Who's Outside the Door?

It was a dark and stormy night. Rain poured relentlessly outside as I sat in my bedroom, immersed in my studies. After a while, I got up from my study table and walked over to the balcony.

Standing there, I watched the rain fall and murmured softly,

"There's a strange sense of peace in this rain... and yet, it carries an unsettling restlessness."

I was still staring at the dark sky when suddenly, the power went out.

"Oh, God! Did the electricity have to go out right now? How am I supposed to study now?"

Grumbling to myself, I went downstairs to the kitchen in search of a candle.

Fortunately, I found one quickly and lit it. Holding the candle in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, I began walking back toward my room.

Just then, loud knocks echoed through the house. Someone was pounding desperately on the front door.

I slowly walked toward the entrance and muttered,

"Who could be here at this hour?"

As soon as I opened the door, I froze.

A man stood before me, drenched from the rain and covered in blood. Looking at me with pleading eyes, he whispered,

"Please... help me."

Before I could say a word, he collapsed unconscious.

The next morning, the man slowly opened his eyes.

I had been sitting on the couch nearby. The moment I noticed he was awake, I rushed over to him.

"You're awake! How are you feeling now?"

He looked at me with confusion, as if he had no idea where he was or who I was.

Breaking the silence, I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Hello, sir. My name is Chase. You're in my house."

I paused for a moment before continuing.

"You came here last night. You were badly injured, and you collapsed right outside my front door."

A strange uneasiness appeared on his face. Gently helping him sit up, I placed a pillow behind his back for support.

"I cleaned and treated your wounds, so you don't have to worry. For now, you should get some rest. I'll go make something for you to eat."

As I walked toward the kitchen, I couldn't help but think,

"It's probably not the right time to ask him about himself. I'll wait until he's a little more comfortable."

When I looked around the kitchen, there wasn't much to cook. After thinking for a moment, I decided to prepare something light for breakfast.

I had just started cooking when a loud thud echoed from upstairs.

My heart skipped a beat.

I immediately rushed to my room. The moment I stepped inside, I froze in shock.

Lorenzo had fallen off the bed.

I hurried over and helped him sit up.

"You really need to rest," I said worriedly.

"You have a deep wound just above your knee."

Supporting him carefully, I helped him back onto the bed before placing a pillow behind his back.

"That's why you won't be able to walk properly for at least a week."

He didn't reply.

Instead, he silently lay back against the pillow, his dark eyes fixed on me.

"I'll bring your breakfast in a minute."

As I turned to leave, our eyes met.

It was the first time I had truly looked into his eyes since he arrived.

For some reason, I couldn't look away.

They were deep, mysterious... almost hypnotizing.

Why do I feel like I could keep looking at them forever?

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.

"I-I'll bring your breakfast. Please get some rest."

Without waiting for another second, I hurried downstairs.

A few minutes later, I returned carrying two plates.

"Here's your breakfast. I hope you like it," I said with a warm smile as I placed the plate in front of him.

He looked at me...

Then at the food...

Then back at me again.

It was as if no one had ever taken care of him like this before.

"Go ahead," I encouraged gently. "It tastes better than it looks. Besides, you need to eat before taking your medicine."

He gave a small nod and quietly began eating.

I started eating as well.

After a few moments of silence, I finally asked,

"May I know your name?"

He paused for a second before answering in a low, deep voice.

"...Lorenzo."

"Lorenzo..." I repeated softly.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lorenzo."

After a brief pause, I gathered the courage to ask,

"How did you get those injuries last night?"

I looked at him expectantly.

However, he continued eating in silence, as if he had no intention of talking about it.

Realizing he wasn't ready, I decided not to pressure him.

"That's okay."

I smiled.

"I have to leave for my part-time job now.

Don't forget to take your medicine."

I walked toward the bedroom door.

"Wait."

His deep voice stopped me.

I turned around.

"Yes?"

"I... need to make a phone call."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Can I borrow your phone?"

"Of course."

I handed him my phone without hesitation.

He dialed a number and waited.

No one answered.

After a few seconds, he ended the call and handed the phone back.

"Thank you."

"It's alright," I replied with a smile. "If anyone calls from that number, I'll let you know."

I helped him lie down comfortably once again.

"Get some rest. Bye."

With that, I left the house.

...

The small bell above the café door rang as I walked inside.

"Good morning! Sorry I'm late, Alvin... Eric."

I bowed apologetically.

"It's okay, Chase," Alvin said with a cheerful smile, gently patting my shoulder.

"Come on, let's get to work."

Eric, however, crossed his arms and frowned.

"We're already late."

"Alright, alright."

I walked over to him with a grin.

"You know... your smile looks much better than that angry face."

I lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"When were you planning to tell us why you skipped college today?" Eric asked suspiciously.

"I... I was at home."

I scratched the back of my neck nervously.

"I slept very late last night, so I couldn't wake up this morning."

"Oh?"

Eric narrowed his eyes.

"Really? You never skip lectures."

"Y-Yeah... I overslept."

Before Eric could question me any further, Alvin stepped between us.

"Are you two done? We still have to open the café."

Eric and I looked at each other before replying together,

"Yeah."

As we got ready for work, guilt crept into my heart.

"I'm sorry... I don't know why I lied to both of you. But when the time is right, I'll tell you everything."

Soon, the café was open.

Alvin stood at the counter taking orders.

Eric cleaned the tables.

Meanwhile, I carried food and drinks to the customers.

Just then, my phone started ringing.

"Chase!" Alvin called from behind the counter.

"You're getting a call. It's an unknown number."

"I'm busy serving!" I replied.

"Can you answer it for me?"

"Sure."

Alvin picked up the call.

"Hello... this is Chase's phone. May I know who's speaking?"

Author:-

I hope you guys enjoyed Part 1 of this novel! Please stay tuned for Part 2.

And don't forget to share your feedback with me. Your thoughts and suggestions mean a lot and will help me improve. Thank you for reading! 💙

Happy Reading 💙

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***