Newbie (4)

"At your place?" Nida wiped her sweaty and oily forehead as she looked at Daniel with doubt.

"You're not going to do anything to me, right?"

She covered her chest with her arms.

She just wants to stick with him to shoo Randell away, but the thought of coming to his place is not what she wants.

"Don't worry, I won't try to touch your disgusting body, even if you try to walk around naked." With a disgusted expression, Daniel opened the car and sprayed disinfectant before he gestured for Nida to come in.

"Wow, I feel like I smell bad." She said sarcastically, then she looked at her back to check if Randell and the wolf watch were still going after her before she went inside the car.

"You should." he said while slamming the door shut.

"Being harsh on your own car?"

"I have two cars. I'll have this one car wash later."

Naturally, they talk casually even though it is their first time talking to each other.

Nida doesn't feel awkward towards Daniel even though he's mostly grumpy over her untidy appearance.

"Wow, thank you for making me feel so dirty."

"Like I said, you should be."

Daniel focused on starting his car while Nida looked through the tinted window and watched as Randell paused from running and watched them go away.

However...

"That crazy wolf!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Daniel asked and just briefly glanced at Nida because he was driving. "wolf?"

Before continuing her statement, she made a fake cough. "The stalker is still following us."

Daniel's eyebrow twitched.

"Really? You have a weird stalker. Didn't he go away after seeing your oily face."

"Nope. I am still beautiful even with an oily face. "

"Yuck." Daniel commented, but he slightly agreed. She doesn't look hygienic but still managed to be beautiful.

"Hey, don't stick your face in the window!" he shouted as he was worried about his car's cleanliness.

"Ops, sorry."

Nida made a little greasy mark on Daniel's car and wiped it with her sleeve.

She is trying to see where the wolf is now.

The wolf is running after them.

Yes. He is running.

The wolf keeps up with the car's speed.

"Can't other people see him?" she asked in confusion as she looked around the spot where the wolf passed by.

The wolf is running past the people on the sidewalk, but the people don't seem to see the wolf's sprinting and creating wind to pass them.

"See what?" The car stops at a green light, and Daniel can now look at what Nida is staring at.

"Do you see that?" Nida pointed at the wolf who jumped off the overpass.

Daniel frowned at what Nida pointed at, "the wolf?"

"Huh? Are you not shocked that a wolf is jumping off like that?"

Nida suspiciously looked at Daniel.

Ordinary people would be perplexed or terrified if they saw a wolf in the middle of a city, but Daniel's reaction is kind of bland.

"Well, their concealing power doesn't affect me. That is why I can see them on a daily basis."

"concealing power?"

"Yep, how do you think people are not bothered over the wolf out there."

"Do you have power to deflect their concealing power?"

"Why? Do you have powers too? Can you see them right? "

Nida tilted her head while thinking about how she could see and smell the wolf.

She doesn't know what started her to see them.

Instead, she looked at Daniel suspiciously because he kept answering her questions with questions.

"Did you get caught by a wolf before?" Daniel asked, even though he seemed to be hesitating.

"I don't, why?" Nida answered without any thought.

She wasn't caught but was attacked a long time ago by a werewolf.

"figures. A wolf has a sensitive nose. They will faint once they smell you. "

Nida frowned and pouted at the same time,

She doesn't get when Daniel is serious or not since he throws random sarcastic remarks with the same neutral expression.

"You're so mean!"

Daniel slid the window down to let the wind in. He really doesn't like the smell of Nida.

She doesn't smell that bad, but for Daniel, who is a germaphobe, her sweat is too much, especially since she still smells like a person who just got out of bed after a long slumber.

"Hey! Roll it up! The wolf is getting nearer!"

Nida hurriedly pressed the window to close.

The wolf is so close to their car that he can grab and jump over it, but it remains to keep up the speed of the car.

Daniel let out a long sigh. "Is that the stalker?"

"Yes, he was on my ceiling. Do you know how creepy that was?" She said that while trying to sniff Daniel again.

"This is more creepier! Stop smelling me!" Daniel pushed her back to her seat and continued to drive.

"You don't smell anything else. You're human, right? " "I am human, how about you?"

"What about me? Of course, I am human. "

"I doubt it."

"Huh? I just can differentiate races through scent. but I am human too!"

"Nope. You smell more like poop than a human. "

Nida pouted and tried to question him more.

