Welcome to the Innocent World-Chapter 210: Morning Encounter

The soft hum of the music filled the otherwise quiet room. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains, casting golden streaks across the floor. I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head.

"So what should I do today?" I whispered to the empty room after a Sighh.

The thought lingered in my mind as I set my hand inside the pocket of my pants. Last night had been exhausting. Between the fights, the chase, and the explosion at the shore, my body still felt sore. I could easily spend the entire day just lying in bed, but that wasn't an option.

Maybe I should meet up with John and the girls again. They'd probably have something planned. Drinking? Gambling? Maybe just hanging out at some fancy club? Whatever it was, at least it would keep me occupied until nightfall.

Decision made, I grabbed my jacket, slung it over my shoulder, and headed for the door.

The lock clicked as I turned the key. I stepped outside, closed the door behind me, and—

I stopped in my tracks.

A bead of sweat formed on my forehead. My heart skipped a beat, but at the same time, a smirk tugged at my lips.

"Good morning, Afa."

She stood against the wall, her arms folded, her fingers idly twisting a strand of her wavy black hair. She wore a black-laced one-piece dress with transparent fabric, the outline of her black bra and underwear visible beneath. Her skin glowed in the morning light, and her lips curled into a small smile.

"Good morning, Austin," she said, her voice soft yet teasing.

She was blushing.

I found myself momentarily distracted by her appearance, but then the weight of my mistake hit me.

*Shit. The underground place.*

I had completely forgotten to go there. Afa had told me about it, hinted that it was important, and I had ignored it. Well, not intentionally ignored it, but after everything that happened last night, it had slipped my mind.

What excuse should I give her now?

Before I could think of one, she tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"So?" she asked, a knowing curiosity in her gaze. "How was it? Did you find anything?"

I hesitated. I must come up with some sort of excuse. A explanation, which she will buy. I don't know what type of person she is. Arghh..

—but then it clicked.

No wait.

"I did..." I finally admitted, exhaling as I rubbed the back of my neck. "I was investigating and saw a door. But before I could check it out, it got nuked while I was fighting with them at the shore."

Afa's eyes widened. She straightened, her playful expression vanishing in an instant.

"That blast…at the shore..everyone is talking about." she murmured. "That was your doing?"

I shook my head. "No, not exactly. One of them self-destructed. I barely got out of there before the whole place went up in flames."

She crossed her arms. "Self-destructed?"

"Yeah." I sighed, recalling the moment. "I was fighting this guy. I had him cornered, and I thought I had won. But then… he activated something, and boom—he took himself out along with the entire place."

Afa frowned, deep in thought. "That's extreme, even for them. They must've been hiding something really important if they were willing to go that far."

I nodded. "That's what I figured too. But I still don't know what it was. The explosion wiped everything out before I could get any answers."

Afa exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Damn it…"

I hesitated for a second before adding, "There was one more thing."

She looked up, her eyes meeting mine. "What?"

"They took a girl inside before the explosion," I said. "I don't know who she was or why they wanted her, but… I have a bad feeling about it."

Afa's expression darkened. "A girl?"

"Yeah." I ran a hand through my hair. "She looked terrified. I tried to get to her, but it was too late. The place was sealed off before I could do anything."

Afa bit her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. "That's bad…"

For a few moments, she didn't say anything. Then, before I could react, she suddenly stepped forward and threw her arms around me.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "My hero will do it!"

I stiffened. The sudden contact caught me off guard. Her body was warm against mine, her arms wrapped tightly around my torso. I could smell the faint scent of jasmine in her hair.

"Uh…" I started, awkwardly patting her back. "You're welcome. I guess…?"

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me. Her eyes shimmered with something between admiration and excitement.

"You're really going to dig deeper, aren't you?" she said.

I sighed. "Yeah. I can't let this go."

Afa's smile softened, and before I could react, she leaned in and caught my lips, cuping my cheeks.

I held her waist and smooched her back, our lips muching on each other in a heated kiss before parting away.

She stepped back, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

"That's for being a hero," she said, smirking.

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. "Right. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I still have to figure out what the hell is actually going on."

Afa giggled. "You're adorable when you're flustered, you know that?"

I rolled my eyes. "And you're annoyingly confident, you know that?"

She grinned. "Of course. It's part of my charm."

I sighed. "Alright, alright. Enough teasing. We've got work to do."

She pouted playfully. "Boring. It's still early. You're not planning to spend the whole day chasing ghosts, are you?"

I smirked. "Not exactly. That's why I was thinking about meeting up with John and the girls. Maybe they'll have some plan to enjoy the day before things get serious tonight."

Afa tilted her head, considering the idea. "Hmm… that could be fun. But do you really want to spend the whole day with them?"

I shrugged. "It's better than sitting around doing nothing."

She leaned closer, her voice lowering. "Or… we could do something more interesting."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Afa tapped her chin. "I don't know yet. But I'm sure I can come up with something."

I gave her a skeptical look. "That sounds dangerous."

She laughed. "Only if you're afraid of a little fun."

I smirked, shaking my head. "Somehow, I doubt your definition of 'fun' is anything normal."

Afa winked. "Guess you'll just have to find out."

I sighed, shaking my head in amusement. Then I placed my hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye.

"So," I asked, "what should we do today till tonight?"

Afa grinned. "Oh, I have ideas…"

I had a feeling I was about to see something unpredictable and honestly? I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. The way she looked at me—teasing, playful, and filled with an underlying heat—made it hard to look away.

"Okk, ma'am, I'll go wherever you take me," I said, my voice carrying a hint of challenge.

Her eyes lit up with excitement as she jumped slightly, her movements filled with a youthful energy. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a sultry whisper.

"You better not back off now," she teased, her lips curling into a seductive smile.

I chuckled, tilting my head slightly. "I won't."

"Hehe, let's see..." she said, her gaze locked onto mine as if daring me to prove it.

Just as the tension between us built, a familiar voice interrupted the moment.

"Sir, ma'am, breakfast is ready at the cafeteria."

We turned to see the same maid from before standing a few feet away. She bowed slightly, her tone polite and composed, but her eyes carried a flicker of amusement—probably at the way Afa and I were standing so close and last time when she saw me, I was finger fucking Lyra in the hallway.

I nodded at the maid, then turned to Afa with a smirk.

"Let's go and eat first, shall we?" I suggested.

"Sure thing," Afa replied, stretching her arms above her head with a content sigh. "I'm hungry as well. I woke up and came straight to you."

Her words stirred something in me, but I chose not to dwell on it. Instead, I slid my hands into my pockets and walked beside her, matching her pace as we made our way toward the cafeteria.

The moment we stepped inside, the warm, rich aroma of freshly made food wrapped around us. It was intoxicating—sweet, buttery, and filled with spices that made my stomach growl in anticipation.

"Ahh… smells so sweet and good," Afa murmured, inhaling deeply as a satisfied smile crossed her lips.

"Truly," I agreed, glancing around curiously. "I wonder what they made today."

The cafeteria was buzzing with soft chatter and the occasional clatter of plates. Sunlight streamed in through the large windows, casting a golden glow over the wooden tables and polished floors.

The air carried the unmistakable scent of fresh pastries, eggs, and brewed coffee, making it impossible to ignore the hunger gnawing at my stomach.