CHAPTER 25: 25. IMPATIENT

Riki watched silently as Sean argued with his manager over the phone.

Judging from Sean’s expression, things weren’t going well. The look of despair on his face was clear.

Riki didn’t understand why he was caught between Sean, his agency, and the killer. But Riki couldn’t just back down or wash his hands of the situation.

Sean reminded Riki of himself in the past. He was desperate and thought he was alone. All Riki could think about at the time was how to escape the situation.

He felt completely powerless when false accusations were leveled against his father, when he had to face the consecutive deaths of his parents. Then, his desperate older brother only added to his burden.

If no one else supported him, like Evan... Riki might have decided to do something terrible to himself.

And Sean, it seemed like he had no one. Where were the friends he mentioned earlier? How busy were they that they let Sean face everything alone?

Since Sean was busy, Riki quietly opened the letter from the system. The letter was placed in a gold envelope.

There were other documents in Riki’s room, but Riki only took the golden envelope; he was curious about its contents.

It was a clue about the person who caused his mother’s death.

Riki closed his eyes as his hand pulled the letter from the envelope. When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a name that was familiar there.

Sandra Kendrick?

That was the name of Anton’s mother. Of course, Riki still recognized the woman.

Before his father died, Anton’s family had been close to Riki’s family. And after his father died, Riki learned that Anton’s father was his father’s enemy, along with several others who had once seemed like friends. But it turned out they were enemies.

Still, Riki was confused.

How could Sandra be connected to his mother’s death?

Moreover, Sandra hadn’t been seen since Riki’s father died.

Anton, huh? Should Riki approach Anton? Now, Anton’s view of Riki might have changed. Riki had to use him, turn the tables.

Besides, Riki had to avenge Anton for bullying him back then, right?

Karma always comes without Riki doing anything. However, Riki would feel much more relieved if he were the one to bring that karma upon himself.

Sean returned with a gloomy expression. He truly looked despairing.

"How is the situation?" Riki asked.

Sean took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. However, it didn’t make him feel any calmer.

"The manager keeps pressuring me to tell him where I am. He also told me not to exaggerate the situation, which is actually fine. I even showed him the video of the killers I showed you earlier, and he said it’s nothing. And I was told to go to the agency building tomorrow; otherwise, my contract will be terminated. The manager even said I have to compensate for the contract termination! When I mentioned my suspicions that they might actually knew something about the hired killers... the manager got even angrier at me."

Hearing Sean’s story made Riki stressed too. How could there be such evil people in this world?

Riki became even more suspicious of Sean’s manager and the entertainment agency that manages Sean.

"What if we go to the agency building tomorrow? I’ll accompany you, Sean."

Sean shook his head firmly.

"No, Riki! Stop getting involved further. I know you’re a good person, but I don’t want anything to happen to you... okay? Riki, you needs to focus on your studies and live your life properly."

Riki sighed, fed up with Sean’s pretentious words.

"Don’t be silly! Do you think you’re strong enough to handle everything alone? Do you have anyone else who can help you besides me? If you do, then I won’t interfere. I am someone else, I know that... but I’ve been in your position before. It’s suffocating when you have no one to lean on... and you don’t have to face everything alone."

Sean felt his body grow weak at that moment. He wanted to cry, but his tears had dried up.

How could a stranger be as kind as Riki? Just because he’d been in the same situation?

"My friends actually know my situation, Riki... but they’re very busy right now. One of them is Travis.... Yeah, he’s really busy."

"What about the other friend?"

Sean bit his lower lip, hesitating to tell Riki. But finally he said, "I can’t... the threat said that if I dare say anything to anyone, especially Devano Hanzel, he will turn around and hurt Devano..."

"Is Devano that weak? Weaker than you?" Riki asked again.

Sean shook his head, "Of course not, he’s stronger—"

"Then call him now."

"Riki..."

"Give me your phone."

Riki, impatient, snatched Sean’s phone. He searched for Devano’s contact name but found nothing.

"You don’t have Devano’s contact number?"

"Give it to me, Riki!"

Sean jumped up and down trying to grab his phone as Riki held it high so Sean couldn’t reach it.

Sean, who was only 176 cm tall, couldn’t reach Riki, who was 186 cm tall.

