Loving the Stalker Under my Bed

Chapter 20 – His Home

Chapter 20 – His Home

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A run-down two-story apartment with six rooms.

It looks like it will collapse anytime soon. There is no doubt that this place didn’t even pass a single health or building inspection. The whole place has this eerie feeling that someone is looking at you from afar.

I will believe anyone who tells me that a murder case took place in this location. Every little thing in this apartment has leaned toward that side of getting involved in a crime.

I wonder if this trainee teacher brought me here to exalt his revenge and bury my remains in this almost abandoned structure.

That will be the most tragic ending that I could have in this life of mine.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

I don’t know if that is a joke or what, but the sound coming from that bird is so ominous. My guts keep telling me not to enter the place since this is turning into a horror story that I won’t be able to handle.

However, doing so only means that I will sleep in the street without any kind of protection. I’d rather battle the evil spirit lurking inside this apartment rather than sleep in a fetal position in the cold, dark street. Calvin’s presence certainly makes a difference.

The only source of light that could help me see the entirety of the building is the streetlight standing right behind the apartment complex.

Dim and flickering – the light adds some menacing feeling to the already unfavorable situation that I was in.

“It’s a nice house, and pretty unique too…”

I tried to strike up a conversation to ease the tension between me and this gloomy-faced man, but only silence answered my words back. Calvin has no intention of entertaining my presence further than what we have agreed upon before.

He did not even bat an eye when he opened the rusty gate and walked inside without inviting me; as if forgetting the fact that he came with another living being.

“…Hmm. Sir Hager, which room should I take? Do you live alone? Should I greet your family first?”

Calvin finally stopped walking and looked at me with a baffled expression. This was the first time that I saw him frowning like an ordinary human being, adding more substance to his always boring face.

I can’t believe that I was able to witness the unmasking of his stoic expression.

“I rent that room over there. Only that room.”

Calvin pointed to the room in the leftmost corner of the second floor. I double-checked the place that he was pointing at and slowly looked at him to confirm the thoughts running through my mind.

Just a single room. This man is renting a single room, no bigger than my bedroom, in this run-down apartment. Just how much of a cheapskate is he to settle in this kind of place?

I’m not expecting much, but this is just so unbelievable. This place cannot even be considered a location with livable conditions.

“I see. Where will I sleep tonight?”

No matter how disappointed and baffled I was, I chose to keep my mouth shut and swallow all the questions forming on my lips. Letting those words out in this world is the last thing that I could do.

There is no doubt that this man will kick me out should he learn those things.

I haven’t seen the interior of Calvin’s apartment, but just looking at the narrow walls let me visualize the entirety of his property. Common people tell this joke about living like canned sardines, and I feel like I will be seeing myself in that same position after a couple of minutes.

“You can sleep wherever you want. Feel free to start your own adventure inside my mansion.”

The answer given to me by this trainee teacher sounds so vague. I don’t why but I have this premonition that I won’t be able to sleep the entire night.

And like a stroke of bad luck, my concern slapped me hard on the face when I stepped inside Calvin’s room.

This studio-type apartment is gloomier than my life. I am no expert on the living conditions of those in the middle or lower class, yet this place is seriously screaming poverty in my eyes.

One thing is for sure, Calvin Hager, the trainee teacher, is not the average teacher that I know of. I did not say that due to his poor living condition, but because of what is inside his apartment.

Nothing. There was not a single thing except for a pair of tattered clothes and some bottled water. It was as if he is prepared to vanish like thin air any time he wanted. There is no bed or utensils for cooking or any other things that can make this space called home.

A medium-sized box, standing helplessly in one of the corners of this place, could even be considered an eyesore when seen in my current location.

This is more like an abandoned room, rather than an occupied location.

I could only feel lost as I stood frozen right behind the door. Stepping further in made me think that I won’t be able to turn back and run away from this man.

He is far more chaotic than Nancy and the rest of my family.

*Growlllllllll*

It was not even faint or the shy-type indicator of a growling stomach. My belly indiscriminately broke the silence between us.

Calvin tried to hide his laughter, but his reflection in the window says it all. That was one of the greatest embarrassments of my life, yet I can’t help but be thankful for this sudden development.

I’d rather break the ice like this than continuously tiptoe in this narrow space together with this man.

“I bought some bread from the convenience store this afternoon. Let’s eat first before we sleep.”

Calvin finally looked me in the eye after clearing all the remnants of his laughter. His dull face brightened up to a certain degree, making me see him in a more positive way.

“Fine. I still have some instant noodles. You can sit wherever you want as I boil some water.”

It made me wonder how my dear teacher would boil that water. There is not a thing in this place that could be used to boil some water, and it is not like he will just reveal that he is a sorcerer all of a sudden.

Or, perhaps, an alchemist hiding his philosopher stone somewhere in this room.

A giggle escaped my lips as I awaited the magic that would unfold before me. However, Calvin destroyed all of it when he opened the medium-sized box and pulled a hand-carry stove inside it.

I’ve never seen anything like that before. What Calvin is holding is a mystery that certainly piqued my interest. And I can say that I was impressed when he opened it and the fire came out.

Astonishment registered on my face like a child witnessing a miracle for the first time in my life. I feel like I was learning a lot just by following this man.

From the same box, he pulled out two cup noodles and prepared them while waiting for the water to boil.

The room is cold, yet the serenity and peace that I was feeling made my body warm in an instant. This environment made me forget the pain in my head, which was still throbbing from when my stepmother hit me.

This is such pure bliss.

A narrow place that can’t be reached by my indifferent father, by my stupid stepmother, and by her bully daughter. This is already a paradise for me.

I love it. I haven’t escaped this city, but I can proudly say that there is no way that I will regret this decision. They can enjoy all the riches that they have while I’m enjoying my life without them.

“Hey. It’s done, princess. Don’t expect me to prepare everything. Carry your butt here and those cheap bread.”

Calvin stopped my little daydreaming without his newfound charm. He might have realized that I’ve been seeing the sides of him that his students shouldn’t witness.

It was such a shame since I started to like this comrade of mine.

Calvin did not say another word as he pushed my instant noodle and grabbed his share of bread. I didn’t mind that action even a bit since I don’t have to act like a shy teenager, asking for the noodles that were cooked for me.

And as I savored this warmth, my body and mind finally admitted that I was able to fully accept the freedom that I got.

Finally, I can love this life of mine once again.

It was the best gift that I received for my graduation and my eighteenth birthday.