Chapter 3: "I promise I'm not stalking you."

Rein couldn't stop her heart from rapidly beating as she watched the stranger from afar. She didn't expect things to play out like this.

She would never have thought someone would steal her notebook!

Well, steal isn't the right word. More like he had mistakenly grabbed it when he left in a rush from the library. She sat in front of him by chance when she went to the library to gather materials on her research paper. While she was writing down information, the boredom of working got to her so she decided to release some stress by doodling in her notebook. The subject? Of course, the one sitting across from her.

She noticed it when she placed her stuff on the table. He was unusually handsome with ruffled purple hair and deep blue eyes. He caught her attention the minute she sat in front of him. However, now that she was sneaking glances and studying his face in order to draw him, she could clearly see his looks were above average.

So she doodled him. She doodled him in various ways in her notebook. She wasn't a good artist, and every now and then, a small giggle would escape her lips as she compared her drawings to the real deal.

"Can you quit it?" He sharply told her. Rein was surprised at his harsh comment and just about slammed her notebook closed.

"Sorry." She reflexively replied. He eyed her with interest before returning to his own personal readings. Rein just sighed, pushing her belongings on the table in order to make room for some more books. When she returned, she was surprised to see her tablemate quickly packing his materials. He suddenly looked a little panicked. Rein thought nothing of it when she suddenly saw him grab her notebook and shove it in his bag last before quickly dashing towards the exit.

She looked at the notebooks scattered on her table, her eyes widening in realization as she determined which notebook was stolen. Oh no...

He had mistakenly taken the notebook filled with her silly doodles of him.

That was how she ended up behind a tree, staring at him as he chatted with some friends. Why am I even hiding?! Rein asked herself as she paced back and forth a couple yards away from them. I can just tell him that he took my research notebook can't I? Rein thought. She anxiously bit the nail of her thumb, and glanced back up at him again. But he knows I sit across from him... What if he thinks I'm flirting? She placed her face in her hands, not wanting to think of that potential confrontation.

The group was heading to the main plaza where the restaurants were. Rein thought that maybe this could be her chance to steal the notebook back.

The main plaza was usually crowded, so Rein thought she could get close enough, sneak her notebook out and leave. Slowly, she grabbed the zipper of his bag and tugged, ever so slowly pulling it open...

But then he stopped, causing Rein to collide into him. He quickly turned around, obviously surprised by the impact. Rein began to panic even more as he turned around, his expression puzzled. "Oh, aren't you..."

"I'm sorry! My bad!" Rein responded before running twisting 180 degrees and running. What was she doing?! That was her chance to ask for the notebook back. She frowned, realizing that he now knew she was nearby. She saw him enter a burger joint by himself just two stores down. She decided to buy some shades and a cap to disguise herself.

She saw that they were enjoying a meal outdoors and took a seat at the table right next to him. His bag is right there... Rein thought as she eyed his bag sitting right behind his chair. If I can grab it unsuspectingly... Rein thought. She pretended to knock over her pencil, and proceeded to quietly reach for the bag. She was so intently focused on grabbing the bag that she didn't even see the owner reach for it until his hand brushed hers.

"Ah..." Was all Rein said as he turned to face her. "I gotta go!" Rein said, jumping out of her seat but before she could move any farther, the handsome boy grabbed her arm.

"Okay, tell me why you've been stalking me? The library, the courtyard, the plaza, now here?" He asked. So he saw me when he grouped with his friends? Rein thought, her heart racing even more.

"I promise I'm not stalking you." Rein said in defense, her eyes immediately going to his bag. He followed her eyes, then looked back at her.

"What?"

"Y-You took my notebook!" Rein said. He released her, leading Rein to sigh in relief. He eyed her behavior suspiciously.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" The boy named Shade said as he pulled open his bag. he sounded skeptical of Rein's reason. Maybe Rein should've just asked him. Her nervous behavior didn't seem to convince him that she wasn't stalking him. He pulled out several notebooks, and Rein's face drained of color when she realized her notebook was the same color as one of his notebooks.

"I-It's the blue one. I can check." Rein said nervously. He gave her another suspicious glance as he looked at the notebooks.

"No, I'll check. Just to be sure."

"No!" Rein cried, trying to grab the notebooks. However, Shade used his height to his advantage and held them higher than she can reach.

"As I thought. You're really just trying to steal a notebook from me, aren't you?" Shade asked with a frown. Rein realized how dire the situation was because in addition to those silly doodles, her research notes were in there! She definitely didn't want to start from scratch. So she just decided to blurt it all out.

"I was following you because I was trying to steal my notebook back before you saw the doodles of you that I drew in it!" Rein said, her face red with embarrassment. "There! You happy?!" Rein saw Shade's shocked expression before she saw him crack a smile.

"Oh?" He said. He immediately put one of the notebooks away and opened the other one.

"H-Hey! You knew which notebook was mine!" Rein said as she attempted to grab it from him. However, he had already opened it to the most recent page filled with doodles of him. He immediately burst out laughing, much to Rein's chagrin.

"This is me?" He asked, showing her own doodles. "You should take an art class, ha!" He said when she snatched the notebook.

"Look, I wasn't drawing seriously okay!" She hugged the notebook close to her. "I'm going. Thanks for nothing." She said. But before she could march off, he grabbed her wrist a little more gently than the first time.

"Let me buy you a drink. My treat." He proclaimed. Rein frowned, but sat across from him anyway. "You know, if you see me more, maybe you can improve on those drawings." He commented with a wink. Rein watched him enter the establishment to buy a drink, the meaning of his words suddenly dawning on her. Her face flushed even more.