicked in her mind. "Wait."
Kai looked at her. "Call Ryan." Kai blinked.
"Ryan?"
"Yes."
Kai frowned slightly, clearly confused. "Why would Ryan know anything about your friend?"
Alina stared at him as he had just asked the most ridiculous question possible.
Kai continued, trying to make sense of it. "Well… I mean… they're neighbours, right?" he said slowly. "So maybe they exchange a 'hi' or 'hello' occasionally. Maybe a 'good morning' if they see each other in the hallway."
Alina's face slowly twisted into disbelief. She looked at him like she had just discovered a rare species. "Seriously?"
Kai blinked. "What?"
Alina placed one hand on her forehead dramatically. "This kind of man actually exists?"
Kai frowned. "What kind of man?"
She waved her hand at him. "Someone this… this…" She stopped mid-sentence.
Kai narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "This what?"
Alina cleared her throat quickly. "Forget it."
Then she pointed at him accusingly. "We are friends. You're forgetting that, I think."
Kai raised one eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Yes," she continued confidently. "That's the reason I let you stay at my house in the first place."
Kai said nothing. "And that's how we became roommates, remember?"
Still silence. "And all of that happened because of Maya." Kai tilted his head slightly.
"Maya introduced me to Ryan," Alina explained. "That's how the three of us became friends."
Kai blinked."Ryan?" he repeated slowly.
"Yes."
"Friends?" Kai suddenly smiled.
But it wasn't a normal smile. It was the kind of slow, almost evil smile that immediately made Alina suspicious. Inside his mind, Kai was certain about one thing. Ryan could never be friends with someone like Alina. Ryan hated loud people. Chaotic people and Alina and Maya together? They were practically a walking earthquake.
Kai looked at her calmly. "I doubt that."
Alina immediately turned toward him with a bombastic side eye that could have burned a hole through the wall. "What do you mean by that?"
Kai shrugged lightly. "Nothing."
"Oh no," Alina said sharply. "Say it."
Kai sighed. "Ryan isn't exactly the… social type."
"And?"
"And people like you two would probably give him a headache."
Alina stared at him, then she crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"
Kai raised one eyebrow. "You heard me."
Alina stepped closer. "You are literally that kind of person, too."
Kai blinked. "What kind?"
"Annoying." Kai looked mildly offended.
Alina pointed at him. "And don't forget something very important."
Kai waited. "We are friends now." Kai stared at her. "You remember that, right?" she said.
Kai looked at her for a moment. Then he sighed quietly and rubbed his temple. This investigation was turning into chaos again. And somehow… he had the strange feeling it was only going to get worse.