Chapter 37: The Maid Protocol (illustration of Nicole In Maid Outfit included)

The gentle patter of the Saturday morning rain against the window glass was the only sound left inside Leo's studio apartment. The heavy, world-ending tension from the mountain was gone, replaced by the quiet warmth of his small bedroom. Leo sat back against the wall on his twin mattress, his broad shoulders relaxed. Chloe was curled up tightly beside him, her head resting peacefully on his lap as her fingers lightly clutched the fabric of his jeans. Right on his other side, sitting close enough that her arm brushed against his bicep, was Senior Cynthia.

Cynthia was staring down at her lap, her hands tightly gripping the hem of the oversized casual cardigan Stella had lent her the night before. Her elegant amber eyes were filled with a deep, lingering worry.

"Leo..." Cynthia whispered softly, her strict student council voice completely melting away into something fragile. "When we were locked inside those glass vats... I was conscious for a few moments. I saw that person standing in the center of the room. He had your exact face, your exact voice, and your exact clothes. It was like looking at a ghost. Who was he, Leo? What kind of dangerous situation are you involved in?"

Leo looked down at her flustered, pale face, his hand moving automatically to gently pat Chloe’s short pink hair to keep her calm. "I don't know," Leo replied honestly, his deep voice dropping to a low, soothing rumble. "I don't know what's happening or who is pulling the strings yet. But the most important thing right now is that you two remain careful when you're out on campus. I don't want you getting caught in a trap like that ever again."

Suddenly, Chloe’s crimson eyes snapped wide open. She sat up rapidly from his lap, her face twisting into a terrifyingly intense, yandere glint of absolute possessiveness as she gripped Leo’s leather vest. "I don't care about myself, Leo! If some crazy stalker wants to lock me in a cage, let them try! But I will absolutely torture and kill anyone who dares to put you through this kind of stress! You belong to me, and nobody gets to mess with your head!"

Cynthia let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, crossing her arms as she glared defensively at the pink-haired girl. "Lower your voice, Chloe. Acting like a reckless child isn't going to solve a security crisis. Leo, please... let us help you in this situation."

"No," Leo refused firmly, his voice snapping with absolute authority. He shifted his weight, turning his body directly toward Cynthia. He reached out with a large masculine hand, his thumb gently caressing her soft, blushing cheek to check her anxiety. The intimate, unexpected touch sent a sudden jolt of electricity through the room, making Cynthia's breath hitch as her amber eyes glazed over with infatuation. "It's too dangerous. I won't let either of you get involved in anything risky. I'll handle it myself."

Chloe's jaw tightened in immediate jealousy seeing Leo touch Cynthia's face. Moving with aggressive, possessive speed, she leaned straight across his lap, wrapping her slender arms around his neck and forcefully pressing her soft pink lips against his in a deep, sudden kiss. "You better handle it quickly then, because I'm not letting you out of my sight on Monday!" she demanded breathlessly, breaking the kiss with a fiery, triumphant glare directed straight at Cynthia.

Cynthia’s face violently painted itself in a furious, crimson blush. She stood up from the mattress, her body trembling with a mix of embarrassment and competitive pride. "You... you shameless underclassman! Have some modesty!"

Chloe simply smirked, grabbing her messenger bag and marching confidently out of the apartment door, leaving the atmosphere thick with romantic friction. Cynthia stood by the edge of the bed, her fingers twitching nervously as she looked down at Leo’s handsome face. She hesitated for a long three seconds, her heart hammering against her ribs. Then, gathering every ounce of her courage, she quickly bent down, pressed a soft, lingering kiss right onto Leo's left cheek, and dashed out of the room, slamming the door shut in an absolute state of flustered panic.

Leo slowly lay flat on his back across the rumpled sheets, completely worn out. He stared up at the ceiling, rubbing his temples as his brain looped through the endless mysteries of the weekend. The clone... Stella's lies and weird behavior... nothing makes sense.

Ding!

A sharp, digital golden interface window violently snapped open right in front of his face.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: NEW MAIN QUEST INITIALIZED]

[TARGET 4 IDENTIFIED: NICOLE VANCE ]

[QUEST OBJECTIVE: LOCATE TARGET 4 AND SUCCESSFULY ASK HER OUT ON A ROMANTIC DATE]

[TIME LIMIT: 48 HOURS (2 DAYS REMAINING)]

[FAILURE PENALTY: IMMEDIATE SYSTEM TERMINATION / DEATH]

Leo sat up instantly, his eyebrows furrowing in deep, annoyed frustration. 'System, are you serious right now? We just survived a biological lab explosion and you're dropping a death-penalty date quest on a Saturday morning? You're not going to help me track her or give me a shortcut this time?'

Silence. The golden screen remained entirely blank, rendering absolute zero advice before fading into transparent pixels.

"Useless interface," Leo muttered under his breath, completely irritated.

He didn't waste a single minute. He threw off his sheets, took a rapid, hot shower to wash off the exhaustion, and changed into a stylish casual outfit. Leaving his studio apartment, he stepped out into the bustling city streets. Tracking a university classmate on a Saturday was a tactical nightmare, especially since he didn't have Nicole’s address grid.

Where would a serious chemistry student go on the weekend? Leo thought, his mind tracking his memory logs. The supermarket. She was stocking up on supplies the first time I ran into her.

Holding onto that single lead, Leo marched down the avenue and entered the massive central downtown supermarket. He spent an hour walking up and down the bright commercial aisles, past rows of fresh produce, canned goods, and pharmacy counters, his sharp eyes scanning every single shopper. But after checking the entire floor plan twice, Nicole’s sharp, short chestnut-hair cut was nowhere to be found.

Leo let out a defeated sigh, walking out of the exit sliding doors onto the crowded pedestrian mall. "System, give me a break. Just give me her current coordinate location," he muttered quietly under his breath.

The system didn't reply.

Leo clutched his fists in deep frustration, about to spin around and head toward the university library instead. But just as he turned his heel near a busy commercial crossroad, a loud, energetic, and beautifully familiar voice echoed out from the center of the pedestrian sidewalk.

"Welcome!Please stop by and try our premium matcha tea blends at the newly opened Royal Ribbon Cafe! We are hosting a special weekend celebration discount~!"

Leo stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes keenly locking onto the crowd of male pedestrians gathered near a colorful promotional banner. Pushing past a couple of staring sophomores, he stepped right into the front row and completely froze on the spot.

Standing there with a stack of pink flyers was Nicole.

But she wasn't wearing her blazer or her casual jeans. She was dressed in an incredibly beautiful and traditional Japanese-style maid restaurant uniform. The outfit consisted of a skin-tight black dress that flawlessly accentuated the extreme, voluptuous curves of her hourglass figure and full chest, paired with a frilly white lace apron tied tightly around her narrow waist, and cute thigh-high white stockings. Her short chestnut hair was neatly pinned with a matching white lace headband, making her look absolutely breath-taking and completely irresistible.

Leo took a slow, deliberate step forward, breaking through the crowd of gaping onlookers until he was standing mere inches away from her. "Nicole?"

Nicole’s promotional speech instantly died inside her throat. She snapped her head up, her violet eyes dilating into absolute, wide-eyed shock as her gaze locked onto Leo’s tall frame and handsome face. In less than a microsecond, an intense, white-hot crimson blush violently painted her entire face, spreading rapidly all the way down to her exposed collarbone. Her hands trembled so hard the promotional flyers nearly slipped from her fingers.