"So do you know that other beings exist?"

She leans forward to anticipate Daniel's answer.

"Yes I am, but let us talk after you bath. I am having a headache now!" He drove his car with one hand and had his other hand cover his nose.

"Yeah right, but do you know how we can shoo that wolf out?" She returns her gaze towards the wolf who is effortlessly running after the fast car.

"He will eventually leave when we reach my residence."

"Huh? Do you have an anti-wolf thing over there?"

"that doesn't exist."

"Then how?"

"My neighbors are bats."

"Bats? v-vampire?"

"Yep, no one tries to disturb a vampire's sleep in the day time." Daniel smirked as he drove the car faster.

Nida felt a shiver run down her back as she looked at the smile on Daniel's face.

"Hey, I am so tired of wolves. I don't want to get involved with bats."

Nida has never seen a vampire personally, but after knowing the existence of a werewolf, she realizes that there are more frightening beings are there in the dark, like they're in another world.

That was when she realized that humans were not dominating in this world at all.

"Don't worry, my house is bat-free. You won't get involved with them if you don't disturb their sleep. Plus, wolves and bats don't want to interact with each other, so if you want a wolf-free environment, rent a place with neighboring bats."

Nida's jaw dropped at Daniel's reasoning, but she believed that he wasn't wrong.

"Perhaps you're running away from the wolf too?"

"Nope." Daniel made a short response, but Nida doubts that it is true.

She looked at the side mirror and saw the wolf backing away.

"Huh? Is he tired now? He stopped following us." She pressed her face to the window again.

"I really need to wash my car after this." Daniel sighed while glancing at his greasy window.

"What?"

"Nothing, we are now in my neighborhood. Most of the residences here are bats, so you better stay quiet here, especially in the day time."

"Anyway, how did you know that there are bats here?"

"I just saw them feasting on humans once."

Nida let out a loud gasp.

"Hey let me go back! This place is scarier! I don't want my blood sucked out!" she panics as she taps her hand on the car door.

"Don't worry, the bats will be disgusted with your oily skin."

"I'm not kidding, you know."

"I don't either. Just don't be noisy and you'll be fine. I've been staying here for years and nothing happened to me."

The car stopped in front of an all-white, two-story modern house. Nida looked up and stared at the house as she got off the black car.

"I was expecting that your house would be painted in black as well."

"disappointed?" Daniel smirked and gestured for her to enter his home.

"Oh, it's the interior." Nida commented after she entered the house and welcomed her with all the black interior of the house.

"Are you sure you're not a vampire?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am human?" His wrinkles between his brows became more pronounced.

"You can use this room to bathe." Daniel opened a door beside the stair. "There's a shower room and a spare robe and towel that you can use."

"Okay? But is it useless to take a bath if I am wearing the same clothes anyway?"

Nida doesn't know the purpose of his insisting on her taking a bath.

"I'll give you a change of clothes, wait here."

"Hey! I don't want to wear your clothes, " she exclaimed.

Daniel crossed his arms and faced him with a smug expression. "And I don't want to be stained by you either. I am going to get my sister's clothes. "

"you have a sister? Is it okay to use her clothes?"

"yes, she's dead anyway. Don't worry, the clothes are clean, I maintained them even though she's not here." Daniel speaks as if it's not a big deal, but Nida hesitates since she's using a dead man's clothes.

"Don't worry, she won't take a grudge staining her clothes."

Daniel shoved her into the room and then left her alone.

In contrast with the black theme of Daniel's house, the room has pink walls and normal looking furniture.

The bedding is white, the table and cabinets are painted in natural wood colors.

It seems like a high school student was the one who used to use the room since the books on the shelves are all related to school and college entrance reviewers.

She walked closer to the study table and was about to pick up the frame that was lying flat when Daniel came back with a set of clothes and underwear and gave it to Nida.

"Aren't you going to bathe?"

"Hey! I don't think it's right to use them! I'll just go home. I don't think the wolf will be there anymore."

Daniel looked at her from head to toe like he did when they first bumped into each other.

"I am asking you to bathe because, besides the disgusting dirt you have, you also have wolf stink. The water here cleanses the animals' stinks. Maybe they made the water here like that since the majority of the residences here are bats. "

"I have a wolf stinks?" She smelled herself and that was the only time she realized that she really smelled a wolf. "When did I get this?"

