The Likely Rise of an Extra

Based on what Hyphen had told him, Kiel pieced something together.

The person watching him at school and the one tailing him in the library were likely the same.

Which made things worse.

As far as he knew, the odds of having two separate stalkers were pretty low.

This wasn't just some passing interest or a random lurker.

Whoever they were, they were focused on him.

And Kiel didn't like that.

He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could just spot a trained infiltrator on a whim—especially since they'd vanished without a trace the moment he entered the house last night.

Catching someone like that wouldn't be easy.

If they were good at hiding, they wouldn't just slip up because he stared hard enough.

But that didn't mean he'd just sit back and let this continue.

And something about the whole situation felt off.

But if someone wanted to play ghost, then fine.

He'd set a trap.

And see just how real this ghost was.

.

.

.

Kiel laid out the plan to Hyphen.

"The first step is controlling the battlefield," he said, tapping his chin. "I think Sun... something said that once."

[Get on with it already,] Hyphen groaned.

She was already regretting asking him about it.

Kiel rolled his eyes. She wanted an answer and she was getting one.

His apartment—a little too spacious, expensive, and annoyingly spotless—would be the perfect stage.

A couch. A table. A kitchen that looked like it had never been used.

Tonight, it wasn't just a place to live.

It was a trap.

The only problem?

He had no idea if it would actually work.

Step One: The Bait

Kiel would sprawl out on the couch, one arm draped over his face like he'd passed out from exhaustion.

A first-year student, drained from the usual school shenanigans.

Unaware. Unprepared. Vulnerable.

Or at least, that's what he wanted them to think.

Step Two: The Window

He left the kitchen window half-open.

Just enough to look like an accident.

Not enough to seem like an invitation.

A careless mistake, the kind someone tired might make.

Step Three: The Phone

Kiel placed his phone on the table, the screen still lit as if he'd been texting before nodding off.

A small detail. A subtle misstep.

Just enough to sell the illusion.

Step Four: The Dust

He sprinkled some fine powder, carefully prepared an hour ago, near the window, by the doors, and on the coffee table.

Not flour—too cliché. Just a light mix of dust and graphite.

Invisible at a glance. But if someone stepped on it, they'd leave a mark.

It wasn't foolproof, but it would create a hazy outline of the intruder's movements. The perfect makeshift smoke screen and a locator.

Step Five: The Tripwire

A nearly invisible string, set low near the doorframe and windows.

Not enough to stop anyone, but enough to tell him exactly where they were.

And with that, everything was ready.

Now all he had to do was wait.

And waiting? That was the worst part.

[So this is the trap you devised?] Hyphen's voice rang in his mind, a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

Kiel smirked, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah. Hopefully, it'll catch our stalker."

[Hopefully?] Hyphen didn't sound convinced.

"Yeah, hopefully. This isn't a movie, Hyphen," he muttered, stretching his arms.

"If they're really good, they might notice something's off."

[And if they do?]

"Then I'll have to adjust."

[So you're just winging it.]

"Adjusting on the fly," Kiel muttered, ignoring her.

He made his way to the living room, the setup perfect.

Now, all that was left... was the performance.

◇◇◇

7:45 PM

At first, nothing happened.

Kiel lay still, slowing his breathing, listening to the faint hum of the city outside.

Hyphen remained silent.

Maybe she was actually impressed? Or maybe she was still waiting for him to fail.

Either way, the moment stretched on for what felt like forever.

Minutes ticked by.

Then—

THUD.

A faint sound. Almost too faint.

CREAK.

The sound wasn't loud. Just a subtle shift in weight— the kind that only came from careful, deliberate movement.

Kiel carefully cracked open one eye, just enough to see without giving himself away.

His gaze flicked toward the kitchen.

'So that's where they entered from.'

They probably came in through the kitchens window.

Kiel's heartbeat didn't spike. His breathing didn't change.

He had one shot at this.

"...Now."

Everything exploded into motion.

Kiel flipped the coffee table with a sharp kick, sending papers, dust, and graphite powder bursting into the air.

The room, once still, became a chaotic blur of floating debris.

And there—hidden in the particles—was a silhouette.

Not a shadow. Not a trick of the light.

A real, solid figure.

Kiel had them.

He drove his foot into the floorboards where they stood.

CRACK.