"Tell me Devano’s contact name first!"

"Ice Prince!"

Riki’s brow furrowed at the name.

"What?"

"That’s Deva’s nickname, and everyone knows it!"

"I didn’t know that."

Riki searched for the name "Ice Prince" and found it. Without further ado, he dialed the number.

Soon after, the phone was answered.

(Hello?)

"Devano Hanzel, right?"

(Who are you? Where’s Sean? Did you kidnap him?)

Sean fell silent, no longer trying to grab the phone from Riki’s hand. He listened carefully to Deva’s voice. Deva sounded very worried.

"How do you know Sean was kidnapped? He wasn’t kidnapped," said Riki.

(Don’t lie! Sean’s manager told me he was kidnapped, and you must be the kidnapper, right? I’ll track Sean’s number—)

"Hey, idiot! Sean is being chased by a hired killer, and it seems like it’s the work of your fanatical fans. If you have any shame, come here alone. Help your friend, or if you don’t want to, I’ll help him instead, and when I meet you, I’ll beat you up! Your friend is being chased by a hired killer, and you just stand there? What kind of friend are you? He’s suffering because of your fans! Should I, who just met him, be the one to help him? You jerk!"

(Wait a minute... what are you talking about? Killer?)

"Ugh, you idiot... I’ll send you all the evidence Sean has."

Riki hung up the phone. He felt even more frustrated with Deva, who was so slow and insensitive.

Or maybe Riki was just impatient.

"How can you call that person a friend?" Riki asked, truly annoyed.

"But Deva didn’t do anything wrong..."

"But Deva didn’t do anything wrong— bullshit! He did, Sean!"

"Calm down, Riki, you’re too emotional... maybe it’s because you’re still young, so calm down."

Riki sat back down on the sofa, leaned his back against it, and closed his eyes.

Well, maybe he was just easily emotional.

"Go take a shower first, Sean. You said you wanted to shower, right? Use my clothes if they’re not too big for your small body."

"I’m not small!"

Sean went to the bathroom inside Riki’s room.

Meanwhile, Riki looked at the letter with Anton’s mother’s name on it again.

It seemed like Riki was emotional because of the information about Sandra.

Should Riki look at the evidence the system provided?

But why wasn’t Riki ready?

No, he had to be ready.

Riki stood up and went to his room. He grabbed the documents the system had provided.

There was a document regarding the ownership of an office building; Riki decided to keep it for later.

Ugh, but tomorrow Riki will be busy with Jake. There’s a company they need to set up.

Riki opened a large brown envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper reading, "CCTV video evidence from the hospital."

There was also a micro SD card attached there.

That was the only evidence available.

Riki took out his old smartphone, which he no longer used. He inserted the micro SD card into it and checked its contents.

There were three CCTV videos there. Riki sent all the videos to his email so he could open them again later on his new smartphone.

While waiting for Sean, he watched one of the CCTV videos.

***

Riki couldn’t sleep all night. Well, he did manage to sleep, though only for about three or four hours.

He felt his body was extremely tired.

Since he couldn’t fall back asleep by five in the morning, he went out to exercise. He drank a strength-enhancing potion he had received for free before working out.

He only did light exercises, like jogging, then went to the gym.

After returning to his apartment, he saw a man wearing a black hoodie. His head was covered by the hoodie, so Riki couldn’t see his face clearly.

However, when Riki saw the man’s skin, he could tell that it was Devano. The ice prince.

Although Deva was nicknamed the ice prince because he had been an ice skater as a child, Deva did have skin as white as snow.

"Devano Hanzel?"

The man jumped, then turned around, staring at Riki with an expression that was hard to read.

As he approached, he grabbed Riki’s collar, looking very angry.

"Where’s Sean?"

Riki pushed Deva’s hand away with a single flick.

"Before that, let’s talk, Devano Hanzel... if I’m not mistaken, you’re Sarah Kendrick’s nephew, right?" Riki asked.

Deva nodded, "That’s right, what does my aunt have to do with Sean?"

Riki shook his head, "No, let’s go to the roof of the building."

"Do you want to push me off the roof?"

Riki began to lose his patience because Deva was full of suspicion without thinking much.

"Don’t be stupid, come with me quickly!"