"That stink attracts other wolves, so you better bathe."

Nida was touched by Daniel and acted like she was going to hug him, but Daniel flicked her forehead.

"What? I was just touched. Thank you for your concern." she smiles genuinely at him.

She also admired his knowledge of other beings. She thought that she could ask for more information from him to better avoid the wolves.

"concern bullshit. Just take a bath and let's talk later." He wipes his finger with his handkerchief.

"Okay, okay. see you in a bit." Nida waved her hand and went inside the bathroom.

She starts to wash herself and delicately removes the wolf smell from her.

While showering, she thought about Daniel, who helped her out.

[Is he going to ask me for something in exchange? He is just kind and generous? or I'll be disadvantaged if he asks me something in exchange for the efforts he made today.]

Nida doubt that everything will be free. She is guessing that there might be a reason why Daniel is helping her.

She touched her chest while thinking.

"Why do I feel so relaxed with him?" she asked herself.

Nida is usually awkward towards others since she doesn't have friends and most of her time she stays at home. But in Daniel's case, she naturally becomes open and jolly towards him.

....

"Hmmm. That smells delicious."

She commented as she smelt the food from the kitchen. She is now done bathing and is now wearing a white dress that Daniel lent.

"You took too long in the bath, Would you mind paying for the water bill." Daniel seemed to be kidding around, but Nida wasn't sure if it was sarcastic or not.

"I made an extra effort to wash myself since you might complain that I stained your house." Nida casually sat down at the kitchen table and picked up a piece of carrot that Daniel was chopping. "Anyway, why did you bath too?"

It's Nida's turn to casually look at Daniel from head to toe without looking disrespectful.

She is pretty amazed at how young he looks despite being in his early 30s. He even looks younger with his bangs down to his forehead.

"Of course I will bathe. You hold my arms and bump into me. Your virus might transfer me. "

Nida just pouted her lips and Daniel focused on the chicken soup he was making.

Nida looked around the house that was filled with black-colored furniture and things, and landed back on Daniel, who was also dominated by black. He wears a black shirt and black track pants, and even his apron is black.

[The black is making his pretty face more distinctive and it is making his aura more mysterious, but is this too much obsession?]

While getting bored of observing Daniel, Nida tapped the table.

"What?" he asked, because he could feel the gaze of Nida.

"Sir Olitoquit," she said softly.

"Why act formal now when you are already being so rude to me?"

"Then can I call you Daniel?"

"Do whatever you want."

"Then Danny," she teasingly smiled, and Daniel sighed.

"Do you have any knowledge about wolves? Can you tell me some? I can only avoid them if I know a little bit of them."

"I doubt that's the right thing to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing more about them will make you personally involved more with them."

"Then what should I do?"

"Just straightforwardly avoid them. don't think of being complicated. If the wolf you're avoiding is in this town, then leave and go to another place, far away from them. That's what you call avoiding."

Nida placed her head on the table and dejectedly said, "You don't know my situation, that is why you're saying that so easily."

"Then," Daniel tapped her shoulder with the spatula he was holding. "Tell me your situation and I'll try my best to help."

She got back to sitting straight and looked at him with doubt and confusion. "Aren't you involving too much of yourself in my issue?"

"Then don't tell me if you don't want. It's not like I am forcing you." He then turned around and continued mixing the soup.

"hmmm." Nida stopped for a moment to think. "How about we exchange stories?"

"Exchange?" Daniel titled his head. "Is there anything I can share with you?"

"Yes, of course." She nodded her head.

Actually, she is pretty curious about the mysterious vibes surrounding him and the reason he knows about werewolves and other beings.

[Probably he experienced the same thing like I did ten years ago.]

"really?" Daniel smiled and felt challenged.

"Your sister..." she said loudly, while Daniel flinched. "She's not human. How about you share something about her and I share my issue too. "

The room she used is pretty special. It was designed for someone who was not human.

She noticed it after seeing the bathroom with water that could cleanse a wolf's stink.

There are also other things that are inside, like tranquilizers or sedatives, that are obviously not for humans.

She doesn't know if Daniel really took her to that room purposely or not. But one thing is for sure, she can talk to him freely about this matter.

"Oh. Ms. Mildea, this type of exchange is pretty intriguing." Daniel smiled at her with amazement.

"deal?"

"deal."