Awaiting soft rains(An extra's novel)-Chapter 95: Grass sea

We began tracking him at a leisurely pace. I was sure the skinwalker had some way to monitor us, perhaps through a few ignorant students.

In case my hunch was right, I didn’t want to risk spooking him by shooting straight for Chang-min from the start.

Walking down the hallway, I noticed Rowan had been glaring at me from the start. Confused, I turned to face him.

"Anything the matt—"

"Sellout."

"What?"

"You know what; you freaking sellout."

"Ohhh..."

It was then I finally realized what the boy was talking about.

’Did Racheal finally tell him?’

Suddenly, his reaction made a lot more sense. Sure, I felt a pang of guilt at selling out my own protagonist; still, I couldn’t bring myself to feel any regret doing it.

I replied to him, shrugging.

"You mean ’that.’ We both know it was bound to happen anyway; think of me as just hurrying things up a little."

"A little? You’ve practically signed my death warrant."

"Don’t be so dramatic. You won’t die... probably. Just think of it as a learning experience."

"How about I give you a learning experience? It’ll be good for you."

I dodged Rowan’s outstretched hand pretty easily. The boy wasn’t serious about catching me. He gave up right after that attempt, choosing to stew further in his rage.

After all, even he knew that I’d just signed him up for something that was bound to happen eventually. Perhaps a little early, yes, but in reality, the timeline matched with the novel.

My actions were merely righting changes that occurred due to my interference in events. What I was signing him up for was a necessary experience for him in the end.

Challenges, in the end, were a necessary tool for growing character. It was best to let him face the devil I knew, rather than otherwise.

Throughout our exchange, Alexa remained silent. Which would’ve been typical for her, if it wasn’t such a turnaround from her yesterday’s behaviour.

In some aspects, she seemed even worse than before. She had bed hair reminiscent of the time I’d first seen her, and there were signs of growing eye bags on her face.

Her eyes were still stable, at least.

I was about to ask if she’d even slept at all, when I noticed something.

We were outside.

Beside the cafeteria this time. Where our Chang-min Suk was supposed to be.

Checking the map, I noticed his position had moved even further from here. It was slowly going beyond the areas populated by buildings.

’Would a student even go there?’

I pondered calling Alice then and there, yet I hesitated. I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure it was a skinwalker.

’Maybe it’s going sightseeing... Yeah, right. There’s no way I’m not contacting her now.’

I sent a message about my findings. The reply came back almost instantly.

[Keep an eye on him. We can’t be sure of his identity yet, but there are far too many irregularities to not act yet. I’ll send someone to you soon.]

There was one more message.

[There are some camera blind spots in the location he is heading.]

’Just great.’

As much as I wanted to wipe my hands and call this a done deal, there was still more work ahead of me.

’Who am I kidding? I would’ve probably still tracked it regardless.’

Sunk cost fallacy and all that.

Turning to face the two beside me, I thought about sending both back a little, before dropping the idea.

’Rowan can keep a secret... Alexa, not so much.’

Racheal was bound to hear word of it, if we came to blows. But then again, coming to blows with the monster meant the plan had already gone to shit.

In the end, it wasn’t like I was planning to fight the Beast.

’Safe distance. Safe distance. Safe...’

I repeated the words in my mind like a mantra as we slowly snaked along the pathway, gradually pacing fewer people and buildings.

We stopped at the last one. Beyond that was a sea of black grass, sparsely cut by white walkways here and there. White fireflies danced up and down, like numerous fishes in that sea.

Although it was currently around noon, the perpetually blocked sky made it seem like evening.

Rowan was the first to speak.

"I’m not sure there are any nobles around here, Victor."

"Right..."

This was as far as the ruse was going to take me with them. I was certain about it now; Chang-min was the skinwalker.

’Do I just wait now?’

Alice did say I should keep an eye on it, though. So... I sighed.

"The both of you can wait here. Be very careful. If I don’t come out in the next ten minutes, call for help."

Rowan and Alexa immediately caught on that something was wrong, but Rowan was the first to speak. He’d already been growing suspicious of this operation before this.

"What do you mean, wait? What’s happening?"

I shook my head before looking him dead in the eye.

"It’s a long story. But just trust me on this, okay?"

I was serious, and he knew it. The boy struggled a bit internally before sighing.

"Fine. But I’ll come look for you in five."

Perhaps I could’ve argued with him, but five minutes was probably the best I was going to get from him.

Why’d I make him so darn stubborn?

Alexa spoke up as well, though her gaze was fixed hauntingly on the sea of grass.

"I... will also look for you in five."

Now that was a bit surprising, but it was a matter I couldn’t look into deeply.

’She’s probably just getting pulled along by Rowan.’

"That’s fine with me. Remember, be careful."

"You should take your own advice too, you know?"

"Don’t worry about it."

I waved off Rowan’s concerns before glancing at the sea of grass once again. There was a slight downward slope to the path.

Beyond it, I could see the actual edge of the barrier.

Although it was still a ways off from here, the drumming of the rain against it sounded particularly deafening to my ears.

I checked the map.

The Beast was somewhere in that sea.

I took a step forward. There was no more room for hesitation.