The wood groaned, the impact sending a sharp vibration through the wooden floor.

The figure shifted, as they redistributed their weight in an instant.

They were too quick. Too precise.

They weren't just some amateur sneaking around.

Kiel's mind registered that fact in a fraction of a second, but his body was already moving.

He grabbed his phone and flicked his fingers, launching his phone across the room— not as an attack, but a distraction.

The figure dodged instantly. A smooth, calculated movement— too smooth.

But that was their mistake.

Because Kiel had anticipated it would happen.

The moment they moved, his hand snapped to the curtain cord.

Then he yanked it— hard.

The cord lashed out, wrapping around the person's arm with a sudden, violent pull.

SNAP.

They stumbled. Their balance thrown off just enough.

Kiel didn't hesitate.

THUD.

He ran, then tackled them, driving them into the floor with sharp movement.

He then dug his knee into their back, pinning them in place, one arm twisted behind them in an iron grip.

They struggled, their body twisting beneath him with surprising strength— enough that, for a second, Kiel felt his grip slip.

But then suddenly they stopped.

Not because they were outmatched by Kiel's strength. But as if they had realized something.

The person's breath shifted. They seemed relaxed for some reason.

There was a moment of stillness.

The person didn't seem like they had surrendered.

No, it was something closer to—

[They accepted defeat?]

There was a bit of awkward silence.

Then a low, muffled chuckle.

They didn't sound panicked or frustrated.

Just Amused?

'What's so funny?' Kiel frowned.

"...You're a real pain, you know that?"

A girl's voice slipped out from behind the mask.

Now that the dust had settled, Kiel could finally take in their appearance.

Dressed in a tight, jet-black bodysuit, she looked like she stepped out of a ninja costume catalog.

The material clung to her like it was made for speed, not comfort.

And, of course, she had the kind of curves that made it impossible not to notice.

A black mask covered her face.

Simple, practical, hiding everything except her pink eyes that looked like they could pierce straight through you.

'A ninja?' Kiel was visibly confused.

But his grip didn't loosen, instead his mind started spinning.

'Wait, a girl? And that voice...'

Her voice sounded familiar to him for some reason.

His eyes flicked to the tangle of fabric beneath him, and seeing it, he couldn't resist acting tough, smirking like he had everything under control

"Yeah," he muttered, pressing down just a little harder.

"I get that a lot."

◇◇◇

After tying her hands as she sat down, Kiel was genuinely surprised she showed almost no resistance at all.

'This is getting weird... Does she enjoy this or something?' he thought, looking her over.

She stared back at him, her piercing pink eyes under the mask, giving him an odd, unreadable look.

"Okay, guess it's time for the big reveal."

Kiel couldn't help but wonder what would make the real Kiel get stalked by a woman like this.

'Did the real Kiel know her?' he thought.

But considering he'd only been in Kiel's body for just two days, he didn't exactly have the best grasp of the guy's social circle.

He sighed, deciding he'd just bluff his way out of this situation.

He slowly lifted the mask, and his jaw dropped.

"Harlett?!"

Yep, that was definitely a shock. Her pink eyes and blonde hair spilled out as he pulled the mask off.

His face betrayed him completely—he was planning on bluffing, but he realized, in that moment, he just couldn't.

A million questions were swirling around in his head.

"Harlett?! What are you doing here?!"

Then, Harlett hit him with something even crazier.

"I'm sorry to disturb your privacy, Master Kiel, but your sister put me up to it, and I couldn't refuse."

His sister? What was she talking about?

His sister sent Harlett to stalk him? And did she just call him master?!

Also, where did her usual chipper vibe go?

She sounded like an entirely different person now.

Normally, she had this bubbly somewhat high-pitched voice, but now it was lower, almost... ominous?

And her eyes, which were usually so bright, now seemed to have lost all their sparkle.

"Huh?" Kiel was beyond confused.

But Harlett just tilted her head, like she was explaining something completely normal.

[What the hell is going on here?]

Even Hyphen seemed to be on the struggle bus with this one.

"I don't understand. Master? You mean me?" The master part was really starting to get under Kiel's skin.

"Yes... I know it might come as a surprise to you since you already denounced your succession as head of the Selforts, but you're still my master."

'Woah, woah, woah, hold up, what?'

Just who the hell is this Kiel Selfort guy?