Richard fixed his eyes on me as if he were watching a lion in a cage. There was a toxic mixture of fear and excitement in his gaze. I had so many questions I wanted to ask him!
However, when I looked into his eyes, the words knotted in my throat. Richard stood by my side for hours without uttering a single word. Finally, gathering all my courage, I whispered:
"Richard... Why did you kidnap me?"
He looked deep into my eyes. His voice possessed a chilling calmness:
— "Lily... My dear teacher, don't you know how dangerous it is out there? No one can protect you but me. I will protect you forever."
"I never asked for such a thing!" I snapped.
I was struggling to keep myself from screaming; because I couldn't predict what would happen to me if I raised my voice, my screams were merely echoing inside me.
Richard continued as if he were teaching a fundamental truth:
— "My dear teacher, people tend to delay protecting themselves unless their lives are in imminent danger. This world is full of demons, and I must shield you from them."
As he spoke these words, his eyes drifted to the bruises on my wrists. He left the room and returned two minutes later with a first-aid kit in his hand. While he cleaned my wounds with great meticulousness, his voice suddenly changed.
— "Does it hurt? How are you feeling?"
The dark expression in his eyes had vanished, replaced by the innocence of a curious child. I froze in the face of this sudden transformation.
"If you care about my pain this much," I said with a trembling voice, "why did you try to strangle me while you were kidnapping me?"
Richard paused.
"If you hadn't tried to run away from me, that wouldn't have happened. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have continued to live among those demons. I had to do it to save you."
I was at a loss for words. He had nearly killed me in order to "protect" me.
I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. Richard took my trembling hands and pressed a small, eerie kiss into my palm.
"Please don't be afraid. I will protect you forever."
Even though I wanted so badly to tell him that he was the very thing I feared, doing so while chained to a bed would be nothing short of suicide.
"When will you let me go?" I asked.
His smile froze.
"Weren't you listening to me, teacher? I'm saying I will protect you forever."
He had completely lost his mind. Suddenly, that rooftop scene I saw in my dream came to mind. The bullying he endured... Did his desire to protect me from "demons" stem from that?
Just then, the watch on his arm beeped sharply. Richard immediately left the room and returned half an hour later with a plate in his hand. The air was filled with the aroma of my favorite dish: Neua Pad Prik. How did he know I loved spicy food?
"I went to many cooking classes just to make something delicious for you," he said proudly.
I kept my mouth tightly shut for fear of being poisoned, but he ate a spoonful to prove the food was safe. Then, he held the spoon out to me. Fearfully, I opened my mouth. I had to admit, though I hated him, the spice level was perfect. He fed me like a child until the meal was finished. When he returned after taking the plates away, I asked him:
"Richard, shouldn't you be at school at this hour?"
He laughed with slight bewilderment. "Is that the question you're asking in this situation? Today is the weekend, teacher."
I calculated. It was Wednesday when I was kidnapped, which meant today was June 3rd, 2024. I had been in this hole for exactly four days. Someone must have noticed my absence. Please... let someone be looking for me.
"Richard, if you let me go now, I won't report you. I'll make sure those kids who bullied you are punished."
Richard recoiled a few steps at what he heard. He turned pale. "H-how... did you find out about that?" he stammered.
I couldn't tell him I saw it in a dream. This "painless" man, who hadn't even flinched when I hit him with a stun gun the night he kidnapped me, was now shaking before me like a child.
"I witnessed a few students talking on the day I was kidnapped," I lied. "Let me go, and I will deal with their punishment myself."
A sad smile appeared on his face.
"I don't want that from you, teacher. Please just... stay with me forever."
After saying this, he left the room without looking back. As the door locked behind him, the only question in my mind was: Why would a person feel lonely enough to steal someone else's life? I had to escape from here as soon as possible.